Frost and snow once covered the jade steps of the deep palace, but at last, warmth spread beyond its walls.
When Shen Qingyan first entered the palace, all she wanted was to live in peace. But an unexpected incident drew her into an intricate conspiracy linking old factions at court with the powers of the imperial harem. From Noble Lady Lan conspiring with a censor to seize control of the imperial guards, to the Blood Shadow Hall’s surviving Liu clan stirring up one disturbance after another; from the hidden currents on Lantern Festival night to a life-or-death escort on Double Ninth Day, she could never stand apart. She became close friends with Lin Wanqing, forthright and bold, and the gentle, wise Consort Xian. United in purpose, the three women used their wits to unravel plots and their courage to quell unrest, building a shield to protect the peace amid the treacherous currents of the harem.
They investigated a grain-supply case, captured assassins, fought epidemics, and established a charity medicine bureau. From the confined quarters of the palace to a peach grove in Jiangnan and then the bureau in the capital, they not only resolved crisis after crisis threatening the court and the people, but also preserved their sincere friendship beneath the palace’s cold rules. They protected the young ruler and the Empress Dowager, and gave the words “imperial harem” a new meaning: no longer merely a place of rivalry for favor and scheming, but one warmed by a physician’s compassion and the kindness of people looking out for one another.
In the end, the Blood Shadow Hall’s remnants were wiped out, and the turmoil in the palace came to an end. Beneath the Mid-Autumn moon, the three women stood side by side, gazing at the palace lanterns and the lively world beyond. At last, warmth lingered on the jade steps. Though those years in the deep palace had weathered many storms, with kindred spirits at their side, peace and prosperity finally endured.
