The Tale of Consort Xi: Embers Beyond the Vermilion Walls

- Timeline: The third year after Zhen Huan became the Holy Mother Empress Dowager, shortly after the Yongzheng Emperor's death and early in the Qianlong Emperor's reign. - Protagonist: Zhen Huan. She now holds power, yet finds herself lonely at the top and must balance three sets of relationships: the court, where Qianlong tests the limits of imperial authority; the harem, where new consorts vie for favor; and her old allies, whose worries include Jinxiu and Su Peisheng. - Central conflict: Qianlong wants to escape the Empress Dowager's constraints and secretly supports new factions. Zhen Huan must protect her family and her own dignity while facing the debts left by her past political maneuvering, including the former Prince Guo's followers and the remnants of Qi Guiren's maternal family.