I Really Don’t Want to Be Favored

One moment, Yu Chaoqing was drinking chicken soup her mother had made. The next, she had transmigrated into the depths of the imperial palace.

If she wanted to go home, she had to work hard to lose the emperor's favor and fulfill the role of a palace-intrigue cannon-fodder character.

Yu Chaoqing: "?"

Becoming a favored consort in palace intrigue was naturally difficult. But losing favor? How hard could that be!

On her first day of palace intrigue, Yu Chaoqing barged into the empress's quarters and saved a concubine who had been beaten nearly to death.

The palace attendants sighed. "The Yu girl is far too reckless. Picking a fight with the empress for the sake of an unfavored concubine is hardly worth it."

Who could have guessed that the imperial physician would diagnose the concubine as three months pregnant?

For protecting the imperial heir, Yu Chaoqing was named a Noble Lady.

On her second day of palace intrigue, Yu Chaoqing picked up the Noble Consort's blue-and-white vase decorated with clouds and dragons and smashed it to pieces. "I hear Your Highness treasures this most. I just had to see what would happen if I broke it."

Who could have guessed that a pungent fragrance would waft from inside the vase, one that could cloud the mind?

That night, the Noble Consort took Yu Chaoqing's hand and wept with gratitude. "If you hadn't stepped in to help, I would have died today. I owe you my life."

Yu Chaoqing: "..."

On her third day of palace intrigue, the emperor contracted a plague and was not expected to live much longer. The palace attendants caring for him were falling ill and dying one after another.

Yu Chaoqing immediately volunteered to tend to him.

The white gauze curtains lifted. The emperor stared at her in a daze, his voice hoarse. "My beloved, I knew it... Your feelings for me are genuine."

The next day, the Imperial Medical Bureau had come up with a remedy, and both Yu Chaoqing and the emperor recovered.

Lady Zhao, of the Yu clan, is dutiful and filial, with a gentle and gracious bearing. She is the apple of the emperor's eye, and is therefore promoted to Consort Zhao.

Yu Chaoqing: "..."

Heaven wants me dead!

Later, Yu Chaoqing became empress.

People said that Empress Yu was virtuous and prudent. She did not monopolize the emperor's favor, nor did she envy the other consorts. She forgave her enemies, cared for the common people, took part in governing the state, and promoted agriculture and sericulture. She laid the foundations for a prosperous age and was a wise empress for the ages.

Yu Chaoqing: "..."

Actually, she only wanted to make a little trouble for herself and die in peace.

*

1. This is not a serious palace-intrigue novel.

2. It follows the misunderstanding-comedy style, with every supporting character jumping to their own conclusions.

3. The heroine won't have children, but she will adopt an heir.

4. The hero is the emperor. He observes the rules of virtue expected of a man, is hopelessly in love, and is a master of convincing himself that the heroine loves him.

Theme: Together, let's create a better new era