In the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, where the imperial harem is both a gilded cage and a battlefield, Lady Shen, once the Empress of Great Tang, meets a pitiful end. Cast aside by the Emperor's indifference and undone by the cruel schemes of rivals, she is falsely accused of treachery, stripped of her phoenix robes, and abandoned in the desolate Cold Palace, where she withers away in obscurity. Betrayed by her so-called sisters of the harem and discarded by the very man she once loved, she dies with hatred and regret in her heart. But Heaven grants her a second chance. Lady Shen awakens on the day of her first entry into the palace-no longer Empress, but a lowly Cairen (才人, Fifth Rank), at the very bottom of the imperial hierarchy. Armed with the bitter lessons of her past life, she vows never again to be the helpless pawn of others. This time, she will carve her own path-securing the Emperor's heart, winning the Dowager Empress's approval, and dismantling her enemies piece by piece. From a humble Cairen, she rises with cunning and grace, advancing step by step through the perilous ranks: Her enemies, once smug in their power, fall into ruin under her subtle vengeance: the favored Consort who slandered her, the scheming Empress who engineered her downfall, and even the treacherous eunuchs and ministers who conspired against her. Yet amidst her careful web of revenge, she finds herself slowly earning the Emperor's true affection-not through blind devotion, but through mutual respect, wit, and the passion that once eluded them. Balancing love and survival, revenge and compassion, she transforms from an abandoned flower into the most powerful woman of the dynasty. As Empress Dowager, seated behind the curtain of state, she holds sway over court and harem alike-her enemies buried in history, her name etched in glory. This is a tale of rebirth and retribution, where every smile hides a blade and every step within the golden halls could mean triumph or death.

In the grand halls of the ancient imperial palace, beauty is a weapon-and innocence can be the deadliest disguise. Li Xueying was once betrayed, burned, and left for dead by the sister she trusted most. Reborn with a heart ablaze for revenge, she returns not just to survive but to claim everything that was taken from her-her family's honor, the emperor's heart, and the throne itself. To the world, she is an elegant flower veiled in grace, a picture of innocence and charm. But beneath the imperial veil lies a woman of fierce intelligence, seductive allure, and unyielding resolve. With every calculated smile and whispered secret, she entangles the emperor and his younger brother in a dangerous dance of passion and power. Amidst jealous rivals, treacherous harem women, and palace conspiracies, Xueying's greatest weapon is her mind-and a trusted maid who sees beyond the veil. As the emperor's desire turns possessive and the stakes rise with a miraculous pregnancy, her quest for the throne will ignite flames that burn brighter than ever. Will Li Xueying seize the crown and her destiny as Empress? Or will the shadows of the past consume her once again?

Slow update ‼️ "She's beautiful..." "Too bold. Look how she carries herself." "Not a shred of fear." "Another girl for His Majesty to forget in a month." Born as the daughter of a disgraced general, Fei Zhenrou was raised in secret after her father was executed for treason. When a mysterious decree from the Emperor brings her into the palace as a low-ranking concubine, no one expects her to survive more than a few months in the silken trap of the Inner Court. But Zhenrou is not what she seems. Behind her gentle façade hides a woman trained in espionage, warcraft, seduction, and survival. As she navigates assassinations, political schemes, and romantic entanglements, she must use all of her identities-warrior, courtesan, scholar, and spy-to rise through the ranks and uncover the truth behind her father's betrayal. And perhaps, to seduce the cold-hearted Emperor who holds both her fate-and his heart-in his hands.

"She's beautiful..." "Too bold. Look how she carries herself." "Not a shred of fear." "Another girl for His Majesty to forget in a month." Born as the daughter of a disgraced general, Fei Zhenrou was raised in secret after her father was executed for treason. When a mysterious decree from the Emperor brings her into the palace as a low-ranking concubine, no one expects her to survive more than a few months in the silken trap of the Inner Court. But Zhenrou is not what she seems. Behind her gentle façade hides a woman trained in espionage, warcraft, seduction, and survival. As she navigates assassinations, political schemes, and romantic entanglements, she must use all of her identities-warrior, courtesan, scholar, and spy-to rise through the ranks and uncover the truth behind her father's betrayal. And perhaps, to seduce the cold-hearted Emperor who holds both her fate-and his heart-in his hands.

In her final moments, Jieyu Zhen lies abandoned in the Cold Palace. Her childless womb and ruined reputation mark her as a failure. Poisoned and betrayed by the Empress she once trusted and the Emperor she once loved, she swears revenge. As her vision fades, the heavens grant her one chance-to return to the day she first entered the palace.

A mere girl of a common scholar class is swept from her peaceful life to something bigger. Now picked upon as a candidate for the second son of the emperor, she's thrown into a world of discord and trickery. Behind the illusion of a peaceful life, power struggles revolving around love and happiness are vital for survival. Nothing is simply easy and one must fight to make it to the top.

I don't know how the story is going to unfold so this is going to be a surprise for all of us. I'm not sure yet 😗 Read on and predict what shall happen. [ranks] #88- china #161- palace #3- imperial #30- consort

The 23rd century's Xue Fei Yun is a peerless genius, trained meticulously by the kingpin of the underworld who adopted her to succeed him as the next generation leader. In 1 year after she took over her adopted father's spot as the new head of the organisation, she brought a whole new level of "Fear" to the underworld organisations. Be it looks, assassination, medicine, politics, martial arts there was no one better than her. Her only friend, Xiu Lin betrayed her trust and took Fei Yun's life... But this was not her fate. Fei Yun woke up as the daughter of General Xue. She learnt that the previous Feiyun lived a life of hardship. Her father was fighting the war for the last 3 years, her stepmother, Concubine Xia took the opportunity to dispose of her. Her step sisters, Qi Qi and Zhen Zhen also took joy in watching her suffer. But now she's no longer the weak daughter. She vows to climb up and return them fear like never before. She was willing to use anyone, even the God of War that everyone fear but in the end who is using who? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ranking: #1 Genius/ 2.3k Stories #1 China /6.7k Stories #1 Assassin/ 23.8K Stories #1 undiscovered/ 5.5k Stories #1 ColdPrince - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ please forgive any loopholes, grammar, mixing of chinese culture and weird names. I'm not very sure about the hierarchy thingy in palace as well. This is my original work and im new to writing and i just wanted to explore ;] enjoy !! all pictures used are not mine, credits to owners!

When Zhao Xiu enters the gilded cage, which is the imperial harem, her only plan is to survive. Everything changes when the Emperor quickly falls in love with her. Taking advantage of this, she strives not only to survive the harem but to win the game of power her family has been long entangled with.

When Clara wakes up in a new world, she's no longer a top-tier survivalist from a post-apocalyptic future-she's now the newly married stepmother of four malnourished children in a poverty-stricken rural village. Her husband? A handsome but useless deadbeat who's more interested in gambling and gossip than putting food on the table. With a thatched roof threatening to collapse, threadbare clothes barely holding together, and not a single coin to her name, Clara rolls up her sleeves. She's not here to be a tragic character. She's here to survive-and thrive. But raising four skeptical children, reviving a collapsing household, and navigating a village full of nosy neighbors won't be easy. Especially when her new stepchildren don't trust her, and the whole village is waiting to see how fast the "new wife" will run away. Armed with grit, wit, and a lifetime of survival instincts, Clara is about to prove that even in the toughest soil, something beautiful can grow.