What will the peerlessly beautiful Shi Yuegu choose between the handsome Ding Xin, the rich young master Zhu Mian, and Crown Prince Zhao Huan? How will Emperor Huizong decide on major issues such as his obsession with calligraphy and painting, the Flower and Stone Gang, alchemy, the construction of the imperial garden Genyue, and allying with Jin to destroy Liao? How will Emperor Qinzong handle major matters of right and wrong, such as defending Bianjing, signing a peace treaty, and being escorted to the northern lands? Through a twisting, eventful plot, vivid characters, and deeply moving details of everyday life, this novel lays bare how the extravagant life of the royal family made the Jingkang humiliation an inevitability. It reaffirms the principles that
