Everlasting Joy and Tranquility

[Palace Intrigue + Revenge + Comeback + Strong Female Lead]

*The female lead is inspired by Hu Shanxiang, empress of Emperor Xuande of the Ming dynasty. All other characters are fictional.*

As the adopted daughter of Yin, a palace lady-in-waiting of the Great Ning dynasty, Shanxiang grows up in the imperial harem. Having witnessed too many palace schemes, she never imagines that she might one day enter the inner palace herself.

Yet fate is unpredictable. A sudden turn of events leads her, though she was meant to become the Princess Consort of the Prince of Yan, to take her place in the central palace and become empress of all under heaven. A new identity, new responsibilities, and new enemies await her. Only after she is truly caught up in the palace's depths does Shanxiang begin to understand its cruelty.

The emperor's distance and the favored consort's jealousy both put Shanxiang's position as empress to the test. Amid the treacherous currents of the harem and its endless blades and bloodshed, how can she hold fast to the principles she began with?