Zhao Changnian is the Seventh Prince of the Daqing Empire, a royal descendant known for being insignificant, cowardly, and entirely uninterested in court politics. Born to a low-ranking consort who died young and a father, the Emperor, who shows him little attention, Zhao Changnian has spent nineteen years adhering to his mother’s dying wish: never stand out, and simply survive. His primary goal is to coast through life, avoiding the fierce rivalry between the Crown Prince and other powerful princes. During the Empress Dowager’s sixtieth birthday banquet, Zhao Changnian sneaks away to relieve herself and accidentally stumbles upon the murder of the prison warden. With no time to escape, she hides in a cabinet in the Eight Treasures Hall, only to be discovered by Ye Jiangbai, the Duke of Fuguo, a man renowned for his ruthlessness, political power, and inscrutable nature. Instead of exposing her, Ye Jiangbai pretends the hall is empty and tells the searching guards that the assassin has fled, secretly warning Zhao Changnian to turn himself in after three days. Confused and terrified, Zhao Changnian returns to the banquet, unaware that Ye Jiangbai has already marked him as a pawn in a larger game.
At the banquet, the princes present gifts to the Empress Dowager. The Crown Prince offers a single, massive pearl, drawing admiration. When Zhao Changnian presents his gift, it is revealed to be a string of eighteen identical century-old pearls, a display of wealth that far outshines the Crown Prince’s offering. Zhao Changnian is horrified, as he could not have afforded such a gift, realizing immediately that someone has framed him to provoke the Crown Prince’s wrath. Indeed, the Crown Prince, furious at the loss of face, summons Zhao Changnian. Ye Jiangbai offers to introduce him, but secretly arranges for Zhao Changnian to be beaten with twenty strokes of the paddle for disrespecting the heir apparent. Bleeding and in agony, Zhao Changnian crawls to Ye Jiangbai for help, believing the Duke to be a savior. Ye Jiangbai takes him to a side hall, applies medicine, and secretly poisons him to test his loyalty and gather information, all while maintaining a facade of kindness.
As Zhao Changnian lies unconscious, suffering from the poison and his injuries, Ye Jiangbai watches him with a mix of contempt and unexpected curiosity. He had expected the prince to be cunning, but finds him utterly naive and gullible. When the Emperor visits Zhao Changnian, Ye Jiangbai subtly influences the conversation, ensuring the Emperor views the Crown Prince’s actions harshly. Zhao Changnian, waking up in pain and fever, believes Ye Jiangbai is his only ally. He offers the Duke a small jade ornament as a thank-you gift, completely unaware that Ye Jiangbai orchestrated his suffering. Ye Jiangbai, feeling a strange twinge of guilt but also amusement at the prince’s stupidity, accepts the gift and continues to manipulate the situation. He plans to use Zhao Changnian’s testimony regarding the murder to undermine the Crown Prince’s authority over the imperial guards and military funds. Zhao Changnian, eager to please and desperate for safety, agrees to cooperate fully, believing that by testifying against the assassin, he can clear his name and gain his father’s favor. The story sets the stage for a complex political struggle where Zhao Changnian, the unwilling pawn, is drawn deeper into the web of court intrigue spun by the calculating Duke of Fuguo, while remaining blissfully ignorant of the true danger he faces.
