After Farming in the Cold Palace, I Became the Emperor’s Favorite

Su Wanzhao, a disciple of a reclusive master physician, pretends to be foolish and enters the palace to escape her enemies. After being appointed a Talented Lady, she refuses the Noble Consort’s attempt to win her over and is banished to the Cold Palace. There, she clears land and farms, then uses her medical skills to save the emperor, gradually catching the attention of the scheming Emperor Xiao Jingheng. The two begin by testing each other as the “foolish girl” and the “cold emperor.” The heroine then uses her farming know-how to overcome palace intrigues and help the emperor deal with state affairs and famine. In the end, she rises to become empress, promotes agricultural techniques alongside the emperor, helps usher in a golden age, and retires to the countryside. Farming is the central source of satisfaction throughout, from clearing land to expanding cultivation and sharing the methods across the realm. Palace intrigue and face-slapping are woven in, including the Noble Consort’s frame-ups and reprisals from her remaining allies, along with the emperor’s pursuit of his wife as he goes from curiosity to deep affection. The story emphasizes an underdog’s rise and the satisfaction of seeing ordinary wisdom triumph over political scheming.