Summary
Sypnosis
For Han Bi, her reunion with Shen Zhuo began as nothing more than a calculated move. Yet, when the man fell into the meticulously crafted trap she had set, she felt a sense of unreality.
If not for unexpected events, Han Bi would have been like any other young lady from an esteemed family with an engagement: marrying Shen Zhuo at the proper age and living a plain, stable life.
Unfortunately, life is often imperfect. The Cui family was falsely accused of treason, suffering the calamity of confiscation and exile. Han Bi, like the pomegranate blossoms scattered from the branch, fell into the Jiaofang Division (a government office for entertainment, essentially a courtesan house). Fearing implication, the Shen family distanced themselves from the Cui family after Shen Zhuo left the capital, and the engagement was naturally nullified.
Unwilling to accept her fate in the Jiaofang Division, Han Bi went to great lengths to entice the Late Emperor, who took her into the palace. When the Late Emperor was near death, she set her sights on the Crown Prince. Sure enough, during the time she attended to the sick emperor, her calculated flirtations left the Crown Prince obsessively attached to her.
After the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he brought Han Bi back from the Buddhist temple and made her a Zhaoyi (a high-ranking concubine). However, the current Han Bi is powerless, without influence or foundation, so she decided to turn her attention to Shen Zhuo, who had recently returned to the capital. She knew this calculation wouldn’t last, but she wondered what his reaction would be when he learned the truth.
And when Shen Zhuo finally learned the truth, he pressed her against the desk, gently kissing the corner of her lips. She, who was usually composed, felt the situation spiraling out of control. With deep shadows in his eyes, he murmured, “Does Your Ladyship truly believe that by merely granting me a marriage alliance, you can be rid of me?”
- Free Chapter 1 - Liuniang 10 hours ago