The Phoenix Hides at Court: Her Majesty Turns to the Mortal World

[Strong Female Lead + Court Intrigue + Angsty Romance + Substitute + Disguised as a Man + Everyone Gets Their Comeuppance] She was the legitimate daughter of Emperor Huan, but because of one wish from her beloved mother, the empress, “May you live freely,” she was raised as a “prince” from birth. Fostered in the household of a great scholar from an enemy clan, she learned to serve the people and bring peace to the land, while hiding the fact that beneath her robes was a woman. At sixteen, she returned to the capital, graceful and radiant as an immortal. Countless noblewomen fell for her, but she showed kindness only to women, earning a reputation as a charming flirt. At court, she carefully plotted each move, rooted out corrupt officials, and improved the people’s lives. She became the “wise prince” beloved by the people, as well as a thorn in the empress’s side. Her father was willing to wager his entire empire to make her heir to the throne; The empress’s son fell deeply in love with her, willing to defy his own family for her sake; Yet it was only before that aloof, austere Buddhist monk that she lost her composure. He was a holy monk who had left the world behind; she was the heir to a worldly throne. Their forbidden love, a meeting of kindred souls, began with understanding and ended in restraint. She was willing to abandon the empire to be with him, but all he said was, “Amitabha. Your Highness, please choose your words carefully.” As the truth of her identity teeters on the brink of exposure, and the struggle for the throne turns bloody! She thought love would forever elude her, leaving her no choice but to don the imperial robes and become a lonely ruler. But then she met a man whose face was strikingly similar to that of the holy monk... Was he a substitute? A salvation? Or another trial? See how she hides her feminine beauty atop the imperial throne and navigates the ambitions of the empress, the devotion of a prince, and the loyalty of her trusted aide, until the struggle between love and duty makes her a mighty empress who loves her people as her own children!