The General's Daughter

Shen Zhou was known throughout Shengjing for three things: she was easy to bully, easy to manipulate, and utterly useless. That is, until the river bandits were brought down, corrupt officials fell, the powerful wept, and even the Crown Prince's faction started losing sleep. Only then did everyone realize: She was no chess piece. She was the player, hiding behind a soft exterior. She entered the academy, joined the court, and went to the frontier. All the while, she smiled and kept her head down, bringing old cases to light one by one. This world owed the loyal dead their good name, and women a path into court. She intended to claim both. The first time Gu Mian met Shen Zhou, he knew there was something off about her. When river bandits kidnapped her, she cried the loudest. When it was time to flee, she ran the steadiest. When the villains came to grief, she smiled the most innocently. Her mouth was full of lies, and she was riddled with loopholes. And yet, no one could ever catch her. He had meant to uncover her secrets, but step by step, he saw the blade hidden behind her smile, her old wounds, and the name she could never speak. Later, when the court was turned upside down and old cases reopened, everyone asked who Shen Zhou really was. Only then did Gu Mian understand that he no longer wanted to catch her out. He wanted to protect her until she saw this game through.