The Favored Consort Knows Her Place

Also known as Hibiscus Drunk in the Sun [Palace intrigue novel] I'm terrible at blurbs. I did my best, sob TAT. Chapters 1-5 set the scene; Chapter 6 begins the palace entry and the palace intrigue. Qing Huan was born with a face as lovely as a hibiscus and as delicate as jade, alluring enough to make one's heart flutter. Yet her fate was full of hardship. When she was eight, her family suffered a calamity, and she ended up in a brothel. By chance, Prince Cheng was celebrating his fiftieth birthday. To mark the occasion, Qing Huan was forced to enter Prince Cheng's manor and perform. By a twist of fate, Qing Huan encountered a young nobleman. He was as handsome as Pan An, graceful and elegant, and stood in a pavilion dressed in precious brocade. Though she did not know who he was, she instinctively sensed that he was someone of extraordinary status. Qing Huan was captivated at first sight. Gritting her teeth, she approached the young man and knelt at his feet, lifting her lovely face and speaking in a soft, sweet voice. "This humble woman wishes to serve you, young master." Xiao Ye ascended the throne as a teenager and was constrained by his officials. Depressed, he left the palace to clear his head, never expecting to meet a stunning woman who offered herself to him. Her beauty was rarely seen in this world. He took an interest in her, brought her back to the palace, and showered her with favor, pushing her into that den of wolves and watching as she fought her way through it. At first, I only treated her as a pawn. But later, I only wanted to place that pawn at the very center of my heart. Theme: People may differ in status, but none are inherently noble or base.