Shen Yingying, a qin musician from Jiangnan, enters the palace and sees through the Emperor's scheme to use her to keep Empress Pei Changyin in check. The two secretly form an alliance, putting on an act of vying for imperial favor in the harem while step by step resolving court crises and safeguarding the stability of the country. After the turmoil settles, Shen Yingying renounces the supreme honor of noble consort to establish a women's academy, improving paper and writing brushes to help thousands of women read and understand reason, break free from worldly shackles, and live out a brand-new life belonging to themselves.