Xiao Chen, heir to the Prince of An's title, spends his days pretending to be a spoiled young nobleman who loves cockfighting and amusement and has no interest in learning. This is all to dispel the imperial family and the Crown Prince's suspicions about his father's command of the northern border troops. In secret, he controls the intelligence network known as the Eternal Night Pavilion. When he discovers that his subordinates in the Southern Frontier were slaughtered with standard-issue weapons from Northern Yan, he follows the clues and uncovers the Crown Prince's conspiracy to seize power by colluding with the Ministry of War. Facing a treacherous banquet at the Eastern Palace, he carefully plans every move, seeking a hidden list of names so he can strike back against the web of schemes concealed within the imperial court.