This is a really good read. But it is not for everyone. This story revolved heavily around the inner palace fights, schemes among the concubines, servants etc, so it is not recommended for people who could not read with an objective mind. All the characters are well-developed and each has their own story. Unlike many stories whereby the MC is overpowerful and weak FL, it is not so for this. Each has their own merits and weakness and this story can be very heavy.

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Because the FL belongs to the emperor. So the MC have to share her lover with the emperor. This is offputting to many people. Supporting characters were so well-developed that when 1 of the most lovable Supporting character died, I cried, this is the first every I cried over a supporting character. This story focused a lot on the schemes and fights and although the MC often suffered for the FL. The love the FL for the MC is not that strong. <<less

This is a story about a modern-day female bodyguard accompanying and protecting the woman she loves in breaking schemes to live a tranquil life. She does not have any system or op power so don't expect that from here.

Yang Qiong (MC) -> Shen Qingye
As a person who was separated from her family since young and was reunited with them many years later, she lacked a sense of kinship towards them. After she has completed her studies, she decided to be a bodyguard. She was used to standing behind her client, not saying anything unnecessary, and almost becoming one with the surroundings. Her belief is that that one should mind their own business and not to be so curious about others.

By falling for a person's provocative taunt, she walked through a door and has 'transmigrated' over to the body of a servant whose scheme 'succeeded', landing both her and the female lead into the perilous situation at the start of her 'new life'.

Shen Qiuhua (Female Lead, title: Consort Kang)
She was the gifted eldest daughter of the Shen Family. Her father was the emperor's tutor and has retreated from the court's politics due to the Emperor's growing distrust of the family as they are considered as the role model of scholars (half the court). She has spent 8 years living in the back palace/harem, suffered a miscarriage, and was known as the Emperor's most 'favoured' woman other than the Empress.

She's really intelligent as...

Honourable mention: Zhou Yuehe. *sigh* 3.2

Note to translator: Not sure you'll see this but you did a really great job translating. Although the speed is quite slow, perhaps you're busy with IRL stuff, please carry on digging the hole until a tree grows from it. ;)

After finishing this novel, I feel completely empty. It has kept me so engrossed for over a week that I just don't want to let it go. It is such a shame that the translation for this fell by the wayside and it doesn't seem like anyone else will pick it up. More people need to know about this. More people need to read it. It is so true that there are so many hidden GL gems out there but with no translators nobody will be able to appreciate them.

After... more>> my initial review and reading the first 13ish translated chapters I couldn't wait anymore and decided to read the rest via Google translate. This story is amazing, phenomenal, heart wrenching, distressing, tumultuous, but there are plenty of fluffy moments in between the chaos.

The writing is clever, concise and I am amazed at how the author manages to juggle so many of the schemes within the harem and plan it out so intricately while at the same time keeping it mysterious enough for the reader to still be enthralled. There are so many moving parts and the ability to handle it without having it become so massively bloated (*cough*JWQS*cough*) is an incredible feat in itself. There is always something happening and it never feels like a chapter is there purely as filler. This is a novel that doesn't waste your time and it's entertaining until the end.

The characters are rich and complex. There are some you will love and some you will pity. It is quite hard to truly hate anyone because these are all layered people who are just victims of circumstance, even the Emperor.

With that said, I just can't rave about Consort Kang enough. Even though Yang Qiong is the MC and we are just seeing the story through her eyes, the protagonist is very much Consort Kang. Her calm demeanor, intellect and far-sighted thinking makes her a rare and dangerous woman within the harem but she doesn't use these abilities to fight for favor unlike everyone else. She knows the reality of her situation--that the Emperor doesn't love her and that she is just a hostage of her Shen family to keep the court at peace. For these reasons, she endures the constant suspicion from the Emperor, the jealousy of the harem and the constant schemes against her.

The romance between Consort Kang and the MC is gradual but happens before you know it. The MC is very open about her feelings while Consort Kang has to keep everything hidden behind decorum and status. When they are alone it becomes different. You can always sense this yearning when they are together but can't speak to what they really mean. I absolutely love how Consort Kang's layers are peeled one by one once she falls deeper and deeper. The thawing of a cold character is such an interesting arc to follow and this novel's got it in spades!

Please do read this novel. Don't let the lack of translations stop you. Read it through Google translate if you have to like I did. It's so well written that you can still understand it well enough to appreciate the characters and their journey. Big shout out to Zhou Yuehe, one of my most favorite side characters who made me cry like a baby.

MC basically:

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Yang Qiong's heart chilled, silently asking what crime has she committed? I've been here working my ass off tending to your woman, you've only just arrived, but you're telling me I've committed a crime? Is there any reason for this?

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Consort Kang basically:

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"Qing Ye, remember that this harem might look vibrant and colorful, but it can eat you alive. For my own benefits, I cannot guarantee that I won't sacrifice you. I can only say that as long as you are loyal, you will be the last person to be sacrificed."

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Good translation. Story is progressing nicely. MC is a little simple-minded for the palace but is growing into her own slowly. FL is awesome; smart, tranquil and patience. She's probably a little depressed but the MC is here now, so all will probably be well.

Good parts: The scheming was interesting and kept you to the edge of your seat. Even when it was apparent that the FL was extremely intelligent and cunning, it was not to the point where the conflict felt moot; there was tension. The FL was a very well-written character. Although it sounds like the bare minimum, it is rare that you will find a well-rounded character that has her own contradictions that still feel organic, one character that has so much nuance. For me, at least, the FL stole the... more>> whole show, and was the most interesting character of it. However, other characters were interesting, as well, specially those who were concubines within the harem. Heck, even the Emperor was interesting. The plot was, for the most part, realistic and not too ridiculous. It had its own internal rules, and followed them almost religiously. It was well-paced, and emotional at times.

Bad parts: The romance. All in all, I feel like the romance was not properly developed. The progression for the FL to respect or like the MC to suddenly love to the death felt too much rushed. Yes, the MC accompanied the FL during her time at the pseudo-cold-palace, but that alone should not be the basis for falling in love; for appreciation, yes, but not for love. Maybe it was because, in my mind, the personalities of both did not mesh well, and, instead of being two equals, it felt like the FL saving MC’s ass again and again (though the MC did it first), which is funny, considering that the story tried to hammer in that they were supposed to see each other as equals. There were also small details that felt immersion-breaking, such as

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when MC’s hand was destroyed, or when the FL and MC survived. It felt out of place, and completely unearned

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. The MC was not particularly interesting, either. There were very few moments of growth for our MC, and she often felt like the an spectator, not the protagonist, which dampened much of what we could see of her.

However, despite my very specific complaints, I will definitely say that it was a worthwhile read, and the good points alone toppled over the bad points. <<less

I really liked this one. A lot of reviews have already stated what's so good about it so I won't say anymore but I just wanted to share something.

Enjoying this very much so far! The relationship between the FL and the MC seems quite unique in its coldness, but I think it's a very respectful take on some common tropes, like master/servant or (semi) unrequited love. The characters are familiar (the transmigrator; the imperial consort; the emperor) but they do not feel familiar because of the tone of the story. Gorgeous translation, too — really looking forward to where this story goes next!