Night-shift-fueled version of the blurb:
Year 37 of the First Emperor's reign, at Shaqiu.
That good-for-nothing little brother Hu Hai killed the beloved older brother Fusu.
Year 3 of the Second Emperor's reign, at Julu.
That good-for-nothing little brother Hu Hai got my darling husband killed, then filial-piety'd the Qin Dynasty right into the grave for dear old Dad.
After much pondering (and some instigation from a certain good-for-nothing friend), the princess reached her conclusion. Congratulations to the Thirteenth Princess: she can finally hold the throne up herself!
The well-rested version of the blurb:
Year 37 of the First Emperor's reign, at Shaqiu.
The First Emperor is dead, the eldest prince has taken his own life, and the Qin Dynasty's path to destruction in its second generation is already laid out.
Princess Bai has spent seven years in Shang Commandery managing military supplies, horse administration, and border markets. She has no military seal, no title, and only a few volumes of household registers, a granary, and a handful of former officials from humble backgrounds who don't even have surnames.
After the defeat at Julu and the death of the Second Emperor, not a single word about it appears in the documents from Xianyang.
Then she won't wait any longer.
Content warnings:
1. The protagonist is already married and has a child when the story begins.
2. I don't really care about whether characters have been with anyone before. The protagonist definitely hasn't, but let's just assume the two male characters connected to her have.
3. I'm on the female lead's side. She is a ruler, so her personality, especially her morality, isn't perfect. She's goal-oriented.
4. Historical corrections are welcome, but if you're only here to prove that women can't be emperors, please leave and find a male-oriented power fantasy instead.
5. I'm not a history major, just an amateur. There are so many things to research, so if you spot a mistake, comment directly. I won't take it personally. I've had years of experience getting chewed out at group meetings.
Inspired by a craving for dumplings and vinegar, but the entire story is already written. Daily updates, aiming for at least 3,000 characters.
Theme: The Qin Empire's plea to borrow another five hundred years from Heaven (may our ancestors' graves keep sending up green smoke).
