Li Lingxue returns in complete victory from her western expedition, yet the court and the capital are rife with rumors of her defeat. Imperial son-in-law An Deshi and the courtesan An Chunxiang act wildly and lawlessly in the estate, squeezing out loyal servants, driving her daughter Cui Wan'er to a manor to feed pigs, and subjecting her to all sorts of abuse. Coerced, Wan'er can only endure in silence and repeatedly covers up their faults for them. Li Lingxue takes back the authority in the estate and wants to punish the two, only to find the imperial court churning with undercurrents. The Emperor dreads her military achievements, and Military Commissioner Chu Jingtian leads troops into the capital to disrupt the imperial court. Maneuvering among multiple factions, Li Lingxue relies on her subordinates, the Yingyang Guards and the Tiance Army, to unravel heavy conspiracies, pacify the rebellious party, expose the truth about the Emperor plotting against her late husband and poisoning the Grand Empress Dowager, and ultimately holds the reins of the Great Qian dynasty.