In the winter of the twenty-seventh year of Yong'an, the Marquis' Mansion in Jing'an was overturned overnight, and everyone was executed. Only the concubine Shen Qingci was left to bear the blood feud. In front of the prison gate, he met Xiao Jue, the seventh prince who was rumored to be indifferent and dignified. With "their lives entrusted to each other" as a contract, he stepped into the turbulent game of power and chess.
Changing from plain clothes to staff shirts, Shen Qingci used his resourcefulness as an edge to help Xiao Jue open a gap in the melee between the East Palace, the second prince, and the fifth prince: from spreading rumors of the prince's corruption, to dealing with the temptation of the night banquet at the fifth prince's house, to discovering secret letters and suspicions when tracing old cases in the Hou Mansion, he stepped on the tip of the knife every step of the way. Xiao Jue's protection and calculation, trust and concealment make this relationship that started with interests gradually become complicated and warm - he is a chess piece and a confidant who can stand side by side with Xiao Jue.
When Shen Qingci went to the south of the Yangtze River in search of the censor, the power structure in the capital was quietly reshuffled. The counterattack of the old East Palace, the mastermind behind the mysterious "Lin" mark, and the past mystery involving Xiao Jue's private seal drew the two into a deeper whirlpool. The snow falls silently inside the red wall, and the hatred and justice in the hearts of innocent people are intertwined. Can they uncover the real murderer in the struggle for imperial power and reach the pinnacle of power? This power game that starts with exploitation will end with sincerity or blood.
Purpose: 2. Deconstructing the symbiosis of "utilization" and "sincerity" - Xiao Jue and Shen Qingci started from the fetters of interests, and developed trust and concern in the struggle for imperial power, proving that there is room for the growth of sincere emotions in the power field.