Matriarchal society + transmigrate + power struggles for the throne + marriage first, conflict later + male lead turns dark and imprisons her + female lead strikes back later + nation-building and ascending the throne (no CP)
Ye Qingge transmigrates.
The bad news: She's become the most notorious wastrel, the Second Princess of the Fengqian Dynasty.
The worse news: The moment she arrives, she realizes her gentle, beautiful husband seems eager for her to die as soon as possible.
The original owner's reputation is rotten throughout the capital. Relying on the Empress's favor, she behaves outrageously, drinks at brothels, bets on fighting crickets, and mistreats her husband, living like a complete fool.
Everyone thinks the Second Princess Ye Qingge is good for nothing but her face and the Empress's favor.
But no one knows that the person inside that shell is now a modern-day top sales performer.
She has a silver tongue, knows how to read people, is good at negotiating, and can find a way out even in the worst situations.
So while pretending to be a fool to protect her life and maintaining her wastrel reputation, she follows the trails of marriage taxes, marriage contracts, medicine routes, and trade routes, tearing apart layer after layer of a filthy web.
The more she investigates, the more she discovers:
The Empress's illness is no coincidence. Her own carriage accident was no accident. And the Eldest Princess, famed throughout the capital for her virtue, is not as gentle and harmless as she seems.
And the husband who is always lowering his eyes and acting meek in front of her is the most deeply hidden blade of all.
He wants to help her ascend the throne.
He also wants to control her for the rest of her life.
Unfortunately, the one thing Ye Qingge hates most is being someone else's pawn.
Later, she ascends the throne and takes the world into her hands, building roads, opening canals, reorganizing household registers, reclaiming marriage contracts, and improving people's livelihoods.
Only then does she finally understand that power is both tempting and cold.
She never loved anyone in her life.
But she made it possible for many more people to live in peace.
Strategy is not like strategy, and romance is not like romance. I only wrote about the servants in the palace. Two HRs went back and forth to optimize people.