Twin Phoenixes on a Silk Fan

Lotus leaves fill the depths of the pond, and a twin lotus blooms upon one leaf.

Their fates should have been entwined like twin lotuses, inseparable. Yet, at some point, the paths of their lives began to diverge. What must a woman endure to grow from a chivalrous heroine, well versed in military texts and highly skilled in martial arts, into a steady general holding the reins of the army? And what must she endure to grow from a gifted scholar, widely read and knowledgeable about past and present, into an empress who rules the world?

A story about strong female characters, with little focus on romance.