The Glorious Empress: Tales of Great Jing

In the mid-period of the fictional Great Jing Dynasty, imperial power has fallen into the hands of others, the aristocracy holds sway, the Xiongnu threaten the northern frontier, and devastating floods ravage the south. Lin Xinheng, the daughter of a disgraced minister, returns to the palace from the imperial mausoleum. Once no more than a drifting leaf in the inner palace, she resolves to break free of fate's shackles after witnessing refugees starve to death and soldiers go without food. She disguises herself as a man to evade a political marriage, travels to disaster-stricken regions to dig canals and save lives, and braves the border to secure soldiers' pay. With her “uncomplicated methods,” she challenges gender prejudice; with her “genuine nature,” she wins the support of civil officials and military commanders. From fighting for survival deep within the palace to facing down rivals at court, from suppressing rebellions to implementing new policies, she blazes a path to the throne through blood and fire. In the end, she ushers in the “Zhaolie Restoration” of Great Jing and engraves the belief that “women can rule a nation too” into the dynasty's very bones.