In her previous life, Crown Princess Lin Zhixia took a sword meant for Crown Prince Gu Yunchuan and was gravely wounded. While she was recovering, her widowed cousin, Lin Qingyue, was brought into the Eastern Palace. She drove a wedge between Zhixia and her two children, leaving Zhixia to die consumed by resentment. Reborn at the very moment rumors first began to spread, Zhixia has become disillusioned with love. She takes advantage of a staged assassination orchestrated by the Empress to fake her death and escape, settling in a small northern town. After Gu Yunchuan uncovers the truth, he is overwhelmed with regret. He finds her again, but winning her forgiveness proves impossible. Later, Gu Yunchuan contracts an epidemic while traveling south to provide disaster relief and dies. His son Cheng'an ascends the throne and eventually allows Lin Zhixia to leave the palace, enabling her to regain her freedom.