When the 17th Sokan Emperor dies and his son prepares to ascend the throne, the winds of revolution and political intrigue start to blow. But even despite the difficulties of his ascension, the new emperor must still find himself an empress.The call goes out across the nation for girls to join the contest, and soon the Forbidden City is filled with young women training and competing for the chance to become empress. One of those who answers that call is Ginga, an outspoken young farm girl who thinks that the three meals and a nap that comes with the job sounds like a pretty good deal. But she gets more than she bargained for in the process, and must rise to the challenge among her fellow candidates, and to the dangers threatening the new government she has unwittingly become a part of.