Koutei Heika wa Nigasanai

Born the daughter of a prosperous merchant house, Cai Ling Lan has been chosen to enter the imperial harem as a consort of His Majesty the Emperor. Yet before she can even reach the imperial capital, she does the unthinkable—eloping with the son of the merchant family serving as her escort, abandoning her destined life behind the palace walls. Left in an impossible position is her cousin Zhulan, who had traveled with the bridal procession to safeguard His Majesty's imperial edict. To conceal the scandal, Zhulan makes a daring choice: she will enter the palace in Ling Lan's place. Now she must flawlessly impersonate an imperial consort—poised, refined, and obedient—until the true consort can be found. There is just one problem: Zhulan is a spirited tomboy at heart, and no matter how diligently she practices her courtly manners, the act keeps slipping, landing her in one embarrassing predicament after another. As if deception weren't difficult enough, the palace's glittering corridors hide rivalry and scheming at every turn, and Zhulan soon finds herself entangled in dangerous court intrigue. Caught between guarding her secret and surviving the schemes of the inner palace, what fate awaits her?