A series of mysterious deaths involving internal combustion is threatening to derail the coronation of Empress Wu. To ensure the royal event goes off without a hitch, the soon-to-be Empress takes former dissident/brilliant detective Dee out of jail to investigate the case with her loyal aide. However, the investigation is threatened almost immediately by assassins in the shadows, a detour into a mysterious underground market, and a sacred temple that the Empress is determined to protect. Soon, Dee realizes that the mysterious deaths may end up threatening not just the empress' coronation, but the entire empire as well.