The renowned general Ji Fanchen and Li You, an impoverished scholar from a once-wealthy family, cross paths briefly in the capital.
Though the two had no connection at all, they become entangled in the case of Li Bai, who was framed and imprisoned five years earlier by Wang Fu, an all-powerful court official, and later died suddenly in prison.
Determined to clear her family’s name, Li You takes the initiative to join forces with Ji Fanchen, shattering the peace in the imperial court. When they uncover one corner of the darkness, they find a sheer cliff ahead and an abyss behind. They can neither advance nor retreat.
But what Li You never expected was that everyone from the crown prince to an unknown shadow guard would be implicated. Even Jiang Moling, the second prince, who had lived in seclusion at a country estate for years, comes out of retirement of his own accord.
Usurpation, rebellion, assassination, framing, poisoning, power grabs, imprisonment, conviction, and deposition: schemes everywhere, traps at every turn. How can they clear the name of those involved in events spanning five years? And how will Li You and Ji Fanchen escape disaster?
As the case against Wang Fu finally draws to a close, there is no time to recover before one crisis follows another. Powerful relatives of the imperial family secretly collude with an enemy nation, the Jue people invade, and the borderlands suffer repeated raids. The people cry out in misery, and war is on the verge of breaking out. General Ji Fanchen receives orders to lead the army, while Li You devises strategies. Together they fight through bloodshed, vowing never to retreat!
They make a bold vow: they will not return home until the Jue people are driven back. But the battlefield is full of danger, with open attacks and hidden weapons everywhere. How will Li You protect herself?
Amid the flames of war, their feelings grow. They pledge themselves to each other, but an unforeseen blow from above tears them apart.
They cannot defy the imperial command. What will become of them now?
