While Wu Wuqing was busy murdering his sons, a mother was scheming against hers. The venerable Empress Tao aka Wu Yange's mother was a gorgeous woman born in a peasant family but because of her grandfather's association with Wu Chen, Hepeng's first emperor, she was brought to the emperor's palace as a concubine.
Thinking she would have a luxurious life in the palace, she soon found out the hard way that all that glitters is not gold. Her background followed her into the harem and hence she was mistreated, not any better than a servant. Because of her beauty and cunning nature, she eventually found her way into the emperor's sheets which in turn led her winning the grand prize. She gave birth to the only direct descendant of emperor Qiangda with a gift.
