In Breaking the Willow, tells the story of two Chinese women, of different dynasty & society, their personal link to a bejeweled Phoenix Tierra. Cui, a woman of humble background, who divorce her husband to marry again for comfort, who dreams her husband will gain title and bring the official Phoenix Tierra to honor her. One day her dream come true but is too late. Hsiao Yu, a beautiful songstress from a royal decent of the past dynasty, meets the First Scholar and falls in love. The day after their wedding, the husband is called for the frontier. The fallen Princess wears her Phoenix Tierra to bid him fare well poetry.

Young people encounter life lost in Chinese ten years chaos. A couple fall in love and get married, and then vacillate about affection after the end of chaos.