[Power Couple + Political Schemes + Playing Dumb to Catch the Tiger + Master and Disciple]
[The "Good-for-Nothing" Empress vs. the Left Chancellor with Many Identities]
The flame of the Fuyu people's revival lies hidden in the shadows of the Great Chu court.
Shen Yanci, the all-powerful Left Chancellor, advances step by step under the guise of being the emperor's tutor, maneuvering the seemingly naive Xiao Nian onto the dragon throne. He is her guiding light, teaching her political strategy and the art of balancing power, protecting her as she finds her footing in the treacherous court. Yet he is also the most dangerous player, using the empress to stir up a storm, all to pave the way home for the Fuyu people.
Xiao Nian, the first female emperor in the history of Great Chu, hides a brilliant mind behind her "good-for-nothing" facade. She drinks in every lesson her master offers, making the best of his schemes as she places her pieces on the board of power. She seems to let him lead her, but in truth, she has long since laid a hidden line of countermeasures.
The exchanges between ruler and ministers in court are battles fought without smoke or fire. The casual talks between master and disciple in the imperial garden conceal suspicion and wariness. When support turns into a struggle for balance, and feelings become tangled up with manipulation, this master and disciple, walking along the edge of a blade, will finally face a life-or-death game amid the whirlpool of empire and people, sincerity and political schemes.
He wants her realm to restore his homeland; she wants his loyalty to protect her people. And the tenderness revealed by candlelight in the dead of night: is it a player's weakness, or a deadly lure?
