Holding the Waist

After witnessing her mother's assassination by palace eunuchs as a child, Shen Mingtang endures humiliation and hides in the Laundry Bureau, shielding her noble family's blood feud with coarse cloth. The Crown Prince, Xiao Jingheng, poisoned for years, is saved by her using her blood as a guide, earning his protection. Their feelings grow as they support each other; he defies the court to clear her family's old injustice and expose the palace conspiracy. She eventually ascends to become Empress Qingzhao, implementing new policies to usher in a golden age.