A Handbook for Conquering the Realm

[From an impoverished concubine-born daughter looked down on by all to a powerful official at the pinnacle of court: how long is the road between?] [Mystery-solving + adventure + court politics, rising from behind + forbidden tension + love and hate] During the Donghua Gate upheaval, she unexpectedly saves the empress. She joins the army in its campaign against Huaijin and earns merit for supporting the new ruler, only to end up in court as a civil official by a twist of fate. By then, the empress has already slaughtered all the former emperor’s heirs and ascended the throne herself. She enters the court to seek revenge, never imagining that the moment she steps into Taicheng in her formal robes and hat, he will take a path opposite to hers. She is already caught in a treacherous web of intrigue, with no way back. She climbs to the tower above Duanmen Gate. From far away, she can hear the mighty roar beyond Zhuque Gate. Iron hooves pound across the blue-stone imperial road like muffled thunder rolling over the earth. “My lord, it is time.” She takes the torch soaked in lamp oil from Qingwu, lights it at the beacon tower, then turns and walks down from the city wall. Three thousand armored Imperial Guards stand in formation beyond Zhuque Gate. The blazing courtyard torches reflect off their finely forged helmets and scale armor, casting a chilling gleam. He reins in his horse at the head of the formation. Firelight outlines his profile, yet his eyes, dark as a deep well, remain utterly unmoved. Holding the torch aloft, she descends the vermilion steps and stands alone before the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Hoofbeats thunder as he rides closer, his shadow engulfing her completely. The ranks suddenly part, opening a path. A man in purple robes and a jade belt steps forward, his beard and hair impeccably groomed, flanked by several trusted civil officials. “The righteous army is at your gates. Song Yu, traitor to the throne, will you not surrender at once?” Note: *The heroine’s early story focuses on growth and romance; in the middle and later stages, she becomes an official.