Synopsis
[Brilliant in both letters and arms, a sweet-faced schemer of a female official x a lovestruck prince who overthinks everything]
"This world is unjust. Why shouldn't women wield swords? I'll wield one and cleave the heavens in two."
The heroine's perspective:
The Zhao clan served the new emperor faithfully, and its head was made Marquis of Changping.
What does that have to do with me?
I was once no more than a speck of dust, lucky enough to be saved by someone, and I made my own way in this world.
Then someone remembered me and brought me from the northwest to Jiankang.
From then on, I became the Zhao family's second young lady.
They promised me fine clothes and good food, and told me to be grateful and content. They promised me a roof over my head and demanded obedience and propriety. They offered me an empty honor and expected me to tread carefully.
Should I sacrifice all the joy and freedom of my life for this illusion, as fleeting as a flower reflected in water or the moon in a mirror?
I refuse!
Everyone says women should be gentle and docile. I say it's time to rebel and play a game of power.
Click "Start Reading" to see my plan for rebellion
The hero's perspective:
I merely rescued a girl while leading my troops. Moved by her courage, I arranged a good life for her and promised to teach her swordsmanship.
How did she actually make it to Jiankang all these years later and expect me to keep my promise?
Teaching her swordsmanship is one thing, but how did desire start growing like weeds while I was at it?
Everyone says she's ambitious, stubborn and hard to tame, outwardly compliant but secretly sharp-witted.
So what?
I'll offer her my whole heart and become the sword in her hand.
From now on, I'll cherish what she cherishes and care for those she cares for.
But, A Ying, turn around and look at me, would you?
The career-focused blurb:
With the realm newly pacified, Zhao Ying is brought back to the Marquis of Changping's household.
The good news: she'll never want for food or clothing.
The bad news: to live in peace, she has to play the part of a harmless, clueless girl.
The first sister says, "Take your time and wait for the right moment."
The second sister says, "The family's rise and fall matter most. Just be patient."
But Zhao Ying refuses to accept her fate. She's going to overturn the board.
She won't be a Zhao girl anymore!
The empress plans to reform the system and holds an examination to select female officials.
A Ying passes round after round of selection and stands before her. The empress asks, "Why have you entered the palace?"
The suffering of her former teachers and sisters flashes through her mind. She answers simply, "I want to see just how far a woman can go in this world."
The empress smiles without replying, but marks her name.
In the first year A Ying takes her place in the Taiji Palace, the court officials say:
"How can a woman attend court?"
"A woman at court turns yin and yang upside down. The fate of the realm is in danger."
In the second year, the third year... those voices never fade.
In the fifth year, she becomes the Palace Attendant at the Chancellery.
No one in court or country dares show her anything but respect.
In the seventh year, she joins forces with Prince Jing'an to stage a coup and depose the emperor.
Everyone in court and country fears her. Yet they still have to praise her, saying, "The Minister of the Secretariat is magnanimous."
Only A Ying knows how petty she is. She has never forgotten a single step along the way.
Everyone says a woman cannot enter the Taiji Palace. She'll pry it open and make it accessible to all!
Reader's Guide:
1. The main story is written in third person.
2. The heroine grows over the course of the story. The early pacing is slow, but the main story has reached the career-focused arc.
3. Set in an alternate Northern and Southern Dynasties period.
4. An ensemble of female characters.
Theme: Defy the current and fight for freedom
