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Liu Shu came from a prestigious family. At seventeen, she was betrothed to Emperor Qi Sheng by the Empress Dowager. Thinking she would marry the man she loved, she entered the palace wearing the Liu Yun hairpin from her dowry.
But on their wedding night, Qi Sheng avoided touching her. Only then did she realize she was nothing but a pawn he used to keep her father in check.
For the next seven years, she was confined to the inner courtyard, subjected to endless humiliation, framed by villains, and watched as her entire family was sentenced to death.
At last, standing atop the city tower, she drove the Liu Yun hairpin, which was supposed to symbolize growing old together, into her heart. She looked at Qi Sheng with boundless hatred, then fell from the tower.
Before she closed her eyes, she lay in the vast snow and saw the face of General Xie Jingyao.
His face was as cold as ever, but he carefully and gently pulled out the hairpin and pinned it into her hair.
His voice was so soft it blended into the cold wind. "Farewell, Your Highness."
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When she opened her eyes again, Liu Shu had returned to the day she was betrothed.
She changed her mind and chose to marry Qi Sheng's close friend, the general who would later hold power over the court. At this point, Xie Jingyao was a young man fresh from his first victorious campaign, and he was deeply opposed to marriage.
After Liu Shu married him, Xie Jingyao laid down three rules: "No touching, no interference, and no forcing me."
"I won't listen." Liu Shu ran her hand over the taut muscles beneath his armor and smiled with devastating charm. "After all, I like you very much, Xie Lang."
Xie Jingyao seized her hand and held it in place, warning her, "Don't cross the line."
Within three days, he ate his words and they consummated their marriage.
His rules were useless, his boundaries broken, and Xie Jingyao was in too deep.
On the bed, he buried his face against her neck and breathed heavily. "What else do you wish for, my lady?"
Liu Shu took the hairpin from her hair and tapped it against his chest. "I want you to drive this hairpin into Qi Sheng's heart and take his place."
Xie Jingyao gazed at her, his eyes dark. He murmured, "As you command, my lady."
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