The Great Zhou court is a treacherous place. Shen Yu, the daughter of a censor, could have lived a life of wealth and comfort, but on the day she came of age, she stumbled upon the Crown Prince's plot to collude with the Northern Di and frame loyal officials. To save Xiao Jingheng, a severely wounded general from the northern frontier, she risked hiding him in her chambers. She had no idea this choice would change her fate forever.
He is the wronged son of a military family, hardened by years of war, yet for her he lays down his sword and learns to play a tune called Qingping Yue.
She is a talented young woman raised in the inner chambers. To protect him, she takes up her sword and heads north, stepping into the vortex of power.
From the capital's secluded halls to the flames of war on the frontier, from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to deadly political schemes, the two join forces to fight the Crown Prince's faction. But just as their feelings run deepest, disaster strikes: the Xiao family is exiled, and Shen Yu is forced into marriage with the Crown Prince.
She flees her wedding and travels north, searching for her husband across a thousand miles. He is reborn from the brink of death and returns at the head of an army.
When the truth comes to light, they discover that beyond the game of intrigue lies an even greater conspiracy...
If this age of peace has no place for us, then we shall overturn the realm and build a peaceful world in its stead.
