In the third year of Yong'an in Daliang, Shen Mobai, the grandson of a merchant in the capital, was involved in a bizarre murder case and unexpectedly discovered that he had the amazing talent of photographic memory. In the troubled times when powerful ministers were in power and imperial power was declining, he relied on his extraordinary resourcefulness and careful calculation to step from an unknown young man into the whirlpool of power in the court. However, as the mysterious token "Black Iron Compass" left behind by his father appears, a shocking secret related to the collapse of the previous dynasty and the mystery of the current emperor's heir gradually emerges. It turns out that Shen Mobai's life experience is far from being as simple as that of a merchant. He has a bloodline that can shake up the world. When former close friends become enemies, and when loved ones stand on the opposite side, Shen Mobai must make a choice between loyalty and betrayal, emotion and reason. Is he willing to be a pawn on the chessboard, or is he the one who plays chess and writes his own destiny with his own hands? This is a legendary epic about wisdom, power, family, country and love.
