A Strange Dream in the Southern Dynasties: A Chess Game of Power and Redemption

The Zhaoming Palace went up in flames. The Seventh Prince, Xiao Jingyan, faked his death and spent twenty years surviving in disguise as a warehouse clerk named Su Yan. A bloodstained iron token and a deadly game of strategy dragged him back into the vortex of the imperial power struggle. The Imperial Guard hunted him, the Shadow Pavilion pursued him, and even the Yixin Studio, hidden among ordinary folk, was reduced to scorched earth.

When Ku Lian Convent was attacked, a black-lotus wraith concealed murderous intent. A coded message broke the deadlock, and the cold-faced female guard A Ruan turned out to be his only ally. Rumor had it the late emperor's secret edict concealed a shocking secret. The only person who knew the truth had been imprisoned in the deepest water cell of the Imperial City Office's prison, enduring twenty years of torture in darkness.

Su Yan infiltrated the hidden river, broke into the death prison, faced poisoned needles, and unraveled deadly schemes. With his broken body, he fought for a chance to live; with his calculating mind, he outmaneuvered those who had already sealed his fate. As the split within the Lotus Guardians came to light and the collusion between the Shadow Pavilion and the court was exposed, he realized he was both a pawn and the only hope of breaking the game.

This is a battle of wits and power in which lives are on the line. One wrong move means utter ruin. He must dance on the edge of a blade, turn the tables in the face of despair, uncover the truth behind the palace coup twenty years ago, and reclaim everything that belongs to him.