Before entering the palace, the Empress of Qi had once been engaged to a scholar named Jin Baiwan in her hometown of Huai County. They had a daughter named Jin Ling.
As the years passed, whenever the Empress thought of her daughter, she was consumed with guilt and often secretly wept.
One day, the Emperor of Qi happened to witness this and was moved with compassion.
So he ordered Crown Prince Liu Jing to travel to Huai County and bring the Empress's daughter back to the palace, hoping to ease her longing.
Fifteen years ago, the entire Jin family perished in a raging fire. Only Jin Ling survived. A kind old woman took her in and named her Xiao Lingdang.
Cheerful, spirited, warmhearted, and generous, Xiao Lingdang soon befriended a lively group of young men and women, including Crown Prince Liu Jing. Together, they helped one another overcome trial after trial, finding great love, precious friendship, and lives full of color along the way.
