In the middle years of the Ning Dynasty, the empire is at the height of its power, but troubling signs are beginning to emerge. The founding “Kai Ning rites and institutions” have secured central authority. Under a system that balances the Three Departments and Six Ministries, regional and imperial armies, and the imperial examinations and hereditary privilege, the court is divided between the “Literary Faction” of examination graduates and the “Noble Faction” of those appointed through family connections. Tensions are beginning to surface between the border prefectures and the central Eagle Guards, while power struggles are also brewing within the imperial family. Su Qingwan, a 24-year-old modern finance professional, unexpectedly transmigrates into the body of the “Southern Chu” princess and holy maiden, forced to marry into the Ning Dynasty. She is betrothed to Xiao Ce, a battle-hardened Longwu General of humble birth, deeply trusted by the emperor yet feared by every faction at court as a lone official with no allies.
