Execution of the Entire Family Twenty-One Times

Ye Xiren is the second daughter of Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue in the Great Liang Empire. The nation is in turmoil following a southward relocation of the capital due to war with the Northern Yan state. Ye Xiren lives a sheltered life until the day of the triennial Spring Examination, when she witnesses the execution of her entire family. Her brother, Ye Changming, has been accused of examination fraud, a crime that carries the penalty of death for the whole household. The Imperial City Department commander, Lu Qian, enforces the decree without mercy. Ye Xiren is beheaded alongside her parents and grandmother, only to awaken in her bed, realizing she has returned to the morning of that same fateful day.

Believing she has been granted a second chance, Ye Xiren attempts to prevent the tragedy by stopping her brother from taking the exam. She hires a ruthless refugee leader named Ma Shan to assault Ye Changming on his way to the Tribute Yard. Although Ye Changming initially insists on proceeding despite his injuries, he is ultimately forced to return home. Ye Xiren believes she has averted the disaster, but when the day passes without execution, she wakes up again. This time, she learns that the calamity has shifted. On the second day of the third month, Lu Qian raids the Ye residence again, this time accusing Ye Xiren’s grandmother of hiding a stolen military deployment map inside a Buddha statue. The charge is treason, and the sentence remains execution for the entire family.

Ye Xiren dies a second time and wakes up once more, now aware that the loops are resetting based on different triggers. She realizes that simply preventing the examination fraud is not enough; the Ye family is being systematically framed for multiple capital crimes on consecutive days. Determined to survive, she begins to investigate the underlying conspiracy. She suspects that the Northern Yan delegation, led by the Crown Prince Chizhan Lan Ce, is involved in the political maneuvering that targets her family. During a carriage encounter, Ye Xiren narrowly avoids offending the Crown Prince, who observes her with interest and notes her intelligence.

As the loops continue, Ye Xiren gathers evidence and identifies key players. She discovers that witnesses such as Liu Xu and Yun Xiang are planted to provide false testimony regarding the hidden evidence. She also learns that high-ranking officials, including Assistant Grand Councilor Zhang Yuanmou, are issuing orders that bypass normal legal channels. Ye Xiren confronts Lu Qian during one of the raids, challenging his authority and demanding proof, but she is overpowered. She realizes that the enemy is well-prepared and that every action she takes to prevent one disaster may trigger another. The story follows her struggle to break the cycle of death by uncovering the true mastermind behind the frames against the Ye family, navigating a dangerous political landscape where the peace talks with Northern Yan are the backdrop for internal betrayal.