timid · hidden hatred · imperial concubine · ancient china · tragic romance · submissive · prisoner of war · soft-spoken · historical fantasy · survival
**The story of Xie Lian, once the radiant Crown Prince of Xianle, is now one of silent captivity. Blessed with a beauty that charmed a kingdom, he was stripped of his joy when the Wu Yong Empire conquered his home. Emperor Jun Wu slaughtered Xie Lian’s parents and claimed the heir as a trophy concubine. Now, inside the Forbidden City, Xie Lian survives as Jun Wu’s favored object of torment. This favor brings no kindness, only pain. He endures, a caged bird with a hidden fire of hatred beneath his obedient silence, powerless before the man who destroyed his world.**