In an empire where nobles control all official positions, Yu Yan, a young man from the countryside, is fortunate enough to gain admission to the prestigious Royal Investigation Department Academy. Every two years, an imperial examination allows both nobles and commoners to join this elite agency, which holds power equal to the six ministries and has authority to punish even members of the royal family. The department oversees defense, intelligence warfare, assassinations, and espionage missions.
Yu Yan participates in the imperial exam with the dream of becoming an official within the department. Students are housed in a special academy building where leaving is forbidden until the end of the term. Within these walls, however, rebellion simmers, and a desire for chaos quietly grows.
Meanwhile, the Second Prince, Ji Xin, stripped of his royal title at birth and held captive in the Southern Kingdom of Wu, seeks revenge for his mother’s murder. He secretly establishes the Investigation Department as a tool to serve the kingdom—but within its walls, the seeds of rebellion and chaos also take root.
As Yu Yan and Prince Ji Xin navigate the academy’s challenges, their opposing goals and conflicting paths test their courage, intelligence, and resolve. Each must confront the dangers of life and ambition while facing the hidden forces that shape the empire