Xu Shuyun came from a scholarly family and grew up among books. Her father, Xu Hanlin, regarded her as the apple of his eye. Although he taught her etiquette and rules, he also allowed her to read all over the library. However, as the family was involved in the "Literary Prison" incident in the court, the peaceful life was broken. Xu Shuyun relied on his extraordinary agility and his talent for writing to deal with various forces in an attempt to clear his father's grievances. She found freedom in words, maintained her character in troubled times, and finally blazed a path of power and intrigue for a female literati among the war and iron horses and the shadows of ink and paper.
