In the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the hairdressing ceremony of the talented Su Zhi was being held at the residence of the Minister of Rites. Guests praised her talent and appearance. Su Zhi improvised her talent by playing the guqin.
- Suddenly the palace eunuch chief led troops to break in and read out the imperial edict that the Su family colluded with the deposed prince to rebel. Su's father was taken away on the spot and the mansion was sealed.
- In the chaos, Su Zhi was rescued by a loyal old servant, but saw her mother die under the arrows of the pursuers trying to protect her. Su Zhi fled the capital in a hurry with the mysterious jade pendant left by her mother.
- Three months later, Su Zhi, who went by the pseudonym "Bai Zhi", worked as an apprentice in a drug store in Yunzhou City, Jiangnan. She hid her talent and kept a low profile to survive, and secretly investigated clues about the family injustice.
- A seriously injured young businessman "Master Lu" (actually Lu Heng, Marquis of Jingbei) came to the medicine shop. Su Zhi assisted the old doctor in treating him with her medical knowledge.
- Su Zhi discovered that Lu Heng's wounds were abnormal and judged that they were caused by official weapons. She suspected that his identity was not simple, but was attracted by his generous medical fees and decided to keep it a secret.
- After Lu Heng woke up, he became curious about Su Zhi's medical skills and conversation, and secretly noticed her occasional Beijing accent and piano skills.
- Zhao Mingde, the son of the Yunzhou magistrate, came to the drug store to demand "protection money". Su Zhi dealt with it wittily but was still threatened, laying the groundwork for future conflicts.
- Lu Heng's followers secretly investigated Su Zhi's background and found that she was no ordinary pharmacy apprentice. Lu Heng received a secret report and needed to investigate the remnants of the deposed prince in Yunzhou.
- Lu Heng temporarily stayed near the drug store for the purpose of recovering from his injuries, and frequently visited the drug store to communicate with Su Zhi.
