Xue Qingyin, a modern woman, unexpectedly transmigrates into the tragic supporting female character in the historical romance novel Beloved Imperial Consort. To change her fate, she gives up on the male lead and approaches the cold Prince Xuan, He Junting, hoping to use his influence to stay alive and then become a wealthy widow. Early in their marriage, she pretends to be sweet and naive, making He Junting believe she is deeply in love with him. Gradually, he reveals his tender and doting side. With her wits, Xue Qingyin carves out a place for herself in the palace, rising from a minor supporting character to a favorite at the emperor’s side, while He Junting comes to see her as his light. Later, He Junting’s true identity is exposed: he is the son of the former crown prince, who was unjustly framed and killed, and he has been secretly plotting his revenge. Xue Qingyin becomes his “shield over his heart.” The elder brother she once admired begins a desperate campaign to win her back after she changes her heart, but she rejects him. As He Junting pursues revenge, the threat of discovery looms, while the palace remains hostile to Xue Qingyin. In the end, He Junting purges the court and ascends the throne, and Xue Qingyin becomes empress. The two go from using each other for their own ends to sincerely standing by one another, rewriting their tragic fate of dying together.
