Amid the schemes swirling through a grand mansion and the treacherous currents of the imperial court, Shen Wanzhi, the legitimate eldest daughter of a general's household, writes her own legendary story with perseverance as her brush and wisdom as her ink. Her birth mother died young, and she is tormented at every turn by her stepmother, Lin Qiufeng, and her younger sister, Shen Chuzhi. Even Xiao Yan, the fine young man betrothed to her, is stolen away by another.
Her fate quietly changes after she meets Xiao Chen, the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. Moved by her resilience, Xiao Chen resolves to protect her. With his help, Shen Wanzhi gradually builds up her strength and takes on those who have oppressed her. In the end, Lady Lin loses her mind, and Xiao Yan casts Shen Chuzhi aside.
With her father growing old and her younger brother still a child, Shen Wanzhi shoulders the family's burden alone. She plans each step carefully, emerging from the shadows of the General's Estate and entering the splendid halls of the Eastern Palace to become the crown princess. This is not merely one woman's rise against the odds, but a struggle for her family's honor and future.
