In the heyday of the Dayao Empire, the imperial star suddenly falls. An edict announcing the emperor's death spreads throughout the court and country, leaving the vast imperial capital without a leader. The realm seems at peace, but beneath the surface, political currents surge.
The late Emperor Xiao Heng fakes his death and goes into hiding, entering the game himself to lay a vast chessboard. He holds to one conviction: until the hearts of the people are pure, imperial power must not be reclaimed. Willingly stepping down from the throne and retreating behind the scenes, he lets chaos in the court reveal itself and good and evil in people's hearts come to light. He waits for treacherous officials to show themselves and rival factions to weaken one another, so he can purge a century of accumulated corruption.
The crown prince at the center of the stage, Xiao Jin, is kindhearted and sincere, with the people in his heart, yet he has neither troops nor power and stands alone. The regent empress dowager controls the court, intent on monopolizing power. Prince Jing, Xiao Ye, feigns benevolence and patience while secretly building his faction and coveting the throne. Officials across the court harbor their own agendas, maneuvering the young ruler at every turn in an effort to make him a puppet.
Amid the blizzards of the northern frontier, the third prince, Xiao Jun, commands the border army. Fierce and forthright, he values loyalty and protects his elder brother. Seeing chaos multiply in the capital, he resolutely marches south with his troops to break the court's deadlock and protect his brother. The Xuantai's covert agents, hidden throughout the realm, are scattered across the court. Their overt and covert operations intertwine, and every disturbance falls within the late emperor's calculations.
Courtroom power struggles, military and political contests, schemes of the heart, and danger at every step: this is an imperial game in which no one can stand apart. Some feign loyalty to the emperor, some conceal their ambitions, some shoulder heavy burdens, and some quietly protect the game.
Beneath the vacant imperial throne lie brothers on divergent paths, ministers throwing the court into chaos, and a realm tossed between rise and fall. Once corruption is swept away and the people's hearts return to what is right, the player hidden in the darkness will at last return to the highest palace, reclaim the realm, and secure peace for Dayao through the ages.
A hidden emperor plays the game amid chaos | A crown prince grows through the flames | Three-way political scheming
