On the day Shen Zhaoyi, the discarded concubine of the Cold Palace, is sentenced to death, she pulls a secret imperial edict from the late emperor out of her sleeve, sending the entire hall into an uproar. The third prince, Xiao Jingheng, is furious, yet cannot hide his hesitation. Empress Cui’s expression changes dramatically, while the mute boy Zhao You’an slowly unfurls a long scroll painted in blood. It turns out the late emperor laid his plans ten years ago, and she is the only key to survive until this moment. As the tide of political intrigue rises, she is no longer a pawn for others to trample, but the one who takes up the brush and rewrites the Mandate of Heaven.
