Becoming the Empress, Starting from Impersonating the Prime Minister’s Widowed Sister-in-Law

Feng Qingsui is a blind orphan raised by a sister who is not her biological relative. After her sister and her entire family are mysteriously killed in a series of rapid, suspicious deaths, Feng Qingsui returns to the capital seeking vengeance. Believing the Rongchang Marquis Mansion, the Empress's maternal home, is connected to the massacre, she decides to infiltrate a prominent household to gather clues. Her plan leads her to the Ji Mansion, where she claims to be the widow of the late General Ji Changfeng. Upon arrival, she discovers another woman, Jin Shi, has already claimed to be the General's wife and is raising a child as his heir.

Ji Changqing, the General's younger brother and the current Prime Minister known as the "Confiscation Chancellor," exposes Jin Shi's lie. He reveals that his brother was a teetotaler who never drank, making the alleged encounter impossible. Furthermore, Feng Qingsui dismantles the child's legitimacy by noting the boy's dental features do not match the General's. With the rival defeated, Ji Changqing turns his attention to Feng Qingsui. She presents a jade pendant as proof that she saved the General's life on the battlefield. Ji Changqing accepts the token, though he remains deeply suspicious of her true motives. He is hiding a secret: he is actually impersonating his deceased elder brother, having assumed the General's identity to protect their mother and manage his dual roles as a civil official and military commander.

Feng Qingsui's entry into the Ji household is complicated by the arrival of Ji Changqing's grandfather, Ji Hongde, who attempts to force the acceptance of Jin Shi and her illegitimate son into the family lineage. Ji Changqing refuses, asserting his independence from the clan's corrupt traditions. Shortly after, Feng Qingsui is summoned by Princess Shouyang to treat her son, Ji Xuan, who suffers from severe convulsions. While investigating the Princess's mansion, Feng Qingsui encounters a string puppet belonging to the late Jiang family, confirming her suspicion that the Jiang massacre is linked to the current political intrigue. She diagnoses Ji Xuan with an intestinal condition caused by wheat intolerance, a rare ailment unknown to the imperial physicians, and successfully cures him through dietary changes.

Her investigation into the Jiang family massacre leads her to Physician Xun Shan, who had treated her sister. Feng Qingsui tracks down Xun Shan and forces a confession from him by threatening his grandson. Xun Shan admits that he was bribed to administer a fatal dose of medicine to Madam Jiang, acting on a note left at his bedside. After securing the confession, Feng Qingsui allows Xun Shan to live but leaves him with the choice of his own demise. Xun Shan subsequently commits suicide. Ji Changqing, aware of her activities, watches her closely, suspecting she is using the Ji family for her own ends. Meanwhile, Feng Qingsui seeks to identify the sender of the floral-scented ink used in the incriminating note, leading her to the famous courtesan Qiao Zhenzhen at Fanlou. As she navigates the dangerous political landscape and her complex relationship with Ji Changqing, she remains focused on uncovering the mastermind behind her sister's death.