Volume Introductions
Volume One: Twin Jade (Empresses in the Palace: An Lingrong x the historical empress)
An Lingrong is reborn before the palace selection and swears she will never again be anyone’s pawn. The historical Empress Xiaojingxian transmigrates into Yixiu. Faced with a harem where all the rules have fallen apart, she decides to restore order according to Qing dynasty customs. An Lingrong discovers that the selection process has completely changed: she no longer owes Zhen Huan a favor. One establishes rules in the open, while the other clears obstacles from the shadows. The pawn wants to turn the tables, the empress wants to claim her rightful place, and Zhen Huan’s “specialness” gradually loses its power against the rules.
Volume Two: Blaze (Empresses in the Palace: Hua Fei reborn)
Hua Fei dies by smashing her head against a wall. When she opens her eyes, she is back in the year she first entered the prince’s manor, before marrying the emperor, who is still a prince at the time. She knows the secret of the Joyful Fragrance, knows the emperor never loved her, and knows the Nian family will fall. In this life, she won’t lose herself to love again. She will protect the Nian family, outlive the emperor, and take the throne as empress dowager. Men aren’t worth it, but power is.
Volume Three: The Empress (Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace: the historical empress transmigrates into Ruyi)
The despicable Qianlong’s harem is even more chaotic than Yongzheng’s. Looking at the palace full of consorts fighting until everything is a mess, the historical empress says only, “My harem is not a stage for you to act out palace intrigue.” She doesn’t compete for favor or scheme against the other consorts. She uses rules and institutions to keep everyone firmly in line. Ruyi’s “love” weighs as little as a feather under her rule.
(More volumes to unlock: Shen Meizhuang’s story, Yixiu reborn, and more...)
