A Guide to Taming Spoiled Young Masters

Ling An is the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Su's household, but she claims to be the duke's adopted daughter, raised by the old madam. She possesses all the finest qualities of a proper young lady: beauty, nobility, grace, and gentleness. She seems incapable of making a mistake. But she is rootless as a drifting duckweed, and all of that is merely a disguise. Before she can ensnare a prince or noble, however, she catches the eye of the capital's most notorious playboy. He comes from a powerful family, is handsome, and knows exactly how to charm a woman. Ling An's poise and decorum never last long in his presence. Her occasional flashes of fierceness strike him as delightfully novel. “Come with me, and I guarantee you'll live the good life,” he declares, his eyes shining with earnest sincerity. Ling An, cheeks flushed, spits out a curse: “Pah! What rotten luck.” After several entanglements, the tides turn, and several prominent families are wiped out root and branch. A blue mark is branded onto the playboy's face, and he is demoted to the lowest class of slave. That year, he parades through the streets with his father's head in his hands, his back hunched and his expression numb. Ling An, meanwhile, stands atop a tall building beside the crown prince, who has just purged his political enemies from court. She is about to become his consort, and the sight leaves her in turmoil. Several years later, the playboy transforms into the leader of a rebel army. A demon, a god of slaughter, he marches on the imperial capital and vows to leave no survivors. That very night, the crown prince sends Ling An to the playboy's command tent. She has always been a useful pawn, and discarding her is no great loss. Looking down at her, the playboy radiates murderous intent. When he speaks, his voice drips with contempt: “I have no interest in what His Highness the Crown Prince has already used up.”