Looking Toward the Apricot Curtain

After her father dies young and the Xu family falls into decline, she takes matters into her own hands, dealing with her ambitious third uncle and his family and helping her fourth uncle inherit the title, all while keeping the Duke of Xu’s household afloat. After making a bad marriage, she refuses to cower and stay silent like an ordinary woman. Instead, she boldly divorces her husband and eventually finds true love. When palace intrigue erupts, she uses her clever schemes to protect the crown prince despite being a woman.

Women of the court depend on their husbands and sons, but she shines through her own merits and is personally granted the title of First-Rank Lady by the new emperor. A concubine need not be a clinging vine: she should stand shoulder to shoulder with her lord. Since ancient times, sages have included heroic women.

The dynasty in this book is fictional, though its official ranks, customs, forms of address, and more are modeled on the Song Dynasty.