Ascending the High Terrace While Ill

The Da Cheng dynasty lasted for more than three hundred years, its history full of twists and turns and ceaseless upheaval. Its history books recorded countless celebrated figures, more than could be counted. Yet the most legendary were two women, one a scholar and the other a warrior. At moments of retreat and advance, they turned the tide when all seemed lost and held up a collapsing realm. Each safeguarded Da Cheng for decades, and together they were known as the "Twin Jewels of Chengtian." -------Once, Huang Wudan was born into a family of generals, commanding armies on the battlefield and proving unstoppable. Now, confined within the walls and narrow lanes of a deep compound, she has laid down her weapons and dismissed her troops, her former brilliance faded. Distrusted by the emperor, constrained by rigid social rules, betrayed by her husband, and pressed by the younger generation, Huang Wudan was forced to lie low and languish for years, until foreign threats rose once more... Theme: Rediscovering yourself in dire straits, and fighting back when all seems lost.