Chen Yan, a lowborn slave, earns a marquisate and the post of chancellor with a single policy essay. Su Yanqiu, a woman disguised as a man, holds a secret ledger capable of bringing down the Six Ministries. From distrust to entrusting each other with their lives, they are swept into a maelstrom of royal secrets, remnants of the previous dynasty, and a coup by the Imperial Guard. When an old coroner uncovers the mystery of the imperial bloodline, when Liu Rushuang lights the fires of restoration, when Li Huaide holds a blood-written edict and Zhao Heng turns against his allies, this night’s enfeoffment as a marquis proves to be only the beginning of an even bloodier game.
