Yao Huang is the daughter of a low-ranking military officer in the capital, known for her beauty and unconventional behavior. When an imperial decree announces the selection of ladies for the princes, she enters the Chuxiu Pavilion alongside three hundred candidates. During the month-long training, Yao Huang deliberately commits minor transgressions—asking for extra food, practicing boxing in the courtyard, and waking up late—in an attempt to appear unsuitable and be dismissed from the selection. However, Matron Fang, the overseer of the pavilion, consistently protects her, interpreting her actions as signs of health and vitality rather than defiance. Yao Huang grows increasingly anxious as the number of candidates dwindles from three hundred to fifty, and she realizes her attempts to leave the palace have failed.
On the final day of selection, the fifty remaining ladies are dressed in elaborate garments and brought to the Wanchun Pavilion in the Imperial Garden to meet Emperor Yongchang, the Empress, and the three concubines responsible for selecting wives for their sons. The eldest prince, Prince Kang, is being matched with a second wife after his first consort died. The second prince, Prince Hui, known as Zhao Sui, was severely injured in battle and now uses a wheelchair, but the Emperor has granted him the unusual privilege of personally choosing his principal wife. The third prince, Prince Qing, is young and accomplished.
When the ladies enter the pavilion, Yao Huang, standing in the third row, catches Prince Hui's attention. She notices him staring at her and, in a moment of desperate calculation, returns his gaze with a subtle smile, hoping to secure his interest. Prince Hui, surprised by her boldness, asks her directly if she will accept him as her husband. Before she can respond, Concubine Du, his adoptive mother, intervenes, suggesting he take more time and select a more virtuous woman. Yao Huang is given a silk flower as a token for the second round but is not immediately chosen as principal wife.
In the second round, Prince Hui reaffirms his choice, stating that he feels the best connection with Yao Huang. The Emperor supports his son's decision, and Yao Huang is formally selected as the principal wife of Prince Hui. Chen Ying, Yao Huang's friend from the Chuxiu Pavilion, is chosen as the second wife of Prince Kang. Zheng Yuan Zhen, a noble lady favored by Concubine Shen, becomes the principal wife of Prince Qing.
Yao Huang returns home with substantial betrothal gifts, including silver, jewelry, and silk. Her family reacts with mixed emotions: her mother is overjoyed at the prospect of wealth and status, her father expresses concern about his daughter marrying a disabled man, and her brother Yao Lin vehemently opposes the match on moral grounds. Yao Huang firmly defends her choice, arguing that she willingly accepted the marriage and that her family should support her rather than criticize her husband-to-be.
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, Yao Huang establishes authority over the four palace maids assigned to her by Noble Concubine Du. The maids, particularly the senior Huamei, carry implicit instructions from their mistress to control Yao Huang and shape her into an obedient princess consort. Yao Huang quickly identifies their true loyalties and asserts her dominance, punishing Huamei for insubordination and assigning each maid duties that match their skills while keeping her trusted childhood servant Ah Ji close.
Three days before the wedding, a female physician sent by the Empress visits Yao Huang to provide instruction on the physical aspects of her marriage, given Prince Hui's disability. The physician demonstrates how Yao Huang will need to assist her husband in daily movements and intimacy, preparing her for the practical realities of her new role. Yao Huang accepts the guidance with gratitude, recognizing that her success as Princess Hui depends on her willingness to adapt and fulfill her duties with grace and competence.
