A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor's attention. Young Mei knows nothing of the womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget. Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But as divided loyalties split the palace in two, Mei is thrown into a perilous battle that she can only hope to survive.