Medical student Li Miao travels back to ancient times and becomes the eldest son of the fallen Li family of Jinling. He also happens to be engaged to the reigning empress. Expecting to be humiliated when the empress breaks off their engagement, he unexpectedly displays his talents when she secretly visits incognito. Impressed by his abilities, the empress defies pressure from her ministers and insists on honoring their engagement. From then on, Li Miao earns recognition at court through his abilities, eliminates the treacherous minister Jiao Wuji, and ultimately rises to the highest position in the imperial court, becoming Great Xia's Nine-Thousand-Year Lord.