The Banquet

At the end of the Tang dynasty, Wu Luan is heartbroken by the Emperor's plan to marry Little Wan. He withdraws from court and seeks refuge in a remote theater to study music and dance. This artistic exile marks the first crack in the imperial order that drives the plot.

Li, the Emperor's brother, murders him and seizes the throne, plunging the court into treachery. The line of succession becomes a battlefield for power, with various factions maneuvering to gain advantage. Wu Luan's departure and the murder set the stage for a deadly game of cat and mouse within the palace.

Riders are dispatched to kill Wu Luan and make the killing look accidental. He survives the attack and returns to the capital, more cautious but unbroken. The attempt underscores how dangerous the Emperor's network has become.

Back at court, Wu Luan is greeted by Empress Wan and her lady-in-waiting Qing Nu, who is officially engaged to him. The encounter intertwines romance with politics, intensifying the palace's intrigue. The Empress's presence signals a shifting balance of power around Wu Luan.

A palace official is publicly condemned after greeting Empress Wan as Empress Dowager, revealing the court's ruthlessness. The event weakens Yin Taichang's faction and reshapes loyalties within the bureaucracy. Tensions flare as punishment becomes a tool of political control.

The Emperor asks Wu Luan to perform a brief swordplay ceremony to practice for the Empress's upcoming coronation. The request tests Wu Luan's martial image and his usefulness to the regime. As the date nears, the palace hums with watchful, dangerous energy.

During the rehearsal, Wu Luan stages a masked mime that exposes his uncle as the murderer of his father. The bold performance unsettles the Emperor and reveals Wu Luan's resolve. The revelation threatens the throne and escalates the conflict at court.

The Emperor schemes to remove Wu Luan by exchanging him as a hostage for the Khitan prince, though the prince is believed to be an impostor. An ambush is prepared on the snowy border to execute the plan. Yin Taichang's son, Yin Sun, is drawn into this dangerous plot and acts on behalf of the Empress' design.

At the border, Yin Taichang's son Yin Sun intervenes and saves Wu Luan during the ambush, preventing his capture. This act shifts the balance of loyalties and protects Wu Luan for the moment. It also deepens the feud between Yin Sun and the Empress' faction.

At the coronation banquet, the Empress attempts to poison the Emperor with arsenic trioxide and black scorpions. The plan seems to unfold when Qing Nu, wearing a mask, receives the poisoned cup and dies on stage. Wu Luan consoles her in her dying moments, and the Emperor realizes the Empress's treachery.

Confronted with the revelation, the Emperor drinks the remainder of the poisoned wine and dies. The Empress Wan proclaims Wu Luan the new Emperor, consolidating power through tragedy. The palace reels as a ruthless change of power unfolds.

Enraged by his sister's murder, Yin Sun attempts to kill Empress Wan at the height of her power. Wu Luan intervenes to stop him, but the blade is poisoned. Yin Sun dies from the wound, and the Empress finishes him with a stabbing blow.

The Lord Chamberlain proclaims Empress Wan as Empress Regnant, cementing her control over the realm. Wu Luan lies dying, unable to prevent the Empress's ascent. The ruthless transition curdles any remaining hope for a stable succession.

During celebrations, Empress Wan is pierced by a flying blade and dies. The killer's identity remains unknown, leaving the court in ambiguity and grief. The throne's fate remains unsettled as the palace absorbs another brutal betrayal.