I Fought Stray Dogs for Steamed Buns, Then Became the Empress Dowager

[One-on-one romance + two equally powerful leads + growing together + political scheming] When she was thirteen, she fought a wild dog over a steamed bun. She won. Later, the county magistrate couldn’t bear to send his own daughter into the palace to suffer, so he took an interest in her resilience: she could fight animals for food, survive the bitter cold, and had the feral grit of someone who simply refused to die. He pretended to adopt her, gave her a name and new clothes, and taught her manners, lifting her out of the mud to live as a young lady for two months. She believed him. She believed everything. On the day she entered the palace, she clutched the bamboo flute Madam Zhang had given her, determined to do her job well and repay their kindness. As the carriage left the county town, she had no idea that Madam Zhang, who had taught her etiquette; Master Zhang, who had sent her candied fruit; and the magistrate’s daughter, with her sunny smile, were all watching from the city wall as her carriage grew smaller and smaller. The Empress Dowager said “A beggar is still a beggar. Silk and satin can’t change what’s in your bones.” “You can’t make your way in this palace just by knowing how to play the flute.” “What stands between you and him is all the hardship you’ve endured, the calluses on your hands, and that alley where you fought a dog for food.” Zhao Heng said “Music can reach the heart. Yours has.” “Because you’re alone, too. You know what it feels like to stand in a crowd and still be different from everyone else.” “If there’s no path, make one.” “You can’t even pretend convincingly, so I can trust you with my life.” Liu Jin said “You were the first person to bring me food without wanting anything from me.” “Don’t forget: down there is the muddy ditch we used to walk through.” “You taught me how to walk. I’ll scout the road ahead for you.”