In 1890, when Constance Baird came to Imperial China, nothing could have prepared her for the strangeness or the splendor of this land and its people. Married to a stern missionary, Constance knew little of life... and even less of love. Her ravishing beauty, and innocent charm made her easy prey for Ksian Fu, the decandent Manchu prince whose enflamed passion could not be denied. Trapped in an alien culture with its ever shifting struggles for power, Constance is soon prey to the corrupt schemings of a ruthless empress. Constance's own fate becomes precarious amidst the conflicts of war and rebellion. Finally, in the arms of a daring American officer, Constance finds the peace she has dreamed of... and the true love that has long escaped her.