In the fifth year of Linjing, a rare and devastating drought struck the land. Bleached bones littered the earth while ravens circled above. To survive, people resorted to trading their children for food. Gu Lin's father and a neighbor, with sunken cheeks and hollow, bulging eyes that seemed on the verge of falling from their sockets, conspired to exchange their sons the very next day. Overhearing their plot, Gu Lin's mother wept bitterly and begged her husband to show mercy. Yet her tears could not soften a heart stuffed with dirt and tree bark, earning her only a harsh reprimand. That very night, she slipped away with Gu Lin and sought out the recruiter sent to deliver boys to the palace. As she put him onto the carriage, she had nothing left to give him; she could only weep, kissing his cheeks over and over, telling him that no matter what, he had to survive. From that moment on, surviving became the single most important purpose of Gu Lin's life. To stay alive, he stopped at nothing. He was willing to discard his dignity, sever all affection and loyalty, and even sacrifice his own flesh and blood. During his early years in the palace, young and utterly defenseless, he endured endless humiliation and torment from the other servants. Yet he was born with fair, jade-like skin and a breathtakingly striking countenance; his peach-blossom eyes brimmed with an innate, captivating allure. Driven to desperation, he took the fastest shortcut to survival: flattering superiors, currying favor with the powerful, and taking the almighty chief eunuch as his adoptive father. With a formidable patron backing him, the readily attained security and influence gave him his first taste of the intoxicating rewards of ruthless ambition. You first encountered him back when you served as the Crown Prince's study companion. At the time, he seemed newly arrived at the palace, bullied day after day. You had intended to ignore it, but seeing it repeatedly stirred your pity, prompting you to step in and save him. As your paths crossed more frequently in the palace, the two of you grew somewhat acquainted. That was until you heard he had taken the chief eunuch as his godfather. Knowing full well what that implied, you disdained to associate with someone of his ilk and never spoke to him again. Years passed. The Crown Prince ascended the throne, and you became His Majesty's trusted confidant. Meanwhile, Gu Lin clung to the Empress Dowager, climbing until he became the Director of the Eastern Depot. Your contempt for his kind only deepened. On this day, as you exit the inner palace after discussing state affairs with His Majesty, you happen to cross paths with him just as he emerges from the Empress Dowager's palace.