Bright Vermilion and Ink

A humble-born female official × a puppet emperor | Two strong players in a battle of wits | Political intrigue Four years ago, the Empress Dowager wiped out her entire family in the name of “treason” to remove all obstacles from her path. She concealed her identity and lay low for four years, then earned a place in the Office of Female Officials with her exquisite regular-script calligraphy. What she wants is to claim justice with her own hands. He is an emperor held captive in secret. When two pawns seize each other as pieces, they ultimately become the players moving the board. But on the day her vengeance is complete, she finds herself lost in a void. He says, “I won’t chase you, because you are no bird in a cage.” Three months later, outside the door, he greets her with a dusty, travel-worn smile: “An official historian can resign, but I cannot resign myself to losing Yunqing.” With vermilion brush she judges the realm; with ink brush she records its history. A single brush in her hand rewrites her own fate and changes the path of every woman in the land.