A Qing-Era Concubine's Guide to Promotion in Yongzheng's Harem

(A calculating, devoted emperor x a clear-headed, highly intelligent heroine) After transmigrating, Su Muyao becomes a palace selection candidate in the final year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign! After the Yongzheng Emperor takes the throne, all the other candidates from her selection are sent to guard the imperial tombs. But the original owner is left behind in the vast Qianxi Fourth Compound because of a serious illness, with a mountain of survival problems to deal with: The Imperial Food Service skimps on her meals. The Construction Office sends her winter charcoal mixed with water. The Imperial Pharmacy gives her old, rotten medicinal herbs. No food, no drink, no one to look after her, and bitterly cold. Su Muyao says none of that is a problem! A three-courtyard Beijing quadrangle is perfect for retirement! Besides the golden finger of spiritual spring water, she also has a loyal maid who's a wonderful cook! She eats, drinks, and farms, enjoying a wonderfully carefree life. Then, before she can finish a bite of roast meat, a saker falcon swoops in to steal her food. The saker falcon eats a lot, but it also brings her plenty of pheasants and hares. It's a bargain. No downside! But later... Why didn't anyone tell her this saker falcon belonged to the Yongzheng Emperor? Su Muyao silently considers her options. She's a consort of the late emperor, but the current emperor has taken an interest in her. To keep herself alive, she'd better pack up her money and run away in advance! Reading guide: 1. This is an alternate history with a mountain of creative liberties. Readers looking for historical accuracy, please stay away. 2. The heroine's golden finger is a portable spiritual spring, mainly used for beauty, detoxification, longevity, and restoring vitality. It won't be overpowered. 3. The heroine only bears the title of a selection candidate for the late emperor. Later, she becomes an official consort of the hero. 4. There will definitely be palace intrigue. Please add my next story, "Rising Through the Ranks in Kangxi's Harem"! After transmigrating, Wen Yinwan becomes a newly selected bondservant palace maid in the Imperial Household Department, assigned to deliver pastries to the concubines in each palace. If the concubines are satisfied with the pastries, she'll receive a tip. Every time her savings reach a milestone, the System lets her redeem a generous prize pack containing things like beauty pills, hair-growth pills, and melatonin... So she puts her heart into coming up with new pastry ideas and wins the favor of people all over the palace. After a few years, an ordinary-looking palace maid blossoms into a great beauty. Until one day, the Kangxi Emperor realizes his gaze has fallen on the little palace maid and can no longer be pulled away. Only later does Wen Yinwan discover that she's actually Consort De, the future empress dowager, and the woman who gave birth to the Yongzheng Emperor... If she'd known, why would she have worked so hard? She should've just raised her own child well! Theme: Love life and take responsibility for your own future.