Wei Qingyan was the youngest Huguojun General of Dawei, born a woman but raised as a man to inherit her father's military legacy after her mother bore only daughters. After her father died in battle, she led twenty thousand troops to Huangshaling, where she was ambushed by eighty thousand Beilingjun. With no reinforcements arriving despite her pleas, she fought until nearly all her soldiers perished. When an arrow pierced her body, her guard Abu disguised himself as her to lead the enemy away, allowing Wei Qingyan to escape. She survived and awoke three years later with amnesia, only regaining her memories two months ago when a mark called Lianhuayin appeared between her brows.
Returning to the capital under the alias Chang Qingnian, Wei Qingyan sought justice for the twenty thousand fallen soldiers. At a hot spring, she rescued Shi Yu, Prince Rong and the Emperor's younger brother, who had fallen unconscious after being poisoned. During her attempt to revive him, the Lianhuayin mark transferred from her body to his, leaving her vitality draining. She discovered that Shi Yu had secretly avenged her by slaughtering Beiling soldiers who knew her true identity, but had lost his military power and been stripped of his title as a result.
Wei Qingyan began her investigation by assassinating Wu Yuchu, the Minister of War who had failed to send reinforcements to Huangshaling. She then sought out Du Xueyi, Marquis of Anyuan, claiming to be his long-lost sister. Through supernatural means, she revealed that Du Xueyi's grandmother had murdered Lady Fang, Du Xueyi's wife, to seize her dowry and frame her for adultery. Du Xueyi had neglected his daughter Xiaoxiao, who was abused by servants under the grandmother's orders. Wei Qingyan punished those responsible and helped Du Xueyi uncover the truth about his wife's innocence.
As Wei Qingyan's vitality continued to fade without the Lianhuayin, she needed to retrieve the mark from Shi Yu. She orchestrated encounters with him, including setting fire to a private room at Yu Yan Lou to draw him out. Shi Yu, who had recovered his strength after their meeting at the hot spring, began investigating Wei Qingyan's true identity. He recognized her martial skills and mannerisms as matching those of the late General Wei Qingyan, though he did not immediately confront her.
The story follows Wei Qingyan's dual mission: avenging her fallen soldiers by exposing corruption in the military command, and surviving while reclaiming the mark that sustains her life. Shi Yu's growing suspicion and his complicated feelings toward Wei Qingyan create tension as he navigates court politics and his own recovery. The narrative explores themes of identity, loyalty, and the sacrifices made by those who serve the state, while Wei Qingyan struggles with her hidden past and the consequences of her actions.
