Transmigrated into Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace as Zhen Huan ( Empress Dowager )

Zhen Huan, an ordinary college student with no interest in palace intrigue, transmigrates into the body of the Empress Dowager from the drama Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. Unlike the original character, she possesses no talent for scheming and had never actually watched the series she is now inhabiting. Upon waking, she finds herself in a precarious position: the new emperor, Hongli, has just ascended the throne, and the late emperor's funeral rites are underway. Zhen Huan's primary goal is simple survival and a peaceful retirement, free from the dangerous power struggles that defined her predecessor's life. However, her plans are immediately threatened by a political maneuver from the new emperor regarding Lady Ula-Nara, the former Empress who had opposed Hongli's claim to the throne. Hongli intends to grant Lady Ula-Nara the posthumous title of Empress Dowager, a move that Zhen Huan recognizes as a direct challenge to her authority and a potential trap designed to undermine her influence.

The core conflict centers on Zhen Huan's struggle to maintain her position while navigating a harem filled with irrational and dangerous individuals. She identifies Hongli's true love, Concubine Xian (later renamed Ruyi), as a significant threat due to her lack of intelligence and emotional volatility. Ruyi's attempts to assert herself, such as serving meat dishes during the mourning period and proposing a flawed compromise for her aunt's status, are repeatedly dismantled by Zhen Huan's pragmatic interventions. Zhen Huan realizes that Hongli's actions are driven not by love but by a desire to assert his independence and counterbalance the Empress Dowager's lingering influence. She engages Hongli in a direct conversation, successfully convincing him that elevating Lady Ula-Nara would create instability and that her own intentions are purely to retire from politics. This heart-to-heart temporarily stabilizes their relationship, allowing Zhen Huan to guide Hongli toward a more prudent decision regarding his late father's principal wife.

As the story progresses, Zhen Huan finds herself constantly acting as a mediator between the emperor and his consorts. Ruyi, convinced of her special status, attempts to gain favor by requesting a new name from Zhen Huan, a gesture Zhen Huan views with suspicion and disdain. She grants the name Ruyi, hoping to neutralize the situation, but Ruyi's subsequent behavior continues to cause chaos. A critical turning point occurs when Ruyi, influenced by the Western painter Lang Shining, suggests monogamy to Hongli, leading to a public scandal during the mourning period. Hongli's decision to host an opera performance with Ruyi, inviting noblewomen and clanswomen, draws sharp criticism. Zhen Huan steps in to mitigate the damage, instructing the Empress Fuca to provide a face-saving explanation involving a dream from the late emperor. She then punishes Hongli and Ruyi by forcing them to perform acts of filial piety, effectively removing them from the public eye for a time.

The narrative further complicates when Empress Fuca attempts to implement cost-cutting measures that inadvertently harm the lower-ranking servants and children in the palace. Zhen Huan intervenes again, advising Fuca to revise her policies to avoid unrest. This incident highlights Zhen Huan's role as a stabilizing force in a court where the emperor and his favorite consort lack political maturity. The story concludes with Zhen Huan observing the ongoing absurdities of the harem, including Hongli's distribution of calligraphy plaques that diminish the exclusivity of his favor toward Ruyi. Despite her desire for a quiet life, Zhen Huan remains entangled in the affairs of the imperial family, constantly managing the consequences of others' irrational decisions while trying to preserve her own safety and status in the forbidden city.