Synopsis
An Lingrong weakly picked up the last bitter apricot kernel and put it in her mouth.
The bitterness grew stronger until her tongue went numb and lost all sensation.
A harsh, astringent taste filled her nose, and her eyes ached with tears.
An Lingrong raised a hand to wipe her face. Her hand came away slick and wet.
Even someone as hard-hearted as her
could still shed tears.
That year, when she entered the palace selection, she was barely sixteen, far from home, with thousands of miles between them.
For her mother's sake, she had to strive harder and harder.
But the palace was a place of deep, murky waters.
No matter how she struggled, she could never escape the clutches of fate.
Consort Li.
An Lingrong gave a self-mocking smile,
while her heart twisted into a tangled knot.
The child in her womb had been destined never to be born.
She had even traded her tiny body for that title.
An Lingrong's vision went dark, and she slumped sideways over the small table.
She had never felt as peaceful as she did at that moment.
A little girl came running toward her from the light, giggling.
Wait for me, my darling. Mother is coming.
When she opened her eyes, the pale-yellow bed curtains swayed softly. She had been reborn on the very night of her first time attending the emperor!
A reader's guide to what to expect
This novel takes the television adaptation as its foundation and tells a different version of Empresses in the Palace from An Lingrong's perspective.
1. An Lingrong and Shen Meizhuang won't turn against each other. Their relationship follows a mutual-support route. If that bothers you, please read with caution!
2. The Zhen Huan storyline will be shortened, and the story will unfold entirely from An Lingrong's perspective.
3. The book includes original elements, including new characters such as Fang You.
4. An Lingrong's rebirth will set off a series of butterfly effects, changing the fates of many supporting characters.
5. Derivative works naturally include plenty of personal ideas, and not every detail may be to your taste. Writing a book isn't easy, so please be understanding!
Having read up to Chapter Six, I'd like to warn everyone: may both Shen and An be doing well. I think it's good that Shen is still alive.
Her character is completely ruined. She just got promoted to a Noble Lady and dares to go against Consort Hua? And that Fang thing—she's obviously got a cheat code. With a character like that, how could the Empress let her come back alive?