Synopsis
In the twenty-third year of Yong Sui, the He clan threw the court into chaos. The Emperor was enraged and destroyed them.
The He clan were beheaded or sold off, and their daughter in the palace, Consort Zhao, was not spared either. She had incurred the Emperor's displeasure by pleading for them, and was banished to the Cold Palace, where she soon hanged herself.
Even Consort Zhao's adopted daughter was implicated.
Her adopted daughter was named Jiu Fangqing, and held the title of Princess Anhe.
When the He clan was first charged with crimes, Jiu Fangqing refused to stand by and do nothing. She requested an audience with the Emperor, but he refused to see her and ordered her not to interfere, placing her under house arrest.
While Jiu Fangqing was confined, everyone fawned on the powerful and kicked those who had fallen, taking the chance to heap insults on her. Seeing that she had lost her influence, the Sixth Prince came to mock her.
Jiu Fangqing was no easy target. She produced evidence she held against the Sixth Prince, forcing him to behave himself in her presence. She told him to wait for the day she dealt with him personally, then ordered him to get out.
The Sixth Prince stormed away in a rage. Before leaving, he told her to wait for good news that would arrive soon.
At first, Jiu Fangqing paid no heed to his words, until she learned that Consort Zhao had taken her own life in the Cold Palace.
Jiu Fangqing was stunned by the news and fainted, unable to bear it. When she awoke, she noticed signs that someone had poisoned the things she used every day.
Before Jiu Fangqing could discover who was responsible, someone soon broke into her palace and attempted to assassinate her.
Armed with the treasured sword left behind by her birth mother, the late Empress, Jiu Fangqing fought back and barely survived. As she treated the injuries inflicted by the assassin, she brooded for a long time, thinking how illustrious Princess Anhe had once been, and how wretched Jiu Fangqing was now.
After suffering a devastating blow, Jiu Fangqing came to her senses. The palace was full of dangers, and she resolved to find a way to leave the palace and the capital. For now, at the very least, she had to get her confinement lifted.
She did not sleep all night. The next day, dressed in plain mourning clothes and carrying her birth mother's funeral garments and treasured sword, she broke through every obstacle until the Emperor finally agreed to see her.
The late Empress's family had served the country with unwavering loyalty, fighting on the battlefield and defending every inch of Da Yu's territory.
Grateful for their service, the Emperor could not bring himself to treat Jiu Fangqing too harshly. In the end, he let her go and granted her request to depart for her fief in Pingchuan.
Once her confinement was lifted, Jiu Fangqing uncovered the truth behind Consort Zhao's supposed