The Great Chu court is rotten. Its emperor is incompetent and cowardly, treacherous ministers hold sway, and loyal officials suffer injustice. The Northern Di and Southern Territories look on hungrily as the realm teeters, with turbulent currents surging beneath the chessboard of this troubled age.
Princess Kangning, Chu Qingchen, lives deep within the palace, quietly biding her time. In secret, she commands the mysterious Cloud Pavilion, wielding intelligence, wealth, hidden troops, and elite forces as she plots one step at a time, waiting for the chance to restore order.
Shen Jingyue, an orphaned daughter of a military family, has lost her father and brothers and bears the weight of her family’s wrongful disgrace and her duty to the realm. She hides her feminine identity and takes her brother’s name, becoming the young commander Shen Jinghong. In silver armor, wielding a red-tasseled spear, she guards the frontier, wins renown through countless battles, and protects Great Chu’s borders with her indomitable spirit.
They first met among peach blossoms when they were young, and forged a bond as kindred spirits. When a snowstorm halted a bridal sedan and an imperial decree was defied to save her, Chu Qingchen risked the crime of condemning nine generations to death and braved the enemy camp alone, all to help Shen Jinghong escape the prison of a political marriage.
Chu Qingchen plots from behind the scenes, laying out a game that spans the realm. Shen Jinghong dons her armor and takes up arms, sweeping away foreign enemies and rebel factions.
Their bond survives the treacherous palace, and they are destined to reunite in service of their country, composing a legend of an empress and a woman general who strive toward one another and stand side by side to secure the realm.
