Marrying the Noble Consort Again: Charming and Cunning, I Rise Through Palace Intrigue

Newly widowed, Chu Xiyan was treated like a bad omen by her family and abandoned at an estate for years. When they finally brought her back, it was only because they planned to send her to the bed of a brutal eunuch to clear the way for her younger sister! They treated her like a pawn, scheming against her and using her without mercy. Why shouldn’t she take a gamble on herself? She would become the emperor’s favorite consort, then the empress! No one could see the schemes beneath her obedient facade. Her acting was flawless, and she knew how to win the emperor’s heart. At first, the emperor granted her a title simply because he found her beautiful. Only later did he discover what made her different. He had thought she posed no threat to anyone, but somehow she found her way into his heart. The women of the harem watched helplessly as she climbed higher and higher. Even the slightest furrow of her brow could soften the emperor’s heart. Whatever she did, he doted on her. Even in bed, he would ask jealously, “Between me and your short-lived ex-husband, who do you like more?”