The Princess Consort Doesn’t Believe in Superstition

Gu Zhao is a historic-building restoration specialist, descended from three generations of people who assessed homes and chose auspicious sites. When she opens her eyes, she's become the Gu family's "hard-to-kill" illegitimate daughter, kneeling in the hall while someone breaks off her engagement.

She reads the cancellation letter from beginning to end, looks up, and says, "You can break off the engagement, but leave the betrothal gifts behind."

Then she adds, "Tell your Third Young Master that coughing up blood doesn't mean he has consumption. There's something inside the wall of the west wing in your new mansion. Tear it open and you'll see."

"Your young master isn't cursed. He's damp."

In the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, she goes from "witch" to "master of the occult."

And lands herself in Prince Yan's residence.

Prince Yan, Xiao Yan, is thirty years old. He commands the Capital Garrison and also serves as Minister of the Imperial Clan Court. He has been engaged three times: one fiancee died of illness, one broke off the engagement, and one hanged herself from the bridal chamber's rafters on her wedding night. Everyone in the capital says he's a wife-killer, and no one dares marry him.

She marries him in her elder sister's place. Her first words upon entering aren't a greeting, but, "There's something wrong with this house."

That night, she filled the room next door with mugwort smoke. The man who hadn't slept a full night in ten years finally fell asleep.

The next morning, he asked only one question: "Who was on duty last night?"

Later, she inspected every residence in the capital.

Everyone in the capital feared things that were "unclean."

Only she knew that the unclean thing wasn't the house.

It was people's hearts.