From Shadow Guard to Empress

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You Shu transmigrated into a book and became one of the male protagonist’s shadow guards. He thought he was following a political intrigue script and as long as he hugged the male protagonist’s thigh well, he would reach the pinnacle of life sooner or later. He could also personally observe the male protagonist’s domineering side, expanding the harem and taking back the country. But the plot ended up going astray somewhere, and the good brotherhood in feudal society changed suddenly. He was inexplicably promoted to the position of Empress. Amidst the cheers of the shadow guards, he accepted the phoenix seal* with a dazed expression.

Xiao Weixin pretended to be sick and kept a low profile for more than 20 years. He worked hard to seize the throne and avenge his mother. But one day, he suddenly discovered that the little shadow guard beside him looked very good when he smiled. The fox’s tail moved quietly.

You Shu hated iron for not becoming steel*: Don’t you think there’s something wrong with your female lead smiling shyly at the second female lead?

Xiao Weixin: Oh.

You Shu: Can you succeed without the help of the female lead and the second female lead?

Xiao Weixin: En.

You Shu: I, this lackey*, am worrying about you…

Xiao Weixin: You are going to become Empress. Don’t talk nonsense and be careful with your words.

You Shu: …

The male protagonist was probably really crazy.

All the shadow guards: I have never seen such a dazzling moment in my life. Even shadow guards can have spring!

A shadow guard’s path to promotion that went astray.

***

T/N: *Phoenix seal (凤印 feng yin) – stamp representing the Empress’s authority.

*恨铁不成钢 (hen tie bu cheng gang) – hating iron for not becoming steel. An idiom that means to feel resentful toward someone for failing to meet expectations.

*狗腿 (gou tui) – literally dog legs. Slang for running dog, lackey, etc. Someone who is overly servile to others.

Associated Names
One entry per line
从影卫到皇后[穿书]
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
The Prince’s Loyal Lover (2)
I Got Marked By My Shadow Guard After Pretending To Be An Alpha (2)
The General’s Favorite Husband (2)
He’s Not My Shadow Guard, He’s My Lover (1)
Hiding That The Damn Prince Is An Omega (1)
Picking a Faithful Dog to Feed the Palace Drinks and Food (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Bl entre antigo y moderno/ transmigracion
  2. TBR (GL/BL) 3
  3. Transmigration | Reincarnation BL
  4. New list
  5. POWER BOTTOM

Latest Release

Date Group Release
05/25/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c46
05/22/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c45
05/01/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c44
04/27/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c43
04/24/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c42
04/19/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c41
04/12/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c40
04/10/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c39
04/06/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c38
04/03/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c37
03/30/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c36
03/27/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c35
03/22/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c34
03/15/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c33
03/13/25 Chrysanthemum Garden c32
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Review
7 Reviews


Ecirteab
Ecirteab
Jan 16, 2023
Status: c118
Well-written and enjoyable bl.

The novel starts with You Shu (MC) having already transmigrated years ago and has been trained and risen up the ranks of Xiao Weixin's (ML) shadow guards to become 'Shadow Three'. After years of being invisible to Xiao Weixin, You Shu is momentarily remembered and that starts their relationship.

It's not a very dramatic (mostly) story but follows Xiao Weixin's path for the throne while he falls in love with You Shu. There's intrigue here and there but not overtly tense.

You Shu - love him, a really enjoyable... more>> MC for me. Appears stoic and cold but is secretly upbeat guy who writes diaries about how he's more handsome by the day. "Gap moe". His pov is enjoyable to be in just because of his character. Even though he has endured suffering, he remains upbeat but also pragmatic. A bit machismo but not in a bad way. Even though he can be dense, I love how he doesn't waver and self-regulates really well. There are loads of moments where it's easy to fall into misunderstanding trope territory but he perseveres and believes in Xiao Weixin. Also I find his genuine devotion to Xiao Weixin really cute. He's also physically stronger than the ML lol and really competent as a shadow guard.

Xiao Weixin - 'weak' prince who has been biding his time for years for revenge. Starts off kinda cold and moody but really melts and works at winning over You Shu. I really like him and even though he's very smart and scheming, there are moments of vulnerability and learning.

Romance - is an equal romance possible when one party has so much power over the other by nature of his status?

I think Xiao Weixin tries his hardest to make that a yes. I don't want to spoil too much but Xiao Weixin is aware of their very disparate statuses and becomes more and more aware of what exactly You Shu being his shadow guard (highly trained but also, ultimately, disposable) means to both their relationship and how You Shu views himself. He tries to equalise and as their relationship progresses, he also moves his own goals for what equal means. I will say, he means all he promises You Shu.

That isn't to say You Shu doesn't put in as much! He's equally sincere in his own way and chooses to trust when he will always be at the disadvantage materially. You Shu is always sincere with Xiao Weixin and it's great.

Others- special mention to many female side characters who could easily have been one-note canon fodder in a worse novel but were interesting characters in their limited screentime. Women can be treated so badly in bl that it's a relief to get some who aren't shallow. <<less
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teagsho
teagsho
Feb 14, 2024
Status: Completed
Not a fan of dense and over protective about plot line—MC. But the review that said You Shu is dedicated and loyal to XWX, makes me start reading this.

Unexpectedly, the ML prince seems to be pretty straight forward, the confession to the "dating" proceed on chap

... more>>
Spoiler

52-57, not this long though, only 2 chaps and it is not annoying. I just forget which chapter specifically but I remember until chaps 57 they are already dating and try to do what the lovers do lol

[collapse]

and it is really frank without dilly dallying, I love how You Shu response to the new relationship, and how determined he is when he decided to be with XWX.

I also really love how You Shu just give up being the attacking one (gong) since he feels like he is strong and doesn't want the prince to feel uncomfortable, my HEART GOES AWWW I always fond of "Shou pampering Gong" troupe😭

One of the loveliest relationship dynamic ever!

MANNN YOU SHU IS REALLY TOLERANT AND DOTING TO THE PRINCE AHHHH MY HEART IT IS A MUTUAL DOTING LOVE!!!! <<less
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
trumying
trumying
Feb 03, 2024
Status: Completed
Love MC - Xiao Shu :3

He is so dedicated and honest with the way he lives life and his romance decision

also: Gotta love the gap-moe of his “cool” guy persona and his diary entries

Overall plot was great too - other supporting characters were all fun to read and learn about + ML was green flag

Re-readability : high
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
whalien52
whalien52
Mar 12, 2024
Status: Completed
At last, found a book that satisfied me again after re-reading all those transmigration novels. This novel is absolutely perfect! The romance, drama, friendship and angst!

My throat hurts from all these silent crying. Tell me why do I feel like crying from the friendship of the shadow guards? Especially at the end part where they take their different paths. It makes me think that, this situation will also happened to me and my friends someday. The backstory of lead shadowguard makes me cry as well. Come on, don't ask just... more>> read it. It's painful. But I am most emotional for Zhao Shen. I want to cry again. His story is indeed heartbreaking. That part where he killed his own child, I can't stop crying. Does the baby deserve it? But at some point I understand him and all those hatred.

As for the MC and ML? Absolutely nice combo. This is a rare story where the ML is not 100% powerful. He is vulnerable also especially at those times where he realized he is powerless. As for the MC, he is such an adorable and powerful shadowguard.

I would truly appreciate to see more moments they have in the modern time however there's none. Still, I am truly satisfied with this novel. You guys should also give it a try. It's all worth it. <<less
4 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
SheTurnedMeIntoANewt
SheTurnedMeI
Jan 06, 2023
Status: c4
Just four chapters but it’s got potential

translations good too 👍

You Shu is earnest and cute so far. I appreciate that he reads as professional and well trained at his job while still being cute/enough of an individual to be memorable. (I hope the trend continues)

it’s also really interesting seeing the perspective of a death guard, in the way that they interact and intermingle with other staff and stuff, as well as seeing guards have an individual personality and outlook towards life. Very mundane presentation. it’s not something I’ve ever... more>> really seen in another novel. Though something tells me this is not quite how it would work in an actual irl equivalent lol.

don’t have an opinion on the ML really yet, they’ve barely directly interacted but I don’t immediately hate his guts or anything so yay? I guess... he seems nice enough and I could easily see them having a potentially really nice dynamic

so yeah. ¯\_ (ツ) _/¯ <<less
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minkatzed
minkatzed
Jan 12, 2025
Status: --
This has been incredibly boring for me. Each chapter felt worse than the other, so I am dropping it quite early on (chapter 8).

Really wanted to give it a proper chance, but I couldn't.

... more>>
Spoiler

I do not think anything is specifically wrong, I can't pinpoint anything specifically wrong, but the exposure is done quite poorly in my opinion. And the way relationships and rivalries between characters develop feels pretty basic and doesn't hook me enough to want to keep reading.

Plus, the author keeps mentioning the main character's good looks in almost every chapter, and it feels unnecessary. When he manages to sneak into the palace to spy, the author says he blends in with everyone. But later, we're told his looks are memorable and stand out. Interesting.

The translation is good, and I appreciate the notes at the end of the chapters, especially since the translator seems just as confused as I am about the main character's drug effects on the main villain.

It feels like the author skips over important stuff that needs explaining but then dumps too much info on things that aren't as relevant. That's a huge minus point for me.

[collapse]

Overall, it's just not my thing. I'm sure others can enjoy it, but I'm not really connecting with it. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
EiKa.301222
EiKa.301222
Dec 18, 2024
Status: c118
Good points of the story: It's a cute story that focuses on the relationship between the main characters. Love that there isn't much delay in their relationship progression and how the couple tries so hard to communicate with one another and make the other person happy.

Weaker points of the story: While there is some plot related stuff, which explains why certain characters make the choices they do, I don't think this is the story to read if you are looking for a plot heavy story that brings you suspense since... more>> the main lead is pretty overpowered and the writing style doesn't bring strong immersion in my perspective.

A cute read if you have the time! <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
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