I picked up this book at a used bookstore and I’m very happy that I did. Empress Orchid details the story of a girl, Orchid Yehonala. It starts with the death of Orchid’s father that thrusts her family into poverty. Once arriving in Peking her family is living in poverty and she fears she will be forced to marry. Instead, Orchid gets the chance to become one of Emporer Hsien Feng’s wives when he advertises that he is looking for Manchu partners.
Orchid goes through the selection process and is chosen as one of the seven wives. The author describes in detail the riches and greatness of the forbidden kingdom and the life of an empress. Once Orchid becomes Lady Yehonala she is not allowed to do anything for herself and is always prepared and looking for someone who might be trying to cause her harm. Initially, the Emporer does not see Yehonala for a long time after she becomes an Empress and she goes through great lengths to learn ways to please a man if she gets the chance. She suffers loneliness and despair at what her life will be like if she is neglected by her husband.
After a time of struggle she is able to bear the Emporer a son. She also takes great trouble to support the Emporer as he shoulders more responsibility and has weakend health due to the stress of the problems of a country resting on his shoulders. Lady Yehonala meets many important men and does what she can to support the Emporer through reading correspondence and writing decrees. She also does what she can to teach her son the skills that he will one day need.
Lady Yehonala uses many strategies throughout this story to achieve what she can and to protect the country of China against the threats that it is facing. She fills rolls that women had never been allowed to fill before and demonstrates her intellegence and resolve throughout her life.
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