In the Huayan dynasty, a realm much like the prosperous Tang, the aging empress has four sons vying for the throne. Suddenly, the eldest legitimate princess, long lost among the common people, returns with a secret edict from the Immortal Emperor, declaring that the empress murdered the sovereign and usurped the throne. She maneuvers among the four princes and joins forces with the sidelined maternal relatives and common-born officials, setting off a bloody game of power over legitimacy and reform.
