The story of a stunning, pitiful orphan girl's rise to greatness.
Su Yao is twice forced by her birth father to marry for the sake of advancing his career.
The first time, she is to bring good fortune to the son of a powerful official in the capital. The second time, she is forced to marry her younger sister's place to a simple-minded man. Though she cleverly manages to protect her chastity, an accident leads her to injure the man. She is then sold into a brothel, where she happens upon Mu Xuan, son of the Marquis of Xiping from Yunnan, and is rescued.
Su Yao realizes that yielding and enduring will only bring her a tragic fate. With Mu Xuan and others to help her, she faces one peril after another and at last earns the right to stand proudly by the marquis's side.
