Fang Linyuan fell in love at first sight with Princess Huining in his youth—a pearl lost in the mud of the cold, neglected palace. For years, he dreamed of her. He conquered cities on the battlefield, all for the right to marry her.He never imagined his wedding night would begin with a dagger at his throat.The figure beneath the bridal veil was not his delicate princess, but a cold-eyed young man. This was Zhao Ji, the true prince, who had survived for years in disguise. Their marriage was merely another layer of his deception, a step in his ruthless plot to seize the throne.Heartbroken and betrayed, Fang Linyuan vowed to bide his time. He would play the part of the devoted husband in public, all while waiting for a chance to escape to the frontier forever.But when Zhao Ji finally ascends the throne and no longer needs his “wife,” Fang Linyuan’s offer of divorce is met not with relief, but with cold fury.“After all this,” Zhao Ji demands, tearing the agreement to shreds, “you would abandon me?”“But you’re a man,” Fang Linyuan stammers.In the candlelight, Zhao Ji’s beauty is as devastating as the day they first met. A slow, dangerous smile touches his lips.“Let me show you,” he says, “exactly what a man can offer.”