Song Yuning is the reincarnation of Song Ping'an, a modern woman who died from congenital heart disease after years of medical trauma. She awakens in the body of an eight-year-old illegitimate daughter in ancient China, raised in seclusion by Madam Wei, a woman forced into concubinage by Song Yuning's biological father, Song Hongzhi. After three years of peaceful life, Song Yuning is summoned back to the Song residence, a powerful general's mansion, under the pretense of attending her third sister's wedding. She suspects ulterior motives and prepares for the dangers ahead, knowing her father is a ruthless man who views his children as tools for social climbing.
Upon returning, Song Yuning encounters a family structure defined by complex hierarchies and hidden agendas. She is welcomed by Old Madam Song, who treats her with unusual warmth, and meets her four sisters, all daughters of concubines. Song Yuning quickly deduces that the family's kindness stems from a prophecy made by a Taoist priest, Qingsong Zhenren, who predicted that the five illegitimate daughters would marry into wealthy and noble families, bringing prosperity to the Song clan. Meanwhile, her third sister, Song Yuru, is forced into a marriage with the notorious Sixth Young Master Zhang, a violent man known for killing his previous wives. Yuru attempts suicide to avoid the match but fails, and she is eventually wed against her will.
During a temple visit, Song Yuning reclaims a Twin Fish Jade Pendant she had buried years earlier after saving a young boy who later revealed himself to be Xiao Yunzhan, the Seventh Prince. She learns that the boy she saved is actually a prince of the royal family, a connection she intends to leverage for her own survival and escape from the Song family's manipulations. Shortly after, she receives news that her mother, Madam Wei, has died in a fire, a death Song Yuning suspects was orchestrated to sever her ties to the past and ensure her compliance within the Song household. She performs the role of the grieving granddaughter perfectly, gaining Old Madam Song's trust while secretly mourning her loss.
The narrative shifts to the aftermath of Yuru's marriage. Sixth Young Master Zhang dies suddenly, leaving Yuru a pregnant widow. The Zhang family, eager to avoid scandal, allows Yuru to remain in her home, providing her with a fragile independence. Back at the Song residence, the family's attention turns to Song Yuqing, the legitimate second sister and wife of the Heir Apparent of Marquis Pingyuan. Yuqing, unable to conceive and facing pressure from her mother-in-law to produce an heir, devises a scheme to steal the fortune of her five half-sisters. She convinces Old Madam Song to request that the girls embroider a Hundred Children Painting and add drops of their blood to it, a superstitious ritual intended to transfer their auspicious destinies to Yuqing. Song Yuning recognizes the malice behind the request and the potential danger to her sisters, setting the stage for further conflict within the household as she navigates the treacherous politics of the Song mansion.
