Meiji palace maid

Author: Hayashi Mariko
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: This is a novel depicting the inner workings of the Japanese imperial palace during the Meiji Restoration period. A renowned courtesan, Shimada Umeko, though of humble origins, possessed exceptional beauty and intelligence. At the age of nineteen, she was selected to serve in the palace and gained the favor of the Empress. The Prime Minister, Itō Hirobumi, recognizing her outstanding talents and political potential, saw her as a valuable asset. Meanwhile, Umeko sought to leverage Itō's influence as a favored courtier of the Emperor. The two quickly formed an alliance, and Umeko's career soared. Just as Umeko was at the height of her fame and admiration, a newspaper suddenly exposed her as a notorious flirtatious woman, revealing a series of high-society scandals behind her success! The imperial nobility and government officials were thrown into a frenzy, engaging in a series of treacherous and cunning power struggles.