Wen Xueling endured seven years of torment in Nu City, banished after being framed by her stepmother and betrayed by her four biological brothers, who ultimately abandoned her to die in the snow. Shot by her eldest brother with an arrow she had crafted for him, she fell into a pit of bones, vowing revenge before losing consciousness. She awoke reborn in her younger body, moments before her mother Mu Qingyu’s death, with her memories of the future intact. Recognizing the impending Natural Disaster and the betrayal awaiting her family, Wen Xueling resolved to change her fate. She revealed the truth about her father Wen Jingshu’s remarriage to her mother, who was devastated but supportive. Together, they traveled to Jingcheng to confront the Prime Minister’s Mansion.
Upon arriving, Wen Xueling witnessed the warmth her father and brothers showed their stepmother during her birthday celebration, contrasting sharply with their coldness toward her. She disrupted the banquet by destroying gifts and injuring her father, establishing her intent for vengeance. Seeking power to execute her plans, she approached General Liang Jue, providing him with accurate prophecies about an incoming blizzard and a military defeat to secure his alliance. She also obtained Shadow Guards and hidden wealth from her father’s illicit holdings. When her fourth brother Wen Jinli arrived to take them in, he revealed his bias toward the stepmother and attempted to pass Wen Xueling off as an adopted daughter to protect the stepmother’s status. Wen Xueling refused, insisting on entering the mansion as a legitimate daughter and divorcing her father if necessary.
Confined to a remote courtyard, Wen Xueling faced assassination attempts by the stepmother’s servants. She retaliated by poisoning the killers and framing the incident to isolate her enemies further. After a fire destroyed their residence, she moved into a new safe house provided by General Liang. Learning that her stepsister Wen Jin’an was about to steal a miraculous medicine intended for her sickly second brother to gain favor with the Empress Dowager, Wen Xueling intercepted the opportunity. She drugged Wen Jin’an, stole the medicine, and replaced it with a lethal poison. She then orchestrated a scandal by having Wen Jin’an caught in a compromising situation with a nobleman, forcing her fourth brother to blame Wen Xueling for the incident. Despite his attempts to silence her, Wen Xueling remained steadfast, having already seized the leverage needed to dismantle her family’s hypocrisy and reclaim her life.
