The Princess Royal

At eighteen, Princess Li Rong marries Pei Wenxuan in a cold political bargain. She seeks refuge in the power of his family, while he covets her royal status to rise in court. Their union is devoid of affection - she drowns herself in music and indulgence, he keeps his heart elsewhere and avoids their home. For thirty years, they share only ambition and authority, until betrayal leads to her death at his hands. It is a fate almost expected. Yet when Li Rong awakens, she finds herself back at eighteen, at the very start of their turbulent journey. This time, Pei Wenxuan comes to her with a proposition: endure each other until power is secured, then part ways. Reluctantly, she agrees. But as they maneuver through court intrigue, battles of wit, and grudges that flare into open conflict, their uneasy alliance begins to shift. What starts as enemies bound by necessity evolves into reluctant companions, then into something far more complicated. By the time Li Rong pens a divorce agreement decades later, Pei Wenxuan hesitates - perhaps they have already built a life together worth keeping. A tale of scheming, rivalry, and unexpected intimacy, this is not a story of perfect heroes, but of two flawed people who give their worst to each other, and somehow find their way from adversaries to confidants, and from confidants to lovers.