Dark clouds obscured the moon, while crows and jackdaws circled overhead, casting a pall of death over the Duke of the State's residence.
Courtyards, corridors, branches, leaves, and flowers—all were drenched in rivers of blood, the ground littered with corpses.
A woman of peerless beauty, clad in a crimson wedding gown, knelt upon the blood-soaked steps. Her arms cradled the lifeless form of a strikingly handsome man. In agony, she wailed:
"Ah—" Ah..."
Tears streaming down her face, she looked toward the group standing beneath the opposite eaves.
Those people were her father, her five brothers, and her... once beloved, the Crown Prince of the Shang Dynasty, Mo Junli.
She was skilled in medicine, accomplished in both literary and martial arts, well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics. She had believed she was preparing to enter the Eastern Palace as the Crown Princess. But it turned out everything was a conspiracy...
"Why did you kill them? Why..." Why wouldn't they even grant her last shred of hope?
"Shen Wan." At that moment, a man clad in water-blue brocade descended the steps slowly, hands clasped behind his back. His face was handsome—none other than Crown Prince Mo Junli.
Shen Wan turned to face him.
"Let me tell you why it must be you." His voice was soft, devoid of emotion. Even as he gripped a sharp blade, he still appeared like a benevolent ruler destined to save the world—yet Shen Wan felt a chill run down her spine.
Mo Junli declared, "Because you are not the legitimate eldest daughter of the Shen family."
What?
Shen Wan stiffened, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at the Shen family members. "Is the Crown Prince telling the truth?"
"Yes. You are not a daughter of the Shen family. You are merely the daughter of an ignorant peasant. Years ago, when Mother was in distress in Anlin Village, she gave birth to the true legitimate daughter of the Shen family. But that mud-legged peasant swapped you in, sending you to the Minister's residence to pass as the legitimate eldest daughter. Cousin Lian'er is the true legitimate daughter of the Shen family." The speaker was Shen Chengxiao, the legitimate eldest son of the Shen family.
"Three years ago, the Shen family reclaimed their true legitimate daughter. We withheld the truth because your innate aptitude for medicine and your apprenticeship under the Sacred Physician of Mount Muxian still served our purposes. We kept you in the Ministry of Rites as the Shen family's legitimate daughter. Now that the Xie family has been eliminated, Shen Wan, it's time for you to relinquish the position that never truly belonged to you."
—Still useful!
—The Xie family eliminated!
These eight words finally unraveled the mystery that had weighed on Shen Wan's heart all these years. It turned out that every identity she possessed was merely a handout from them.
To eliminate the Xie family and seize the Xie clan's military power, they had used her as a pawn, sending her into the Xie household.
Pitiful her, pouring her heart and soul into these people, only to be nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game.
She burst into a hollow "Ha ha ha!" Laughter. Looking down at the man in her arms, he had taken multiple arrows shielding her. Combined with the lingering poison from his severe injuries years ago, the toxins had finally erupted, causing him to die in her embrace.
"Xie Yujin, you won't be alone on the road to the underworld." Shen Wan set the man down, picked up the Ten Thousand Souls Bow at her feet, and roared, "You beasts!"Those who persecute loyal subjects and commit every evil deed shall meet a wretched end."
She charged at Mo Junli, releasing the arrow in her hand.
The Shen family's sons all shouted: "Quickly, protect the Crown Prince! Slay this venomous woman who persecutes loyal subjects!"
The arrow she fired was intercepted by her eldest brother, Shen Chengxiao.
Her most revered father pierced her body with a sword.
The brothers who had cherished her most delivered countless arrows to her heart!
Shen Wan collapsed heavily. Flocks of crows descended upon her, pecking at her flesh and blood.
Her eyes widened in defiance. In the final moment before her consciousness faded, she saw Shen Lian appear before her.
Shen Lian, clad in imperial robes, gazed at her with smug satisfaction. "Sister," she said, "thank you for all these years of diligently teaching me how to be a proper, dignified young lady of noble birth. And thank you for curing the birthmark on my face while I lay in wait. Now that the situation is settled, the rightful heiress of the Shen family must take her place."
*
Setting: The female lead is a stunning beauty, multi-talented, skilled in both literary and martial arts, and a master of medicine.
The true heiress, the female supporting character, has a birthmark on her face, is ugly, selfish, and dark-hearted.
This book's theme is "strong female lead + political intrigue." It requires careful plotting, so it starts slow, but you must keep reading—surprises await...