"White Lotus initially starts as a humorous imitation of 'Rebirth of an Unlucky Concubine' by the same author as 'Malicious Empress.' The protagonist, a daughter of a wealthy official and royal blood, is sent to the countryside following her mother's death, supposedly to pray for the family's fortune after a Taoist's false prophecy. The father, uninvested, is more concerned with his favored concubine's machinations, leading the protagonist to feel neglected and ill. The concubine's children become the favored children, and around 13 or 14, they return to seek revenge. In the typical revenge-rebirth narrative, the protagonist outwits the concubine and her eldest daughter.
White Lotus then takes the extreme aspects of such stories to new heights, though without the graphic violence seen in 'Ill-Fated Consort's'第一章. It's important to note that this story should not be taken seriously – it's a parody meant to be absurd. Initially, I might have dropped it, but I've come to appreciate it as an exaggerated parody, crossing the line into the realm of 'WTF' territory.
Here's a amusing excerpt from Chapter 7 describing the impact of the protagonist on the men she attracts:
'Cheng Tao's soft voice caused a rapid heartbeat, and she couldn't help but say, "Madam, the gentlemen you admired earlier reside in the mansion. They're so bored they've mastered all eighteen martial arts, and any attempt to bully you has resulted in them being punished until they're mentally broken. Madam, these individuals are becoming increasingly dangerous. If Imperial Doctor Shi were to join, I fear... that I..."
"What do you fear?" Su Mo Li looked at Cheng Tao puzzled.
Cheng Tao's eyes rolled back, her voice lifeless, "Young Master Chen used to be an artist, but now he paints on corpses. Young Master Li once embroidered, but now stitches on corpses. Young Master Ma, who was a carver, now carves exclusively on corpses. Madam, Imperial Doctor Shi saves lives, but I worry he may turn into a murderous fiend!"
This story rates around a 3.5 for me, but I'll round up for the sake of it."