Nian Shilan had died once before.
She’d smashed her head against a wall, spilling her brains across the floor.
Only before she died did she learn two things:
First, the man she had loved all her life had personally used the incense of Joyful Union to make sure she could never bear him an heir.
Second, Duan Fei, whom she had hated all her life, had merely taken the blame for him.
Now that she had a second chance at life, Nian Shilan finally understood.
Being the emperor’s most favored consort? Worthless.
An emperor’s deep affection? A joke.
In this harem, you either fight or die.
She had fought, and she had died.
This time, she wouldn’t fight for favor. She would fight for her life.
She wouldn’t compete for a man. She would fight for a way to survive.
She had the incense in Yikun Palace removed.
She sought out Duan Fei in Yanqing Hall.
And she would slowly investigate the empress hiding behind the scenes.
As for the emperor…
“Shilan, you’ve changed.”
Nian Shilan smiled.
“I haven’t changed, Your Majesty. I’ve woken up.”
A favored consort was a sham. A pawn was what she really was.
This time, she would be the one moving the pieces.
