The Sparrow Hidden in Its Cage

A clever concubine-born daughter who bides her time and grows × a sickly, seemingly useless prince who plans several steps ahead.

Truth and lies, lies and truth.

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At thirteen, Liang Tongyu was found by her wealthy biological father and given a new name and identity.

She thought she would live a carefree life from then on, but instead stumbled upon one sordid affair after another in the capital.

The Liang household was only the first cage she was pushed into, a place where people devoured one another and greed ruled all.

The Liang family used her. Zhao Cong used her. She had seen countless women of the capital beg in despair, and she might well be the next one.

But since fate had pushed her onto the banquet table, she would make use of everything around her and bring a little color to her brief life.

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Everyone said Liang Tongyu was lucky. Step by step, she rose from humble beginnings and, through a series of fortunate accidents, became empress.

When all the splendor had passed, she could only say she had no regrets.

~

Ning Zhen had no money or influence, and was on her way to seek refuge with relatives. She could only take shelter for the night in a dilapidated temple on a lonely mountain.

She opened a book to pass the time, but under the dim lamplight, proper poetry and prose turned into a picture book!

So lifelike.

The window rattled, and the wind blew out the candle.

A mouse in the corner squeaked twice, then dropped dead.

Frightened by one strange thing after another, she rolled up her straw mat and hurried to bed.

Suddenly, a melodious sound from a zither kept her awake.

"There was no one in the temple when I arrived..."

The zither continued playing, accompanied by knocks at the door. Frightened, she didn't dare open it.

Amidst the howling wind and driving rain, the door opened by itself.

A handsome young lord with flowers in his hair slipped softly into her arms...

After her parents died, she disguised herself as a man and went to stay with her cousin under the pretense of taking the imperial examinations.

She endured the elements on the way, and had stayed in enough ruined temples to fill a whole book of travel anecdotes.

She had also made up identities along the way to guard against thieves and bandits, so she was experienced.

She thought she had everything covered.

But she still ended up "falling into a ditch."

This was the biggest stumble of her life, and she fell right into the arms of a ghostly young gentleman.

She prided herself on being upright and having plenty of self-control. She would never take advantage of a handsome young man.

On the first night, the ghostly young lord tossed her two large gold ingots.

Ning Zhen: Thanks for the offer. I've already lost my resolve.

The ghostly young lord said that if she stayed a second night, he would give her even more gold ingots...

He even promised that she would never want for food or clothing again.

In fact, he would be hers, too.

A fake scholar who pretends to help the poor and save the world VS a sickly, gloomy ghostly young lord

Theme: Always yearn for freedom