During the relief efforts for the disaster in Jiangnan, the Crown Prince plots to frame Pei Yanchuan for embezzling disaster relief grain and conspiring to seize the throne. Shen Zhiheng and Pei Yanchuan join forces to thwart the scheme, working with her elder sister, Shen Lingyi, who has been secretly stationed in the Eastern Palace, to investigate corruption and expose the truth behind the treasonous plot. After enduring life-and-death trials, the two clear up the misunderstanding that one was merely a substitute for the other and finally understand each other's feelings. Together, they quell the turmoil in the imperial court and find a love between equals, as well as their own independent sense of purpose.