Eight years following the Emperor's death and the Nguyen clan's execution in a plot for power, former concubine Thuy Hoa has taken control of Dai Viet. Princess Ngoc Vinh is the last of her line, the only daughter of late concubine Lady Nguyen. Driv...
EIGHT YEARS since Emperor Lê Bảo Tông's death. He soon collapsed after a visit to concubine Lady Nguyễn when the poison in his blood had taken effect, while his heir—Crown Prince Nghi Dân—was found dead in his chambers. The House of Nguyễn is arrested for murder and executed days later. The era of wealth and fortune that marked Lê Bảo Tông's rule ended with a final breath, and the royal court is submerged in chaos with nobles left and right vying for the crown. Their schemes and assassination plots destroy any remaining stability that held the kingdom together.
EIGHT YEARS since Empress Dowager Thị Anh solidified her hold on the throne. When her son Lê Kính Tông is crowned Emperor after the death of his father, she wrests control of the royal court with him as a puppet monarch. One by one, members of the royal family—from the other concubines to the Emperor's brother—begin to fall, their dead bodies found in chambers with an X slashed across the throat. Ruling Đại Việt with an iron fist, she institutes oppressive laws to consolidate power and crushes any rebellion attempt with her Imperial Guard.
EIGHT YEARS since the start of poisoned rain. The once-prosperous land of Đại Việt has plunged into a great famine. Despite the lush tropical climate, the harvests are never bountiful. The Empress hoards all wealth in the royal treasury. While the people starve in the streets wearing dirtied rags, she enjoys luxuries beyond imagine behind the gilded gold doors at her decadent royal court. With no concern for the pervasive hunger and suffering, she raises taxes even higher.
CAUGHT IN THE MIDST OF IT ALLis Ngọc Vinh, the only daughter of disgraced concubine Lady Nguyễn, the sole survivor of her family line. Having escaped execution with her loyal servant Minh and convinced of her mother's innocence, she swears revenge on the Empress—who she is certain has framed her. Working in tandem with Minh, Ngọc seeks the magic crossbow. A lost legendary weapon said to have been gifted by the golden turtle, it is the only hope to defeating the imperial armies and overthrowing Thị Anh.
TWISTED LIES AND DARK SECRETS plague Đại Việt at every turn, blurring the line between good and evil. When it comes to the royal court, nothing is what it appears. Emboldened by rising rumors of revolution and threatened with schemes concocted by the power-hungry Thị Anh, Ngọc Vinh must fight for not only her own life but to restore the kingdom from the brink of destruction. And for that to happen, the Empress Dowager must pay for her crimes: blood debts must be paid with blood.
This story is set in a fantasy version of 16th century Vietnam during the Later Lê Dynasty. Inspirations include Blood Letter, and other imperial period films. I'll probably take way too long to finish this, if I even finish it at all. Updates will be pretty irregular due to college and inconsistent motivation.
Disclaimer: Contains death, violence, gore, blood, and murder. Proceed at your own risk. Note that portrayal does not equal the author condoning problematic behavior.
