To help the Eighth Prince seize the throne, Cao Yinjie and Qiao Yingxue hatched a plot: first eliminate the Ming family, then get rid of the empress and Wei Ningshi. Only when Wei Zhilan finally came to her senses did she learn of their scheme.
After the empress and crown prince died, Wei Zhilan, pregnant with Cao Yinjie's child, was murdered by his own hand. Filled with hatred, she was reborn ten years earlier, on the eve of her wedding. After discovering that Cao Yinjie had orchestrated their marriage from beginning to end, she used Commandery Princess Zhao Yuxiang to call off the match.
Because Cao Yinjie and Zhao Yuxiang were having an affair, the emperor of Rui granted them permission to marry and bestowed the title of princess upon Zhao Yuxiang.
On Cao Yinjie and Zhao Yuxiang's wedding day, Cao Yinjie's men abducted Wei Zhilan as she was returning to the palace from Prince Zhou's residence. Just as Cao Yinjie was about to force himself on her, Zhongli Mo rescued her.
To eliminate the threat once and for all, Wei Zhilan had Zhongli Mo cut off Cao Yinjie's manhood. From then on, Cao Yinjie's love for Wei Zhilan turned to hatred, and he used his influence at court to take on Zhongli Mo.
