Jin Yunmeng, the female chancellor, lives by one principle: Since this court is beset by turmoil, why not be the one who stirs things up?
The late emperor has left behind three messes: a puppet crown prince disguised as a man, an ambitious regent, and an empress dowager who conceals her true intentions.
Jin Yunmeng, the first female minister of state in the dynasty, chooses to take on all three.
Building her career: Against all opposition, she supports the emperor's eldest son by a concubine, Prince Yong, and personally puts him in charge of the government.
Making best friends: The princess thinks she's trying to steal her "younger brother's" throne, the Imperial Astrologer predicts she's doomed to meet a bloody end every day, and the empress dowager looks at her as if she's a femme fatale who will bring down the country. Jin Yunmeng says: No big deal. Let's have a tea party, with all the lotus pastries you can eat.
Dealing with the villains: The regent wants to seize power? She turns around and sends him packing with a major corruption case involving the grain transport system. The mysterious organization "Youying" wants to overthrow the dynasty? She joins forces with her besties, an icy beauty from Beidi, and a remarkable woman from the martial world, and flips the whole chessboard.
And... dealing with the male lead? Prince Yong, Xiao Jingchen, looks at the woman who put him on the throne: "Chancellor Jin, what exactly are you after?" Jin Yunmeng sorts through the ten policies for governing the country that she wrote overnight, not even looking up: "A little peace and quiet. Your Majesty, you're blocking the light."
Later, she is framed and thrown into prison. The entire court thinks the female chancellor has finally fallen.
But in the prison...
The princess brings her a food hamper: "Mother's lotus pastry recipe. Eat up, so you'll be nice and plump when you escape."
The Imperial Astrologer hands her a brocade pouch: "Yesterday's auspicious spot. Dig here, and you'll reach the moat."
Her friend from the martial world flashes a token: "Three thousand death warriors from Tingxue Tower are ready. Just tell me who to cut down."
The Beidi envoy tosses her a map: "You can borrow a hundred thousand border cavalry. We can talk about interest."
Jin: ?
