A princess born of His Majesty's drunken indiscretion, abandoned and forgotten in the depths of the palace.
She was never one to accept her fate.
After the State of Yan was defeated, Xie Yunning volunteered to serve as a hostage in another state, to the astonishment of everyone around her.
When she returned, Xie Yunning was enfeoffed as the Grand Princess Who Guards the State.
The struggle for the throne was chaotic and bloody, but no matter who became the new emperor, Xie Yunning, who had earned the gratitude of the entire State of Wei, would have a place at court. But what she wanted was to reach the very top.
"A-Zhao, do you think I'm lowborn?"
"Your Highness is the most noble person in this world." Pei Yunzhao lowered her eyes and bowed her head.
Xie Yunning moved closer, her eyes seeming to brim with tears. "Then why do you never come to see me?"
"As an official from another state, I may not enter the palace without an imperial summons."
"If you truly wanted to come, no one in this imperial city could stop you."
Xie Yunning wiped away the tear that had almost fallen, then turned toward the high platform. The turbulent undercurrents fell silent. "I am tired. General Pei, you may leave."
-
Did she hate her? Pei Yunzhao did.
She knew Xie Yunning cared for her, but that meager affection wasn't enough to make her abandon the game she called the realm.
The fragrant letter from Yuguan stopped coming while Xie Yunning was held hostage in another state.
She sent a letter to the capital: A-Zhao, does the crabapple tree in the courtyard still blossom?
Outside the window, the crabapple tree she had planted with her own hands
was still in full, riotous bloom.
She stayed awake all night, clutching the paper-thin letter in her hand.
The next day, defying her clan head's objections,
Pei Yunzhao, newly crowned top scholar, gave up the path to certain advancement and resolutely put down her brush to take up arms, donning armor instead.
Blades show no mercy on the road from Yanjing to Changzhou.
The hands that once bore only the scent of ink were stained with scarlet that could never be washed away.
She couldn't remember the hardships of the journey.
She only remembered the last step she took toward the princess.
She thought everything was settled, but in the blink of an eye,
just as she had once left without a word, Xie Yunning, now the Grand Princess, was about to place herself in danger again and abandon her.
-
Blades crossed, and old companions became enemies.
The Imperial Guards stood ready for battle. As their commander, Xie Yunning faced Pei Yunzhao on the front lines.
"Did Your Highness ever hesitate? Even for a single moment?"
Avoiding her gaze, the woman nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring, her voice cool and clear. "Hand over the military seal, and I can spare your life."
"And if I refuse?"
A flicker of uncertainty crossed her brow.
Then a whistle split the sky.
[Cool and Cunning Grand Princess x Abstinent, Wolfish Female General]
[Reading Guide]
1. Adult fiction, two equally powerful leads, 1v1, happy ending
2. The setting is entirely fictional
3. Both men and women can hold office in this world, and there has been an empress before
Synopsis registered on Weibo, 20240919
Theme: Love is both armor and weakness.
