The rebel army besieges Xuanwu Gate. The emperor is forced to abdicate, and the consorts live in terror. E Shu, a palace consort, believes she is as good as dead, until she sees the rebel leader, a man of striking bearing, and stares at him in shock.
That very night, E Shu is sent to the new emperor's bedchamber.
Everyone says Xie Zhenghe is ruthless, iron-fisted, and indifferent to women. Yet E Shu becomes the sole exception by his side, the one softness capable of shaking his unwavering resolve and principles.
At Jijiuling and Nanyuan, the armies fight a deadly battle. Five thousand soldiers from the fourteen prefectures of the Two Zhejiang Circuits lay down their lives for their country, and the war drums and horns sound up to the clouds. Even rivers of blood cannot rouse the benighted court.
Everyone says the Xie family has been wiped out. Why should the young heir still cling to hope? Only E Shu takes his hand and helps him stand again.
He hears that her life in the palace is one of hardship: she eats poorly, has no warm clothes, and is bullied by the nobles and the palace servants alike.
So he sweeps through the six regions, pacifies Nanyuan, and marches on the imperial city, all to give her a peaceful and prosperous world, and a lifetime of exclusive devotion.
Theme: The only light in one's life
