After Her Inner Thoughts Were Exposed, the Abandoned Consort Fought Her Way Back from the Cold Palace

I made human hearts my chess pieces, turning others' strength against them as I rose from prisoner to player.

At the Mid-Autumn banquet, within a scheme built around a blood test, I exposed Consort De's twenty years of hypocrisy before everyone and brought her conspiracy to collude with the enemy and murder the emperor into the blazing light of day.

When the dust settled, the emperor took my hand and offered me the empress's throne, belated regret and pain in his eyes.

But I drew my hand back, brushed my fingers over the cold phoenix seal, and gazed beyond the palace walls at the vast realm:

“Your Majesty, you are mistaken.”

“Reborn through fire, I never wanted the throne at your side, ”

“I want the freedom to make the rules from atop this imperial palace.”