In the game of fate, Princess Han Ru of Yanyun bears the duty of a marriage alliance and enters the imperial palace of Great Chu. At the time, the emperor of Great Chu has grown cold as ice after losing the woman he loved, and treats her with suspicion and indifference. Han Ru carefully makes her way through the uncaring palace, gently melting the emperor’s hardened heart with her kindness. Their feelings grow in secret, their bond deepens, and their wedding night brings them closer still. Before long, they welcome a child together.
But the tides of fate are unpredictable. Conflict suddenly erupts between the two kingdoms, and the couple returns home together to face it. The heroine cares for her ailing brother while the hero quells the unrest, drawing them closer than ever. Yet after they return to the palace, their happiness is shattered by a conspiracy. Ministers accuse Han Ru of being unchaste and demand that she be deposed. To spare the hero trouble, Han Ru flees under cover of night, only to be rescued by her childhood friend Su Jin. A general with ulterior motives drugs and frames her, but the hero catches them in the act. In a fit of rage, the suspicious emperor kills the general with his own hands, then sends the heroine to the Cold Palace, where he torments and humiliates her without restraint. Their past love is reduced to nothing.
Fortunately, the truth eventually comes to light. The hero bitterly regrets his actions and begs for forgiveness, carefully working to mend their relationship. Their sweetness returns. But the harem is a treacherous place, rife with consorts vying for favor and plotting against one another. Fortunately, the dark clouds finally clear. Their love grows ever stronger through every hardship, and the empress gives birth to several children.
Beneath the lanterns and fireworks of the Shangyuan Festival, they embrace and kiss. Beyond the palace, they travel side by side through mountains and rivers, sharing sweet moments together. Yet fate is cruel. Multiple pregnancies take their toll on the heroine’s health, and she dies of postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth. Overcome with grief, the emperor abdicates and retreats to the mountains, passing on the throne and spending the rest of his life cherishing his memories of her. When they meet again in the afterlife, they continue their deep love, carrying a romance that has endured death and hardship into another world.
