In the last years of the Daning Dynasty, all the forces were like a chess piece. Xiao Qingmo, as the royal military advisor and the prince's best friend, holds the prince at the center of the whirlpool. No one in this game of chess is innocent, and no one is completely evil - the aristocratic family seeks survival, the border army seeks stability, the royal family strives for power, and everyone is "right" in their own position. When friendship and stance collide, when ideals and machinations clash, the winner is often just one step ahead of his opponent. This is a game without bystanders, and the chess player will eventually understand that he is just a pawn in a larger chess game.
Purpose: To explore how human nature seeks balance and choices between ideals and survival, friendship and stance, morality and tactics in a complex and machinational environment, to reveal the theme of "absolute power leads to absolute corruption" and to show that everyone has their own rationality and helplessness in their respective positions.
