After Working in the Imperial Kitchen, I Became Consort Ling

[Major revisions to the full story. Please support the official version! My new novel is now underway.] Weibo: @Jinjiang Klein Blue

After transmigrating, a food blogger from modern times became Wei Zhihui, a young palace maid in the Imperial Kitchen during the Qianlong era.

As a palace maid, she naturally ranked below everyone else. She endured it for months, barely managing to keep her temper in check.

But wait, it was the tenth year of Qianlong, and her surname was Wei. A quick calculation told her that the future Empress Xiaoyi Chun, mother of the Jiaqing Emperor, was none other than herself.

She was like the chosen one, blessed with the golden fingers of an “intelligent recipe book,” a “naturally sweet scent,” and “ageless beauty.” With her cooking and looks, she began her rise to becoming Consort Ling.

Though favored, she had no intention of falling in love. She planned to focus on food: hot pot today, taro cakes tomorrow, and venison the day after.

Now and then, she would watch from the vantage point of a champion as her defeated rivals and the ancient natives battled for favor in the palace.

But why was this Qianlong nothing like the one in the dramas? Who said he was a scoundrel?

Unfortunately, she realized it far too late.

After a livestream sometime after she returned to modern times, Wei Zhihui received a strange comment: “Can you make pork and napa cabbage wraps with chili paste, and taro cakes?”

She clicked through to the commenter’s profile and saw a face identical to Qianlong’s. So she sent him a coded question: “What happened on the twenty-ninth day of the first month in the fortieth year?”

“The first and last time you ever told me you loved me.”

Just a few words, yet on the other side of her phone, Wei Zhihui burst into tears.

Reader’s guide [Repeated reading is recommended. If you feel uncomfortable, stop reading immediately.]

Readers who require spotless characters or strict historical accuracy, beware, beware, beware, beware!

1. The emperor is not a virgin. Qianlong had many wives and children. The heroine falls in love, and the blurb quotes a line she says to the hero from his point of view: “I love you.”

2. The timeline follows history as closely as possible, so the heroine will not live to become Empress Dowager. Some characters’ appearances will be moved around to serve the plot. Readers who demand historical accuracy, beware.

3. The hero becomes less of a scoundrel later on and changes over time. He favors her, but she is not his only favorite. Even later in the story, I cannot guarantee he’ll be spotless. With Qianlong’s many children, I can only do my best to make him relatively devoted. Thank you, thank you.

4. The heroine is somewhat resigned early on, but changes later.

5. There will be palace intrigue. If that bothers you, beware.

6. The heroine has transmigrated. Any behavior that makes you wonder, “Why would a modern person do that?” is explained by the plot or the constraints of the era and environment.

7. Feel free to criticize any side character you dislike. If you dislike the leads, please drop the story. Don’t criticize me. This is my first book, and I welcome reasonable suggestions.

"Guan Guan Jujiu (Qing Dynasty Transmigration)"

“Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the river island. A lovely, virtuous maiden is a fine match for a gentleman.”

For a long time, Wuyouta spent her nights plagued by nightmares. She even began to think that her arrival had changed the course of history.

On the night she entered the palace, her maid asked her, “You were ill before, my lady. Should we inform the Great Khan and choose an auspicious day after you recover?”

Wuyouta looked at her face in the mirror, drained of makeup and somewhat haggard, then shook her head. “No. They’ve brought me medicine three times a day these past few days. I want to marry the Great Khan in full splendor.”

But when the red candles finally shone on them, she was still afraid.

“Lin Dan Khan died at my hand. You need not fear anymore.” In the shifting red candlelight, she could not make out his expression.

She would hear those words, “You need not fear anymore,” many times afterward. Each time, they brought her greater peace.

Even after spending half his life ruling the land with the strength of an eagle, and excelling in both civil and military affairs, Hong Taiji had never met a woman so unique.

He had once believed that all he wanted in life was to conquer the realm, yet he still fell into the familiar cliché that heroes cannot resist beautiful women.

Her gentle, docile demeanor when they first met, her alluring sensuality when she danced alone, and the shy expression she wore when they were alone together all tugged at his heartstrings.

On the eve of his coronation, he took her to the Phoenix Tower. Standing at its highest point, they gazed out over all of Shengjing. He asked her, “Do you have a wish?”

In the darkness, her foxlike eyes sparkled as she smiled sweetly. “With the Great Khan ascending the throne and all things beginning anew, let Wuyouta die for good.”

From then on, the world knew only Hailanzhu: Hong Taiji’s Hailanzhu alone, a precious jade and the star who would remain by his side forever.

Reader’s guide:

1. Both leads are virgins. Happy ending, with a touch of redemption and palace intrigue. She will not die young.

2. This is an alternate Qing Dynasty setting. Don’t nitpick the history. There are many original details, and it differs from the historical record. Please try not to judge the heroine by modern standards.

3. The line “Guan Guan Jujiu” in the blurb and title comes from the Book of Songs.

Theme: Celebrate the cuisine of past and present, and change your fate with your own hands.