In the last years of Yong'an, the late emperor was seriously ill and his throne was vacant. The eldest prince, Xiao Lin, controlled the government and his path to the throne was unstoppable.
Xiao Heng, the seventh prince who was born as a sinful concubine, has been hiding for more than ten years and struggled to gain a foothold in the court. Shen Qingci, the only daughter of the former Taifu who was unjustly exiled, bears a blood feud and becomes the only adviser and light around Xiao Heng. The two were wise and resourceful and walked side by side. From the life and death situation of Jiangnan disaster relief to the road of raising troops on the side of the Qing Dynasty, they fought step by step against Xiao Lin, who had laid a dragnet.
But every step they make falls into their opponents' calculations. At the end of Tongguan, Xiao Heng died on the battlefield with thousands of arrows piercing his heart. Shen Qingci hugged his lover's body and would rather die than succumb to Xiao Lin who ascended the throne as emperor. He drew his sword and committed suicide in love.
Xiao Lin ruled the world and ruled tyrannically for thirteen years. In the end, civil unrest broke out and on the day the imperial city was destroyed, he set fire to the palace and burned the palace to ashes along with the thousands of miles of land.
Purpose: 1. To tear apart the cruel nature of feudal power schemes and break the stereotype of Shuangwen
The work abandons the cliché of "win in a battle of wits" and reveals the truth of the game of imperial power: ruthlessness without a bottom line and absolute power that has been cultivated for many years can often overwhelm the ingenuity and benevolence of adhering to the bottom line. The protagonists are not not smart enough, but they are unwilling to abandon their original aspirations for victory. Their failure is the inevitable fate of idealists in the dark power arena.
2. Praise the undying benevolence and affection in troubled times
In the cold power struggle, Xiao Heng always adheres to the bottom line of "the people are the foundation of the country". Shen Qingci shares life and death with him, and their deep affection that they would rather die than surrender is the light that runs through the entire text. Although the two were defeated in the power struggle, they were remembered by the people for their kindness and sincerity, which transcended the narrow conclusion of "the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit", and gave the work a warmth that transcends the power struggle itself.
3. Confirms the historical iron law that "tyranny must perish"
The closed loop of Xiao Lin's life completes the core inquiry: The world won by ruthlessness will eventually be lost by ruthlessness. He won the battle to seize the heir, but lost the support of the people due to tyranny, and ultimately ended up dead, the country was destroyed, and he was buried in a sea of fire. This profoundly confirmed the historical law of "the one who wins the hearts of the people wins the world" and criticized the corruption and destruction brought about by the absolute power of the feudal autocratic imperial power.