The Villainous Princess's Rise to the Pinnacle of Power

Ming'an was a princess born of the empress and directly involved in state affairs. No one could rival the favor and honor she enjoyed. But as her mother lay dying, she clutched Ming'an's hand and cried, her voice choked with grief: "My dear daughter, your father does not truly love you! Look up, and every step is a blade. There is no way forward..." Only then did Ming'an realize she was nothing more than a convenient shield in her father's hands. Behind the boundless splendor lurked a forest of cold, gleaming blades. Use me as a target to prevent turmoil at court and keep my brothers from fighting each other? Fine. I'll switch the pieces and seize power on a grand scale. That will repay all the careful training and brilliant arrangements. If I'm already trapped in a dead end, then come on. Neither of us is getting out of this unscathed. If the concubines use me to win favor, then I'll make them lose it. If my younger sister uses my influence, then I'll make her lose hers. Every step was calculated, every step strewn with thorns. She fought the imperial consorts and her own siblings, and through bloodshed and death, she climbed over heaps of white bones to the very peak of power. But Shen Yuanqi didn't know her anymore. Shen Yuanqi found her unfamiliar, incomprehensible... Ming'an smiled brightly. Fine, then. She would consider it a mistake and cut all ties. Later, news of victory arrived. Black-armored cavalry swept across the land, staining a thousand miles of road with blood. General Shen achieved a feat of arms that would be remembered for ages. The once carefree boy who knew nothing of the world, now clad in snow and bloodshed, knelt outside Zhaoyang Palace. Theme: Schemes and manipulation cannot last. Only acting with honor and integrity can give life meaning.