The Substitute Empress

Blurb: She is the empress, and an empress who has no favor. Simply because she was ugly, she scared the emperor so badly on their wedding night that he came down with a high fever for three days. From then on, he never dared set foot in her chambers again. That suited her just fine. She could enjoy some peace and quiet. But the heavens refused to let her have her way. The imperial consorts gave her trouble, and the emperor made things difficult for her, so... She seized real power, took charge of the harem, set the emperor straight, and bullied the concubines. It turned out she had become empress thanks to the handsome, dashing, refined, and elegant Grand Preceptor, whose ever-present smile was admired by everyone, yet made her want to knock his teeth out. Worse still, he had manipulated the emperor into using her. With an imperial decree, she was sent in someone else's place to marry the neighboring kingdom's Eleventh Prince. They say the Eleventh Prince is cold-blooded and unusually cruel. They say the Eleventh Prince never goes near women and despises them. They say every woman who gets close to him meets a terrible end. They say... She couldn't help shivering. If all that was true, would she be reduced to a pile of bones? On their wedding night, After waiting and waiting for the groom to arrive, the woman sprawled out on the new bed and fell fast asleep. She never expected the man, dressed in luxurious red wedding robes, to pick her up like a chicken and toss her to the floor, then calmly walk over to the bed and lie down. She woke up and glared at the man on the bed, then stood and stepped back a few paces. One! Two! Three! After silently counting to three, the woman dashed to the bed with lightning speed and leaped into the air. With a thud, she struck her target without a miss... “Ah! Damn woman, what are you doing?” the man screamed, glaring furiously at the woman sitting squarely on his lower abdomen, his eyes practically spitting fire. Dear readers, don't miss this! Proudly presenting a seven-character comic poem by our dear member, Chuangtou Chuxiao: The Moon Kingdom's empress, Mo Xiaotong, ugly and foolish to all. Consort Yi relies on royal favor, acting above her station with no regard for anyone. A soul transmigrates into another body, the same form, but a different spirit. The timid empress transforms, punishes Consort Yi, and establishes her authority. The lecherous Night Emperor ignores the chaos throughout the harem. The Grand Preceptor intervenes at night, predicting she will bring order to the world. Envoys from the Haesang Kingdom leave everyone at a loss, but the ugly empress shocks the court with a single remark. To avenge past humiliation, she lays a clever trap, and the emperor gives himself up, unable to complain. Jingli becomes emperor and clears the Phoenix Palace; Consort Yi is demoted to laundry maid. Setting fire to Yanju to get revenge, she suffers no harm when the Grand Preceptor waves his sleeve. Consort Yi plays coy to make trouble, and the empress reluctantly stands guard through the night. A wolf's howl startles the palace; the collapsed tent becomes a laughingstock. The Night Emperor seizes his chance and sends the ugly empress away as a substitute bride. The Grand Preceptor visits her chambers late at night, transforming her face with a flick of his fingers. The ugly empress becomes a peerless beauty, making others envious and furious. Her husband is ferocious as a beast, leaving her anxious on their wedding night. She crushes his arrogance like Mount Tai, then spends the night alone. A lowly ugly empress becomes a princess, with so much to complain about she wants to kill someone. A ferocious white tiger sees the ugly princess, yet doesn't attack and instead clings to her. A prince who hates women becomes captivated by her beauty, pursuing her relentlessly with every trick. She comes across an orphan girl and takes her into the manor, but the girl's intentions arouse suspicion. The prince takes her hand, making her heart race; watching him teach the crown prince a lesson is so satisfying. A lively subordinate and a cold master make an unusual pair. When his old illness flares up, nothing can be done, but Xiaotong's embrace brings him peace. The truth comes out, and everyone is stunned. Seeing is believing; hearsay is not. The prince is no murderer. The wicked invented the rumors. A prince is actually short of money because palace servants have been skimming his funds. She enters the palace in her husband's place to demand justice, gets the money back, and punishes the guilty servant. On the road, the crown prince is kidnapped and trapped in the palace, where a deadly plot awaits. The villains' plan backfires, and a mysterious man even helps her. The crown prince stands naked in the night breeze while Xiaotong sleeps on, lost in her dreams. A single expression of concern stirs their hearts, and their feelings grow warmer. She is imprisoned in the dungeon, with no way to cry for help. The crown prince takes advantage of the moment to poison her, leaving Xiaotong confused and helpless. Cheng Yan arrives in time to save her, and the villains face two poison masters. The drug takes effect and clouds her mind; in the dungeon, they consummate their love. Before one crisis has passed, another is already brewing...