She Rules an Empire, Yet Lives in Endless Solitude

Blurb 1: Su Ci has met plenty of men. Most of them were brutish, vulgar, and unreasonable, so even when her father threatened to disown her, she still had no intention of getting married. To avoid marriage, Su Ci enters a mountain range said to be home to rare birds and exotic beasts, hoping to win first place in a hunting contest. Once financially independent, she plans to have a little house of her own. Then she meets him. He says, "I've never met a woman as remarkable as you." Su Ci lowers her head in trepidation. He adds, "Would you be willing to become my empress?" For a moment, Su Ci is dazed. He is gentle and considerate. Perhaps he's different from other men. Six months later, Su Ci sits on the throne. Looking at the officials bowing their heads in fear, she curls her lips into a cold smile. Power is best kept in one's own hands. Su Ci is immensely grateful that she met Tao Chu before she met him. Only then did she understand that before gaining love, she had to gain power. Late at night, Su Ci sits on the throne, suddenly overwhelmed by loneliness. Her love really has vanished with his departure. What use is all this vast territory to her? ...Any use at all. It's much more satisfying than love. Blurb 2: They loved me, loved my face, my talent, my gentleness; So they deceived me, imprisoned me, abused me, and killed me; I was born a person, a woman, not anyone's daughter, sister, mother, or wife, and certainly not anyone's slave. [My next book, A Cat at That Taoist Temple. Click the link below in the author's profile to add it to your collection. Thanks for your support!] Everyone says that Taoist temple is cursed. Everyone who goes there to pray for blessings meets with disaster. One family had a son going to the capital for the imperial exams. They went to the temple to pray for his safety, and then he disappeared. One family sold tofu. They went to the temple to pray for safety, and then they disappeared too. Over time, everyone came to the same conclusion: Of course. Women are bad luck. Then one day, everyone noticed: Since when did the temple have a cat? Cat: Terrifying. The temple's abbess isn't human. The senior disciple is stern and unsmiling. And there are twins whose predictions of good fortune never come true, while their bad omens always do. But they're not the scariest ones. Theme: Are rulers and nobles born to their station?