Gu Jiu, an accomplished modern woman, transmigrates into the body of a poor young woman in ancient times. To survive, she disguises herself as a man and enters government service with the Imperial Examination System.
As a man, she wins the palace exam with her astounding scholarship and becomes the youngest top scholar in the Da Qi Dynasty, but also falls into the inescapable trap Emperor Xiao Chen has laid for her.
Xiao Chen appears cold and taciturn, but beneath the surface he is calculating and deeply devoted. He saw through her disguise long ago, yet gives nothing away, keeping her by his side day and night.
She uses her wits to overcome famine, stabilize the court, and secure the borders, while he clears every obstacle from her path and grants her supreme authority.
Everyone praises Chancellor Gu as a genius of unparalleled talent. Only the emperor knows that the top scholar he cherishes in the palm of his hand is the tenderness and obsession he has kept hidden for half his life.
Her secret identity is on the verge of being exposed, and their feelings have already grown overwhelming.
When a palace coup throws everything into chaos and her identity is revealed, he offers her his empire and promises to protect her for the rest of her life:
“From top scholar to empress, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
A clash between formidable equals, sweet and heartbreaking moments intertwined: watch a cross-dressing power broker and a seemingly gentle but secretly ruthless emperor protect their golden age together, bound by a love that never falters.
