In the matriarchal nation of Dayao, Eldest Princess Shen Ciyu was once known across the court as the "ambitious princess." Secretly harboring retainers and befriending court officials, she was merely waiting for the right moment to seize the supreme throne from her own sister, Empress Shen Zhaohua. However, a severe illness caused her to have a dream. In her dream, she envisioned herself storming into the Golden Luan Palace with a blade, only to be pierced through the chest by a hidden guard's sword. At death's door, she saw her sister cradling her lifeless body and weeping bitterly, trembling all over. After waking up, Shen Ciyu did three things: she burned all her secret letters, dismissed all her strategists, and knelt before her sister to confess everything. The Empress remained half-doubtful, the civil and military officials whispered amongst themselves, and everyone believed she was merely playing a game of "retreating in order to advance."