An Ruosu is a transmigrator who has lived for six years in the body of a five-year-old girl in the An family, a household of minor officials residing in Shandong. Her father, An Jieshan, is a scholar-official who has recently received a promotion transferring him back to the capital as the Left Vice Minister of the Hubu. An Ruosu is the youngest daughter, born to the legitimate wife, Zhou Shuyu, and is known for her frail constitution and exceptional photographic memory, a trait she attributes to her previous life. She shares a close bond with her two elder sisters, An Ruofei and An Ruoyu, and her stepmother, Concubine Wu, who is a grateful orphan that the family rescued from exploitation. The narrative opens during a sweltering May, establishing the domestic atmosphere of the An household as they prepare for their move to the capital.
The central conflict emerges from the shifting political landscape following a succession crisis. The Old Sage Emperor, who had abdicated, has recovered his health and begun to reassert influence, creating a dangerous power struggle with the current Young Sage Emperor. An Jieshan, like his close friend Lin Ruhai, had served the Old Emperor and is now caught in the crossfire. Lin Ruhai, who holds the powerful position of Xunyan Yushi in Yangzhou, falls victim to the political purge and dies. Before his death, Lin Ruhai sends a letter to An Jieshan proposing a marriage alliance between his son, Lin Daiyu, and An Ruosu. This proposal is not merely a social arrangement but a desperate act of entrusting his orphaned son to a trusted friend for protection and upbringing.
An Jieshan faces a dilemma: refusing the request would damage his political credibility and alienate a dying friend, while accepting it could implicate his family in the Old Emperor’s faction. Zhou Shuyu initially opposes the match, fearing that the Lin family’s misfortune and the potential health issues of their male heir make them a dangerous alliance. However, An Jieshan negotiates a compromise. He agrees to exchange betrothal gifts to honor the promise but keeps the engagement secret. His plan is to take Lin Daiyu as his own disciple and raise him in the capital, ensuring the boy receives a proper education and moral guidance. If the boy proves unworthy, the marriage can be dissolved later without public scandal.
As the An family settles into their new residence in the capital, the political tensions intensify. An Jieshan decides to openly align himself with the Young Sage Emperor to secure his family’s future, a decision that requires him to sever ties with his former patron. Meanwhile, the eldest daughter An Ruofei returns from her marriage into the Su family. She reveals that her mother-in-law has been sabotaging her chances of conceiving by keeping her husband away and preventing her from managing the household, a tactic used to maintain control over the family’s internal affairs. An Ruofei’s strategic refusal to take on household management until she has an heir demonstrates her political acumen within the domestic sphere.
The story also introduces the intricate social dynamics of the capital’s official circles. The An family must navigate a web of alliances and rivalries, including a failed marriage proposal for An Ruoyu with the Chen family, which was abandoned due to the Chen family’s alliance with a declining maternal relative. These events highlight the precarious nature of social standing and the constant scrutiny faced by women in marriage negotiations. An Ruosu, though young, is acutely aware of these pressures and the potential impact on her own future. The narrative sets the stage for a complex interplay of political survival, family loyalty, and personal growth as the characters adjust to life in the capital and the looming consequences of the imperial power struggle.
