Shadows of Retribution

Prince Wáng Mò Yǔ is the only heir left to Prince Wáng Jùnhào of Jing. His father has great affection for him, but his father's wife hates him. This is because Mò Yǔ is the son of a courtesan who became heir only after her son died, and now she plots relentlessly against both Mò Yǔ and her husband. Wáng Jùnhào is also compiling a dossier of evidence that the provincial governor has been embezzling funds and using his position for personal gain. When Mò Yǔ discovers a shocking secret about his father's wife, one that could lead to her execution, he thinks this secret will free him from further abuse. Then his father is murdered, and the murder weapon is found in his study. Now Mò Yǔ is on the run. If they catch him, he'll be silenced before he can ever tell his story. Outside the palace, he runs into a quirky mercenary named Rèn Yǔ who knows he's more than he appears to be. Mò Yǔ claims he's a courtesan who has escaped from a pleasure house, hoping the mercenary will take him as far away from his pursuers as possible. When the truth comes out, Rèn Yǔ promises to get the prince to the Censorate Investigator, but before he can, the prince is kidnapped by his enemies. Can the mercenary save the prince he loves?