In the thirteenth year of Princess Lingjia of Jingyun’s seizure of power and meddling in government, she was finally abandoned by everyone and imprisoned by her ministers. Her imperial brother ordered her death. After poison was forced down her throat, she opened her eyes and found herself reborn.
On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, snow fell thickly. Outside the hall knelt a noble young man of dazzling beauty: Shen Yu.
In the future, he would be a proud and powerful minister who held the court in his grasp. But at the time, his entire family had been exiled, and he had been forced to kneel in the snow until both legs froze. Disillusioned with officialdom, he would become a toady to her imperial brother.
Lingjia stepped out of the hall and draped a cloak over him. Taking advantage of his youth and naivety, she gently coaxed him: “I have long admired you, Young Master. I would be glad to show you a path forward.”
The cold and ruthless Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jiang Yuan, was a sinister and brutal man who could cover the sky with one hand. That year, however, he was still a lowly slave, beaten and humiliated on the ground. Lingjia rushed over to stop them.
The boy trembled with fear in the torture chamber. She patted his head to comfort him. “Don’t be afraid. No one can hurt you.”
Later, the boy became a monster wielding immense power. He raised his blade to kill for her, marched through the southern frontier and swept the northern barbarians aside, then knelt to kiss the back of her hand.
“As long as Your Highness desires it, I will take it for you.”
The hostage prince, Chu Yan, was bullied and neglected. Three years later, he and Lingjia’s third imperial brother would bathe the court in blood.
He was a deranged sadist, lurking in the palace with a dark heart and plotting to overthrow the dynasty.
Lingjia approached him while his power was still growing, teased him, gained his trust, and then killed him.
She plotted to claim the empire, executed treacherous ministers, and fought her imperial brother for the throne.
She took everything from him and watched him kneel before her in humble submission.
Later.
The hostage prince sat astride his horse, a long sword in hand. Before his army, he looked down at her and laughed with wild abandon.
“When you killed me, Princess, did you ever imagine this day would come?”
With chaos closing in, Shen Yu pinched her chin between his fingers. “Want to secure your throne?” He closed his eyes and kissed the edge of her ear, a gentle yet chilling smile playing on his lips. “Then Your Highness can only love me.”
Lingjia glanced back over her shoulder, suppressing the flicker of fear in her eyes.
Not to mention Jiang Yuan, watching her like a tiger from behind, along with all those young nobles and aristocratic sons she had once used and then casually cast aside.
Reading Guide:
An indulgent wish-fulfillment novel, in bold, all caps.
No fixed romance pairing; it changes with the direction of the plot.
Entirely fictional setting. Please don’t nitpick the historical details.
The main male characters in the book are all sexually pure.
Theme: Treat others with kindness, and pursue life with sincerity and optimism.
