Xu Liuguang, who had lived in seclusion in Jiangnan for thirty-six years, was actually the current Empress Dowager. After being found and brought back by her biological family, the General's residence, she is exploited by her entire family and pressured into marrying a treacherous Chancellor in exchange for their advancement and official honors. She publicly exposes their schemes, but the Chancellor and the Xu family join forces to harm her. The Emperor arrives just in time to save her, while court officials plead for mercy on behalf of the guilty. Meanwhile, the Japanese conspire with remnants of the opposing forces to cause chaos. The Empress Dowager ventures deep into Jiangnan to investigate the case, exposing a host of traitors and foiling their conspiracy to seize the dragon's lifeline and divide the nation's territory. After quelling the war, she returns to live in seclusion in the waterside countryside.