Everyone in Jinghua City knows that Yuan Yunnong has the face of a bodhisattva and the heart of a viper.
She secretly loves Shen Chuan, the top candidate in the palace examinations, and envies Princess Shushen, Mu Shuifei. She schemes to steal a marriage, tear apart a loving couple, and marry Shen Chuan.
When her schemes are exposed, everyone curses her, yet her life remains as glorious as brocade beneath fresh flowers, as prosperous as a blazing fire fed with oil.
Whoever sees her can only grit their teeth and call her sweet-tongued but vicious, yet blessed with such good fortune.
In the old dynasty, she was Princess Chaorong. In the new dynasty, she became empress.
Only Yuan Yunnong knows that Pei Lingyi forced her into becoming empress simply because of the woman he loved, Mu Shuifei.
They hate each other, yet remain entangled, dragging each other down into ruin. They are a pair of bitter spouses doomed to bring divine retribution upon themselves.
People say the emperor and empress are of one heart, devoted to each other without suspicion. In truth, they are at odds and can barely stand the sight of each other.
Given another life, Yuan Yunnong decides to bring Pei Lingyi and Mu Shuifei together in perfect happiness, while rekindling her old romance with Shen Chuan. Then she will stay far away from Pei Lingyi and Mu Shuifei.
Mu Shuifei likes upright gentlemen, so Yuan Yunnong sets out to mold Pei Lingyi into one.
But she raises him all wrong, and things start to take an unexpected turn.
"Sister, has he ever come to see you?"
"Love me, Sister. Hate me, Sister, anything is fine." Pei Lingyi buries his face in the crook of Yuan Yunnong's neck. "Just don't leave me."
(Content warning: Both the male and female leads are scheming black-hearted souls, a thoroughly rotten pair. In their previous life, they were a twisted, toxic couple.)
