I like this book a lot but I am losing interest cause of the time it takes for updates.
Okay so I need to talk about this scene where Feng Yi is making egg-fried rice in the bamboo pavilion and Jiang Xingzhou catches her. Because on the surface it's just... cute? A little domestic moment? But the way the author structures it is actually genius. We've been building toward this for chapters, right? The secret cooking, the squirrel's plan to feed herself because Lady Daqin is starving her, the parasol tree, the hole in the wall—all of this worldbuilding and setup pays off in this one quiet moment where he appears behind her and asks for a share. And then the plot pivots hard into the political thriller territory. Jiang Xingzhou revealing he works for the Emperor, not the Qiu faction, not Prince Rui—this is a massive twist. The Emperor playing the long game, protecting the Twelfth Prince as a counterweight to Nie Liang. It recontextualizes everything we thought we knew about Jiang Xingzhou's position. He's not just a brilliant general who happens to be Qiu Sheng's student—he's a piece on a much larger chessboard, and Feng Yi is only now starting to see the full board. The race scene at the beginning also ties in beautifully. Feng Yi winning by half a length, removing her veil, that unguarded smile—this isn't just romantic flavor, it's character establishment. She's wild, untamed, and he's completely captivated. But then inside the carriage, the power dynamic flips. She's the one setting boundaries. "I have no strength," she says, and we know she's lying, but she's also making a point. The plot keeps shifting who holds the power between them, and that's what keeps it interesting. The only thing I'm slightly worried about is whether all these political threads will converge coherently. The Nie family, the Qiu faction, the Emperor's secret game, Prince Rui—there's a lot of moving pieces. But honestly, the author has earned my trust so far.
love this book.. feeling rollercoaster of emotions ...
Fascinating...nice blurb
Very well thought out and presented! The story is imaginative and characters are fascinating. Well done. This author completes her stories with completed storylines and satisfying endings.
Love it it keeps you hooked
I really liked the story but HATE the ending, too much left hanging. I don’t think this was a good ending to the book even if there is a sequel.
So now I’ll wait for hopefully a next one so there’s closure to so many unresolved issues.
The beginning is enough to make one want to finish it. ......
I love it!!!!
Sequel please
it's great.. though I missed some more intimacy.. but I think, part 2 will have it...️
good story so far. however Grammer is a little off and it gets confusing with time jumps and new characters. you should state the time jump in the chapter title and introduce the new characters a little better. all off sudden your reading as normal then all these new names and random story pops up.