Zhu Wuhuan, a twenty-first-century history graduate student, transmigrates into the body of Empress Zhu Wuhuan of the Great Ning Dynasty, arriving moments before her father is accused of treason and her entire clan is sentenced to execution. She recognizes the man issuing the death warrant as Feng Changye, the infamous tyrant emperor who, according to historical records, will die suddenly in three years and whose skull will later be ground into a wine cup by rebels. Upon crossing over, Zhu Wuhuan discovers she can hear Feng Changye’s inner thoughts, just as he can hear hers. While she internally mocks him as a perverted monster obsessed with his future posthumous humiliation, Feng Changye is horrified to learn of his impending death and the dynasty’s collapse. Rather than executing the Zhu family, he rescinds the death sentence, confining them as hostages to buy time and investigate the truth behind the treason charges, which he suspects are fabricated.
Zhu Wuhuan, seeking to survive and eventually escape the capital, binds herself to a mysterious system titled "Eliminate the Tyrant, and We Shall Become the Empress." The system tasks her with saving the Zhu family and ultimately overthrowing Feng Changye. However, their dynamic is complicated by Feng Changye’s ability to read her mind. He witnesses her plotting his demise, her casual disregard for imperial dignity, and her enthusiastic shipping of him with his loyal eunuch, Xiao Yuanzi, based on distorted historical rumors. Instead of killing her, Feng Changye becomes increasingly intrigued, viewing her as a unique tool who possesses knowledge of the future. He uses her insights to purge corrupt officials, such as the chief eunuch of the Household Department, and to tighten his control over the court.
As Zhu Wuhuan returns to the Zhu family estate, she consumes a Recollection Pill to acquire the original empress’s memories. She learns that the original empress was secretly in love with the Prince of Jin, Feng Changye’s younger brother, and had entered the palace hoping to aid his rebellion. Suspecting the Prince of Jin orchestrated the false treason charges to eliminate the Zhu family and seize the throne, Zhu Wuhuan decides to test him. She disguises herself in plain clothes, pretending to be a deposed empress awaiting execution, to see if the Prince will make contact. Unbeknownst to her, Feng Changye follows her to the estate, hiding in the shadows. He overhears her plans and realizes the Prince of Jin is a genuine threat. Rather than exposing her, he decides to use her investigation to gather evidence against his brother, intending to let the two of them destroy each other while he maintains his position. The story unfolds as a tense political chess game where the tyrant and the transmigrated empress are locked in a deadly dance of manipulation, hidden agendas, and reluctant alliance, with the fate of the dynasty hanging in the balance.
