Disguised as a man / satisfying academy story / political strategy and governance / ensemble cast development / duty to the nation / fictional Spring and Autumn and Warring States era
In the chaotic Great Yong, seven kingdoms vie for supremacy. War fires rage, and the people suffer.
To carry on her master's mission, save the people from peril, and bring peace to the land, Shen Qingci ties up her hair, disguises herself as a man, and enters the world's foremost academy: Jixia Academy.
The world scoffs: How can a mere boy who has barely come of age teach the heirs of the various states?
Before her are unruly heirs with powerful connections who refuse to obey.
Behind her are astonishingly gifted scholars, each extraordinary and quietly testing her.
But with a cool gaze and a mind full of learning, she:
- Debates the scholars and subdues the unruly students.
- Breaks the alliance with three strategies and scatters an army of five hundred thousand.
- Enacts new policies, brings the great clans to heel, and stabilizes the realm.
Her students revere her as a god, her fellow teachers stand up for her, and the world honors her above all.
Everyone respects, fears, and looks up to her, yet no one knows...
The young scholar who can shape the fate of the realm is actually a woman of peerless beauty.
Until the Rite of Sacrifice to Heaven, when the old clans drop their disguise:
“Shen Ci has deceived the world and stolen a false name. She is a woman pretending to be a man!”
The entire court is thrown into an uproar.
She only smiles, removes her hairpin, and casts off her robe, revealing herself in a dazzling red bridal gown.
Her long hair falls loose; her wedding dress blazes like fire, her splendor eclipsing the world.
Her students draw their swords: “What does it matter if our teacher is a man or a woman?”
Her fellow teachers stand by her: “She has achieved deeds for the ages. Why should gender matter?”
The one in her heart takes her hand and proclaims to all under heaven:
“She is the love of my life, and a teacher to the world.”
The people kneel, their cries thundering like a surging sea.
Standing on the high platform, Shen Qingci swears aloud:
To give the world a heart, and the people a destiny;
to bring peace to an age of chaos, and lay the foundations for generations to come!
