Blurb One:
At fifteen, Yu Que learned how terrifying power could be.
Driven by jealousy and backed by power, someone framed her promising elder brother and crippled him, leaving his talents with no chance to shine.
Fueled by greed and backed by power, the authorities refused to handle the Yu family case fairly, and her parents pleaded everywhere to no avail.
Afraid of power, her fiance's family, once so warm and attentive to Yu Que, broke off the engagement in the middle of the night.
Kowtowing to power, the neighbors who once courted her father and brother turned on them and kicked them while they were down.
The Yu family was forced into the countryside, and they were about to lose the last roof over their heads. Her aunt, supposedly acting out of kindness, tried to arrange a match for her: "In all of Taoli Town, no one has more power and wealth than Master Li. Become his concubine, and your parents and brothers will have food and clothes for the rest of their lives."
Power, power, power. Even a tiny town couldn't escape its crushing grip.
Then she would go to the place where all the power in the realm converged and claim her share.
Just then, the emperor called for candidates to be selected as palace matchmakers. Yu Que pawned her last jade hairpin, took the money, and knocked on the door of the eunuch in charge of recruiting.
At twenty-eight, Yu Que tasted the wonders of power.
By then, she was Empress Dowager Yu, above all others, presiding over court and politics in unmatched splendor.
With power, Yu Que rooted out every person who had framed her family.
With power, she overruled all objections and established an engineering academy, opening a path to official promotion through craftsmanship for her brother, who could not sit the imperial exams.
With power, she deposed her weak and ineffectual eldest son and supported her second daughter as the next emperor. No one dared object.
One must either live as a sacrifice to power or become its master. Yu Que was never a lamb on the altar. She was a phoenix that could turn heaven and earth upside down.
Blurb Two:
[Empress Dowager Yu, a native of the cities of Qingzhou. She bore two sons and one daughter. At first a Talented Lady, she was later named Consort Zhuang. In the fifth year of Yongxing, the emperor suffered frequent bouts of depression and neglected state affairs. Consort Zhuang began to take part in political matters. In the tenth year, she was made empress. From then on, she handled all affairs, great and small, and all the power of the realm fell to the inner palace*. In the eleventh year, her eldest son was made crown prince. Three years later, the emperor died and the crown prince ascended the throne. The emperor was young. Whenever he held court, the empress sat behind a curtain and governed in his stead, even having a throne installed. She presided over court and made decisions while the emperor could only defer to her*. - Book of Jin]
[Empress Yu acted on a whim, with fickle likes and dislikes. For decades she held power at court, favored eunuchs, and indulged in absurdities. She established an engineering academy and threw the court into chaos, and made a woman emperor, endangering the dynasty. She was a sinner of Jin. - Notes on the History of Jin]
[Empress Yu was resolute, with extraordinary talent and intelligence... She established an engineering academy for her brother, leading the realm to pursue clever contrivances. This was her failing. The academy drew talented people and benefited the state and its people. This was her merit. She deposed her eldest son and appointed her second daughter, setting a precedent for an imperial daughter to inherit the throne. This was her failing. Under the woman emperor, the realm was mighty and far-reaching, and the people lived in peace and harmony. This was her merit... During Empress Yu's time, the administration ran smoothly, the people lived in harmony, and the realm was at peace. She was a great ruler among women. - New Book of Jin]
[Gossip Girl] The three men behind Empress Dowager Yu: her gentle first love, Lord Wei; Emperor Huai of Jin, who shared power with her; and her loyal lackey, Eunuch Min. Which one is your favorite?
Reader's Note:
1. The heroine has a clear goal: power. The three men are all supporting characters.
2. *All the power of the realm fell to the inner palace... the emperor could only defer to her. - Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Tang, Volume 17
Theme: Be clear about what you want and work toward it.
