The Palace Gambit

Lu Jiuning's elder sister was carrying the Emperor's child when she was killed. The two sisters had been sent into the palace together, and within a few months of arriving they had the Emperor's favor. Within a day of the death that favor was gone as if it had never been, and Jiuning was left with the standing of a palace maid. Neither of them had wanted any of it. The elder sister was known for her beauty and the younger for knowing how to handle people, and all they were after was a quiet life. Instead they were made the target of one attempt on their lives after another, with no way out, and they got through by standing together. Now Jiuning keeps her hatred to herself and, from the bottom of the palace, takes on the whole harem. She maneuvers among the consorts, stands up to the Emperor's pressure, and lays her revenge out one step at a time, and any favor she wins along the way is only a means to collecting on her sister's blood.