The Female Guard Han Xiaoman: Emperor Yang of Sui’s Chief Interpreter
Synopsis
Emperor Yang Guang’s dragon boat sailed along the Grand Canal, while stories spread across the land of his tyranny and extravagance. Yet no one knew that at the dragon boat’s side always stood a female official, a collection of dialects in her hands and her ears attuned to every voice: Han Xiaoman.
She was an orphan from the docks of Yangzhou. Her command of northern and southern dialects earned her an overnight promotion to the Prince of Jin Yang Guang’s personal guard. From a rainy night in Jiangdu to the imperial palace in Chang’an, from the Renshou Palace coup to three campaigns against Goguryeo, and finally to the siege of Jiangdu, she used language as a key to witness the Sui dynasty’s breathtaking journey from its peak to collapse.
What she interpreted for him was more than the counsel of foreign envoys, battlefield intelligence from enemy troops, and the murmurs of women in the inner palace. She translated the chaotic heartbeat of an empire. With her own eyes, she watched the ambitious emperor who sought to unite north and south step by step into the snare woven by his own ambition.
Could understanding people and their native tongues break a dynasty’s deadlock? Armed with secrets of the highest order, how would she survive in a time of turmoil? This is a female epic that wields language as a weapon, a secret hidden in the gaps between the pages of history, and a sweeping portrait of the rise and fall of the Sui Empire.
Key highlights: A language prodigy and a female guard disguised as a man wield “language” as a weapon, stirring up the tumultuous world of the Sui and Tang dynasties.
· Heroine: Clever, decisive, brave, and resourceful. A strong female lead who grows over the course of the story and relies on her wits, not men.
· Hero: The ambitious, calculating, and discerning Prince of Jin, Yang Guang, who knows how to make good use of people. Not a one-dimensional tyrant.
· Story elements: A formidable partnership, battles of wit and political intrigue, subtle romantic tension, the fate of the nation, and a high-octane career arc.
· What sets it apart: It takes “language”...
