"An excruciatingly wrenching journey, yet the ending — retiring to an idyllic sanctuary — is pure perfection. The wise know when to bide their time and when to strike."
——Douban Reader Su Nian Jin Shi

★A historical romance that rivals "Nirvana in Fire" and "Story of Yanxi Palace", this novel reimagines Song Dynasty's founding emperor Zhao Kuangyin through legend and drama — casting him as a chivalrous, benevolent, and deeply romantic figure brimming with humanity.
★"My fate is mine to command, not Heaven's to decide!" Witness how a lowly maid outmaneuvers the imperial court!
★A riveting blend of palace intrigue, vendettas of martial world, and heartfelt romance, enriched with historical depth and folkloric charm — where entertainment meets erudition.

She mastered medicine and the esoteric Daoist arts.
She fought when she must, yielded when she should — thus none in this world could contend with her!

In the waning years of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the young Zhao Kuangyin roamed the martial world as a righteous swordsman. By chance, he rescued Zhao Jingniang — a woman of extraordinary gifts. Through wartime separations and palace intrigues, the emperor's devotion to Jingniang never wavered. Ultimately, he relinquished the throne to his brother and journeyed a thousand miles to reclaim his love, forging a legend that would move heaven and earth.

Qing Lang Hai Yue
Pen name of Han Meili. She has worked as a journalist and book editor and is now a freelance writer based in Beijing. She has published millions of words in fiction, essays, and poetry, with her works winning multiple awards. She has a deep passion for classical literature and traditional culture. Her published works include the full-length novel "Forgive Me, I Didn’t Know How to Love You Back Then".

Chapter 1 Misfortune and Fortune
Chapter 2 The Moon Mirrors a Spring Heart
Chapter 3 Traveling with You
Chapter 4 A Promise Seals Love
Chapter 5 Reluctant to Part
Chapter 6 The Yellow Robe Ascends
Chapter 7 Every Day with You is Good
Chapter 8 The Emperor’s Mother
Chapter 9 Zhao Guangyi: Neither Wholly Good Nor Evil
Chapter 10 Shallow Fate, Deep Love
Chapter 11 Sudden Calamity
Chapter 12 Love Leads to Understanding
Chapter 13 The Prince and the Imperial Princess
Chapter 14 The Handsome Young Noble
Chapter 15 The First Signs of Murderous Intent
Chapter 16 Salvation in Desperation
Chapter 17 First Meeting at the Birthday Banquet
Chapter 18 Clearing Her Own Name
Chapter 19 The Golden Casket Pact
Chapter 20 An Unexpected Interference
Chapter 21 A Lingering Ghost
Chapter 22 Harming Others, Harming Oneself
Chapter 23 Warmth in the Snow
Chapter 24 Lanterns Fill the City
Chapter 25 The Princess’s Wedding
Chapter 26 The Death of the Empress
Chapter 27 The Calamity of Imprisonment
Chapter 28 Sentenced to Execution
Chapter 29 Return to Ziyun
Chapter 30 A Visitor in the Temple
Chapter 31 Kaifeng Prefecture
Chapter 32 Lady Huarui
Chapter 33 Bloodshed in the Palace
Chapter 34 Who Shall Be Crowned Empress?
Chapter 35 Cultivation on Mount Hua
Chapter 36 Han’s Peril
Chapter 37 Pursuing His Wife Across a Thousand Miles
Chapter 38 Return to the Imperial Capital
Chapter 39 Longing as Vast as the Sea
Chapter 40 Evil Receives Its Due
Chapter 41 Shadows of Candles, Sound of an Axe
Chapter 42 Achievement and Retreat

Chapter 1: Misfortune and Fortune

In early summer, Mount Xuanweng was breathtakingly beautiful. Beneath an endlessly clear sky, emerald pines and cypresses adorned the mountainside, interspersed with rare and vibrant flowers — a lush tapestry of green leaves and delicate blossoms. The air was pure, as if untouched by even a speck of dust. Among the peaks, temples rose amidst drifting clouds, exuding an ethereal aura. To stand here was to step into a transcendent realm, far removed from the mundane world.
"What a splendid place, with its clear waters and majestic mountains! Roaming about like this is far more delightful than staying cooped up in my chamber embroidering and sewing all day!"
Miss Zhao Jingniang of the Zhao family lifted the pleated hem of her skirt as she walked gracefully along the mountain path, her eyes sweeping over the breathtaking scenery. A radiant smile blossomed on her face, bright as a crabapple flower. Her sparkling eyes, brimming with joy, shimmered in the sunlight, flickering with the vivacity and innocence unique to a young maiden of noble birth.
Her slender figure was accentuated by a translucent silk sash cinched around her waist. She wore a gauzy, water-red ruqun dress, with a pink brocade bustier underneath and a white magnolia-patterned shawl draped over her shoulders. A pair of ruby-inlaid gold earrings dangled from her ears, catching the light with every delicate sway. She moved with an effortless grace, luminous and enchanting, like a young celestial maiden who had just descended from the Jade Pool, brimming with curiosity for the mortal world.
"Jing'er, mind your steps. Don’t get so carried away by the scenery that you forget to walk properly. A young lady must maintain her decorum, lest she invite ridicule", the elderly man in black robes walking beside her gently reminded her.
"Father — you worry too much! Your daughter is perfectly dignified! Besides, there’s hardly anyone else on this mountain path — what does it matter if I’m a little unrestrained? You’re the one who should take care. Your health hasn’t been the best, so walk slowly and don’t trip." Jingniang replied cheerfully.
Zhao Jihui gazed at his stunningly beautiful daughter, nodding with a smile.
The purpose of this trip to Mount Xuanweng was to fulfill a vow at the Qingyou Temple at the mountain’s base.
Two months earlier, shortly after her sixteenth birthday, Jingniang had fallen mysteriously ill. Her entire body had swollen, turning bluish-purple, and she suffered from fever and vomiting. Day after day, she lay in bed, unconscious. Numerous physicians were summoned, yet none could cure her. Her parents were beside themselves with worry.
Jingniang was the jewel of their lives. Not only was she extraordinarily beautiful — a true peerless beauty — but she had also been exceptionally intelligent and diligent since childhood. She excelled in nearly all feminine arts: embroidery, cooking, dance, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Well-read and possessing a vivacious, endearing personality, she was leagues ahead of their lazy, good-for-nothing son. The elderly couple had been planning to find her a distinguished and worthy husband for a splendid marriage when this strange illness struck. What were they to do?
Later, while on official business in Taiyuan, Zhao Jihui heard of the Qingyou Temple near the Jin Shrine at the foot of Mount Xuanweng. It was said the deities there were exceedingly efficacious, and the temple’s abbot was a master physician who had cured many rare and stubborn ailments. With nothing to lose, Zhao Jihui visited the temple to pray for his daughter’s recovery and obtained a medicinal pill from the abbot. Upon returning home, he gave it to Jingniang. Within days, her condition improved, and in half a month, she had fully recovered. Overjoyed, Zhao Jihui decided to take his daughter to the temple to burn incense in gratitude and personally thank the miracle-working abbot.
They had originally come by carriage, but Jingniang, captivated by the mountain’s beauty, insisted on walking the rest of the way to better enjoy the scenery. Though Zhao Jihui initially refused, fearing she would tire, he eventually relented under her persistent pleas.
Walking in high spirits, they crossed the ridge in about two hours. As they neared the foot of the mountain, the landscape grew even more enchanting. Wild lilies bloomed in dazzling profusion, their intoxicating fragrance filling the air, while further down, fiery azaleas blazed like brocade and sunset clouds. The flowers attracted countless butterflies, bees, and birds, which fluttered and sang joyously among the blossoms.