Lu Mingyuan transmigrates into the Sixth Prince of the Great Yan Dynasty. Because his original self was bewitched by a beauty and let a demon nation's temptress escape, he commits a grave crime and is confined for thirty years, declared utterly disqualified from ever claiming the throne. From the start, he's thrown into the hellish contest among nine princes for the crown.
By chance, however, he obtains a mysterious Six-Line Turtle Shell that lets him see all kinds of divinations, turn misfortune into fortune, and gain the blessings of various fated destinies.
[Upper line, auspicious omen: Staying in the palace brings good fortune. The other princes won't regard you as a thorn in their side. Misfortune: Your reputation will never earn you the throne. After your confinement, you can obtain the Imperial Orange destiny (A Trapped Dragon in the Deep).]
[Lower line, auspicious omen: Exile to the Western Wastes brings misfortune, followed by danger from war. Good fortune: Leave the court far behind, with the land wide and the sky high. Escape successfully, and you can obtain the Azure destiny (A Fugitive Imperial Orphan).]
And so, life switches to easy mode. Lu Mingyuan begins accumulating fated destinies, reclining amid the imperial harem and calmly watching fortunes rise and fall in the capital. He observes the shifting political landscape, while danger and trouble never touch him.
He thinks he'll just lie low until the end of time. But then the temptress from years ago returns to her homeland, ascends the throne, and makes her first move: attacking Great Yan to rescue him.
