The Ninth Prince, Xiao Jing, was framed in his past life and sentenced to death in the celestial prison, returning reborn with ten years of imperial court memory. Taking advantage of a palace banquet to publicly expose the East Palace for withholding northern military provisions, he uses laws, human witnesses, and material evidence as weapons, avoiding direct bloodshed while maneuvering and protecting himself among the imperial court, intelligence, and public opinion. Xiao Jing joins forces with Shen Ruyan, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei who commands the northern intelligence network, and rallies the humble strategist Gu Changfeng and the loyal, brave warrior Zhou Ting to confront the Empress and the Crown Prince, unearthing the Su Prince and Guandong aristocratic families who collude in secret with external forces. Together, they step by step crack the old case of Imperial Consort Chen and the Mandate secret plot left behind by the former emperor, experiencing games of chess involving witchcraft framing, escaping the imperial prison, pacifying the northern borders, and conquering hearts within the palace walls.