Zhao Yuanxi, a modern agricultural specialist, transmigrates into the body of Zhao Ji, the Queen Dowager of Qin during the ninth year of King Zheng's reign. She arrives immediately after the suppression of the Lao Ai rebellion, a period when the original Zhao Ji was executed and her two children died. Zhao Yuanxi finds herself under perpetual house arrest in Yongcheng, separated from her nominal son, Ying Zheng, who harbors deep hatred for her due to her past treason and betrayal. The palace guards treat her with cold indifference, reflecting Ying Zheng's own desire to see her dead, though he refrains from execution only to avoid the stigma of filial impiety.
Upon settling into her new role, Zhao Yuanxi discovers a farming system bound to her soul. The system presents a critical mission: cultivate 100 mu of fertile land and harvest over 100,000 jin of grain within four months. The reward is a pill that grants immense physical strength, but the system also offers an alternative path—if she can raise Ying Zheng's favorability to 100, she will be freed from the task restrictions. Recognizing the dire political situation and her lack of historical knowledge regarding the Qin dynasty's collapse, Zhao Yuanxi chooses to accept the farming mission as her primary means of survival while seeking a way to repair her relationship with the King.
Using seeds provided by the system, Zhao Yuanxi begins cultivating corn on the vast estates granted to her in Yongcheng. She introduces advanced agricultural techniques, including composting manure and refining wheat flour, which astonish the local villagers and her assigned attendants, Gao Sheng and Changjin. Her practical approach and willingness to interact with commoners, such as the village chief Chu and his family, earn her unexpected respect and loyalty. During this time, she also encounters Ziying, the young son of her late brother-in-law Chengjiao. Recognizing the child as the future last ruler of Qin, she takes him under her wing, teaching him basic manners and sharing modern-style foods like tofu and soybean milk, thereby forming a close bond with her grandson.
The narrative takes a sharp turn when Zhao Yuanxi is ambushed by assassins led by Yu Nuo, a retainer of the former Chang'an King. The attackers intend to kidnap both Zhao Yuanxi and Ziying to use them as leverage against Ying Zheng. In the ensuing battle, her guards fight valiantly, but one is killed and others are severely wounded. Zhao Yuanxi herself sustains a serious injury to her shoulder while protecting Ziying. After the attack, Ying Zheng's forces move to arrest the surviving guards for their failure to protect her. Demonstrating unexpected courage and authority, Zhao Yuanxi physically blocks the soldiers, threatening suicide if they take the guards, and demands that Ying Zheng intervene directly. This act shocks the court and forces Ying Zheng to reconsider his stance, as he learns that the assassination plot was orchestrated by remnants of the rebel faction seeking to install Ziying as a puppet ruler. The incident marks a pivotal shift in the power dynamic between mother and son, setting the stage for Zhao Yuanxi to navigate the treacherous political landscape of the Qin court while building her agricultural empire.
