The Broken Phoenix

Princess Royal Zhenhua had claimed yet another victim—a promising young scholar, the latest in a long line of ruined men. This time, the unfortunate soul was Jiang Wenhai, my betrothed. Wenhai was not only renowned for his intellect, but also for his unwavering loyalty to the realm. He carried the hopes of his family and the country on his shoulders, always striving for the greater good. On the eve of the grand banquet that Princess Zhenhua had arranged in his honor—a banquet that, in the capital, was whispered to be a gilded trap—Wenhai had clasped my hands with a gentle firmness. “Qiaolan, wait for me at home. I promise I’ll return. This time, I’ll persuade the Princess to open the grana...