"Ten years ago, Iris Shen's mother--Third Madam Shen--did nothing more than sweep up the fallen cherry blossoms in the courtyard, yet it was enough to send Clarissa Lin, the Duke's legitimate daughter, into a fury. In public, Clarissa Lin set her ferocious hounds on Iris Shen and had her mauled to death.
Little Shen witnessed her mother's brutal end with her own eyes--devastated, yet powerless to do anything. Clarissa Lin was about to enter the palace as empress, becoming the most exalted woman in the realm. And she didn't stop there. She ordered Iris Shen dragged to the back mountain to be fed to wolves.
At the brink of death, Iris Shen was saved by a mysterious stranger--someone who promised to teach her how to seduce men, help her enter the palace, win favor, and exact vengeance.
Now she will wield rouge as her blade, slicing through Clarissa Lin's mask of false virtue--and demand justice for her wrongfully slain mother."
