Ten years ago, amid a power struggle in the capital, Qin Youning was separated from her parents to escape danger. After returning to the family home, she found no warmth, only taunts from her cousin and cold treatment from her parents. In everyone's eyes, she became the Marquis's eccentric eldest daughter. Beneath the calm surface of the household, rival factions constantly maneuver for power.
At a flower-viewing banquet, Qin Youning stumbles upon the Fourth Prince's plot. Having once received help from Xie Zhao, the hostage prince of Yan, she steps in to save him, and their fates become entwined from that moment on. Qin Youning had hoped to live quietly, but is forced into the whirlpool of political intrigue.
As the court's power struggle intensifies, the emperor notices their relationship and forces Xie Zhao to choose between returning to Yan and marrying Qin Youning. Burdened by his country's deep-seated vendetta, Xie Zhao ultimately chooses the former, trading an imperial decree for the chance to return to Yan.
Qin Youning refuses to be a pawn for others to manipulate in their struggle for power. She will make her own way, earn the title of the Great Yin dynasty's first female top scholar through her own abilities, enter the court, and use her wisdom to resolve crises instead of remaining weak.
After returning to Yan, Xie Zhao builds his strength for revenge and ultimately succeeds. But when he returns to the old capital, he sees Qin Youning with General Fu's young son and is consumed by madness. He uses his power to force Qin Youning to come back to him, but his obsession only drives her farther away. Broken jade can never be made whole, and their relationship can never return to what it was.
I cried 😭 I'm so heartbroken for my little general, can't you give him a happy ending? 🥺🥺🥺