In ancient times, when the emperor was impotent, the harem lay neglected for years. Some bold consorts smuggled men in from outside the palace... After a while, the consorts blossomed like dead trees in spring, while the men were left looking drained. They were jokingly called "dregs."
Su Bao, a con artist who disguised herself as a man, was unlucky enough to be born in an age ruled by a foolish emperor. Even worse, she was mistaken for a "dreg" and dragged into the palace, where the consorts secretly fought over her... In the end, she fell into the hands of the Noble Consort.
Facing the Noble Consort's hungry, predatory gaze, Su Bao wouldn't dare admit even on pain of death that she was a woman with "nothing down there."
Thinking fast, she dropped to her knees and made an audacious promise: "I hear Your Highness wants to become empress. This servant is willing to serve you with all my might and help you claim the throne!"
But what sort of person was Empress He Fengluan?
Born to a distinguished family, with beauty that could topple kingdoms, she ruled the six palaces with both kindness and authority. No one could stop praising her virtue.
Worse still, she and the emperor were deeply devoted to one another, their love unmatched. She was flawless, and her position was as secure as a fortress.
It was practically a death sentence.
*
The bewitching Noble Consort sneered. "You?"
Desperate to win her trust and save her own skin, Su Bao threw caution to the wind. "This servant is willing to put herself on the line and seduce the Empress into an affair. Then you can bring His Majesty over and catch us in the act!"
And so Su Bao was planted in the Empress's palace to go undercover. Through a series of twists and turns, she even helped the imperial couple avert several major crises, gradually rising to great power and becoming The Outcast.
But she never imagined the "affair" would come so soon. One late night, she was summoned alone to the Empress's bedchamber.
Before the dressing table, a woman sat with her back to Su Bao, combing her hair. She wore a sheer purple robe, its fabric revealing the curves beneath...
It was none other than the unattainable Empress herself!
"Oh, great. Another person who wants to use me as a dreg." Su Bao steeled herself and came clean, pulling down her pants. "Um... actually, this servant is a woman!"
She expected the Empress to fly into a rage, frustrated by her unfulfilled desires. Instead, after staring at Su Bao for two seconds, the Empress's gaze turned... scorching hot?
A tremendous secret began to reveal itself to her.
On the day the Noble Consort led the emperor in to catch them in the act... Su Bao had her hand at the nape of He Fengluan's neck, kissing her passionately on the phoenix bed.
The emperor's face turned thunderous, and murderous intent filled his eyes. Su Bao calmly drove a dagger into his heart... Now the Empress was hers, and so was the realm.
(Note: The emperor is a truly awful villain. There wasn't enough room to explain it all in the blurb.)
Theme: Love life.
