Ye Ling witnessed her elder sister, Lady Ye, who was carrying the Emperor’s heir, fall victim to Concubine Xue’s poison. From that moment, the seed of vengeance took root in her heart. The Empress sent the young Ye Ling to be raised in the household of distant kin, the Commander’s estate. Years later, she returned under the name Xiè Yuān, meticulously imitating every word and gesture of the Emperor Xiao Chenyu’s beloved Consort Shu, his unattainable “rose bud”, to win his favor and avenge her sister.