A single imperial edict betroths Xie Yunshu, the "frail" legitimate daughter of the prime minister, to Crown Prince Xiao Yan. The world sees only a beauty matched with the heir to the throne, unaware that this marriage is the gravely ill emperor's most calculated scheme. Xie Yunshu is in truth a blade wielded by the royal family's secret guards. She goes to the Eastern Palace ostensibly to assist the crown prince, but in reality to watch and keep him in check. On their wedding night, beneath the glow of red candles, the gentle crown prince smiles over a game of chess. "I know you are the master of Hidden Qilin." She calmly makes her move in reply. "And do you know that the Black Armor Army you've been secretly training has already committed a grave offense against His Majesty?" Thus begins a game of political intrigue, born of conspiracy and contract. She pulls the strings of power from behind the scenes in the inner palace, while he maneuvers openly through court. Suspicion and probing intertwine, and their wits and methods clash. Then, as the realm is thrown into turmoil and arrows close in, he shields her with his body, and she casts aside her blade to become his piece on the board. In this age-spanning game for control of the realm, they must stand side by side and make their moves, or all will have been for nothing.
