Offending the Imperial Daughter

Shi Buyu is the last surviving member of the Marquis of Loyal Valor’s household, a powerful military family in the Dayou Dynasty. Labeled a cursed star since childhood, she was sent away at age three to be raised by a mysterious Daoist priest known as Whitebeard. Thirteen years later, she learns that her family has been framed for treason and sentenced to execution. Despite the danger, she returns to the capital to save them, leveraging her sharp intellect and network of acquaintances to orchestrate a daring prison break.

Buyu approaches Yan Shian, a young man of hidden imperial bloodline who seeks to overthrow the current usurper emperor. She offers him a detailed dossier on the court’s officials, exposing their secrets and allegiances, in exchange for his help in rescuing the Shi family. Yan Shian, intrigued by her boldness and the strategic value of her information, agrees to the alliance. Together, they plan an elaborate escape during the family’s public execution, using smoke signals, grappling hooks, and masked rescuers to free the prisoners and flee the capital.

The rescue succeeds, and the Shi family escapes to a remote mountain stronghold previously occupied by bandits. There, Buyu reveals her ultimate goal: to dethrone the current emperor and restore legitimacy to the throne. She suspects that the Marquis was framed because he discovered evidence of the emperor’s illegitimate rise to power. The Shi family, though initially hesitant, agrees to support her plan, sending agents to investigate the border and gather intelligence.

As the group prepares to return to the capital, Buyu maintains a detached demeanor, refusing to engage in familial warmth despite the risks she has taken for them. She travels with Yan Shian, who poses as her cousin, and her loyal servant Wanxia. The story concludes with their return to the capital, where they begin to navigate the treacherous political landscape, setting the stage for a larger confrontation with the emperor and his allies.