A Beauty Who Refuses to Surrender to Fate

"Don't say that beautiful women are doomed to die young; the world simply doesn't grant us everything we want."

"If only I could ride the wind one day and soar straight up to the ninth heaven."

﹎﹎The legitimate daughter of a noble house, cherished by her parents from childhood. Then, in a sudden turn of fate, her mother was demoted from wife to concubine, and her father took another noblewoman as his wife. From a treasured darling, she became an illegitimate child everyone could bully. Faced with her mother's resignation and pleas to accept their fate, Li Ming raised her head, hiding the tears in her eyes. "If they abandoned us for the sake of the family, then I'll destroy the family they value so much. Even if I have to bear the stigma of being an illegitimate child, I will make the whole world tremble because of me. I refuse to accept my fate."

﹎﹎The mother of the nation, the respected empress of the former dynasty and the inner palace. The prince she had longed for over ten years to bear is too young even to qualify for the succession struggle. As the second empress, Gu Suxin burns with rage. "I won't settle for being an empress, or even an empress dowager, in name only, with no power. When they asked me to enter the palace, they should have known I wouldn't let this go. I will put my son on the throne. I refuse to accept my fate."

﹎﹎A nobleman's daughter, protected by her family, including her aunt, the former empress, and the crown prince of the current dynasty. Her extraordinary memory makes her beloved by the royal family and her elders. Gu Qing only wishes to travel the land in this life and use her knowledge to benefit the people, but "childhood sweethearts, deeply devoted lovers" stand in the way of her wishes. Why should a woman have to give up what she wants because of a man's wishes? I refuse to accept my fate.

﹎﹎This novel is divided into five volumes: The Grievances of Noblewomen, The Struggle for Succession, The Calamity of the Gentleman, Schemes in the Inner Palace, and A Love That Never Wavers. Neither the main nor the supporting characters are perfect, and they all have their flaws, so please don't expect too much of their personalities.

Theme: Life rarely goes as we wish; we can't have everything. Don't bow your head. Even if you lose in the end, you still fought, and there's no need to regret failing to act.