A book has absolutely possess if you want to know what life ladies of the court, and the énuques Empress Cixi. We can not imagine how hard was the life of a lady of the court (stand still, being beaten to slashing if the slightest mistake was made the ladies of the court risked being beheaded , any negligence, fault must be offered to the Empress, you discover there forced marriages etc ... it's a very rewarding novel to discover life in the Forbidden City.