Transmigrated into the Body of a Palace Maid Entrusted with the Care of An Orphan She Recruits Soldiers and Horses on Her Journey to Escape Famine

Shen Ying is a modern woman who has transmigrated into the body of a lowly palace maid in the Great Qi Dynasty. After being revived by Imperial Consort Wan, she rises through the ranks to become the consort’s personal servant, enjoying five years of relative peace and protection. However, her stable life is shattered when the emperor accuses Consort Wan’s family of treason. In the dead of night, Shen Ying is entrusted with the infant Second Imperial Prince and forced to flee through a secret passage beneath a dry well as Mingyue Palace burns. She escapes the capital, traveling westward with the help of a coachman, but soon realizes the route is compromised. Abandoning the carriage, she heads south toward the flood-ravaged regions, where lawlessness offers better concealment.

Exhausted and nearly starving, Shen Ying collapses outside a mountain watcher’s hut. She disguises herself as a widow searching for her husband and successfully deceives the locals. After descending into Jichuan Prefecture, she enters the household of Master Chen, posing as a skilled cosmetic artisan to win the favor of the declining Third Concubine. Using beauty formulas she developed in the palace, Shen Ying helps the concubine regain her husband’s attention. However, the household erupts in violence when rival concubines accuse the Third Concubine of witchcraft. Amidst the chaos of a refugee influx, Shen Ying is discovered by a young maid who demands to know the contents of her bundle. To protect the prince and her wealth, Shen Ying kills the maid, steals her identity documents, and flees into the crowd of displaced persons.

On the road south, Shen Ying encounters Wei Jinhu, a massive, strong man who claims to be her long-lost cousin. Recognizing his resentment toward corrupt officials and his lethal capabilities, Shen Ying manipulates him into joining her as a protector. She fabricates a story about embezzled inheritance money to bind his anger to a shared goal. The group expands when they take in two orphaned children, Chunya and Tudou, from a dying grandmother. Shen Ying assesses their utility: Chunya proves to be a natural killer with a cold demeanor, while Tudou is timid but obedient. Wei Jinhu serves as their muscle, though he lacks strategic foresight. Together, the five travel through a crumbling empire, facing bandits, corrupt soldiers, and starvation.

In Songxi County, the group faces extortion at the city gates and theft by local guards posing as law enforcement. Shen Ying navigates these dangers with calculated ruthlessness, using her wits to defuse conflicts while secretly preparing for violence. That night, they discover a band of robbers planning to ambush them, sell the women into brothels, and eat the children. Shen Ying orders Wei Jinhu to drug the bandits. When the time comes to execute the unconscious men, Chunya volunteers, displaying terrifying efficiency and a bloodlust that shocks even Wei Jinhu. She slaughters the entire group while Tudou hides in fear. Shen Ying accepts Chunya’s loyalty and integrates her fully into the team, establishing a hierarchy based on utility and survival.

The story concludes with Shen Ying solidifying her role as the leader of this makeshift family. She has abandoned any hope of returning to a normal life or clearing Consort Wan’s name through legal means. Instead, she focuses on survival, using her modern knowledge and palace-honed cunning to navigate a world where mercy is a liability. The group leaves Songxi County, moving deeper into the chaotic south, bound together by secrets, blood, and the shared necessity of staying alive in a society that has collapsed into barbarism.