kotchanipa

Amid the softly falling snow in the Cold Palace courtyard, Princess Xianlan drew her final breath silently.

She had been falsely accused of poisoning the Crown Prince, brutally flogged until her body was torn, and imprisoned without a shred of mercy all part of a cruel scheme orchestrated by Noble Consort Su Zhen, her stepmother, whose gentle appearance masked a heart of poison.

Meanwhile, the Emperor of Li the very man who claimed to love her above all never realized that the only daughter he cherished had been crushed to death by the hands of the one he trusted most.

But the heavens showed mercy.

Xianlan opened her eyes once more, reborn into her eight-year-old self in the time before everything shattered.

This time… she would not be a worthless pawn in a game of power.
She would become the master strategist, toppling each of her enemies one by one.

With icy composure and razor-sharp wit, Xianlan hid in the shadows, slowly gathering evidence, allies, and influence within the palace.
And fate brought her an unexpected ally

Feng Yuhan, Crown Prince of the Southern Yan Kingdom, known as the “Winter Tiger.”
Cold, brilliant, and seemingly heartless yet from their first meeting, something in her eyes held his gaze.

Together, they moved in the darkness.
Xianlan laid the plans. Feng Yuhan executed them.

As the Kingdom of Li fell into the depths of political games
As vipers hissed behind silken smiles in the inner palace
As even a father’s love could be twisted by deceit

⸻

When the phoenix returns to her nest she will never again let anyone trample her.
The will of the heavens may be written in ink…
But Xianlan will rewrite fate in the blood of her enemies.

Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress

In the old scripture hall on the western edge of the imperial palace—long abandoned and left to dust—

a single flickering candle cast its glow across scattered papers atop a jade stone table.

Feng Yuhan sat at the center of the room, wrapped in a silence heavy as ancient stone.

He reached for a set of aging documents and supply reports he had quietly taken from the western border camp.

"Rerouting of Rice Supplies – Winter Quarter of This Year"

"…Why reroute through the Sanxi River… when the original path is almost two days shorter?"

But it wasn't the route that caught his eye—

It was the signature that appeared repeatedly under the approval section.

The name belonged to a sub-commander from the Nanjing division—

who, according to recent intelligence, had long pledged allegiance to the Bai faction.

"So they're using the supply chain as a bargaining chip…"

He stood and walked toward a stone wall, pulling aside a paper curtain to reveal a massive map.

Feng Yuhan's fingers traced the river route—

from the southern borders of Nanyan… through the Allied States… ending at the imperial capital.

His voice was so cold, the candle flame quivered.

Bai Yue Ning wasn't merely waging war in the palace.

She was using the palace as a stage—

a front to cover a deeper operation: the mobilization of troops and resources to shift the regional balance of power.

Footsteps approached—quiet and cautious.

"Young Master… you should return to your residence. If anyone finds you here…"

Feng Yuhan replied, sliding a bundle of documents into his sleeve.

"The more they realize I'm looking into this, the faster they'll make their move.

And we'll finally see which pieces are still hiding in the box."

He stared at the flickering candle as its light slowly dimmed.

"When the light in this hidden hall goes out—

only two outcomes remain:

One, they all vanish into darkness with it.

Two, I'll be the only flame left burning…"

but the knowing smile of a strategist…

who had just glimpsed the path beneath the board.

✨ Thank you for reading this chapter of Rebirth of the Phoenix Empress!If you're enjoying Xianlan's journey, please add this story to your Library, leave a comment, or tap a heart 💖 — your support truly fuels the fire!

Candlelight in the Hidden Hall