When she was thirteen, He Jiuqiu rescued Xin Qiao'er from the world of brothels.
He gave her fine clothes and fine food, and taught her poetry, etiquette, and propriety.
Did he really think she would be foolish enough to embrace those useless notions of shame?
So when He Jiuqiu, in pursuit of his grand ambitions, personally sent Xin Qiao'er to the household of the chancellor in the capital, she simply smiled.
After saying, "I won't let you down," she promptly threw herself into another man's arms.
--
For seven years, Xin Qiao'er used half-truths and seduction to ensnare countless powerful men, trampling on many a sincere heart.
She was a bewitching blade in He Jiuqiu's hands.
Whenever she returned, He Jiuqiu would ask, "Have you forgotten him completely?"
I have.
Because she had no feelings.
That is, until she met Xie Huaiyu, the last new top scholar of the imperial examinations before the dynasty fell.
Only then did she learn how love could tear at a person's heart.
--
Before He Jiuqiu ascended the throne, he bestowed honors and rewards on a grand scale.
Xin Qiao'er had only one request: let her go free and allow her to marry Xie Huaiyu.
He Jiuqiu fell silent for a long while, then agreed with a decree. He was only a lowly man. Why should He Jiuqiu waste his thoughts on him, let alone care so much?
But at the palace banquet, when Xin Qiao'er appeared as a bride, tender and affectionate with her husband, He Jiuqiu could not sleep. He summoned her straight to his chambers.
"I only asked you to win him over. How dare you develop real feelings for him?"
Theme: Striving to survive
