I Stole the Tyrant Away to the Cold Palace

I was born in the Cold Palace and raised by a houseful of deposed consorts.

The deposed empress taught me to run a household. A noble consort taught me martial arts. The woman everyone called a temptress taught me how to charm men.

The year I came of age, a rebel fought his way into the imperial city and took the throne. Soon, word spread through the palace: the late emperor’s deposed consorts were to be sent to tend his mausoleum.

My name wasn’t in the palace registry. If anyone checked, every person who had sheltered me could be charged with deceiving the throne.

To save us, I decided to climb into the new emperor’s bed and become his favorite consort.

I never even caught a glimpse of him. The young eunuch I practiced on, however, seemed to be getting rather fond of it.

When I hugged him, he let me.

When I touched him, he never objected.

I assumed he was so obliging because eunuchs had no worldly desires.

Until one day, after his kisses had left my legs weak again, something pressed against my lower belly.

I stared at him. “Aren’t you a eunuch?”

The new emperor tightened his hold on my waist and finally laughed.

“When did I ever say I was?”