[Reborn + palace intrigue + legitimate daughter + clear-headed heroine + not both virgins + exclusive devotion later on + the powerful one bows his head]
When Gu Qingning opens her eyes, she discovers she's back in Jinshe Residence, her own chambers in the Marquis of Wen'an's estate!
She's returned to the time before she entered the palace!
In her previous life, she entered the palace as a consort and never fought for favor, hoping only for the emperor's true love. Instead, she suffered a miscarriage, lost her child, and watched her entire family be destroyed.
Her father died unjustly in prison, her younger brother was punished under military law, and her grandmother passed away. Alone in the depths of the palace, she too closed her eyes for the last time.
Now that she's been given another chance, she is determined to change everything.
But she knows all too well that the seemingly prosperous Marquis of Wen'an's estate is already like an egg balanced on the brink, with no means of protecting itself!
In an age when imperial power reigns supreme, rather than wait to be made a pawn, she would rather enter the game on her own terms!
She kneels before her grandmother and calmly says, "I wish to enter the palace and fight for a way forward for the Marquis of Wen'an's estate."
In this life, she still chooses to enter the palace.
But this time, she is no longer chasing that elusive thing called love. She will focus on building her power, use the memories of her past life to climb the ranks step by step, protect her loved ones, and collect the debts owed to her.
She will show no mercy to anyone who harmed her or to the hidden hands that destroyed the marquis's estate.
(The pacing is slow, so please don't read if that's not your thing.)
In fact, the writing is pretty good, but why did it stop updating 😢