Ancient China
The Crown Prince’s Concubine’s Guide to Rising in Power
On the eve of His Majesty’s bestowal of marriage, I lay in the Crown Prince’s arms and murmured, “Your Highness dotes on me so much. When my sister marries into the household, she won’t be angry, will she? Everyone else envies Your Highness for receiving His Majesty’s favor and being allowed to hold the wedding in the palace, but all I feel is sorry for you. It must be exhausting.”
I thought I was just putting on a fragile, sweet little act for the Crown Prince.
I never expected him to be sincere with me.
The Ring
I was the adopted daughter of the most beautiful widow in Jiangcheng.
When I was twelve, the Yellow River burst its banks and Jiangcheng was swallowed by the flood.
As we fled, the beautiful widow fell gravely ill.
Before she died, she clutched my hand and, after a long hesitation, told me to go to the capital and find her lover once she was gone.
I followed the refugees for half a month.
At last, in Prince Hongyang’s Manor, I met Prince Hongyang-a man who looked half like me.
