Su Yuli, the legitimate daughter of the imperial merchant Su family, was clever from childhood and had a natural gift for business. But after her mother died young, she had to tread carefully under the thumb of her cruel stepmother. When her father suddenly passed away, she lost her only protector, had her betrothal broken off, and was forced to marry an old man. With nowhere left to turn, she resolutely entered the palace as a servant, accompanied by her maid.
In the depths of the palace, Yuli relied on her exceptional intelligence and talent for mathematics to rise from a lowly palace maid to a high-ranking female official. Her many accomplishments won her recognition and admiration, and caught the eye of Crown Prince Zhou Jingheng. But palace rivalries brought jealousy and schemes in their wake. Though repeatedly framed, she always managed to escape danger, while her feelings for the crown prince grew deeper.
The jade-carving enterprise she founded brought immense wealth to the national treasury, and her reputation reached its peak. After the crown prince ascended the throne, he defied all opposition and made her empress. In the end, the emperor and empress joined hands: he governed the realm, while she managed the treasury, and together they ushered in a legendary age of prosperity.
