Li Qingyan is the only daughter of the Grand Chancellor of Great Zhou. She grew up cherished and doted on, with her father and her mother, Lady Wei, showering her with affection. But Li Qingyan is lively and restless by nature. She likes to disguise herself as a man and sneak out of the residence with her maid, Linlang. One day, while out in disguise, she unexpectedly encounters Emperor Xiao Jingyuan, who is traveling incognito. He recognizes her but keeps her identity a secret.
Before long, Xiao Jingyuan falls for her. But Li Qingyan has no desire to enter the palace. She longs for freedom and wants no part of a place ruled by endless regulations. The Grand Chancellor and Lady Wei also don't want their daughter competing with countless women for one man's favor, so they decide to marry her off. After some discussion, the family settles on Shen Lingyun, the only son of the great general who guards the nation. When Xiao Jingyuan hears of this, he sends Shen Lingyun away to quell unrest in the provinces, then names Li Qingyan a Noble Consort and orders her to enter the palace and attend him. Unwilling to go, Li Qingyan disguises herself as a man and runs away the night before her arrival. Her maid Linlang dresses up as her and enters the palace in her place. After court the next morning, Xiao Jingyuan goes to see her and discovers that Li Qingyan has escaped. He sends people to search for her, then leaves the palace himself with Gao Feng and several Imperial Guards. In the end, they find Li Qingyan.
Xiao Jingyuan takes her into the palace, but even there, Li Qingyan keeps trying to escape his side. Later, when County Princess Yun arrives in the capital, she learns that the emperor already has a beloved Noble Consort and plots to get rid of her. Xiao Jingyuan is stabbed by County Princess Yun while saving Li Qingyan. From that moment on, Li Qingyan's feelings for him begin to change.
