The Empress Dowager Takes the Throne: A Record of Guiding the Young Emperor and Pacifying the Realm

The Emperor of Dajing dies on his way back from a northern campaign, but the news is kept under tight seal.

Empress Meng Zhaorou takes charge of the capital in its hour of peril, with the seven-year-old heir at her side. She relies on the Grand Secretary within the court and commands the capital's elite troops beyond it, anxiously awaiting the northern army's return with the imperial coffin.

The Cabinet's second-in-command, Zhou Xiaozhi, feigns obedience while secretly conspiring with Prince Jing. He spreads rumors and secretly exchanges letters, waiting for a chance to seize control of the state.

The four generals of the imperial city each have their own distinct temperament and guard a vital position. They are the forces that will determine the capital's fate.

On the thousand-mile road, General Xu Shujie of the Northern Garrison conceals the emperor's death as he leads one hundred thousand soldiers south through hardship. He must keep the army steady while guarding against enemy ambushes.

Court intrigue deep in the palace, vassal princes coveting the throne, and an army stranded a thousand miles away.

Beneath the young ruler's curtain, every secret dispatch and every inspection at the city gates could determine the fate of the Dajing realm.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.