In the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, the Crown Prince dies. The princes of the Ming Empire begin fighting among themselves for power and riches.
Zhang Wanwan, the daughter of General Zhang, flees her home to travel after her father tries to force her into marriage. One night, she comes across a gravely wounded "sickly man" on the road.
Guided by the belief that "saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda," Wanwan saves the dying man. She also falls into a passionate romance with the handsome, starry-eyed man.
But just as their love is at its sweetest, the sickly man, now fully recovered, suddenly disappears... Wanwan is soon dragged back to the general's residence by her father.
Half a year passes before they meet again.
Wanwan's eyes brim with tears when she sees him, but he looks at her coldly and arrogantly, as if he doesn't know her at all. Wanwan soon learns from her father that the "sickly man" is Zhu Di, the fourth son of the emperor, a mighty warrior who commands the battlefield, holds all beneath him in contempt, and defends the Ming Empire's borders.
Wanwan is heartbroken. How can the man who once loved her now act like a stranger?
Zhu Di denies that anything ever happened between them, yet insists on taking Wanwan as his wife...
"Wanwan, this is the first and last time I'll give you a chance to escape the prince's residence."
"I don't care who you want me to marry. I will never marry you! I'm not your puppet. I have the right to know the truth!"
"Your only choice is to stay here and become my consort. If you try to escape again, I won't spare your father!"
Content warnings:
1. The heroine truly loved the third male lead and was once determined to marry him.
2. The male lead is extremely scheming, and his groveling-to-win-her-back behavior is pretty awful. He's calculating and manipulative toward the heroine and his political rivals alike.
3. When he can't have what he wants, the male lead goes mad. There are scenes of coercion and possessiveness, so please skip this story if you can't handle that.
4. The setting is based on official history, but many plot points have been changed. The dialogue is casual and colloquial.
5. Updated daily. (I'll announce it if I have to miss an update.) The posting time varies. It may be better to catch up the next day.
Theme: Sincere love deserves sincere love in return
