The Concubine-Born Daughter of a County Magistrate in the Northern Song Dynasty

Xu Zhihe is a young woman who transmigrated from the modern era into the body of a concubine-born daughter in the Northern Song Dynasty. Born to Magistrate Xu Zhongyi and his deceased concubine, Zhang, she occupies a precarious position within her father's household in Eqiao County. Her biological mother died shortly after childbirth, leaving Xu Zhihe without maternal protection. She is raised by a loyal maid, Fang Li, who was sent by Xu Zhihe's maternal uncle, Zhang Fuyong. Despite her low status, Xu Zhihe has cultivated a love for reading and learning, often visiting the Baichuan Bookstore to purchase and study texts. She maintains a low profile to avoid the hostility of the principal wife, Madam Lü, and the favored Concubine Yao, who scheme against her and her siblings for resources and favor.

The central conflict arises from the political ambitions of Magistrate Xu and the internal power struggles of the Xu household. Concubine Yao, who is pregnant and holds the Magistrate's favor, constantly undermines Madam Lü's authority. Tensions escalate when the Fourth Daughter, Xu Yuyan, is caught in a secret romantic relationship with a local youth named Deng Lang. This scandal is exploited by Concubine Yao to attack Madam Lü, resulting in punishments for both girls. Meanwhile, Magistrate Xu attends a banquet hosted by County Lieutenant Wei Changhong, who hints at his desire to marry one of the Magistrate's daughters as his principal wife to secure connections with high-ranking officials in the capital. The Magistrate, eager for promotion, agrees to this alliance without consulting his wife.

A critical turning point occurs when Magistrate Xu decides to sacrifice Xu Zhihe for his career. He plans to pass her off as a legitimate daughter under Madam Lü's name to marry the older, widowed County Lieutenant Wei. When summoned to the main hall, Xu Zhihe is informed of this arrangement. Recognizing the dire consequences of becoming a concubine to an older man she does not love, she refuses to accept her fate passively. Understanding that her father and Madam Lü will not yield, she devises a desperate plan to escape. She induces a high fever by dousing herself in freezing well water, feigning severe illness to buy time and create chaos.

While Xu Zhihe lies incapacitated in her room, guarded by Madam Lü's servants, she entrusts Fang Li with a secret mission. Fang Li sneaks out of the household under the cover of night, seeking the help of a clerk at the Baichuan Bookstore. She tasks him with delivering a wooden box containing a jade bracelet and a letter to her uncle, Zhang Fuyong, in Shuiyang County. The message details the Magistrate's plot to sell her into an unwanted marriage and begs for rescue. The clerk agrees to the dangerous overnight journey, hoping to save Xu Zhihe from a life of servitude and misery. As dawn approaches, news arrives that Uncle Zhang has reached Eqiao County, signaling the beginning of a confrontation that will challenge the Magistrate's authority and alter Xu Zhihe's destiny.