Playing Ep 01

Summary:

In the waning days of a powerful dynasty, a talented practitioner of medicine rises to prominence within the royal court. His skills earn him the prestigious position of the court's healing expert, particularly after his effective treatment of a powerful matriarch's ailment. He soon earns the trust of the young and politically fettered sovereign who has been sequestered within the palace walls for defying the formidable elder and for his role in a devastating conflict with a neighboring nation.

As time progresses, the physician not only attends to the physical well-being of the monarch but also becomes a confidant, aiding the ruler's delicate relationship with one of his closest companions within the court. Despite the physician's remarkable expertise, there remains one deep personal challenge he is unable to overcome: the condition that confines his beloved spouse to an immobilized state.

In pursuit of a cure for his wife, he searches for alternative methods and comes across a practitioner renowned for her ability to alleviate suffering through the manipulation of bones. His wife experiences some reprieve under her care, and recognizing her talent, he introduces her to the inner sanctum of the regal residence, where she becomes a personal healer to the elder matriarch. Through this work relationship, an emotional bond starts to develop between the two healers, although the physician's loyalty to his spouse holds him back from pursuing a deeper connection.

Unbeknownst to the physician, his new companion and colleague harbors a secret mission: she has been charged with the grave task of assassinating the young monarch. Her position within the palace, secured with the help of the earnest and unsuspecting doctor, places her at the heart of the imperial sphere, dangerously close to her target. The intertwining of personal loyalty, love, political intrigue, and the complexities of the human condition play out against the backdrop of a fading empire's last gasp for relevance and glory.