Your Majesty, This Servant Was Wrong

The Sequel to Autumn's Joy

During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song, Bianjing flourished, and within its grand mansions, several intertwined fates unfolded.

Xiao Qingyao, the Duke of Ying's legitimate daughter, was as cool and serene as the moon above a celestial terrace. An old affair in the southern frontier and a meeting of poetry and music should have led her to a happy union with Gu Qingyan, a talented scholar from a humble family. Instead, she was struck by a hidden attack and forced to flee to Jiangnan.

The attack came from Biying, the maid she had once trusted most. Once a senior maid, Biying could not bear to see someone else take her place. Jealousy turned to hatred, and she plotted step by step. Qiutao, who took her place, grew from timid to resilient under constant pressure and ultimately found her own happiness.

Song Qiuci, the woman who had transmigrated into a book, fought her half-sister, saved her grandmother, and married the crown prince, now reigns as empress. She saw through Biying's true nature but could not prevent tragedy. When Xiao Qingyao was falsely accused and driven from the capital, and Qiutao lay gravely wounded, she swept to her feet and declared, “How dare anyone treat my people this way!”

This is a portrait of noblewomen in the Song Dynasty:

Xiao Qingyao's resilience and love

Biying's obsession and destruction

Qiutao's growth and happiness

Feng Jiu'er's forthrightness and Song Yucheng's sense of responsibility

Song Qiuci's wisdom and Xiao Yunzhou's deep affection

The fifty strings of the zither sound for no reason, each string and bridge recalling the years of youth.

Deep within the grand mansions, they play the melodies of their own lives on the strings of fate.

[Reading Guide]

1. An ensemble story set in the Song Dynasty, with multiple couples. The main pairing is Xiao Qingyao and Gu Qingyan.

2. Not a purely sweet romance: there are political schemes and framing, with both angst and sweetness.

3. The maids' rivalry is an important plotline, but this is not a lesbian romance: it is a struggle for status.

4. Song Qiuci, the transmigrated heroine, plays a key supporting role.

5. The antagonist Biying has a complete descent into darkness. She is hateful, but there is also something pitiable about her.