Power Politics as a Blade, Madness as a Betrothal Gift

[Clear-Headed Black Lotus Heroine vs. Fake Green-Tea Yandere General]

In her previous life, Shen Shu gave everything for Xiao Wenqing, only to end up with her family destroyed and her life in ruins.

The only one who mourned her was Ling Ce, the "boorish soldier" she had treated like dirt. He gathered her remains in the snow and wept without end.

Reborn, Shen Shu is determined to take control of the game and follow a path entirely different from the one she walked in her previous life.

But to her surprise, Ling Ce, the decisive, ruthless "charcoal-faced living King of Hell" from her previous life, is now a frail young gentleman with a face as beautiful as jade.

At the betrothal banquet, Xiao Wenqing promised that he would never let her down.

Ling Ce stumbled and lurched to one side, accidentally knocking the undergarment hidden in Xiao Wenqing's robes to the floor. He hurriedly bowed in apology.

"I've been terribly presumptuous, Brother Baichuan. I feared things wouldn't go as you wished, so I meant to smooth things over for you. I didn't do it on purpose."

At the banquet to choose a son-in-law, the wounded Ling Ce staggered and collapsed to the ground. The corners of his eyes reddened as he spoke up for Xiao Wenqing.

"Sister, don't blame him! Blame me for foolishly thinking I could become the Shen family's live-in son-in-law."

At the palace banquet, the noble young ladies all mocked her humble origins and accused her of reaching above her station.

Ling Ce raised a hand to cover her eyes, his brows drawing together. His voice was cold enough to pierce to the bone.

"Just say the word, Sister, and I'll shatter mountains and rivers and remake the world!"

On the night of his triumphant return, Xiao Wenqing knelt and begged to reconcile.

Ling Ce was covered in vivid, bloody wounds. His gaze was tender as he said, "Sister, my whole body aches... Could you take pity on me, just a little?"

Gradually, Shen Shu realized that the man everyone called a madman had silently swallowed his grief and hidden his murderous wounds, yet across two lifetimes he had never betrayed the people of the realm.

Xiao Wenqing couldn't accept it and came to demand an explanation. Shen Shu looked up and replied, calm but firm in every word:

"I chose him not because of his devotion to me, but because he is someone worthy of everyone's esteem!"

The court was rife with undercurrents. The man in power promised her family a century of prosperity. She held a blade to Ling Ce and said, "General Ling, if we're going to put on a show, we have to see it through."

Grief flashed in Ling Ce's eyes. He took her hand and turned the blade on their enemy. In an instant, his expression transformed into a possessive smile. He leaned close and whispered in her ear:

"Sister, are you satisfied?"

Shen Shu smiled, raising her brows.

Reborn, she would not fall into an old dream.

[Reading Guide]

1. Both leads are strong and devoted only to each other. Happy ending, no contrived misunderstandings. They match wits and use each other.

2. The heroine is clear-headed, career-minded, and a black lotus. Political intrigue and revenge are at the heart of the story; romance always comes second.

3. The younger male lead is beautiful, powerful, and tragic: a green-tea schemer on the outside, a righteous, mad war god within. The people of the realm may fail him, but he never fails them.

4. Set in a fictional dynasty. The woman is the unmarried fiancée of a sworn elder brother who is unrelated to her by blood, and she is a month younger than him. He may call her "Sister"; the male lead insists on doing so because he intends to steal her away.

5. Thanks to @Yi Dao Shandian, Xingchen Moye, and Lan Xingxing Ya for the character art on the cover.

Theme: Reject shallow romantic favoritism. Hold fast to the greater good of the nation and the conscience of humanity, and choose a soul and convictions worthy of your trust