The Female Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Apocalypse

Mu Lan, a fourth-rank Jinyiwei official and deputy commander overseeing the Eastern Office's main bureau, says that working in the Ming Dynasty doesn't give her thyroid nodules. It only gives her colleagues huge bumps on their faces.

A free Ming Dynasty, fighting every day.

Since she went out in men's clothes to become an official, it's only natural that her private relationships are complicated and messy. Mu Lan has one wife and two concubines, the standard setup for a fourth-rank official.

Shen Zhi, her wife, is determined to become the Pirate King. Her two concubines are Chun San, who administers punishments at the Eastern Depot, and Zhang Qinglang, a Donglin partisan who spreads Huang Zongxi's saying, "The greatest evil under Heaven is the ruler himself," every day.

A family of four with a complicated lineup.

Fu Wenxing, a powerful commander-in-chief, can only settle for being her lover outside the home.

Fu Wenxing: "One of these days, you'll have to give me a proper title."

Mu Lan: "It's noon right now."

Her childhood friend and junior fellow disciple doesn't even get a title.

Ming Lang: "I'll take responsibility for you."

Mu Lan: "There's no room for you in my house."

And that widower over there, keeping vigil under her secret identity: get a grip. Sixth Sister has been gone for ten years.

Ming Ya: "I refuse to listen."

Mu Lan: I have reason to suspect I've been bound to a Harem System.

The remonstrating censors: You're imagining things. I'm going to impeach you. Take this!

(I'm currently writing six thousand words a day to build up a stockpile. The story starts November 1.)

Theme: Strong women struggling to protect themselves in a chaotic era