This is a story about a "sober" person.
In the sixth year of Yongzheng's reign, fifteen-year-old Uranara Qingying entered the Forbidden City as the niece of the deposed queen. She was born with the ability to sense the strongest emotions in other people's hearts - Concubine Xi's fear, Xiu Nu's jealousy, Fujin's wariness, Hongli's loneliness... These eyes that "see through people's hearts" destined her to not be able to live in ignorance like ordinary women.
From the dormitory to the deep palace, from the side of Fujin to the queen, she has gone through the chess game for twenty years. She has brought down enemies and protected friends; she has gained the emperor's heart, and has witnessed how heart can be eroded by suspicion. She thought she was the most sober chess player, but she didn't realize until the end that she was also a player in the game.
In the 30th year of Qianlong's southern tour, the emperor and empress broke up, and Ruyi lost her hair. After being imprisoned in the cold palace, she learned the truth about "hearing the heart" from Hailan: it was not a superpower, but the psychological burden caused by extreme sensitivity. What she thought was "understanding everyone" was just seeing her own reflection in everyone.
Her aunt's death, Qin An's death, Chu Ying's death... She thought she was avenging them, but in fact she was proving that she would not be like them. The truth was like a knife, cutting through her twenty years of self-deception.
She chose to leave soberly - wearing the old clothes when she entered the palace, combing her hair for the last time in front of the bronze mirror, remembering what she said on the day of the draft, "Thunder, rain, and dew are all your kindness."
She thought she had won everyone, but in fact she only won herself.
