The Phoenix’s Fateful Love: Where the Emperor’s Heart Lies, There Is Home

This is an ancient romance filled with twists and heartfelt devotion. Muyun Wan'er, daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue, goes up the mountain to pray for her father's good fortune. On her way back, bandits surround her, but she is rescued by Emperor Zhao Chenyu. After being drugged, she ends up in an intimate encounter with the emperor. Wan'er later becomes pregnant before marriage and is cast out by her family, struggling to make a living on the outskirts of the city.

The emperor cannot forget Wan'er, but the Empress Dowager repeatedly urges him to choose a consort. Using a birthday banquet as an excuse, she summons the unmarried daughters of officials ranked third grade and above to the palace. Unaware of the real reason, Muyun Wan'er attends, only to be maliciously reported by Muyun Changqing. The Empress Dowager orders her beaten to death. The emperor arrives just in time to protect Wan'er, but even the Imperial Tutor cannot dissuade the Empress Dowager. Muyun Che pleads for his daughter's life and even strikes his head against a pillar.

At the crucial moment, Wan'er's child appears. The child's looks arouse the Empress Dowager's suspicions, and after questioning Wan'er and receiving her nod, the emperor realizes the child is his. Driven by jealousy, Muyun Changqing and his father, Muyun Hong, try to shift the blame onto each other. In the end, they confess that Muyun Hong ordered the bandits to violate Wan'er. The emperor orders a thorough investigation. Once the truth comes to light, the guilty are severely punished. Muyun Wan'er is made empress, her son becomes crown prince, and her daughter becomes a princess. The emperor dotes on the empress alone, and together they create a legendary love story for the ages.