Enchanted by Yongle

This novel tells the life story of Wang Shi, the beloved consort of the Yongle Emperor, Ming Chengzu, and the Noble Consort Zhaoxian. Wang Shi's given name was Wang Yuelan, and her childhood name was Lan'er. From the time she met the eunuch Zheng He by chance at eighteen, to her sudden death at forty-one, Wang Shi lived an extraordinary life. Disguised as a man, she took part in the Jingnan Campaign and became bound by life and death to Zheng He, Ming Chengzu Zhu Di, and the other meritorious generals. She honed her skills and a sharp mind, and fell in love with the eunuch Zheng He. After Zhu Di became emperor, Wang Shi was lost for a time. In the end, to help Zheng He fulfill his dream of sailing west, she chose to enter the palace and accompany the emperor, rising from noble lady to imperial consort. For twenty-two years, Consort Wang stayed by the Chengzu Emperor's side, helping Zheng He expand his influence over the voyages west and remove obstacles, supporting upright scholars in entering officialdom, managing the emperor's harem, and assisting the emperor with other duties. She became the person the naturally suspicious emperor trusted most, while gradually falling in love with the great ruler herself. The story of the twenty-year age gap between the older husband and younger wife became a celebrated romance, and Wang Shi earned the respect and support of the court's most principled officials. After Wang Shi's death, the emperor was devastated. He had three thousand palace maids killed and often made poor decisions in his later years. Everyone mourned this great woman who had quietly given so much from behind the scenes.

This novel looks at the Jingnan Campaign and the Yongle Golden Age through a woman's eyes. The author's intention is to use Lan'er's perspective to bring a grand historical era to life, and so the author has read numerous historical records and documents and has stayed as close as possible to the historical truth. War is the central theme in the first half, and politics in the second. The story includes the voyages west, the reconquest of Jiaozhi, the Yongle Encyclopedia, the relocation of the capital to Beijing, expeditions against the Mongols, and the struggle for the throne.

Another central thread is the love triangle between Lan'er, Sanbao, and Zhu Di. One is a sweet, innocent first love; one is a turbulent life; one is an ideal just out of reach; one is a reality filled with every possible sweetness and bitterness. One is someone forever treasured in the heart, and one is someone with whom she spends a lifetime.