The Qing Dynasty: The Empress’s Schemes

After transmigrating into the famous Empress Nala Yimin, known for having her hair cut, Yimin originally planned to lie flat, be a salted fish, and enjoy a carefree life.

What? People are making snide remarks and bullying me? I won't put up with that for a second! A promotion, now!

What? I'm poor and broke, and even as empress my pockets are empty. The empress dowager rewards me with fifty taels of silver, but I can only produce five? A raise, now!

What? No food after losing favor? A miserable old age, my own son dying young, and my family left depressed and unfulfilled? I'll keep getting promotions and raises until I have no more superiors!

Hongli, grinning, waved a hand: "Reward Side Consort Nala with ten thousand taels of silver, shops..."

Yimin smiled until her eyes curved into crescent moons.

The consorts watched Side Consort Nala sail smoothly from the prince's residence to the Forbidden City, rising from side consort to noble consort, then empress, and finally empress dowager. People even started saying that every daughter should be like a Nala. Who wouldn't call that a lucky life?

At first, Hongli wasn't interested in the side consort his royal father had chosen for him. In his household, he had the virtuous Fucha, the alluring Gao, the gentle Su, and all kinds of other beauties, both remembered and forgotten. Nala was just one of them. If he liked her, he could favor her more; if he didn't, he could ignore her.

He certainly wasn't going to keep one woman specially in his thoughts. Women were just a diversion in his life, Hongli thought coldly.

Who could have guessed that she would be so in tune with him, even accidentally hitting upon the interests he'd never told anyone about, not even in his heart of hearts?

He became interested in her, even though many people said she was calculating, cold, and heartless, and didn't love him at all.

He thought: I'm the emperor. I can afford to favor a woman. Who cares what she's like? Who cares if she loves me? When I tire of her, I can have countless others, plenty of confidantes.

Later...

When he discovered that she could offer sincere, wholehearted love, he suddenly grew jealous: He wanted it too!

**What could a side consort possibly be up to? She only wants to survive** **She is calculating, scheming, cold, and heartless, and naturally reluctant to give her true feelings**

P.S. This is an alternate universe, so don't get hung up on history.

Plot idea saved on 2022-12-25, photo kept for posterity.

Author's page: Yueshi. Many thanks to all you lovely readers for bookmarking. Follow to know when the story opens!

Theme: Hard work can change your fate