Lan Shu, a woman of humble origins, spent five years in the remote northwest accompanying Yan Pingxiao, the exiled Prince Yong, through his years of hardship and political maneuvering. They developed a deep bond, and she bore his daughter, Sui An. When Yan Pingxiao seized the capital and ascended the throne as Emperor, he abandoned Lan Shu in a suburban villa, prioritizing his reunion with Xie Zhaozhi, the noble daughter of the Duke of Chu Manor and his childhood sweetheart. Lan Shu, isolated and neglected, was eventually poisoned by a palace servant acting on the Emperor's orders on the eve of his coronation. As she died in the snow, the Emperor, upon hearing news from the villa, abandoned his coronation ceremony in a panic and rushed to her side, but it was too late.
Five years later, Lan Shu awakens in the body of Nan Shu, a cousin of the powerful General Rong. She has been brought into the palace under the guise of helping prepare for the Empress Dowager's birthday, but her true purpose is to be used by Consort Rong to win the Emperor's favor. Nan Shu, retaining her memories and identity as Lan Shu, is terrified of encountering Yan Pingxiao. She attempts to remain invisible, faking a facial rash to avoid his attention and keeping her head down. However, her resemblance to the late Empress Shen Lan Shu is uncanny, and she inadvertently catches the Emperor's eye during a rainy day at Fahua Hall and later by Chang Yuan Lake.
Yan Pingxiao, who has been haunted by guilt and grief over Lan Shu's death for five years, becomes obsessed with Nan Shu. He suspects she may be his deceased wife reincarnated, driven by a desperate hope that she has returned to him. He summons Nan Shu to the Imperial Study and orders her to undress, searching her body for marks or features that would confirm her identity, but finds none that definitively prove she is Lan Shu. Despite this, his fixation grows stronger, and he begins to monitor her closely, causing Nan Shu immense fear and distress.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhaozhi, now a high-ranking consort, remains the Emperor's public favorite but is aware of his lingering attachment to the late Empress. She views Nan Shu as a threat and a rival, leading to tension within the harem. Nan Shu's primary concern, however, is her daughter Sui An, who is now the young Princess Jiayi. She learns that the Emperor dotes on his daughter, perhaps out of guilt, and hopes to use this connection to ensure her child's safety while finding a way to escape the palace. The story follows Nan Shu's struggle to navigate the dangerous imperial court, avoid the Emperor's increasingly intrusive attention, and protect her daughter, all while grappling with the trauma of her past life and the confusing emotions that arise from her second chance at life.
