Married an Old Emperor

Xi Hongrui was a hereditary maid belonging to the Crown Princess Consort, Lin Wan. In her previous life, she had been ambitious and scheming, attempting to seduce the male lead, Ning Lan, the Heir of Rui Wang. Her efforts were merely a ploy to provoke his wife, and after a misunderstanding was cleared, Ning Lan had her face disfigured and sold to a brothel. There, she died in misery, only to discover after her death that she was a fictional character in a novel. She read the book and the scathing reader comments that mocked her as a lowly, shameless homewrecker. Reborn into her younger body, Xi Hongrui resolved to change her fate. She rejected the path of the villainess and aimed instead for the highest possible status: becoming an imperial consort to the emperor himself.

Her first major shift occurred when Lin Wan, the transmigrated female lead, offered to marry her off to Pei San, Ning Lan’s loyal guard. In the original story, Pei San married Ning Meng, another maid, and became a high-ranking official. Xi Hongrui refused, harboring resentment toward Pei San for his past disdain. Unbeknownst to her, Pei San was eavesdropping and misinterpreted her rejection as feigned coquetry, beginning to develop feelings for her. Meanwhile, Lin Wan, a history teacher who had crossed over into the body of the original brainless host, sought a stable, respectful marriage. She viewed Xi Hongrui’s ambition as foolish and dangerous, deciding to distance herself from the maid to avoid the tragic fate that had befallen her in the novel.

The plot diverged significantly when Xi Hongrui overheard the Chongwen Emperor praising the "True Dragon in the heavens" while she was gossiping with other maids. Seizing the opportunity, she deliberately positioned herself near the emperor’s path. When Bai Lian’er, a supporting female character, faked falling into a lake to trap Ning Lan, Xi Hongrui intervened. She rescued Bai Lian’er but also saved the emperor’s incompetent guard commander. The emperor, captivated by her beauty and boldness, took a keen interest in her. Bai Lian’er’s scheme failed, and instead of entering the palace as a concubine to Ning Lan, she was nearly sent to the elderly emperor, though Xi Hongrui’s interference altered the immediate outcome.

Xi Hongrui’s actions disrupted the original plotlines. Ning Lan, realizing his plan to use Bai Lian’er had failed due to the maid’s interference, decided to reward Pei San with Xi Hongrui to secure his loyalty, unaware that Pei San already harbored complex feelings for her. Xi Hongrui, however, remained focused on the emperor. She wore the jade hairpin Bai Lian’er had given her as a token of her "rescue," drawing attention from both her peers and Ning Meng. The emperor, intrigued by the bold maid who had called him a steward, began to seek her out, replacing his usual interests with this new fascination. Xi Hongrui’s ambition to marry the emperor set her on a collision course with the original protagonists, transforming her from a discarded villainess into a central figure vying for imperial favor.

As the story progresses, the dynamics between the characters shift. Pei San’s attitude toward Xi Hongrui softens, and he begins to protect her, contrasting with his former coldness. Lin Wan continues to navigate her marriage with Ning Lan, focusing on business ventures like scented soap while maintaining a respectful distance from Xi Hongrui’s schemes. The emperor’s growing obsession with Xi Hongrui threatens the stability of the court and the original narrative. Xi Hongrui’s refusal to accept a lowly status drives her to manipulate situations to her advantage, aiming to climb from a maid to an imperial noble consort. Her journey is marked by her rejection of the male lead’s advances and her determination to secure power through the emperor, defying the fate prescribed by the novel’s readers.