A Dream in the Garden: At Court

An ordinary office worker named An Rou is swept back in time to the Qing Dynasty by a flood, where she enters a battlefield of political power struggles. How does she rise from obscurity to become a figure of immense influence? She has felt lost and doubtful, worked hard and fought with everything she had. She has also known heartbreak and tears, and hidden away in a corner to cry by herself. Others see only her ruthlessness and strength, but no one understands that she, too, needs someone to care for her, understand her, and help her. She does her best to survive alone in this unfamiliar world. Fortunately, all her efforts prove worthwhile: in the end, she becomes the empress and then empress dowager. She winds up living a life she never wanted, shouldering responsibilities she cannot bear. As the saying goes, “People are made by circumstance.” The times force her to become someone else, until she no longer remembers who she used to be. She can hardly believe that all she wants is to spare the woman whose body she inhabits some of the blame. She wants more people to understand that she is just an ordinary woman longing to be loved, someone who wants to be cared for and cherished, and to remain innocent and believe in the good forever. Then she returns to the modern world and writes about her experiences in a book. At a book club gathering, the person who steps out of the light becomes her salvation.