Synopsis
Prince Xie Wujiu of Yan had witnessed from childhood how his mother, a minor princess of Jin, was humiliated in Yan, sent to the cold palace, and died in despair. He lay low and bided his time, all for the sake of avenging her.
But the thing Prince Xie regretted most, the decision that came back to bite him harder than any other, was kidnapping Xu Qingli, the only daughter of a renowned Jin medical family whose entire household had been falsely accused.
She was only a ten-year-old orphan with no one to rely on. He might as well raise her by his side.
If she learned music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to adorn her looks, he might as well teach her deadly hidden weapons too, for self-defense and killing enemies alike.
If she learned to feign gentleness with a soft, charming manner, she might as well learn to wield the sword with ruthless resolve, concealing a blade beneath her softness.
If she learned to beguile the ruler and navigate court politics, she might as well master medicine and poisons too. After all, saving a life or taking one was a matter of a single thought.
The little girl clung to him every day, calling him "big brother" in her soft, sweet voice.
So what if she did? He was seven years older than her, and right now, he was all she had to rely on.
He raised her for seven years. By the time she blossomed into a graceful young woman, he had taught her how to kill. Xu Qingli was his proudest student and his most prized pawn.
Xie Wujiu considered himself cold and heartless. After all, the girl was nothing but a transaction, a pawn to be sent back to Jin and put into play.
Before she entered Jin, Xie Wujiu gave Xu Qingli a contraceptive medicine. "You wouldn't want to have a child with your enemy, would you?"
Xu Qingli: "Big brother, how could you..."
After arriving in Jin, Xu Qingli found that the King of Jin was nothing like she had expected!
He wasn't lustful or indulgent. He worked diligently for his people, cared for the common folk, and was gentle, perceptive, and concerned for the whole realm. He was the very picture of an innocent, benevolent ruler.
The Empress Dowager, though, was as reliably wicked as ever!
Sorry, you wiped out the Xu family, so I'll make sure you have no royal grandchildren!
Xu Qingli put away her ferocity and spent every day pretending to be gentle, obedient, timid, and innocent. She feigned deep love and devotion to the King of Jin, playing the part of a woman utterly smitten with him.
It turned out that the best way to learn the art of seducing an emperor was to have an emperor teach you personally. Her big brother had trained her himself, and she was putting those lessons to good use.
Xu Qingli flirted but never got close, acted as if she were falling in love but never shared his bed.
She also mixed up some poison for the beauties around the palace, making sure the Empress Dowager had nothing to look forward to.
The King of Jin, allowed to look but never touch: ...
Just then, a plague ravaged Jin. The court fell into chaos, and the Imperial Medical Bureau was helpless.
Xu Qingli stepped forward, treating the sick and taking charge of disaster relief. She saved countless lives and won the people's hearts.
The King of Jin fell completely in love with her. Defying the Empress Dowager and the rumors at court, he insisted on making her his consort.
The Empress Dowager flew into a rage and called her a vixen to her face.
As Xu Qingli played her part, she suddenly realized that something seemed off about the Emperor of Yan, her big brother.
On the day she was to be made a consort, Xie Wujiu arrived at the capital of Jin with a million cavalry. She looked at the man, his eyes bloodshot and his composure shattered, and softly called out to him again: "Big brother."
Xie Wujiu pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I taught you seduction. I taught you how to kill. Even the skill you have now at playing people's hearts is something I gave you..."
"Xu Qingli, you can act out devotion to anyone in the world. Why have you never been willing to give even a little of your true heart to me?"
Theme: Let go of resentment and grudges, and do not hate one another.
