"Exceptionally moving — it wrenches both heart and lungs. Fate is a merciless wheel; the Grand Imperial Concubine Zhu's greed and ambition altered everyone's destiny."
——Douban Reader Zhou Zhou Zhou Xiao Han

★A tear-jerking masterpiece by Xuan Yin, renowned romance author from Jinjiang Literature City.
★Highly recommended by:
Lan Mei Ai Zhi Shi (author of "This Lifetime Will Not Betray Your Love")
Yin Ping (author of "The Ninth Divine Doctor")
Ling Long Ru Yu (author of "Sweet Wife in Arms: CEO's Beloved")
Jin Xia (author of "His Highness Is About to Die")
★A treasure among historical romances — heart-wrenching and unforgettable. Within its pages lies a love so profound it etches into the soul, alongside gripping political strife. The plot twists and turns with breathtaking intensity, rendered in fluid, vivid prose. Xuan Yin's delicate brushstrokes bring each character to life, crafting a tragic romance that pierces the heart.

In the 8th year of Qing'an, the seven-year-old Zhu Xiaoshao, orphaned by her father's death, is taken into the palace by her aunt, the Grand Imperial Concubine Zhu. There, she meets Prince Zhao Xie Yu.
Prince Zhao, the late emperor's legitimate son, was still in his mother's womb when the emperor passed away. Thus, the throne passed to Xie Xun, the Grand Concubine's son. Behind Xie Yu stands the powerful Wei family, ever scheming to restore him to the throne.
Later in Qing'an 13, the emperor loses two children in succession. Suspecting Xie Yu of murdering the heirs to secure his own succession, the grief-stricken emperor grows increasingly dependent on — and enamored with — his female official, Tang Anxue.
As the enmity between Zhu Xiaoshao's late father and the Grand Concubine unravels, Xiaoshao realizes she is but a pawn in her aunt's game. The Grand Concubine intends to marry her to the emperor, making her a puppet empress to control the inner court.
When the Grand Concubine abducts and brutally executes Tang Anxue, Xiaoshao witnesses the atrocity — a trauma that fractures her innocence.
Soon after, Xiaoshao is appointed Female Secretary of the Palace and, under the guise of propriety, forcibly separated from Xie Yu...

Xuan Yin
A post-95s author with a sweet tooth. Enthusiastic about painting and gaming, she excels in crafting exquisite historical tales. Her works flow with natural elegance, blending refined prose with subtle emotions, leaving readers deeply moved.

Chapter 1 The Northern Palace
Chapter 2 The Grand Concubine
Chapter 3 Brothers
Chapter 4 The Study of Qin
Chapter 5 The Refined Scholar
Chapter 6 The Consort Selection
Chapter 7 Perished Joy
Chapter 8 Clouds Over the Capital
Chapter 9 The Frivolous One
Chapter 10 Visiting Kin
Chapter 11 Feathers Over Shanglin
Chapter 12 Sudden Flames of War
Chapter 13 Do Not Resent Time's Flow
Chapter 14 The People's Sorrow
Chapter 15 Lingering Regrets of Years Past
Chapter 16 Unseen Blades
Chapter 17 Ashes to Ashes
Chapter 18 Death Throes
Chapter 19 Empress of the Central Palace
Epilogue

"Sister, are you asking me?" An Liangguang and A Wan were cousins, and she called out "Sister" in an extremely intimate tone.
The young queen, who had disguised herself to leave the palace, now looked utterly exhausted: "A Jiu, I beg you to save him."
"Why do you want to save him?" An Liangguang lowered her head, playing with the prayer beads in her hand. "Even if you save him, he won't belong to you anymore."
A Wan hung her head and remained silent.
"If I were you, and I had a piece of fine jade that was a burden to keep and was about to fall into someone else's hands, I would rather shatter it than let it go to someone else," An Liangguang leaned closer to A Wan's ear. "That way, he would always be mine until his death, and it wouldn't count as a loss."
An Liangguang was a resolute and fierce person. Unfortunately, A Wan was not like her. The new queen, with her pale face, smiled faintly, and two streams of tears slowly flowed down her cheeks: "I can't bear to." She bowed deeply to An Liangguang. "I beg my cousin to save him."
An Liangguang looked at the woman before her and was speechless for a long time. In fact, even without A Wan's plea, she would have gone to save Xie Yu. The Wei clan had already fallen, and the only one who could help her take revenge was Xie Yu, who also harbored deep hatred for the Grand Dowager. But in her eyes, A Wan's coming to beg her was truly foolish.
"Sister, you should know what it means for me to save him, right?"
"I know." The pale lips softly uttered these two words.
"Sister, you don't regret it?"
"I want him to live." Even if Xie Yu would have nothing to do with her, A Wan, from then on.
An Liangguang fell silent again, and finally asked, "What if King Zhao... doesn't want me to save him?"
A Wan pressed her lips tightly, closed her eyes, and said, "Nothing is more important than surviving."