Main storyline: During the Yongning reign of the Great Li Dynasty, a series of murders takes place in the imperial harem. At every crime scene, "irrefutable evidence" points to a particular consort. The women of the harem live in fear, and their rivalries grow ever fiercer. Shen Zhiwei, a low-ranking talented lady renowned for her medical knowledge and keen eye for detail, is secretly appointed by the emperor to investigate. Little by little, she discovers that the supposed "consorts fighting over the emperor and murdering one another" is merely a cover for someone using others to do their killing. Behind every murder lies a massacre from twenty years ago, buried during the previous emperor's reign. As the truth draws near, Shen Zhiwei realizes that she, too, is a piece in this game.
