Mid 19th century. The Celestial Empire, torn apart by wars and uprisings, is ruled by an emperor whose days are numbered, but he still does not have an heir. A girl from an impoverished Manchu family named Orchid ends up in the palace during the next set of concubines. Her goal is not to get lost among dozens of other contenders for the favor of the Son of Heaven. To survive in the Forbidden City, where intrigues and cruel customs reign among luxurious pavilions and fragrant gardens, she needs to cross the line - to reject all feelings and emotions. Only cold calculation can bring her to the pinnacle of power. Any means are good when you have a mysterious talisman as your assistant - a silver figurine of a Crocodile...