Plot synopsis: "The Confidant" depicts how a group of eunuchs survive in the weakening Qing empire, and closely traces imperial eunuch Li Lianying's early life from the first day he entered the imperial palace to become one of the most powerful political figures in the latter years of the Qing Dynasty. The drama also follows Li's relationship with Empress Dowager Cixi, and how he eventually becomes her closest confidant.