Book excerpt: Uncle Tiki Pu is in terrible trouble with the War Lord, and Tashi must rely on the help of a phoenix, a beautiful creature with eyes of crystal and tail feathers of gold, to save him and his family. Then Princess Sarashina's sister is told she must marry a man who is sneaky and cruel instead of the good, kind Cha Ming who loves her best of all. How will Tashi persuade the powerful emperor to change his mind? It takes more than courage to deal with warlords and emperors, but Tashi always has a clever idea and something useful in his pocket.