Chu Qinghe, the legitimate daughter of the Chu family, was originally the publicly recognized choice for the Third Prince's primary consort. However, at the selection ceremony, she was publicly jilted. Liu Ruyan, the daughter of a wet nurse, entered the inner chambers relying on a "lifesaving grace," turning Chu Qinghe into a laughingstock across the capital overnight. Cutting off all emotional ties, she turned around to request an imperial decree to marry the neglected First Prince, Xiao Cheng. Using the Chu family's century-old foundation as her bargaining chip, she formed an alliance with her husband, purged the remnants of the previous court, step by step advanced to the throne of the empress, and finally stood shoulder to shoulder with the emperor overlooking the vast rivers and mountains.