Shen Mochu, the daughter of a guilty minister, was demoted to the East Palace as a maid. She was "recognized" by the face-blind seventh prince Xiao Yan because of the scent of ink on her body. The two made a pact: she would identify loyalties and traitors for him and help seize the legitimate heirs, and he would allow her to be free. After Xiao Yan ascended the throne, he reneged on his promise to keep her as his queen, and the two began the "emperor-empress co-rule". Taifu Zhao Chong used Shen Mochu's sister as a pawn to drive a wedge between the emperor and the empress. His sister's tragic death prompted Shen Mochu to complete the transformation from "being needed" to "irreplaceable". Border troops approached the city, Shen Mochu put on armor to defend the city, and Xiao Yan gave up power in public. In the end, Xiao Yan died of illness, the emperor and the empress shared the coffin, and Shen Mochu came to the court to take the throne, completing the complete arc from "living chess record" to "chess player".
