The Empress Consort Rises Step by Step

[Next palace intrigue novel: The Little Palace Maid Has Grand Ambitions. Add it to your collection from my author page!] The Marquis of Sui'an's household produced two imperial consorts. One is gentle and dignified, considerate, and praised throughout the palace for her virtue. The other is beautiful enough to outshine all others, but ruthless and spiteful, always jealous of other women. The first has spent years in the palace without winning the emperor's favor. The second, however, is greatly favored, and became Worthy Consort in just a few short years. Everyone in the palace says Worthy Consort is a master of scheming who won the emperor's favor with her beauty. But Fu Yu thinks that although Jiang Lingyin is beautiful, her schemes are so clumsy that anyone can see through them at a glance. He simply enjoys playing along. She is always saying, "I love His Majesty," as if repeating it often enough will make her love stronger. Fu Yu believed her at first, but later realized it was just a gorgeous lie Jiang Lingyin had woven for him. It was then that Fu Yu finally learned how cold her heart was. He knows Jiang Lingyin is not a kind person, and that someone once lived in her heart. That person was noble and bright, like a cool ray of moonlight. But he also knows this: Jiang Lingyin does not like chasing after anyone. So he spent years warming her heart, and finally succeeded. Blurb written on March 23, 2024, and revised since. The author is terrible at writing blurbs, so don't put too much faith in it. The blurb is not from the female lead's perspective, so the story may differ from it. The female lead's cousin has a small role and is not a villain. Warnings: 1. The consort ranks are fictional, and all forms of address and other details are made up for the author's personal preference. Please don't overanalyze them. 2. Traditional palace intrigue with a bit of an ensemble cast. The female lead is imperfect, emotionally deprived, and wants to be loved but does not know how to love others. She is very guarded and will deliberately harm people. (Important!!!) Read with caution if this bothers you. 3. The emperor holds absolute power and faces no opposition. He will not dismiss the harem, tends to imagine things, is extremely hypocritical, and does whatever he pleases. He favors the female lead in the early and middle portions, then gives her his exclusive favor later. 4. A fictional setting, with the author's own worldbuilding. The female lead's final rank will be determined by the story itself. 5. My writing has its limits, and everyone has different tastes. You don't have to tell me if you drop the story. Ranks of the imperial consorts: Exalted Rank: Empress First Rank: Imperial Noble Consort First Subrank: Noble Consort Second Rank: Worthy Consort, Good Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort (Worthy Consort ranks highest) Second Subrank: Consort (4 positions) Third Rank: Zhaoyi, Zhaorong, Zhaoyuan, Xiuyi, Xiurong, Xiuyuan, Chongyi, Chongrong, Chongyuan (one of each; Zhaoyi ranks highest) Third Subrank: Jieyu (6 positions) Heads of the Imperial Palaces Fourth Rank: Noble Concubine Fourth Subrank: Concubine Fifth Rank: Noble Attendant, Graceful Attendant, Compliant Attendant, Virtuous Attendant, Beautiful Attendant Fifth Subrank: Lesser Attendant Sixth Rank: Noble Lady Sixth Subrank: Beauty, Talented Lady, Worthy Lady Seventh Rank: Precious Forest Seventh Subrank: Selected Attendant Eighth Rank: Imperial Lady Eighth Subrank: Chosen Lady Ninth Rank: Dressing Attendant Unranked: Gentlewoman (a collective term for daughters of officials and commoners selected to enter the palace) Theme: Judge people by their actions, not their thoughts.