This book depicts the great joys and sorrows of Wei Zifu's fifty years in the palace, from songstress to concubine and finally empress, the highest position a woman could attain. Wei Zifu was once a singer in Princess Pingyang's household. After Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, his empress, Chen Ajiao, had no children. Princess Pingyang therefore bought young women from nearby wealthy families and raised them in her household, intending for Emperor Wu to choose one as a concubine. But he took a liking to Wei Zifu, who accompanied the beautiful women with her singing. After bringing Wei Zifu into the palace, however, Emperor Wu soon forgot about her. More than a year later, when he was releasing a group of palace women, Zifu finally saw him again and wept as she begged to be allowed to leave the palace. Moved by her plight, Emperor Wu restored her to his favor. He later summoned her elder brother Wei Changjun and younger brother Wei Qing to the palace to serve as attendants. In the first year of Yuanshuo (128 BC), Wei Zifu gave birth to Crown Prince Liu Ju and was made empress. From then on, Empress Wei reached the height of imperial favor, and her family was ennobled with titles and fiefs. Yet palace life was full of deceit and struggle. As the years passed, Li Furen and Lady Gouyi took Wei Zifu's place in Emperor Wu's favor, while plots against her family arose one after another. In the third year of Zhenghe (90 BC), thirty-eight years after becoming empress, Wei Zifu took her own life after being caught up in the witchcraft affair and unable to clear her name.
