Chaslin_Xines

"Queens and concubines are merely pawns in a game of Court," the Crown Prince stared me down, chin high.

I returned him a smile, though my cheeks were stiff and reluctant to accommodate my lips. "Then why would a mere woman like me be your only tool to turn the tide?" 

-

As the daughter of General Yan of the great country of Yin Shang, Yan Qing's duty lies with the royal Pan clan, whose sole orders hold her and her family's lives. When Yan Qing turned 19, the Crown Prince of Yin Shang decreed for her to enter the Palace.

There, she received her mission: Go undercover as a Palace servant in their nemesis' territory, Jin Tang.

Alone and afraid, she must brave through a precarious task. Only by succeeding in seducing the future King of Jin Tang of the royal Li clan would she survive her predicament.

But things get messy in a hurry when she enters Shen Li Gong, Palace of the 18th Prince of Jin Tang. He was the downtrodden Prince, target of everyone's ridicule. But Yan Qing recognised the power that exuded from him. Would she be able to weave her way past the Prince's eagle eyes? The fate of her country, and more importantly, her family, lies in her hands.


**Warning: Quite the slow burn**

Book cover credits (background image): Jingyi Lyu https://unsplash.com/photos/lgCjARMlnjg

The Celestial Phoenix's Ascent

Ignoring the howls of the bun-maker, I walked up to Zheng.


"Sire," I curtsied, before plucking out a handkerchief that Li Mei had given to me as a gift back when I first danced for Sui Yu Lou.


Zheng jolted. "Qingqing, what are you doing here?" Irritation flashed across his face as he looked to the doors.


"Didn't I order them not to let you come in?" he hissed. Not answering him, I wiped his blood-stained face with my pink handkerchief, bending closer to him past his wheelchair handles.


"Qingqing..." He took my hand to stop me, but I couldn't help notice the dark eye bags under his eyes. They were much worse than they had been the past few days. I tucked the handkerchief back into my robes, deciding to clean his forehead later.


As the criminal whimpered and cowered in pain in the corner of the tent, I gazed at Zheng's face.


"Let me join you in your investigations for Sui Yu Lou."


Immediate concern filled his face. "But..."


The Spirit of Yun