The soul of Zhang Xiao, a modern office worker, falls into the Kangxi era and becomes the Manchu girl Maertai Ruoxi. Armed with only a hazy memory of Qing history, she treads carefully through the treacherous struggle among the nine princes. She once believed she could use her “foreknowledge” to escape her fate, but in the end she is swept into the heart of history, caught between her love and hatred for Fourth Prince Yinzhen, her tender regard for Eighth Prince Yinsi, and her deep bond with Thirteenth Prince Yinxiang.
When the bloody struggle among the princes proves harsher than the history books, and the known ending hangs over her like a blade, Ruoxi is no longer a passive bystander. She tries to change the fates of her friends and family with what little influence she has, only to find that every struggle drags her in deeper: the Eighth Prince’s consort’s determination, Thirteenth Prince’s imprisonment, Yutan’s horrific death… The tragedies etched in her memory are closing in again, in even more cruel forms.
And between her and Yinzhen lie the chill of imperial power, a gulf of suspicion, and the future she dares not speak of. When the bells announcing Yongzheng’s enthronement ring out, the red walls of the Forbidden City imprison both the emperor and her shattered dreams. This time, can she find a way to survive that truly belongs to “Maertai Ruoxi,” amid love, hatred, and the fate of the realm? Her broken dream is not yet over, and every step brings another shock.
