The Shattered Jade Book

Single heroine story

In the middle period of the fictional Great Yong Dynasty, the surface is peaceful and prosperous, but undercurrents roil between the imperial court and the great clans, and between civil officials and military generals. Northern tribes watch with predatory intent, while remnants of the former dynasty of Chu, replaced by Yong three hundred years ago, still operate in secret. Legend has it that the Chu imperial family holds a secret scroll capable of toppling the dynasty.

Shen Qingyan is the concubine-born daughter of the prominent Shen family of Jiangnan. Since childhood, she has been considered “ill-omened” because her mother died in childbirth. Raised in a separate estate, she is quiet and reserved, yet has read the family’s entire collection of ancient texts and is especially skilled at deciphering ancient writing. She carries a broken jade pendant left behind by her mother. The pendant grows hot when it encounters certain writing, concealing a secret tied to her family and the former dynasty.