The ultimate mastermind and seductive beauty x the strongest fighter and a madly devoted loyalist
1.
Xiao Mingying's courtesy name is A Zhu, meaning "precious pearl in one's palm." Revered throughout the country, she grows up cherished and doted on.
Little does she know that beneath this overwhelming splendor lies nothing but rotten wood and dry bones...
The court is corrupt, the royal family turns against itself, and foreign enemies invade. She is abandoned as a pawn and suffers endless humiliation.
As she lies on the brink of death, the guard Pei Zhi, whom she has met only once, risks his life to carve out a chance for her to survive.
Years later, the history books record:
"Kunzhou falls. The head of its commander, Pei Zhi, is cut off and hung above the city gate for seven days and seven nights. Princess Zhaokun dies amid the chaos of war."
2.
Having been reborn, Xiao Mingying finally understands that wealth and glory are all an illusion. She is determined to turn the tide and make her enemies pay in blood!
First, she must recruit the loyal and valiant guard who saved her from peril amid the enemy ranks in her previous life. But when she finds him, the sincere young man has become a court lackey, despised by everyone.
Even worse, Pei Zhi is as tight-lipped as a clamshell. In her previous life, he was willing to die for her, but in this one he ignores every hint she gives him!
3.
Furious, Xiao Mingying decides to pretend she favors Liu Xuqing, the new scholar renowned for his womanizing ways.
At last, Pei Zhi can't sit still.
At a flower-viewing banquet, he ties up Liu Xuqing, dressed like a peacock displaying its feathers, and gives him a beating before taking his place at the princess's appointment.
"If Your Highness wants some fun, do as you please. But if you're choosing a consort..." Pei Zhi gently lifts a fallen blossom from the top of Xiao Mingying's head, inching closer. "Choose someone capable, like me. I can slit your enemies' throats with my own hands, and I can help you secure your throne."
Theme: Peace is precious.
