In the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era, fourteen-year-old Ming Yueye entered the palace after being selected for her artistic talent. She protected her slender hands with tortoiseshell nail guards and rose through the ranks by performing the pipa piece “The King of Qin Breaks the Ranks.” At the same time, Wu Zetian was selected as a talented lady and lay low in the inner palace with books for company. The two heroines' fates intertwine in the women's quarters: one wields “beauty” as a blade, the other “wisdom” as a shield. Together, they face the “Hairpin Calamity.” On a bloodstained path to advancement, youth and political intrigue collide, and the pair are destined to rewrite the course of the Tang Dynasty.
