The Shadow Guard

A shadow guard must have no heart.

That was Qing Yao's first thought after clawing her way out of a mountain of corpses.

A shadow guard must be loyal.

That was the instinct etched into Qing Yao's bones after ten years of conditioning under Prince Yan.

*

The emperor is gravely ill, and Prince Yan receives orders to return to the capital.

Qing Yao disguises herself as Prince Yan's favorite concubine to investigate the private affairs of officials in the capital.

At a palace banquet, the crown prince takes a fancy to Qing Yao and asks Prince Yan to give her to him.

Since the crown prince is the greatest obstacle on the road to the throne, Prince Yan is happy to put an informant right under his nose.

This is Qing Yao's first mission of such importance, and she is full of confidence.

To keep the crown prince from noticing anything amiss, Qing Yao is fortunate enough to share a night of passion with her master first.

Between the sheets, Prince Yan sighs softly in her ear:

"You are beautiful, but..."

Qing Yao is feeling great, and is too dazed to know what he's sighing about.

"The crown prince likes to play the pig to eat the tiger. You only need to find evidence that he's raising a private army. Once the mission is done, I'll get you out of the residence."

Qing Yao nods seriously. Thinking of what Qing Qi told her, she asks with ruthless resolve, "So I just need to enjoy myself with that damned crown prince to gain his trust, then pillow-talk him for information? I don't need to kill him?"

Prince Yan: ...

The next morning, Prince Yan gives her a packet of incense powder.

"This is a bewitching incense. Just scatter it in the burner at night. You don't need to make the act real."

The following night, Prince Yan slips into the Eastern Palace in black.

"Forget it. I'll think of another way. You don't need to give yourself to him."

After Qing Yao returns from the Eastern Palace, she is never again entrusted with important tasks.

Qing Yao doesn't understand. She was clearly devoted to Prince Yan.

*

Once, he told her not to have divided loyalties.

Later, he told her she had to give him her true heart.

/ The female lead is gorgeous, and lots and lots of people love her.

Theme: First, stay alive. Everything else comes second.