Summary
Pei Zhaohe knows she is a minor character in a palace intrigue novel, and she wants only one thing: to leave the palace and live freely. A poisoned box of sweet cakes upends that plan. The guard who saves her is impossible to remember, while her imperial brother refuses to tell her who he was. As Zhaohe builds a life and a business of her own, the emperor’s dangerous harem and a struggle for the throne draw ever closer. Between secrets, money, and a promise of freedom, she must decide whom she can trust—and what she truly wants.