In the winter of the twenty-sixth year of Yonghe, snow blanketed Yanyang. Shen Qinglan, once the daughter of a noble family and granddaughter of the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, lost her entire family when the Shen clan was destroyed by the "Imperial Examination Exam Questions Leak Case." She became a convict in the Directorate of Prisons. When Eunuch Zhang of the Imperial Household Department coveted her, she fought back and shattered a jade thumb ring, earning a punishment of kneeling in the snow. Fortunately, Xiao Luzi, an attendant to Prince Jing, Xiao Jingxuan, pleaded on her behalf. In truth, he was the guard Luo Feng, and thanks to him, she escaped further punishment.
Life in the servants' quarters was harsh, but Shen Qinglan endured in silence and seized every opportunity to gather information. When Ruirui was falsely accused by Palace Maid Qian of stealing a hairpin, Shen Qinglan kept her cool and cleverly exposed the real culprit, saving Ruirui and revealing her own intelligence.
Xiao Jingxuan was secretly investigating the Shen family's case and realized Shen Qinglan could be useful. He learned of her every word and deed, and admired her calmness and resourcefulness. In this cold imperial palace, Shen Qinglan was like a seed lying dormant. A bargain between her and Xiao Jingxuan, born of desperation, had quietly begun. Now she must turn the tide against all odds and clear her family's name.
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