title: Empress: A Novel
author: Shan Sa
description: From the internationally best-selling author of <i>The Girl Who Played Go </i>(2003) comes another brilliant historical novel set in China. Reaching back in time to the seventh century, Shan re-creates a China ruled by the powerful Tang dynasty. Chosen to become one of the emperor's royal concubines, a young girl known as Heavenlight is thrust into the exotic world of the Forbidden City, where she must learn to navigate politics, court intrigue, and petty jealousies. One among 10,000 girls and women, she eventually distinguishes herself from the others by relying on her intelligence, wit, and fierce determination. Chosen by the heir to the throne to be his first wife, she ascends to the throne after her husband's death, becoming the first empress of China. Based on the controversial reign of Empress Wu, this fictional biography illuminates the life and times of one of the ancient world's most powerful, capable, and overlooked women. <i>Brad Hooper</i><br><i>Copyright &#169; American Library Association. All rights reserved</i>
zlib_text: Contents
  Chapter 561 The Empress's Plan
  Chapter 562 Being Drunk In The Long Feng Tower (Part One)
  Chapter 563 Being Drunk In The Long Feng Tower (Part Two)
  Chapter 564 Punish One Man As A Warning To Others
  Chapter 565 The Argument (Part One)
  Chapter 566 The Argument (Part Two)
  Chapter 567 Get Out Of Danger
  Chapter 568 Lady Hui
  Chapter 569 The Return Of The Eldest Princess
  Chapter 570 The Eldest Princess Visits
  Chapter 571 A Letter From The State Of Ning
  Chapter 572 An Incident In The Imperial Garden
  Chapter 573 The Empress Intervenes
  Chapter 574 The Handsome Monk
  Chapter 575 Collusion
  Chapter 576 Meeting Su Ruying For The First Time
  Chapter 577 Tangled Red Threads
  Chapter 578 hidden murderous intent (Part One)
  Chapter 579 hidden murderous intent (Part Two)
  Chapter 580 Testing
  Chapter 581 A Good Play
  Chapter 582 Spare All Future Troubles
  Chapter 583 Suspicions
  Chapter 584 The Good News (Part One)
  Chapter 585 The Good News (Part Two)
  Chapter 586 Trouble Arises
  Chapter 587 Panic (Part One