From the teeming flower boats of Canton harbor to the treacherous waters of the South China Sea, one woman dares to defy fate and forge her own destiny. Shi Yang, sold into a floating brothel, uses her sharp mind not just to survive, but to gather secrets ? observing naval formations, trade routes, and the whispers of powerful men. Knowledge is her weapon, her currency, her path to freedom.

When the formidable pirate lord Zheng Yi storms onto her boat, he seeks pleasure but finds an intellect that mirrors his own ambition. Instead of accepting his proposal of marriage, Shi Yang demands an unprecedented partnership: equal command, equal share, equal respect. Together, they will build the largest pirate confederation in history, challenging not only the Qing Dynasty but the encroaching European powers.

Amidst fierce battles, shifting alliances, and the constant threat of betrayal, Zheng Yi Sao ? as she becomes known ? must navigate the dangerous currents of command, proving her worth through strategy and ruthlessness. Can a woman rise from the lowest station to rule an empire on the waves, rewriting the rules of power and defying the expectations of an entire world?

The Dragon's Bride is an epic historical fiction novel charting the extraordinary rise of Zheng Yi Sao, a woman whose intelligence and ambition made her one of the most powerful figures in maritime history.