Taming the Hound

Six years after the death of her husband, the Princess-Regent never remarried. Instead, she kept many companions, each of them powerful figures in court.

People say she is deeply devoted. Despite being surrounded by many, she has never forgotten the one she truly loved.

The Liu family believed the same, so they carefully sent their youngest son, who resembled the late consort the most, into the Princess's residence.

On the day Liu Gucheng entered the estate, four prominent men of the court appeared there at once:

The northern general Pei Xuan, removing his armor, asked in a low voice:
"Does Your Highness still find me... useful?"

The imperial guard Lu Xingzhou knelt on one knee, his gaze dark:
"No one is more loyal to you than I am."

The chief minister Shen Yue sighed as if lecturing:
"Indulgence leads to ruin... it seems I must teach you another lesson."

The top scholar Gu Jinqing spoke softly, with a hint of grievance:
"I'm so obedient... why does sister still favor the disobedient ones?"

Watching them compete for attention, Yue Changfeng realized she might have been too lenient, allowing them to develop feelings they shouldn't have.

She stepped forward, gripping the chin of the "disobedient" man, her expression cold and sharp-both breaking his pride and warning the others:

"In my presence, there are no men."
"Only those who serve."

-

Yue Changfeng carries a secret:
She was the one who killed her former husband.

No substitute, no matter how similar, could earn her true affection.

-

Liu Gucheng also has many secrets.

He knows the truth behind his elder brother's death., but he is a gambler at heart. He believed he could win any game he entered.

At the end, with nowhere left to retreat, he faced the one who held power over him.

She lifted his chin and asked gently:

"What do you want?"
"What are you afraid of?"

"I want... a place to belong."
"...and I'm afraid of being abandoned."