The Job of an Imperial Concubine - Chapter 24: The Empress Dowager (太后)

A generation after the last Great War, the world prospers while leaving the BloodStar Empire sequestered and alone. However, things begin to change as the next BloodStar heir aims to make new allies in a world more willing to forgive her empire’s tragic past of violence. The beautiful and young Xenia BloodStar is a world-class beauty, a calculating politician, and an immensely powerful ki user. In an established world ruled by Master Families, will the Princess BloodStar use her beauty and power to elevate her empire on the world stage? Or will she follow in her mother’s footsteps of violence and war?Release schedule: At least one new chapter every Sunday at 9:00 AM CST. Thanks for reading :)

“Aria,” he said softly. “Today is your birthday.”It wasn't a question, but I nodded nevertheless.“The moon is full tonight,” he added, his voice quiet. “You will attend the ceremony.”“Of course, Elder,” I replied, puzzled. All eighteen-year-olds attended the ceremony. It was essential.He leaned in, smelling gently. “You already feel it, don't you? ”The change.My heartbeat skipped. “What change?”Elder Malin's eyes narrowed. Interesting. “Very interesting.” He reached inside his pocket and retrieved a little pouch. “Wear this tonight.”I accepted it hesitantly. Inside was a simple moonstone pendant with a leather cord.“But this is for—”“Wear it,” he interjected. “Hide it under your clothes if you must, but wear it.”Moonstones were precious. They aided our connection to the Moon Goddess during ceremonies. However, they were only given to wolves from influential families (Alphas and Betas). Not Omegas like me.“Why?” I questioned.Elder Malin glanced at Mira before returning his attention to me. “Because someone is harboring secrets about you, child. And tonight, those secrets may be revealed.”I never mattered in our pack. Omegas like me serve, submit, and survive. We don't dream of love. We don't dream of power.She was the future Luna. I was just the girl who watched from the shadows.But everything changed on my 18th birthday.I felt the bond. I met my mate.One of the Alpha's sons.But the Alpha has triplets, and I felt the mate bond with all three and it seems the three of them felt it too — three perfect warriors, three powerful Alphas, three secrets buried beneath the surface.One of them is my destiny.One of them is lying.And one of them might be the death of me.The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes... but this time, I think she might've given me too much to handle.

Nine years ago, Soo Xinyi fell in love with the heir of Han Corporations, Han Zhiyuan. He was everything she ever wanted in her life. Unfortunately, it was a one-sided love as Zhiyuan already had someone else in his heart.

But two years later, due to a series of strange circumstances, she was forced to marry Zhiyuan by his grandfather, Han Huizhong.

Thus from Soo Xinyi, she became Han Xinyi.

Xinyi had hopes that things would slowly get better one day, but she was wrong. Fate played a cruel game with her and in an instant, her heart was crushed forever.

But what will happen when Zhiyuan’s past love re-enter their lives? Will she be a threat to their marriage? And when a best friend turned enemy returns with her, every buried secret will bubble to the surface once again!

“I love you. I love you so much that I cannot bear to hurt you.

And because I cannot hurt you, I chose to bear that pain myself.” - Han Xinyi.

Sometimes, it’s not about spending your life with the one you love, but with the one who loves you…

Join their journey of discovering love as Xinyi slowly makes her place in Zhiyuan’s heart.

Ding Shan had been a hot topic for seventeen years —from the time she debuted at the age of three with her pure and cute look, all the way until she was twenty years old. She even took home three golden actress awards at her coming-of-age ceremony when she was eighteen years old. Her life seemed so beautiful and filled with applause. However, behind that beautiful scene was a grave filled with lice. Since she was three years old, her family had treated her as their cash cow.

Her parents’ wickedness caused her reputation to rapidly plummet when she was eighteen years old. What was more terrifying was that they even imprisoned her. They drugged her, beat her, used her younger sister as a threat against her, and turned her into a plaything for wealthy businessmen. Ding Shan endured the humiliation for her sister’s sake, then finally sent those beasts to prison two years later. Just as she thought she could finally clean up and live a good life with her sister, reality slapped her in the face. “Why?” Ding Shan asked her sister from where she was tied to a familiar iron bed.“No reason, really.

I just hate you, so I drugged you two years ago. I’m the one who pushed you into hell. I’m also the one who posted that viral video which exposed you back then,” Ding Yuan said as she happily inspected her red nails.“Oh, by the way, you’re not my real sister either. My parents kidnapped you from some ravine.

Your parents chased after you, but my father pushed them off a cliff and they died. I can’t really remember since it happened so long ago. Plus, I only heard about it occasionally, so I can’t remember the details anymore.“Also, you’re tied up here today because your boyfriend, Wen Xiu, sold you for 10 million. You’re still worth a lot of money, so you should perform well tonight. Ding Yuan reached out to pat Ding Shan’s face, then injected her with an aphrodisiac.

The fiery burn that coursed through her body made Ding Shan weak, but the hatred in her heart kept her mind clear and awake. Drugged and left unsupervised, she ended her life with a knife she found in the room. As her life came to an end, Ding Shan swore that if she could start over, she would make all those who had wronged her pay all that they owed her. When she opened her eyes, she had gone back in time to two years ago! So, let’s see how she’ll turn the tide in this life!