The Poisonous Empress Dowager

She was cruel, so cruel that everyone feared her.

She was heartless, so heartless that everyone hated her.

*

“Your Highness, don’t be naughty.” In the palace’s Luan Hall, a young woman in a magnificent red phoenix robe held a cane whip. Her sweet yet stern voice carried an unmistakable note of authority.

Below the stone steps, the little crown prince, notorious throughout the court for his vicious mischief, was tormenting a palace maid he had frightened to tears. He held a civet cat he had already crushed to death. His long, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed, and his thin red lips curved in a smile. He looked utterly innocent, yet paid no heed to her and continued his cruelty.

The young woman furrowed her brows and struck the crown prince without mercy. In an instant, two bloody stripes split his purple dragon robe. But the little prince remained standing there. Only the mischief in his eyes had been replaced by a cold, simmering anger.

*

When a soul from another world makes a forceful entrance, what will happen when power, wisdom, and beauty come together, and heartlessness collides with cruelty? At the pinnacle of supreme power, will the result be slaughter that lays waste to the world, or a stirring song of war?

*

Excerpt One:

“Mother, do you like power?” The eight-year-old crown prince gazed innocently at the beautiful, aloof young woman before him, whose fierce, enigmatic aura seemed to radiate from her. His long eyes concealed unfathomable depths.

“Your Highness, don’t you like power?” The young woman raised her slender, jade-like hand and lightly adjusted the golden phoenix ornament in her hair. Her reply was meaningful, but she answered his question with another.

The crown prince furrowed his handsome brows, his eyes flashing with anger. He seemed destined never to glimpse her true thoughts.

The young woman swept out her delicate hand. Her red phoenix robe billowed as she pointed at the crown prince. “The greatest victory is to defeat the enemy without fighting. Your Highness, you’re too impatient.”

Excerpt Two:

“Mother, what are you thinking about?”

“What do you think I’m thinking about?”

The princes exchanged glances. The concubines from their respective palaces behind them were all secretly gnashing their teeth. They had never expected this girl, barely in her teens, to be so difficult to handle. No matter how they probed, they got nothing from her.

“I know what Mother is thinking.” The eight-year-old crown prince lifted his head and smiled faintly. He studied her slightly furrowed brows, his smile deepening, but said nothing more.

Murong Susu frowned. Her crown prince had already learned to strike at her weakest point and seize the initiative. That was not good news for her.

Excerpt Three:

When brave foes meet, the stronger wins. Among the three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, anyone who crossed her would die. Those who didn’t, but stood in her way in the struggle for power or threatened her, would die too.

The Empress Dowager gave her a hard time? Fine, she’d send her to her death.

The Emperor schemed against her? Then she’d give him a taste of his own medicine, and take his power and life as a bonus.

The princes made trouble? She’d take them down one by one. She had never feared being called a wicked empress.

But no matter how ruthless and cold-blooded she was, someone still clung to her like a thousand-year-old glue, refusing to be driven away.

Heavens, she could only sigh to the sky. Were the men of this era masochists?

.

The prince of Qi crossed mountains and rivers and raised an army, all to abduct her and make her his consort.

The empire’s great general sharpened his blades and risked treason and disgrace, all to take her wandering the world with him and let her live freely.

The most distinguished young master in the martial world was extraordinarily handsome, otherworldly, and refined. Yet he was willing to stain his fine clothes with blood and storm the palace, just to ride at her side as a pair of immortal companions.

But who could know what she truly wanted?

*

This is a one-on-one romance, not a harem story. The heroine is powerful, cunning, strategic, ruthless, cold-blooded, and capable of anything.

There’s plenty of heartbreak, as well as a little sweetness, stirring passion, deep devotion, and plenty of twists and turns. Uh, please ignore my rambling.

The Snow Demon returns in force.