Everyone reviled Li Guo'er for his eccentric behavior and his private life. He was deeply bound to his closest relatives, had personal friendships with powerful officials, and was surrounded by his cronies all year round. All kinds of actions shocked the world.
But few people see through that this is never an indulgence of lust, but a game of survival in the cracks of power.
Relying on close relatives is in exchange for stable political protection; winning over powerful officials is using secret connections to exchange for court support; winning over close servants is a chess piece layout for self-protection in troubled times.
What the world sees is the secret of romance. This book peels away the surface and digs into the machinations, human struggles and involuntary choices behind every controversial choice she made, and restores the life of a complex woman who was pushed by the times and power.
