May 1877, the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war. A chance meeting at a tavern in St. Petersburg sets off a chain of dramatic events. The murder of an official from the Ministry of the Imperial Household only at first glance seems like an ordinary crime. In addition to the police and the Third Department, an inconspicuous person holding a quiet position is on the trail. He has the confidence of the minister, and his intelligence and acumen may be the envy of detective masters. His opponent is a special person who remains in the shadows until the very end. Acting by someone else's hands, this attacker sets himself a truly grandiose goal. There can be no draw, someone must lose...