When the Flowers Fade: Intrigue in the Palace

1. Story Setting The story takes place in the capital of an imaginary dynasty. The Marquis of Zhennan's residence belongs to a family that has earned distinction for generations and commands great respect at court. Yet within its walls, rival factions are constantly scheming against one another. Su Yao, the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Yangzhou, marries into the marquis's household as the legitimate wife of the third young master, Xiao Yizheng, and is soon drawn into its tangled domestic power struggles. Meanwhile, the court is beset by shifting alliances and hidden dangers, and the marquis's family is swept into the political maelstrom, with the family's fortunes closely bound to the fate of each individual.