[Historical fiction writing contest] This novel is set in an alternate version of history. It tells the extraordinary story of how Niu Hulu Yunyan, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Ministry of Rites’ Shangshu and based on Empress Xiaohuihe, rose from being a palace maid who accompanied the Tenth Princess in her studies to eventually becoming Empress Dowager during the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns of the Qing dynasty.
What did she go through to change from an innocent, lively, adorable girl who spoke her mind into a composed and calculating woman who was gentle and reserved?
With three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, how can she protect herself? Once she enters the palace, she is plunged into a sea of intrigue. How will she make her choices?
One misstep could plunge her into an endless abyss, and she knows all too well what is at stake. The Forbidden City may appear prosperous and splendid, but danger lurks beneath the surface.
For the sake of the Niu Hulu clan’s future, she has no choice but to act as she does. She once hoped to find one person to share her life with until they grew old together, but perhaps that was only a fantasy. She does not ask the Emperor to love only her; she only hopes he will cherish and protect her for the rest of her life.
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