Publisher's Synopsis
Like most young women in late thirteenth century China, Feiyan dreams of living a respectable life, finding a good husband, and honoring her family. Only those dreams end when she is swept from her home to become one of Emperor Duzong's many concubines. As she struggles to adjust to her new environment, she is befriended by the enigmatic Hu Yuxiu, who helps Feiyan navigate the murky waters of court life, the tedious rules of entertainment, and the hardships of foot binding. Feiyan grows to know the dismal existence between palace walls, the long days of waiting and long nights of limbo. Until Yuxiu shows her a booklet that changes her life forever.