Born congenitally weak and diagnosed with not living past eighteen, Yan Ru enters the palace selection seeking a glimmer of survival. Because of her frail appearance that collapses at a puff of wind, she is appointed Consort Lian by the young emperor Gu Chen against all opposition, and housed at Shicui Hall, which shares a wall with the cold palace. Clear-minded and lucid, Yan Ru is not trapped by harem struggles, but single-mindedly delves into the medical path, gradually developing mutual feelings with Gu Chen through their daily interactions. She and Shen Rang, a former deposed prince with superb medical skills, become soulmates bonded by medicine, but Shen Rang sacrifices himself while heading south to fight an epidemic, leaving behind unfinished medical texts. Ultimately, Yan Ru relies on her medical skills to quell the capital's epidemic, proposes establishing a medical college where women can also enroll, is instated as Empress by Gu Chen, and joins hands to pioneer a prosperous era.