Her Majesty Only Wants the Throne

Sheng Longyu, daughter of the Sheng family, is radiant and captivating, a peerless beauty whose splendor could topple kingdoms.

Long ago, she made a promise from afar to the man seated upon the dragon throne.

It was the sixth year of Tianyou, and the empire was holding its grand selection.

Sheng Longyu stood out among the candidates and entered the palace after the final imperial audience. Everyone saw her as a formidable rival. Yet once inside the palace, she won the emperor's special favor and rose through the ranks, eclipsing everyone else.

Some hated her so much that they sneered, “How long can she really keep basking in her triumph?”

But Sheng Longyu truly could.

In just two short years, she rose from Beauty to Noble Consort.

The emperor's favor and all the honors of the world seemed hers for the asking. Everyone envied her.

Yet Sheng Longyu knew in her heart that love in the imperial harem was fickle and shallow. Every step she took was calculated, and one misstep would send her plunging into the abyss. Her struggles with others, with herself, and with the emperor might never end.

She did not merely want to have the last laugh. She wanted to keep laughing for a long, long time.

She did it. Or so she thought. But only after reaching the heights did she suddenly learn that the promise of old had been nothing but a lie.

The exalted emperor had merely been watching from above as a butterfly struggled to escape a spider's web.

Sheng Longyu came to her senses. She was still a pawn, one too valuable to discard.

Of all the new consorts, only Sheng Longyu put Feng Qi'an most at ease.

He knew she was clever and ambitious, so he freely bestowed his affection on her, letting her use every means at her disposal, even letting her use him.

Gradually, he realized that he really did like her willful, spoiled-by-favor side best.

Whatever she wanted, he gave her. He couldn't very well let her end up disappointed and miserable. Besides, what did it matter who got it?

He doted on her until she grew more and more audacious, nearly daring to act up right over his head.

Then one day, the woman stopped smiling at him, and he understood that she knew everything.

She was only a woman. Just a woman. Just...

Only then did Feng Qi'an realize that his heart felt as if it had been carved to pieces by a thousand knives.

[Extra Scene]

One day.

Sheng Longyu had run out of patience with him and wanted to kick him away. Furious, she demanded to know what he wanted!

Feng Qi'an caught her earlobe between his lips and chuckled softly. “I want you to fall for me.”

[Reading Guide]:

1. A somewhat old-fashioned palace-intrigue novel, with possible melodramatic plot points. The leads are eight years apart.

The male lead is not a virgin. He is not a virgin. He is not a virgin. He will also favor other consorts early in the story.

2. The heroine receives special favor early on, then becomes the emperor's sole favorite later.

3. The male lead falls first. The heroine will not fall for him until he does. Neither lead has a former ideal love or an old flame.

4. The setting is fictional, blending elements from different ancient imperial courts, with many original world-building details.

Ranks of consorts in this fictional imperial harem:

Empress

First Rank: Imperial Noble Consort

Upper First Rank: Noble Consort

Second Rank: The Four Consorts (Consort Shu, Consort De, Consort Xian, Consort Liang)

Upper Second Rank: Consort

Third Rank: The Nine Ladies (Upper Tier: Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, Zhaoyuan; Middle Tier: Xiuyi, Xiurong, Xiuyuan; Lower Tier: Chongyi, Chongrong, Chongyuan)

Upper Third Rank: Noble Concubine

Fourth Rank: Jieyu

Upper Fourth Rank: Concubine

Fifth Rank: Beauty

Upper Fifth Rank: Talented Lady

Sixth Rank: Precious Forest

Upper Sixth Rank: Attendant Lady

Seventh Rank: Chosen Lady

Eighth Rank: Selected Attendant

Ninth Rank: Palace Lady

Theme: A better life