The Empress Summons Wenzhao

Li Wenzhao had mud on her sleeves and chalk on her fingers when the court guards dragged her from a half-built wall. She was used to old stones, broken edges, and the way weight spread when a wall was fitted right. That same eye made her read old war records like a mason reads a crack. Each disaster in the kingdom seemed tied to one power method spreading too far, then collapsing everything around it. Her skill should have kept her safe in the archives. Instead, it put her on display in front of nobles, old teachers, and people who wanted easy answers. A public seal, a first court name, and a scholar who wanted her to bow to dead tradition pushed her closer to the throne than she ever planne...