Zhu Qingchen's emperor has passed away. They grew up together since childhood—playmates as kids, with one being a young study companion and the other the grandson of a bandit leader. As adults, they naturally became entangled, one a favored minister, the other the emperor. The emperor loved him, defied court officials for him, left the imperial harem empty, handed him the keys to the treasury, military authority, and even named him the Crown Prince's Tutor—second only to the sovereign. But now the emperor is dead, and every faction is eyeing him hungrily, eager to trample him into the mud. By day, Zhu Qingchen maneuvers through political rivalries. By night, he clutches the emperor's memorial tablet, sobbing in anguish, cursing the "dead bastard" for dying too soon, too untimely. Mid-sob, a cold hand slips into his collar, accompanied by a man’s amused whisper: "My dear Qingqing, what did I do to deserve your curses?" Oh no. Zhu Qingchen freezes—his wailing has summoned the dead bastard back.