Spring Deepens in Jingming

In the second year of Yonglu under the Jingming Dynasty, the imperial selection begins. Xu Xinwei, daughter of a disgraced official, is forced to enter the palace to secure a future for her family. Faced with pressure from her parents and her half-sister's covetous eyes, she reluctantly travels to the capital and stays with her maternal relatives, the Zhang family. With her eldest aunt's support and Nanny Sun's instruction, she learns the rules and broadens her horizons. She also befriends her cousin Zhang Yu and Yang Panlin, who is taking part in the selection as well. Ahead lies the shifting, treacherous inner palace. Amid unease and struggle, she gradually stops fleeing and begins to face her circumstances, embarking on a journey of fate she never chose.