The Palace

Chenxiang enters the Forbidden Palace as a lowly servant, beginning her struggle to survive amid palace intrigue. She quickly befriends Liuli and Chunshou, a loyal eunuch, and meets Yinxiang, a prince raised by Consort De. She also becomes friends with the fourth prince Yinzhen, though she keeps her true identity hidden.

Liuli betrays Chenxiang to become Yinxiang's di fu jin (official wife). To protect Chunshou from Liuli's schemes, Chenxiang remains at Liuli's side as her servant, enduring humiliation and watching Yinxiang from a distance.

One night Chenxiang sneaks into Liuli's bedchamber and discovers Liuli's affair with Yuntang. The discovery reveals the palace's dangerous web of secrets and complicates Chenxiang's situation even further.

Liuli's punishments grow harsher, and Chenxiang, as Liuli's servant, is humiliated and forced to observe Yinxiang from a distance. The power imbalance tightens Chenxiang's grip on her loyalty to Chunshou and a precarious future.

During a hunt, Yinxiang is blinded and loses his visions, and he is confined as a potential threat to the throne. Chenxiang visits him daily, but he believes she is Liuli, keeping the true identity a secret.

The Fourth Prince informs Yinxiang that Liuli has had an affair with the Ninth Prince and confronts her, unaware that Chenxiang has been listening in. Yinxiang's trust in Liuli is shaken, and Chenxiang stops visiting him to avoid complicating matters.

After Kangxi's death, a power struggle erupts as the Ninth Prince attempts to seize the throne. The Fourth Prince skillfully maneuvers and ultimately becomes the Yongzheng Emperor, consolidating his faction at court.

With the new regime, the Yongzheng Emperor orders Imperial Doctors to restore Yinxiang's visions. Yinxiang's sight gradually returns, but he still does not know that the visiting woman is Chenxiang.

Liuli, seeking to escape, tries to manipulate Yinxiang into revealing Chenxiang's identity, promising to tell him the truth later. Yinxiang refuses to be used and Liuli attempts to flee, but the Emperor orders arrows to end her life.

The Yongzheng Emperor knows Chenxiang's true identity but forbids anyone from telling Yinxiang, preserving his focus on palace life and destiny. This secrecy shapes their later choices and keeps their bond unspoken for a time.

Chenxiang reaches her 25th year and is granted permission to leave the palace. The Emperor also offers her 100 golden taels as parting wealth, marking a new turn in her life.

Before departing, Chenxiang visits the abandoned section of the palace, the place where she first met Yinxiang. He is waiting there, and the moment finally reveals that she is the woman he loves. Yinxiang declares his love and promises they will be together, even if they must leave the palace.

In the closing moment, Chenxiang and Yinxiang affirm their commitment and step forward together, choosing a future beyond the palace’s walls. They reunite in happiness, free to pursue a life together.