Shen Meizhuang is reborn on the night before she falls into the water.
Touching the cold jade bangle beneath her pillow, she remembers the false pregnancy, the confinement, the plague, and the imperial physician who gently told her, “There’s someone else in my heart.”
In this life, she wants neither favor nor sincerity.
She feigns illness to avoid the emperor’s attention, joins forces with Zhen Huan, and strikes down Consort Hua and the Empress in one decisive move. She writes Lessons for Women of the Great Zhou, concealing medical knowledge and legal principles within its pages, and teaches the princess how to keep accounts and protect herself. Among the ruins left by the plague, she rescues an orphan girl, names her “Zhiyi,” and raises her at her side, teaching her to read ledgers, identify medicine, and understand the world.
The emperor says, “You’ve changed.”
The Empress Dowager asks, “What are you after?”
Meizhuang turns a page and replies calmly, “I once wanted to bloom. Now I only want to be a tree. A tree stands still, yet bears fruit and offers shade.”
Later, when the new emperor ascends the throne, she leaves the palace by carriage. Medicinal herbs dry in the sun at the back of the carriage, her adopted daughter sits inside, and outside, Wen Shichu drives the horses.
The harem has lost a favored consort.
The world has gained a woman teacher who shows other women how to read, identify medicine, and live with dignity.
Using Meizhuang's own perspective to unfold the narrative is a highlight of the work. The book contains detailed descriptions of court etiquette, clothing, food, etc. It is a work with great potential. Come on! ! !
Using Meizhuang's own perspective to unfold the narrative is a highlight of the work. The book contains detailed descriptions of court etiquette, clothing, food, etc. It is a work with great potential. Come on! ! !