After lying low in the imperial palace for five years, Lin Qiyue is chosen by the Emperor as a pawn, tasked with investigating the factions within the imperial harem and the imperial clan under the guise of a highly favored consort. She hopes to regain her freedom after three years, but learns from a deposed consort living in the Cold Palace that those who came before her have all ended up abandoned. To protect herself, she joins forces with the Empress and the Noble Consort, seizing the opportunity at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to turn the tables. Together, they quell Prince Ning's rebellion and make the Emperor honor his promise to let her leave the palace. In the end, she fakes her death and escapes, opening an inn in Jiangnan and finally taking control of her own life.