In the waning years of the Zhou Dynasty, Chang’an repeatedly changed hands. Xiao Yiguang, renowned for her beauty, became a coveted treasure in the chaotic market, desired by all.

Thus, the powerful young general, the Xiongnu princess who could shoot down geese with a bow, the Chu prince who had grown up with her… countless handsome Qian Yuan came to the Prime Minister’s residence to seek her hand in marriage.

Amidst this dazzling array of suitors, Xiao Yiguang remained untouched by the chaos, ultimately marrying the sickly Crown Princess, Yuan Zhen, who had little time left to live.

The Qian Yuan were green with envy, yet this frail princess commanded a formidable army, protecting Xiao Yiguang with an impenetrable defense.

Left with no other choice, the Qian Yuan could only declare their affections from afar: “Even if you become a widow, we’d still marry you!”

The sickly Crown Princess Yuan Zhen: “Who dares covet the Crown Princess Consort? Send them all to [censored] !”

Yuan Zhen had been bedridden for eight years. Every year, rumors spread that she wouldn’t live another three months. By the time she reached marriageable age, Kunze women throughout Jianye City, regardless of their social status, kept their distance from her out of respect and fear. Meanwhile, her half-brothers eyed the Crown Princess position with predatory hunger.

As the Qiang tribes ravaged the north, noble families fled south. Yuan Zhen brought back a peerless beauty from Chang’an, a highborn lady whose moon-like radiance eclipsed the Kunze women of Jianye City, leaving them in shadow.

Stubborn Kunze women: “She’s just a cripple. Only those northern families fleeing the war would overlook her condition. What happiness could there possibly be in marrying her?”

Later, they watched her build towering mansions, host lavish banquets, and finally, saw her and her wife even produce a child.

Kunze women: “?? What happened to the cripple we were promised?”

Half-brothers: “?? What about the three-month lifespan we were told about?”

After their marriage, Yuan Zhen ascended the throne. The once elegant and refined beauty revealed a different side, becoming like a ravenous wolf, intimate with her day and night.

Yuan Zhen’s already frail body grew increasingly weak. One day, she discovered the beauty’s secret: Xiao Yiguang had agreed to marry her not out of love, as she had claimed, but to rescue her mother, who had been captured by the Hu barbarians.

“I’ve had enough!” Yuan Zhen declared, rising in revolt. “By day, you make me promote agriculture and train elite troops. By night, you demand I serve you to produce an heir. All this just to consolidate your power and hasten your mother’s return!”

“I am the Emperor, yet you treat me like a mule!”

The already smitten Xiao Yiguang was at a loss. She could only resort to the tactics of the Qian Yuan, relentlessly pursuing Yuan Zhen in a desperate attempt to win her back.