After the mighty Celestial Dynasty had welcomed twelve princes, the Emperor, who had long yearned for a daughter, finally got his wish. At birth, she was named the Princess Who Guards the Nation. The youngest princess was doted on by everyone, and after coming of age, she was supposed to marry Wang Haoqing, the son of a minister whom she had met as a child. But her usually indulgent father refused. Knowing that Wang Haoqing did not know the princess’s identity, the Emperor used his request to marry a palace maid as an opportunity to marry off one of the princess’s own maids to him instead. He also decreed that Wang Haoqing could neither divorce his wife nor take a concubine, crushing the princess’s hopes once and for all.
Despairing, the princess asked for permission to lead troops into battle, simply to get far away from the imperial capital. On the blood-soaked battlefield, she wielded her blade with fearless courage. A fortunate encounter and a master’s guidance gave her a body immune to all poisons. Her sincerity and consideration won her a band of comrades who would risk their lives for her. She also learned why her father, who had always indulged her, had forbidden her to marry Wang Haoqing: it was all part of a vast scheme laid more than a decade earlier.
After witnessing the brutal deaths of friends and betrayals by enemies, and surviving assassination attempts and kidnappings, the princess gradually matured. Wang Haoqing, too, died as a result of the lingering aftermath of that conspiracy from years ago. Decisive and an astute strategist, she deftly thwarted a coup with help from her steadfast friends after the Emperor died of illness. She ascended the throne, becoming the first empress in a century of the Celestial Dynasty.
As she neared forty, the Celestial Dynasty had reached its greatest territorial extent in history. Peace reigned throughout the land, and the people prospered. The empress passed the throne to a younger member of the imperial clan, faked her death, and left the palace. General Zhou Qi, a first-rank general, stayed by her side as they traveled across the country’s beautiful landscapes until the end of their days.
