There is an undercurrent of struggle between aristocratic families and poor families. Although the imperial examination opened a way for poor families, they were still trapped by the shackles of their family background.
Lin Yuan, the legitimate daughter of the Chancellor, followed her father to watch the court affairs since she was a child. She was cold and gentle but well-informed about the world. She was good at writing and arithmetic, and she kept her true heart and did not follow the secular world. Shen Chenyan, a scholar from a poor family, was taught by the Hanlin Academy to write essays based on his talent, but was repeatedly excluded because of his "no foundation." He was upright, disciplined, and knew how to change things, and he hid his admiration for Lin Yuan as a young man.
During a Dharma gathering, Lin Yuan came to Shen Chenyan's rescue; with a book borrowing order, he moved into the Lin family's west courtyard. The lights in the west courtyard reflect the classics, and the apricots on the desk hide the warmth. The two gradually form a bond in the gap between class antagonisms. However, the shadow of Shen's father's old case and the undercurrent of factions in the court followed one after another. This seemingly accidental encounter finally became the beginning of two sober souls supporting each other and keeping their true intentions in the torrent of the times.
