After Wen Qingzhi's identity was switched at birth and her adoptive parents revealed their cruelty, she fought her way out of the flames and into the palace. From then on, she no longer believed in gods or Buddhas. All she wanted was power, so she could lead the female officials. For that, she became entangled with the Second Prince and embroiled herself in the struggle for the throne.
Who could have guessed that the new emperor would be an ungrateful wretch? After ascending the throne, he not only tried to kill her, but also used her to threaten and murder her real family!
Reborn into her past life, Wen Qingzhi looked at the path to power she had once walked and felt strangely at ease.
Once she became the Director of Palace Affairs and gained authority, she would eliminate every threat and protect her birth parents.
So she made another wager, this time on the most exalted Ninth Prince, Yuan Yue.
*
Yuan Yue, the Empress's son, cared nothing for fame or fortune and was unpredictable in his ways, a wastrel with impeccable manners.
That is, until one day, he had a moment of compassion and impulsively appointed a registry clerk to attend him at the academy.
He wouldn't do his schoolwork, so Clerk Wen did it for him.
The next day, the junior tutor found a neat stack of papers on his desk.
He wouldn't study and went to bed early, so Clerk Wen took his place.
The lights in the Zhijian Pavilion stayed on until the third watch.
The emperor was pleased, the court officials praised him, and everyone marveled at how the Ninth Prince had turned over a new leaf.
Yuan Yue sighed. "Clerk Wen, are you working this hard because you want to kick me out and become a prince yourself?"
Wen Qingzhi replied calmly, "This humble official wants nothing more than peace and prosperity throughout the land."
Peace and prosperity throughout the land?!
With a belly full of schemes, she still managed to make it sound so honest and pure.
Yuan Yue admired her for a long while.
"Very well. As you wish."
He put on a cheeky tone. "What can I say? I want to look after you."
*
Yuan Yue: "I'll look after you from now on."
Wen Qingzhi, thinking: I'd rather die than have you look after me!
From Youzi:
0. Working title.
1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationships.
2. An ambitious female official × a loyal prince who thinks he's playing the part of a carefree rake.
Blurb captured from Weibo on August 12, 2021
Theme: Like the tide, fate surges on, breaking through the wind
