Keep the Ritual as Before

In the last years of Dayong, the aristocratic family came to power and the poor family had no way out. Cui Lingyi came from a noble family that lasted for hundreds of years, and was raised to be a noble daughter of a noble family who conforms to the most etiquette and laws since she was a child. She is familiar with accounts and has insight into people's hearts, but she can only hide behind the curtain, planning for the family and fighting for a chance of survival for herself. Shen Zhi'an came from a humble background, and no one cared about his talents and knowledge. In order to find out his father's old case, and to get rid of the heavy weight of his family background on his poor family, he entered Cui Mansion and became the most inconspicuous counselor around Cui Lingyi. She borrowed his knife to clean up the family's long-standing problems; he borrowed her hand to go deep into the court. They once planned the New Deal under the same lamp, and also faced tit-for-tat before the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. She wanted to change the old system at the smallest cost, but he believed that for the unseen peace, someone would have to sacrifice for it. From the internal strife of the aristocratic family to the turmoil in the court, from the census of household registration to the turmoil in the world, they supported each other along the way, but also stepped towards irreconcilable opposition. Later, the old clan was overthrown, the new law was settled, and the world finally looked like what they had hoped for together. It's just that according to the records of Qing Dynasty, loyalty and treachery have long been determined; old friends know it, but no one can say it anymore. Mountains and rivers change, and old things turn to dust. Only Cui Lingyi was as dignified and calm as the world expected, just like in the past. The ritual remains as before, but the old friend never returns.