Xie Yan was reborn on the eve of the military coup. With a single blaze, he reduced the symbols of imperial power to ash. As the dragon throne crumbled, he discovered that Shen Zhao had been waiting for him in the flames all along. This seemingly loyal Vice Minister of Revenue was actually descended from the previous dynasty. Zhao Yuanheng, commander of the Imperial Guard, threatened him with a military tally; Pei Jiuling, Minister of Rites, laid a net with no escape. And the true key to burning down the palace turned out to be a palace maid whose face had been disfigured by fire. He had not burned a chair, but the roots of the old order. This time, no one could use him as a pawn again.
