Lin Yan, the adopted daughter of Yangzhou's wealthiest family, was originally named Gu Xingwan. Plagued by nightmares since childhood, she once hoped to escape them by marrying Su Heng, the son of the Imperial Salt Inspector. But she accidentally discovers his true nature: he regards her as a plaything, unworthy of becoming his principal wife. She resolutely breaks off their relationship. To protect the Lin family and fight against blackmail, she returns to the capital to reunite with her birth family, only to discover that she is the daughter of Imperial Censor Gu Bingqian and the orphaned descendant of a loyal military family. Xie Shiyan, a powerful minister reborn from a previous life, conceals his former obsessive nature behind a frail and gentle appearance, carefully plotting every move to protect her and help her overcome each crisis. At the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet, he turns the tables and shatters the forced-marriage scheme plotted by the Su family and Prince Cheng, winning her heart. However, Gu Wanrou has assumed another identity, while Prince Cheng covets the family's wealth and military power. An even greater storm is brewing.