Faithful to the Realm and to You

She was beautiful and clever, born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Suddenly, she transmigrated into the body of Dongling's greatest beauty and was selected for the palace. It was said that the mighty neighboring nation of Xiling had an emperor whose beloved consort had died young. As she died, he dripped blood onto her brow, hoping they would recognize each other in their next lives. Since she had a cinnabar mark between her brows, she became a pawn in Dongling's plot to overthrow Xiling. Forced to swallow a heart-devouring poison, she was sent as tribute to become the mighty Xiling emperor's consort.

He was the crown prince of Xiling. Trapped in a palace rife with danger, he had no choice but to pretend to be depraved and useless, while in truth he was a brilliant, ambitious man who endured humiliation and bided his time. He seemed cruel, with a touch of domineering tenderness. He fell in love with her without realizing it, but in their treacherous surroundings, even as he yearned for her with all his heart, he had to feign indifference. Only when he seemed not to care did the faintest traces of affection slip through.

A future consort and the crown prince of the Eastern Palace: their love was destined to be fraught with hardship and setbacks. With the realm, the beauty, and love all too precious to give up, would he betray the world or forsake his beloved? Who would share the years of their youth? A helpless love twists and turns through countless trials...

Please believe me when I say this is not a tragedy.