The Ashen Bones Know the Years

Emperor Xiao Heng dies in remorse amid the flames engulfing the palace, only to return to ten years earlier, burdened by his sins and consumed by bone-deep regret.

In his previous life, he was deceived by treacherous officials, personally annihilated the entire Shen family of imperial censors, and forced Shen Zhiwei, the only woman he had ever loved, to drink poison.

Now he has been reborn before his terrible mistake is made, before any of the tragedies have happened.

But fate is cruel: only he carries the full weight of their tragic past, while Shen Zhiwei knows nothing of her previous life.

She is an upright and unyielding newly appointed female remonstrance official, standing in court in her blue robes. She has made it her duty to impeach the emperor and expose the corrupt. Her brilliance is unmatched, and she fears no imperial authority.

He sits upon the dragon throne in the highest palace, his heart full of guilt and burning love, yet he dares not show any of it.

He cannot favor her, summon her, or reveal the slightest sign of his feelings.

All he can do is stay in the shadows, secretly shielding her from one assassination attempt after another and dismantling the deadly traps laid by the treacherous prime minister.

In his previous life, the sovereign ordered his subject to die.

In this life, the subject judges the sovereign's wrongdoing.

He protects her life, while she wields her brush to pass judgment on the emperor's merits and faults.

The divide between ruler and subject stands between them, and the blood debt from their previous life weighs heavily on their shoulders.

Can a second life, bought at the cost of burning to the bone, atone for his past sins, or will they be unable to escape a fate already written?

Theme: Love and hate are trapped by the bonds of sovereign and subject. Atonement cannot overcome fate, but they remain true to their commitment to their country.