Episode Summary
Prince Xiao Wuyang captures the capital, but the child emperor is kidnapped by the rival Tiger Guard faction. Wuyang seeks a strategist named Xie Huaian. In a remote village, Huaian kills a Tiger Guard sleeper agent who tries to silence him. Huaian leaves his horme to join the political fight in the capital.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 1
A Bloody Throne and a Missing Kid
The show wastes zero time throwing us into the deep end. It’s the 28th year of Qiansheng. The old Emperor dies. General Yan Fengshan immediately grabs power. He installs a puppet child emperor, Xiao Wenjing, and starts killing off anyone who looks at him funny.
But Prince Xiao Wuyang isn't having it. He rallies the troops in the north. He marches south to "clean up the court." It works. He rides his warhorse right into the palace.
The victory lap is short-lived. Wuyang finds five charred bodies in Taiji Hall. The word on the street is that the child emperor committed suicide out of fear. Wuyang doesn't buy it. He has Gu Yu bring in a coroner. They dig through the burnt remains. It’s gruesome work. They find a token inside one of the stomachs. It belongs to the Tiger Guard, General Yan’s elite guard.
The kid isn't dead. The Tiger Guard kidnapped him. Wuyang realizes the enemy hasn't given up; they just retreated to regroup.
Scouting for Talent
Wuyang needs a brain to match his brawn. A strategist suggests a guy named Xie Huaian. This guy has baggage. The Tiger Guard wiped out his entire family when he was a kid. He watched his father die. He’s been plotting revenge for over a decade. Wuyang is interested, but he’s cautious. He wants to see this guy for himself.
We cut to Huainan. It's a poor, dusty village. The local magistrate, Zhou Mo, is freaking out. An imperial envoy is coming. He orders his staff to dress up and gets a band together to welcome the VIP.
The Smartest Guy in the Cornfield
Xie Huaian is currently sunbathing on a threshing floor. His buddy Ziya runs up with a stack of old official newspapers. This is how Huaian stays in the loop. He reads the roster changes for the capital's defense guard. He notices the new commander is a coward. He correctly predicts that Wuyang has already taken the capital.
Ziya mentions that Zhou Mo is at the village entrance waiting for the envoy. Huaian panics. Zhou Mo loves Huaian’s writing. He plans to gift Huaian’s essays to the new regime to curry favor. If those essays get out, Huaian will be branded a traitor.
Huaian sprints to the village entrance. He "accidentally" knocks over the scroll. He swaps it out for a different one. He tells the envoy the new scroll is actually Zhou Mo’s work. The envoy loves it. He orders Huaian to come back to the capital with him.
The Dinner Party from Hell
Zhou Mo throws a farewell feast. He treats Huaian to good wine and meat. Later, they sit on the threshing floor under the moonlight. The alcohol hits. Huaian gets sloppy. He admits his real identity. He tells Zhou Mo about the Tiger Guard killing his family. He says he’s going to the capital for blood.
This is a mistake.
Later that night, Huaian is reading in his room. Something feels off. He opens his door and finds a sword at his throat. It’s Zhou Mo.
The magistrate drops a bomb. He is a sleeper agent for the Tiger Guard. He’s been hiding in this village for years. He can’t let anyone threaten his organization. He hands Huaian a cup of poison wine. Huaian looks defeated. He takes the cup. But he doesn't drink. He catches Zhou Mo off guard and stabs him in the heart.
The next morning, Huaian’s friends come to say goodbye with a basket of eggs. Instead, they see him walk out with a bloody knife. Zhou Mo, in his final moments, told the locals to keep this quiet and not blame Huaian. Huaian leaves the village alone. He starts his long walk to the capital.
