Palace Whispers by Night

On the wall of Longquan, palace bells ring through the night. Who says a woman must be confined to the silent depths of the palace? Who says women are inferior to men? A noblewoman whose origins are a mystery, an empress dowager who holds the realm in her grasp, a female official with influence over both civil and military affairs, An illegitimate daughter of a powerful family, unknown to the world; a once-graceful lady now fallen into the dust... A contest of power and wit, a clash of schemes and courage. Even as women, can they not stand at court and gaze down upon this splendid land?