Trapped in the Eastern Palace (Reborn)

Please add my ongoing novel "The Play Within the Book" to your reading list. The free preview blurb is at the very bottom.

Su Lingyue was a female typist. One late night, while staying up to meet a writing deadline, she transmigrated into a book and became the heroine of "What a Fierce Madam", a novel written under her own name. According to the plot, she would go through a wife-pursuit crematorium with the male lead, the great general Ning Hengzhao, before getting a happy ending!

But after she transmigrated into the book, the story went off the rails. To repay a debt of gratitude, Su Lingyue married the elderly Duke Xiang, who was nearly seventy. On their wedding night, the old duke's life came to an end. Su Lingyue became a widow, waiting for the general to keep his promise and rekindle their relationship.

Who could have guessed that the old duke's paper-person grandson, Xiang Liu'an, would completely ignore her outline? He rose to power and became a powerful court official, then forcibly claimed the heroine Su Lingyue and lived happily with her ever after.

Reading guide: 1. The heroine is four years older than the hero.

2. The heroine is not a virgin; the hero is.

The Eastern Palace was a cage that trapped Ruan Xiaoran for two lifetimes.

She was the daughter of a county magistrate. Her father wanted her to seduce the crown prince and become one of his concubines. Once the prince ascended the throne, she might fight her way to the rank of consort.

First life: Ruan Xiaoran did not want to enter the palace, but her father drugged her and took her virginity on behalf of the crown prince. Her cunning father killed two birds with one stone: he arranged for her younger sister to spend a night of passion with General Lin Qianfan, who loved Ruan Xiaoran. Ruan Xiaoran entered the Eastern Palace, while her younger sister married into the Marquis of Lin's household.

Knowing how treacherous the palace was, Ruan Xiaoran ate until she became a chubby little thing, hoping to fail the selection for palace maidens.

Five years earlier, Ruan Xiaoran and Xiao Moyan had been childhood friends.

At the time, she had never imagined that Xiao Moyan would move into the Eastern Palace and become crown prince.

She failed the selection, but the emperor personally appointed her as the crown prince's personal female attendant.

Reunited with an old friend, she found the crown prince had become a graceful, handsome man. It was awkward that she was now a chubby little thing.

There were rumors that the crown prince had a taste for men and liked his personal eunuch.

Under pressure from the emperor, she urged the crown prince to summon the beauties of the Eastern Palace. Heaven and earth could bear witness: at first, Ruan Xiaoran truly only wanted to stay alive.

She begged the crown prince to remember their childhood friendship and let her leave the palace.

After leaving, she lost weight and regained her former beauty. Who knew the emperor would drag her back to the Eastern Palace and order her to continue seducing the crown prince?

The crown prince kept his desires in check, but he had already fallen for her.

In this life, the crown prince's position was perilously precarious. The young nobles of the capital were itching to fight for the throne.

Ruan Xiaoran and the crown prince stood by each other through thick and thin, yet still met their end in a fallen city. (First life: everyone gets a bad ending.)

Second life: Ruan Xiaoran and General Lin Qianfan, who loved her, were reborn five years into the past.

They met again at the royal hunting grounds. Five years had passed, and the crown prince she had missed day and night stood before her.

Ruan Xiaoran threw herself into his arms. Crown Prince Xiao Moyan thought she was a woman who wanted to climb the social ladder.

He even thought she had been sent by the emperor to spy on him, and pushed her away despite their childhood friendship.

After she entered the palace, he left her in a remote residence and even considered using the opportunity to kill her.

Ruan Xiaoran was heartbroken and resolved to leave the crown prince.

Personal eunuch: "Your Highness, who are that man and woman on the bridge by the rockery?"

Xiao Moyan saw Ruan Xiaoran speaking intimately with General Lin Qianfan, and burned with rage.

When Ruan Xiaoran entered the palace, she said she admired him.

Now she was making a fuss about leaving the palace. It turned out she had already found someone else.

She had climbed into his bed and seduced him in every way, making him fall for her. And now she wanted to flee the palace? No way.

He came to his senses and began his wife-pursuit crematorium.

Relying on her memories, Ruan Xiaoran helped the crown prince eliminate his rivals. Step by step, she won over the crown prince, who had no interest in women, and helped him ascend the throne. She stood by his side as empress.

1. The hero's harem is for show; he has only one woman, the heroine.

2. The story is full of personal worldbuilding, so please don't scrutinize it too closely.

3. This story is somewhat angsty! Some supporting characters are reborn! Also known as "The Crane's Dream Renewed", a rebirth story.

4. If you don't like it, please don't leave nasty comments. Wishing everyone a happy life.

The blurb has been screenshotted.

Theme: Together until our hair turns white