Shin Yi is a young and powerful general in the Wuxiang Kingdom. Revered by all and envied by few. Most believes him more gorgeous than the Greek god Adonis. A lot of the females in the kingdom trampled over themselves just to get Shin attention, but only one person captured the magnificent general attention. Ji-hye, the young Queen of Wuxiang kingdom.
She is a young woman of delicate beauty, skin as pale and smooth as a porcelain bowl. The fairest maiden in the kingdom.
Shin have always had a crush on her ever since he was a young lad. They were childhood friends, and grew up together because Shin Yi father is a servant in Ji-hye's house.
Shin and Ji-hye relationship started off innocent. Young children playing around in the yard, running around the peach blossom tree in Ji-hye house playing hide and seek with the innocent laughter of kids.
As they grew from kids to teenagers, their feelings for each other grew, but they were both scared to acknowledge it. Everyone in their little village predicted that the two will end up together, because they could see how much the younglings cared for each other, even though they are yet to realise it themselves.
Then a tragedy struck their young budding friendship when the King who just lost his empress and looking for a new Queen became interested in Ji-hye. Captivated by her outwardly beauty the old King approached her father for Ji-hye hand in marriage, even though he had a lot of harem from which he could chose an empress from.
Her father who is a low ranking cabinet man in the King's court was an ambitious man who seeks to elevate his status and that of his lineage, and saw the king's proposal as an opportunity for him to immerse power and status for himself. Being the King's in law will grant him riches and power, and the Kang name will be revered and respected in the whole kingdom.
He immediately agreed to the King's request with blatant disregard to his daughter's happiness. Ji-hye who had no love for the King because another holds her heart tried to dissuade her father to no avail.
Shin Yi didn't seat idle either. He summoned the courage to open up about his feelings for Ji-hye to her father, pleading with him not to let her marry the king.
Ji-hye's father sent him out of his house in the most humiliating way, telling him he doesn't deserve to untie the lace of his daughter's shoes. That he and his family are wretched human beings, and will forever remain poor for the rest of their lives.
Scared that the young man will become a hindrance to his plans, Ji-hye's father sent Shin Yi and his family away from their house.
Undeterred by the old man's efforts to keep him away from his love, Shin Yi found a way to sneak into Ji-hye's house, to her room with the help of her hand maiden.
With his heart on his sleeves Shin Yi professed his love for Ji-hye and pleaded with her to run away with him.
Bolstered by their deep feelings for one another Shin Yi and Ji-hye made plans to run away and leave their kingdom to a faraway land where neither the king nor her father will ever catch them.
They agreed to meet the next morning at the small river that runs through their village where they usually swim together and spend time alone.
Shin Yi barely slept that night and when the sun peeped at the sky he got up from his mat, gathered his little belongings and sneaked out of the small retched house he and his father found for themselves after Ji-hye father sent them away.
Shin Yi's mother died giving birth to him so it is been him and his father alone.
Shin Yi got to the river and sat down to wait for his love, unaware that a dreadful situation had developed in the Kang's household.
While trying to sneak off Ji-hye was caught by her father, who was livid with her for trying to jeopardise their family well being with her foolishness. He threatened to have Shin Yi killed if she doesn't stay away from him.
Scared for Shin Yi life, Ji-hye gave in to her father.
When the sun set without Ji-hye making an appearance, Shin Yi realised that she wasn't coming. He went back home with a heavy heart.
His father tried to console him, but his kind and encouraging words couldn't reach Shin Yi's broken and heavy heart.
The news of Ji-hye marrying the King soon spread through the whole kingdom and everywhere Shin Yi went in their small village people looked at him with pity.
Shin Yi tried to find out what happened from Ji-hye but she wouldn't give him the time of the day. She went out of her way to avoid him, and even instructed her servants not to let Shin Yi into the house anymore.
The day Ji-hye got married go to the king was the worse day of Shin Yi's life. He drank himself to stupor on the wedding night, and was brought back to his father's home by concerned villagers who felt sorry for him.
Shin Yi tried to go on with his life but he couldn't forget Ji-hye so he left the village to the King's city to try one more time if he can get an audience with Ji-hye but that proved even more futile than when he tried to get in touch with her back home.
Shin Yi remained in the King city just to catch a glimpse of his beloved. He told himself if he can see her face at least once everyday, even if it is from afar he will be content with it.
As weeks turned into months Shin Yi began to notice the changes in Ji-hye. She looked to be enjoying her new status. The life of wealth and power have slowly turned her into a different person that Shin Yi doesn't recognise. She bosses her servants around, punishes them for the slightest infractions.
Worried that his beloved was slowly turning into a monster Shin Yi tried his best to get an audience with her. He needed to remind her who she is, only when he got the audience things didn't go as he planned.
Ji-hye scornfully told him that she was no longer in love with him, that whatever she felt for him was a childish puppy love that wouldn't amount to nothing. She professed her love for the King further driving the knife into Shin Yi already bleeding heart. To strike the nail further into the coffin she admitted to carrying the King's child.
Crushed beyond his wildest dream Shin Yi left the young queen's chambers with his heart in shatters, anger and hatred boiling inside him. He promised himself that he was going to do everything possible to amount to someone that Ji-hye will treat with respect and make her eat her words.