The Realm as My Betrothal Gift: The False Prince Marries the Grand Princess

During a difficult childbirth at Ninghua Palace, Consort Qing stakes her life on concealing a shocking secret: the "prince" Xiao Jue in the swaddling clothes is actually a girl.

From the day she is born, she binds up her hair and dons the imperial robes, playing the part of a royal heir in the palace's treacherous maze. By royal custom, she must address the Empress Dowager's adopted daughter, Princess Lingzhao Xiao Lingyou, as her aunt.

They are not related by blood at all, yet a nominal aunt-and-niece relationship binds them together in the depths of the palace.

Xiao Lingyou watches her young nephew grow up, becoming the first person in the entire palace to see through Xiao Jue's disguise.

Powerful ministers eye the throne covetously, while danger lurks in the inner palace. If Xiao Jue's true sex is exposed, she will be doomed.

Amid flashing blades, Xiao Jue fights for the position of heir, taking every step with trepidation. Hidden within the palace, Xiao Lingyou shields her from unseen attacks.

The palace walls rise sky-high, and power looms over all. When she ascends the imperial throne, the only person she wants to rule the empire beside her is Xiao Lingyou.