Zhao An, a low-ranking soldier on the frontier, saves a eunuch inspector on a snowy night, exposes a traitor in league with the enemy, and runs a spear through his superior's throat. He thinks he's defending his country, only to discover he's stepped into an even greater war: the struggle at court.
What chance does a mud-legged nobody who crawled out of a heap of corpses have against those aristocratic clans? Military merit? No one at court has seen him fight. Marriage alliances? The chancellor's illegitimate daughter is his only bargaining chip. Choosing a faction? He picks the weakest prince, the Third Prince.
Everyone laughs at him for overestimating himself. Until he teaches them a lesson with his blade: even a pawn can take the king once it crosses the river.
