[Powerful female lead and political intrigue] + [strong female protagonist] + [ensemble cast and character growth]
This is a fictional setting with no romantic pairing. The female lead isn't a self-sacrificing saint; she has the great Dao in her heart.
Female lead: Liu Yuanzhao, Princess of Yan. She helps her brother ascend the throne, protects her nephew, and defends her kingdom. She is strong-willed and resilient.
Male supporting characters:
Xu: The son of a dissolute noble and a foreign slave woman. Highly skilled in martial arts and simple in nature, this humble, mute slave is reborn through sheer resilience.
Song Ning: The eldest legitimate grandson of the northern Song clan. He is always refining himself and setting others on the right path, brilliantly gifted and breathtakingly graceful.
Wang Ji: The youngest son of the distinguished southern Wang family. He inherits his father's ambition to serve as chancellor and develops the skills needed to govern an age of peace.
Yuanzhao: She would rather become a female Daoist than an emperor.
