Lin Wangshu, a graduate student in history, wakes up as Princess Longyue in Empresses in the Palace.
At this point, Zhen Huan is about to return to the palace, the Empress still occupies the central seat, and Hongli has yet to become crown prince. She is merely a little princess raised by Consort Jing, who may be sent far away in a political marriage.
She had thought that knowing the plot would at least help her stay alive. But once she truly steps into the Forbidden City, she understands that spoilers aren't a cure-all. People's hearts change, circumstances shift, and a piece that moves recklessly may bring death to the innocent.
Consort Jing teaches her to conceal her edge. Zhen Huan teaches her to wield the blade. Wenyi shows her how a princess's gilded life can still leave her with no say in her own fate.
At first, all Longyue wanted was to survive. Then she wanted to protect both her mothers. Later, she saw that even someone as clever as Zhen Huan had to depend on favor and children, and that Wenyi, a princess, could not even say, “I don't want to.”
At last, Longyue understands:
If the rules themselves devour people, then her task is not to win this game, but to overturn the entire board.
From little princess to regent, and then to emperor, from the hidden games of the harem to the storms of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, she moves step by step toward the dragon throne, a seat never meant for a woman.
In this life, she will not be a bargaining chip in a political marriage or a servant of imperial power.
She will be the one who moves the pieces, and she will make it possible for the women of the realm to choose their own fates for the first time.
