Shen Jiaoyue's elder brother, Shen Haoming, is ambushed by a classmate. His legs are badly injured, and his right hand is broken, nearly ruining the future he had worked so hard to earn through his studies.
Unable to bear watching her brother, who has just passed the prefectural scholar examination, lose his future, she puts on a scholar's robe, disguises herself as a man, and takes his place at school. Fortunately, the siblings look alike, and with a little effort, no one can tell them apart.
She overcomes one challenge after another and takes his place in the imperial examinations. By the time of the palace examination, Shen Haoming's legs have healed. He sits the exam and takes the top spot, earning the title of top scholar and a position as a compiler at the Hanlin Academy.
As “Compiler Shen,” she spends much of her time by Crown Prince Xiao Chengyuan's side.
Together, they investigate strange cases, rescue disaster victims, help the people, and survive one perilous situation after another.
Unbeknownst to Xiao Chengyuan, he begins to harbor feelings for this brilliant, perceptive scholar of humble origins.
He struggles and hesitates, torn over whether to break free of society's constraints. He is even willing to cast aside the rumors and spend his life with his confidant.
Once Shen Haoming has recovered, the siblings quietly switch identities.
When Xiao Chengyuan sees the real Shen Haoming again, he is filled with dejection. The burning affection in his heart seems to have vanished.
Yet whenever he falls asleep, memories of the two of them return to his mind.
Then a sudden accident brings the truth crashing to light:
The Shen Haoming who had captured his heart and occupied his thoughts for so long was never the man before him. It was his younger sister, Shen Jiaoyue.
