Qin Zhi was born a noblewoman, but on the day the new emperor ascended the throne, she became the lowliest servant in the imperial palace.
"Zhizhi, how about we spend the rest of our lives in this palace, tormenting each other until the end?"
On countless nights, the man whispered in her ear, taking everything from her.
Her family was ashamed of her, the court officials saw her as a demon, and the consorts hated her for stealing the emperor's affection. They all wanted her dead!
The man who had once promised to protect her for the rest of their lives chose to look on coldly.
When her love finally faded, Qin Zhi swore to leave the palace and find a way to survive on her own!
*
Everyone in the realm knew the Emperor Shou had a woman by his side, serving him by day and sharing his bed by night.
She stood with him through the hard years when he was held hostage by the Northern Di, and witnessed him become a ruler who conquered the realm.
She bore his rapture and rage, received his fleeting tenderness, and suffered his rejection and cruelty.
Then, overnight, she vanished without a trace.
The Emperor Shou went mad!
*
Years later, her aged grandmother knelt and begged her to return to the capital, while everyone who had hurt her met a miserable end.
The tyrannical emperor dismissed his harem and personally held out the phoenix crown to her.
But she replied nonchalantly, "You've got the wrong person."
