Zhenguo female general Chu Lingxiao returns in triumph, yet the emperor bestows upon her a marriage to Xie Jinyan, a sickly and useless person ridiculed by everyone in the chancellor's residence. As they get along in their new marriage, Chu Lingxiao senses that Xie Jinyan harbors hidden strategies, and the two make a pact to join forces against the schemes of the chancellor's primary mother Madam Lin and Xie Jinyu. Xie Jinyan is actually the master of the Tianji Pavilion; his leg ailment and chronic illness are both disguises, and for years he has suffered persecution from slow-acting poison. The imperial court is a turbulent undercurrent, with the emperor wary of Chu Lingxiao's military power and repeatedly setting traps to harm them. Breaking the deadlock shoulder to shoulder, Xie Jinyan reveals his skills and exposes numerous imperial court conspiracies. Upon investigation, Chu Lingxiao learns that the murder of her mother back then was committed by the current emperor; Xie Jinyan also bares his family background as the former crown prince.