Shen Qingci, the daughter of a disgraced official, fights for her life to steal a secret letter from the old family residence, then faces her foes at court with ink as evidence. From pledging their hearts in a ruined temple to promising themselves to each other beneath ten miles of wedding finery, she and Xiao Jingyan use ink as their matchmaker and bamboo as their pledge. Amid the bitter struggles within the palace walls, they protect justice; amid the games of power, they remain true to their love. When the wrongful case is finally cleared and the dust settles, he rules the realm, and she becomes its honored empress. Their love, born on a rainy night and kindled amid political intrigue, becomes a timeless tale of holding fast to the realm together and loving each other without wavering.
