It's Better to be the Empress Dowager Novel

Tang Shishi, the court's most beautiful and imperious woman, discovers she is a mere villainess destined for a tragic end in a palace struggle. With the male and female leads' pivotal meeting yet to occur, Tang Shishi faces a choice: align with the heroine, or attempt to win the male lead's favor and usurp the heroine's position. Instead, Tang Shishi opts for a third path. She recognizes Jing Wang, the male lead's ambitious adoptive father, as a formidable figure who will soon seize the throne before his untimely death. Observing that Jing Wang is young and unmarried, Tang Shishi decides her ultimate goal is not to be the male lead's concubine, but to become his adoptive mother, the Empress Dowager, in one swift move. Meanwhile, Jing Wang, a man focused on his military life and having adopted an heir, is presented with a group of beauties, led by Tang Shishi. Despite warnings of a "beauty trap," Jing Wang acknowledges the ploy, viewing it as mere bait for the unwary.