[Strong heroine + serious court intrigue + building a career]
The nine princes and the heroine are not mother and sons, but aunt-by-marriage and nephews. Any feelings involved are entirely pure. The emperor dumped his mess on the heroine at the last moment and forced her into a nominal position, so please give her a break!
Shen Mingzhao takes her sister's place and marries the ailing emperor, becoming a widow. Her sister and their biased father never expected her to turn things around and become the empire's most formidable power broker!
When the emperor dies, he leaves all the burdens to her. With the empress dowager's support, Shen Mingzhao issues an edict elevating herself to the empress dowager's rank, allowing them to rule as equals. From then on, her role changes from imperial sister-in-law to “mother,” and she brings the struggle among the nine princes under control while joining forces to resist foreign enemies.
Each of the nine princes has his own agenda, and they are a disorganized rabble. Yet with her intelligence, skill, and personal charm, Shen Mingzhao unites these unruly grown boys.
As the nominal mother to the princes, Shen Mingzhao works herself to the bone for the empire. In the end, she fulfills the late emperor's dying wish and sets his nine younger brothers on the right path.
But one day, she realizes they have stopped competing for the throne. Some of them have turned their attention to her instead...
Stick with it and there will be surprises. Head to the main story to find out!
It's okay, it's interesting to write