The Fake Princess’s Thoughts are Read, and the Entire Court Eats Melons

Jiang Yingcheng, a university student, transmigrates into the body of the Eleventh Princess of the Da Rui Empire, a four-year-old child. She is bonded with a system named 996, which reveals that she is also a system whose data was erased and thrown into this world. To survive and escape, she must endure until the end of the story. The system informs her that she is a fake princess, swapped at birth with a prince, and that the true heir will eventually seize the throne, marry her off to a useless fop, and have her executed. The system's serial number is revealed to be 007, leading to humorous exchanges about overwork.

On her fifth day in the new body, Jiang Yingcheng witnesses the Fourth Prince framing the Seventh Prince for pushing her down stone steps. Although she cannot recall her past life with emotional clarity due to the heavenly dao's constraints, she instinctively tries to protect the Seventh Prince, Jiang Xingran, knowing he is the future male lead. Her frantic attempts to clear his name catch the attention of the Mingze Emperor, Jiang Yan Chuan. Unbeknownst to her, the Emperor can hear her inner thoughts. She mentally praises his handsomeness and reveals that he will be poisoned in three years, an event orchestrated by an enemy general with the Fourth Prince's help.

The Emperor orders a search of the snow, where a cufflink dropped by the Fourth Prince's man is found, proving the Seventh Prince's innocence. Jiang Yingcheng also discovers that the chief eunuch, Changshun, is destined to die by bleeding from all seven orifices due to poisoning. She attempts to save him by creating a diversion, which inadvertently leads to the eunuch's punishment being lightened and his fate altered. The Emperor realizes that Changshun and another attendant, Tan Songsheng, can also hear Jiang Yingcheng's thoughts, designating them as "likes" who are connected to her.

Jiang Yingcheng learns from the system that she is not Fang Zhaoyi's biological child but the daughter of Fang Zhaoyi's sister. Her birth mother, Noble Consort Rou, had swapped her with a prince to elevate her own status. Fang Zhaoyi, upon hearing this through Jiang Yingcheng's thoughts, is devastated but resolves to protect her. Jiang Yingcheng, unaware of the adult scheming, focuses on building relationships. She shares pastries with the cold Seventh Prince, earning his first smile, and expresses her desire to bring her cousin, the swapped prince, into the palace as a study companion to protect him from her birth mother's schemes.

The Emperor, utilizing the information from Jiang Yingcheng's thoughts, investigates corrupt officials. He confirms that the Ministry of Works used inferior cooked soil for river repairs and that Liu Zhengqing, the Minister of Personnel, embezzles funds by selling official titles. He orders thorough investigations into these matters and plans to infiltrate the residence of Pan Jifeng, the maternal grandfather of the Fourth Prince. Jiang Yingcheng accompanies the Emperor during court sessions, providing commentary on the officials' private lives and secrets, which helps the Emperor identify loyal and corrupt subjects. The story follows her efforts to navigate palace politics, protect those she cares about, and uncover the truth behind her identity while the Emperor relies on her precognitive insights to strengthen his rule.