The Imperial Princess's Path to Power

"From ancient times to the present, no woman has ever been able to rule as king or emperor." "Then I'll be the first." And I certainly won't be the last. Jun Huanyu is a princess who grew up among the common people. In her previous life, she was successfully brought back to the palace and married Ye Zhishu, the man she loved. Their married life was blissful. But it didn't last. An edict ordering a political marriage ended her bond with Ye Zhishu. Later, the world fell into chaos, and their lives and names were erased from the history books, where the victors wrote the story. After being reborn, Jun Huanyu decides to take a completely different path. As a princess, in her previous life she accepted the order to marry abroad, sacrificing herself to secure peace for the realm. She had already fulfilled her duty as a member of the royal family. If her brothers, who had achieved nothing, could fight for the throne, why shouldn't she? To stand above all others, at the very peak of the world: this is the meaning of her rebirth. In the busy trade waters of the southeastern sea, a band of pirates has run rampant for years. Their leader is a young woman of extraordinary beauty, but her methods are merciless. People call her the Female Yama. The court sends people to crush the pirates, only to discover that the Female Yama is the long-lost daughter of the emperor and empress. From pirate to princess, Jun Huanyu's life is full of dramatic twists and legendary events. Her past also becomes a "stain," something the former court and harem gossip about and fear. The following spring, when the new exam results are announced, twenty-three candidates gather at a palace banquet. Jun Huanyu immediately sets her eyes on the most handsome third-place graduate and asks to marry him on the spot. The day after the marriage is arranged, Ye Zhishu confronts her in public and rebukes her. "Your Highness knew I was already engaged. Why would you still steal the woman I love?" Jun Huanyu smiles brightly. "The Ye family has produced six generations of upright officials who remonstrate with the throne. Your family background is spotless, and you are honest and principled. If you become my consort, people will feel more at ease with me, a princess who used to be a pirate." Half a year after their wedding, Ye Zhishu submits a memorial accusing Princess Huanyu of eight crimes, each one more outrageous than the last. The court is in an uproar. Note: An alternate-history setting, with a mountain of original worldbuilding. The male lead is strong, but the female lead is even stronger. She will definitely become an emperor wielding great power. The male lead is currently set to be Ye Zhishu. The author doesn't provide content warnings, but promises never to let down readers who love women. The author loves, loves, absolutely loves her female lead most of all. Upcoming novels: 1. "The Mad Daughter of the Marquis's Household": I've transmigrated. Good news: I was born a young lady of a marquis's household, a noblewoman with a carefree life. Bad news: I wasn't the marquis's biological daughter. I'm the stepdaughter his second wife brought with her, and no one knows who my real father is. Even worse news: The lovesick marquis has reached middle age and fallen for the daughter of a convicted minister, so they've eloped. My ambitious mother refuses to be outdone, hooks up with the marquis's steward, and elopes too. So from the start, Lin Meng has to deal with a mother and stepfather who both ran off, the whole marquis's household watching her like hawks, and a younger brother and stepsister who desperately need their outlooks on life and values rebuilt. Tired yet? This is worse than being dumped in the Cold Palace to fight for favor. 2. "After Marrying My Family's Old Enemy" At seventeen, Jiang Linxi is hastily married off by her brother to Tian Zuoxian, Marquis of Dongjing. From then on, everyone looks at her with pity. The Jiang and Tian families have been enemies for generations. In this age of fierce competition, they've formed an alliance only for temporary gain. Once their interests no longer align, Jiang Linxi will be the first sacrifice. On their wedding night, the tears she sheds do not stir even the slightest pity in him. After they marry, Tian Zuoxian remains cold and distant. Except for the repeated "Xi'er" that escapes him whenever he loses control, he always refers to her as "Madam Jiang," whether in public or in private. Jiang Linxi, in turn, respectfully calls him "Marquis." She does her duty as a wife, honoring her mother-in-law, getting along with her sisters-in-law, and striving to build a good relationship with her husband's sisters. Just as life settles into a dull routine, the alliance between the Jiang and Tian families collapses. Her husband and brother go to war against each other, while Jiang Linxi is punished by being made to kneel in the Jiang ancestral hall for three days and nights. On the morning of the third day, Jiang Linxi is found unconscious in the ancestral hall, her white dress stained with blood. Jiang Linxi is dead. Two lives lost. When Tian Zuoxian receives the letter from home, he learns for the first time what it means to feel a pain that pierces to the bone. A scheming beauty who seems gentle and weak × a male lead who must grovel to win his wife back and eventually falls in love for real. Marriage before love, romance-focused. The heroine runs away while pregnant and fakes her death. Ten-year age gap, both each other's first. 3. "I, the First Emperor's Daughter, Conquer the Realm" Believe me, I'm Qin Shi Huang. Send money. Ever since Zhao Yiqin saw this meme online, she sends the same line every time she asks her dad for living expenses. Old Zhao is quite keen on memes too. He replies, "You should say, 'Believe me, I'm Qin Shi Huang's daughter. Send money.'" Old Zhao is a die-hard Qin fan, and she's been influenced by him. Though the main reason is that her ancestor is so charismatic, Zhao Yiqin is also a devoted fan of the First Emperor. When livestreamed novels were at their peak, Zhao Yiqin followed the trend and wrote a novel titled "Livestreaming History: Your Majesty the First Emperor, I've Brought You a Map of the World." On the day she finished it, Zhao Yiqin transmigrated. The familiar Old Zhao had somehow become the very First Emperor she admired most. At first, Zhao Yiqin is deeply worried. Her dad, Old Zhao, hasn't even attended a proper university, so how can he steer the great ship that is Qin? What if the Qin dynasty doesn't even get the chance to fall after two generations? So she uses every trick she can think of to help Old Zhao govern the country. Making sure the Qin dynasty doesn't fall in its first generation becomes one of her small goals. Gradually, Zhao Yiqin starts to wonder: how is her dad doing an even better job than the historical First Emperor? Note: #The First Emperor travels from ancient times to the modern era by possessing one of his descendants, so the heroine and the First Emperor aren't directly related by blood. When she returns to ancient times, the heroine's whole body transmigrates. #The First Emperor will eventually hand the throne to the heroine. The male lead is Zhang Liang. Theme: Stand on your own and grow strong