The Alluring Concubine Who Made the Emperor Beg to Raise Her Rank

*Not a mutually exclusive romance + The heroine never falls in love + Not a mindless, sugary romance + Political intrigue throughout + Inner-court conflict early on, palace harem battles later* Everyone says that the person Emperor Guangqi loved most in his life was Noble Consort Zhao. After all, until the moment he died, the name he called was hers. But few people in later generations of the Great Rong dynasty knew that when Xia Shaoning, Noble Consort Zhao and The Outcast beneath the heavens, had transmigrated decades earlier into the household of Xiao Qi’an, then the sixth prince of Great Rong, all she had wished for was to survive. At first, Xiao Qi’an had only been captivated by her beauty. Gradually, he was drawn to her character and began to dote on her in a way he had never shown anyone else. Even so, Xia Shaoning never let this fleeting affection cloud her judgment. She had told herself long ago that a man’s love was easy to gain and just as easy to lose. Only what she held firmly in her own hands could be trusted. Sure enough, from the day Xiao Qi’an ascended the throne, everything seemed to change. But Xia Shaoning didn’t care. By then, she had already gained so much more than she had ever imagined: clever children, a position second to none, more money than she could spend, and trusted aides who were utterly loyal to her. Her life would only get better. Many years later. As Xiao Qi’an lay dying, he asked, “Ning’er, all these years, did you… ever love me?” Xia Shaoning replied, “I’m grateful that you protected me and our child all our lives. But I’m sorry. I never did.”