Before transmigrating, Shen Yi lived a life filled with hardships and obstacles. But after rebirth, she found herself in a seemingly perfect family, enjoying a life of bliss.... more>>

However, she soon discovered that it was all a facade. Her father’s affection for her mother was fake, and the marriage certificate he gave her mother was forged.

The family was just pretending to experience life in the National Duke’s mansion, and Shen Yi, her brother, and mother were just byproducts of their experience.

Things took a turn for the worse with her cruel and foolish stepmother. Her brother died tragically, and her mother passed away due to illness. Shen Yi was forced to enter the harsh environment of the National Duke’s mansion, becoming a so-called “outside daughter” and being trampled upon.

Ha!

It seems being a good person isn’t an option anymore. There’s nothing much to say, so let’s set a small goal: send your whole family to heaven, and we’ll start with that. <<less

Guifei is favored, Xian Fei has a son, Zhaoyi is the emperor’s white moonlight, and Li Fei is his cinnabar mole. The other concubines all have their own strengths and charms-a true garden of blooming flowers.... more>>

So who is our protagonist?

She is the successor empress-unfavored, childless, and without a powerful family background.

Wonderful. Why does this plot feel strangely familiar?

Whatever. On the first day Zhao Wumian transmigrated, she decided to lie flat.

Compete for favor? Compete for what, exactly?!

There’s no reason to depose her for no cause, and the emperor wants to be a wise ruler, after all. <<less

Pei Shiyuan always thought that, as a concubine-born daughter, the reason she thrived in her maiden household was thanks to her tea skills—win over her father, and she’d be set. She was quite proud of herself for it… until she entered the backyard of the Eighth Prince.... more>>

The Eighth Prince:

His mother, the Noble Consort, was so favored she eclipsed the Empress herself.

Her clan held such overwhelming power that no official could breathe freely.

And he, drenched in imperial favor, left no room for any other prince to rise.

Everyone, from court to harem, loathed this mother-son pair and wished to see them fall—

But alas, the Noble Consort remained radiant, and the Eighth Prince stayed arrogant.

Pei Shiyuan’s take on it?

“Eat whatever you want, there’s no cure. I’ve read enough novels to know: people like him are textbook villains. They usually get sacrificed for the main character’s growth arc… or, if not, stabbed to death in broad daylight.”

She shrugged. “Let it be. This plot's doomed.”

So she started acting out too—after all, who knows how long the good days would last?

Drink while there’s wine; deal with tomorrow when it comes.

What she never expected—was that the Eighth Prince had a long life ahead.

And then, one day, he declared he’d clean up the chaos in his backyard.

The tea masters, the drama queens, the white lotuses, the black-hearted schemers—

They’d all be out of luck.

Pei Shiyuan counted on her fingers.

“Well, that’s it. I’m definitely doomed this time.” <<less

Ever since Yun Li entered the palace, she transformed into a treacherous woman. Duplicitous and insincere, she spends her days acting. When facing the emperor's... more>> favored concubines, she simultaneously taunts them until they're sick to their stomachs while clutching her chest in feigned distress, lamenting, "I am so envious that you can receive His Majesty's affection." In the face of schemes against her, she responds with a slap but then dissolves into tears, crying out, "Why treat a kind-hearted person like me this way?" When speaking with the Empress, she nods absentmindedly, proclaiming, "Her Majesty the Empress is my guiding light! I will always obey her." <<less