The Hidden Lord's Decree

"The year I loved him most was also the year I hated him most."

Jiang Wu, the female emperor of Nanmin, had been dealt a cruel hand since childhood and was never loved. As she grew older, she committed one shocking act after another, earning the title "Mad King with a Blade" from the rulers of neighboring states. Her blade had slain her brother and her master.

After her elder brother's death, Jiang Wu founded her own capital and renamed the country Nanmin. But one moonlit night, a disaster struck, sending the newly enthroned empress into a killing frenzy.

The calamity left her with a heart ailment. After days of torment, she had no choice but to abandon her ministers and flee to the wilderness. Little did she know that on the last night she left the palace, beneath the frost, her commander would kneel for hours before Qiwutai, pleading with her to stay.

Three years later, amid an unknown war on the frontier, Jiang Wu caught sight of a familiar figure in the chaos.

Dressed in black, he stepped through the snow and dust. "Your Majesty, are you running away again?"

Though Jiang Wu no longer tried to run, something seemed to stand between them. At times, they were close enough to touch; at others, they seemed like strangers.

So when she climbed Qiwutai again that year, she never could have imagined...

Note: They get back together, but their reunion isn't very secure.

(Ensemble cast, multiple couples, bittersweet romance)

Theme: Love needs no disguise.