Shen Heng, a woman from a poor family, enters the palace through the selection of consorts. With no powerful family to support her, she survives the perilous imperial harem through her wits. She brings down the Noble Consort, defeats Consort Shu, sends the Empress away, and suppresses Consort De. After one life-or-death contest after another, she rises from a minor consort to the throne of empress. She doesn't love the emperor, yet becomes the person he trusts most. Her heart is cold as iron, yet she must protect the empire for her son. There is no warmth in the inner palace; the only way up is over a carpet of bones. This isn't a story about competing for favor, but a woman's blood-soaked journey to survive, claim her place, and overturn her fate.
