The Zhou Family Chronicles

He is a refined emperor and a devoted, warm-hearted man. Though he founded the Eastern Zhou, power has slipped from his grasp.

He is the founding lord of Qin. Though he is not as exalted as the Son of Heaven, he is bold and valiant.

She is a nobleman's daughter. Though beautiful and clever, she was born a concubine's daughter and is destined to be sent away as a dowry companion.

Both men are founders of their states, and both are entangled in love. How can she choose? She will use her beauty as a mirror to judge Zhou and Qin. Will she follow her heart, or be swept along like a crimson maple leaf in the torrent of history?

This is a legendary tale set in the final years of the Western Zhou. Some of it is familiar, and some of it is not. Because the Western Zhou was so long ago, the historical records are incomplete, making this story difficult to write. Still, the author is bold enough to give it a try, since my day job is somewhat related to the study of Zhou culture. I will weave details of the Zhou people's food, clothing, daily life, marriages, and rituals into the story, bringing the vibrant world of the Great Zhou to life.

Jiang Shenger, a young woman who has just graduated with a degree in archaeology, discovers a bronze mirror engraved with a love poem while excavating a Western Zhou storage pit. Does the inscription on the mirror record a longing for someone, or a lingering attachment? In the archaeological research room, Jiang Shenger seems to glimpse the dynasty behind the inscription and understand her past life: a treasured jade belonging to Xuan Jiang, a noblewoman of the Western Zhou. Carrying a wisp of her owner's fragrant soul, she journeys through the bronze mirror and, in a hazy dream, begins her search for Zhou...