From Merchant's Daughter to the Most Powerful Minister

[Female-led power struggles + ensemble cast + nation-building and farming] Xie Zhao was born with memories from a new era. She had always felt that the world she lived in was unfair to women. She wanted to change it, but had no idea where to begin. Fortunately, she was born into a merchant family and never had to struggle to get by. By a twist of fate, she became a princess's study companion at the palace, where she met close friends and the love of her life. They enabled her to gradually influence those around her and set change in motion. But the court was beset by turmoil, facing trouble both at home and abroad. She cleverly seized the position of family head and steadily expanded her power. With the businesses and wealth at her disposal, she joined forces with the fifth prince, who disguised himself as a man, to pacify the northwest and root out traitors. She could defeat bandits with force and bring peace to the realm with wisdom, forging a path to success for the women of the Great Li that put them on equal footing with men. Follow Xie Zhao's journey from an unremarkable merchant's daughter in the capital to the most legendary first female chancellor in the history of Great Li.