Princess Mingyuan of Li dynasty, the consort of Western Liang emperor, is fatally ill. Worried about peace between their countries, she decides to arrange a peace-making political marriage between the ninth princess of Western Liang and the crown prince of Li dynasty.

Princess Xiao Feng finds out about the arranged marriage and tries to find a way out of it. Meanwhile, the crown prince of Li and the fifth prince face difficulties on their journey to Western Liang.

Xiao Feng finds an injured man in the dunes and tries to save him. Li officials try to find the fifth prince amidst political schemings. Princess Ming Yuan learns of what happened to the crown prince and her health deteriorates further.

The second prince Li Chengye is sent to Western Liang to investigate the Dan chi people's involvement in the assassination of the crown prince. Princess Xiao Feng is returned home. She tries a series of different tactics to escape again. Li dynasty and Shuobo both send marriage proposals to Western Liang. Li Chengyin learns important information about his ancestry.

Li Chengyin plans to take revenge. Li Chengye takes over the investigation of the assassination.

Xiao Feng finds a loophole out of the marriage and decides to take refuge at her grandfather's camp. Princess Mingyuan's illness gets worse. Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin get to know each other better while constantly bickering.

Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin escape the Shuobo soldiers together. Prince Li Chengye continues his schemes to take over the crown prince position. Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin slowly begin to bond.

Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin go in search of backup forces. As per Li Chengyin's persistence, they decide to ask the Li military camp to help them defeat the Shuobo forces. Gu Jian secretly follows them and tries to protect Xiao Feng.

After bidding the Li forces goodbye, the Dan Chi soldiers set out for the king's camp. Xiao Feng insists they take Li Chengyin with them. Once they arrive, Li Chengyin has a hard time gaining the tribe's trust. Tieda Er Wang announces that anyone who can kill the white-eye wolf-king will be the one to marry his granddaughter.

Li Chengyin leaves the camp. He visits the Shuobo king to make a deal with him. He provides the Li army with a map of the Dan Chi territory. Xiao Feng waits for Gu Xiaowu to kill the wolf-king.

Gu Xiaowu asks for Xiao Feng's hand in marriage but Tieda Er Wang still has doubts about him and sets up a new challenge for him.

Prince Ye and the Li troops get ready for war, while the Dan Chi people get ready to hold a wedding.

Tieda Er Wang makes a deal with the fifth prince in exchange for the life of Dan Chi people. Xiao Feng learns the truth about everything.

Gao Xian and the Li forces take over Western Liang's palace. Xiao Feng is put on house arrest. She must make a difficult decision in regards to the alliance with Li dynasty, or face the destruction of her family.

Li Changyin chases Xiao Feng to the edge of the cliff overlooking the river of forgetfulness. Time jump to when Princess Xiao Feng has arrived at the Eastern Palace. She must adjust to the unfamiliar environment and the strict rules of the palace.

The emperor delays on choosing a new crown prince among the impatient anticipation of everyone else. A hunting trip is held that is attended by all. Princess Xiao Feng and Prince Chengyin meet for the first time.

Xiao Feng and A'Du explore the capital city. The emperor chooses a new crown prince. The wedding is set for a hundred days later.

The annual garden party is held. The princes and princesses compete in a poetry competition.

Xiao Feng and Gu Jian visit Mi Luo's establishment along with Ming Yue. Li Chengyin receives a gift to help with his cold and a football game is held.

General Zhao sets off for the Westlands as per crown prince's recommendation. Zhao Sese and Li Chengyin see him off. Li Yan and Li Chengye spy on them. Minister Gao and the empress discuss Li Chengyin's motives.

Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin get into an argument over their respective countries. They ask the great dowager empress and the emperor to judge the situation. Xiao Feng looks for evidence for her argument.

Xiao Feng decides to further investigate the matter of the Wanfo temple without Li Chengyin. She goes to the great dowager empress and the emperor with her findings.

In the summer palace, Li Yan and the palace servants bring forth evidence that indicates Prince Yi tried to poison the crown prince. The emperor sends soldiers to search Prince Yi's residence. The empress seeks the help of prime minister Gao. Meanwhile, Xiao Feng is still suffering from the poison with no antidote.

The emperor asks the crown prince's opinion of Prince Yi and his involvement in the death of Li Chengji. He then personally goes to question the maidservant Chan. The Gao faction decide to look into the files in regards to the death of the former crown prince. Gao Xian is called in to bring forth an important piece of evidence. Pei Zhao asks A'Du for her help but she refuses.

The coup is subverted. Li Chengye is taken into custody. The emperor visits him in the dungeons. The court discusses punishments and the great dowager empress stands up for the Zhong family. Xiao Feng waits for the marriage alliance to fall apart and Li Chengyin has to come to terms with the realities of being a prince.

Xiao Feng suffers from homesickness. Li Chengyin looks for a gift to give her to comfort her. Prince Rong is impatient for the role of the crown prince. Ming yue meets her father at last.

Per his mother's insistence, Prince Rong removes himself from the crown prince selection. Xiao Feng follows Zhao Sese around, to catch a glimpse of her necklace. The Lantern Festival arrives. The princesses attend with Prince Yi chaperoning. Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin get along like a house on fire. The new crown prince is finally chosen.

Li Chengyin goes to the eastern palace. He begs the empress to let him marry Zhao Sese. Xiao Feng visits the envoys from Western Liang and asks about the Dan Chi envoy. Zhao Sese reveals the truth to Xiao Feng who is now inconsolable. She decides to run away. The great dowager empress has a talk with her to change her mind.

The royal wedding between the Crown Prince and 9th princess of Western Liang is held. Zhao Sese is bestowed the titled of liangdi and enters eastern palace. Gu Jiang waits for Xiao Feng but she doesn't show up.

Gu Jian and Li Chengyin fabricate a letter from Xiao Feng's father. Li Chengyin diverts suspicion from himself by pretending to be disinterested in politics. Xiao Feng and A'Du visit the ancestral hall made for Tieda Er king.

Chai Mu is forced to leave the capital city. Xiao Feng pays Zhao Liang di a visit. She gets into an argument with Li Chengyin.

Crown prince and princess and Zhao Liang di are taken to the empress to sort out the Buddha washing ceremony incident. Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin get into an argument and the empress punishes Zhao Liang di instead. Prime minister Gao suspects the crown prince and crown princess are faking their discords with each other. Xiao Feng and A'Du sneak out of the palace and get into trouble. Xiao Feng invites the two princesses to Mi Luo's tavern to celebrate Luoxi's birthday.

The princesses return home very drunk. Xiao Feng sleeps in and forgets Zhao Liang Di's birthday. Yong Niang sends longevity noodles on her behalf for the concubine. Li Chengyin accuses Xiao Feng of poisoning Zhao Liang di. Both Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin's memories are agitated by the wolf tooth necklace. Xiao Feng and A'Du get into a legal case in town. Pei Zhao helps them out.

The Gao and Zhao factions are slowly becoming more hostile towards each other. Mingyue meets with Li Chengyin and asks to join their mission against the Gao family. The empress holds a banquet. Gao Ruyi performs a dance and captures the emperor's attention. Li Chengyin looks for ways to please a woman. He follows Xiao Feng into the city in pursuit of finding Weipin Pavillion.

Xiao Feng speculates about Li Chengyin's feelings for her. Li Chengyin dines at the empress's palace and gets drunk. The Gao family arrange new alliances for themselves in the harem. Zhao Liang Di worries about Li Chengyin's changing feelings. Mingyue proceeds with her plot against the emperor.

The emperor spends the night with concubine Gao. The crown prince's birthday arrives. The empress gifts Xu Niang to him and announces she is pregnant with his child. Zhao Liang Di is heartbroken. She and Li Chengyin quarrel over it. There are rumors about Xiao Feng and General Pei around the palace. In a jealous fit, Li Chengyin decides to spend the night at Xiao Feng's quarters. Zhao Liang Di visits Xiao Feng the day after.

Li Chengyin is nervous over the newfound acquaintanceship between Xiao Feng and Zhao Liang Di. Gu Jian helps Li Chengyin hatch a plan to create a conflict between the empress and prime minister Gao. Pei Zhao discovers the truth about Xu Niang. Xiao Feng shows early signs of heartbreak.

Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin's little outing goes wrong as usual and they return the next day, both suffering from a cold chill. Zhao Shi Xuan uncovers Zhang Can's murder but keeps the details to himself as he moves to arrest Gao Zhen. In court, prime minister Gao asks the emperor to investigate all Gao properties, forcing the emperor into showing mercy. The case causes the empress and Gao family's relationship to fall apart. Li Chengyin uses this chance to create even more misunderstandings.

Concubine Gao reports to her family about the emperor's nightly escapades outside the palace. The empress becomes worried that the crown prince is no longer loyal to her. With the help of prime minister Gao, the empress plans a scheme to get rid of both Zhao Liang Di and ruin the relationship between the crown prince and crown princess. Xu Niang has a miscarriage. Zhao Liang Di is accused of tampering with her food and is punished. Li Chengyin throws a tantrum and gets into a big fight with Xiao Feng.

Zhao Sese is demoted and put in the cold palace. Li Chengyin goes to the empress and throws another tantrum and kneels for a whole day. He falls sick and refuses to take medicine. Yong Niang convinces Xiao Feng to check on him. The day after, Xiao Feng leaves his room in a disheveled manner, and rumors spread about them. Empress punishes Xiao Feng. A'Du and Xiao Feng sneak out of the palace.

Li Chengyin gets jealous of Xiao Feng and Pei Zhao's friendship. The emperor grants marriage to Pei Zhao and Princess Luoxi. A depressed Pei Zhao gets drunk with an equally depressed Gu Jian before Mi Luo drags him away. Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin fight over Pei Zhao. Great dowager empress thinks Xiao Feng is pregnant and gets excited before finding out it was a false alarm. She is pissed off so she locks Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin in a room together. There was only one bed.

Li Chengyin pretends to faint so he and Xiao Feng are released from house arrest. The empress asks the crown prince about his jade pendant. What follows is a fierce battle between the two to stay one step ahead of the other. Concubine Gao is pregnant. An assassin tries to kill Li Chengyin. A'Du gets injured chasing the assassin.

Everyone waits for the prince to wake up from his coma. A'Du wakes up and tells the identity of the assassin to the emperor's investigator. Xiao Feng uses Gu Jian's medicine for Li Chengyin. She also releases Zhao Sese from the cold palace so she can visit Li Chengyin. Xiao Feng confesses her feelings to an unconscious Li Chengyin.

Xiao Feng rejects reconciliation with Li Chengyin. Pei Zhao and Princess Luoxi get married. Xu Baolin comes to the Eastern Palace and is immediately accused of trying to curse Zhao Liang Di. Li Chengyin finds a way to free Xu Niang from the palace. The Gao Family investigate Mingyue. Li chengyin and Chai Mu hatch a plan regarding Mingyue and the emperor. Then Li Chengyin and Xiao Feng go to Mingyu brothel together. They run into the emperor.

Xiao Feng and Li Chengyin have three seconds of happiness while watching fireworks. An assassin attacks the emperor. Mingyue throws herself in front of him and gets injured instead. Xiao Feng convinces the assassin to take her hostage instead of the emperor.

Mingyue recuperates in the palace. A'Du looks for Xiao Feng. Li Chengyin reveals the possible connection between Mingyue and General Chen and the Gao family conspiracy to the emperor. Xiao Feng dreams of the mysterious Gu Xiaowu. Gu Jian keeps Xiao Feng by force and despite her lack of interest, he tries to make her remember him. Soldiers looking for Crown Princess find Gu Jian's hiding place. A confused Xiao Feng alerts Gu Jian before they can take her away.

Zhao Liang Di waits for the crown prince. The great dowager empress gives advice to Li Chengyin. Due to muddled memories, Xiao Feng thinks Gu Jian is Gu Xiaowu. Gu Jian does not correct the mistake. Li Chengyin chases a lead from the case that got his brother Chengji demoted and attempts to reopen the case with the help of Chai Mu. Zhao Liang Di bribes A'Du for information but is brutally rejected. Xiao Feng goes back to the eastern palace to take A'Du back to Western Liang with her. The matter of the blood book is brought to court.

Xiao Feng still believes Gu Jian is Gu Xiaowu. Gu Jian does not correct her and they decide to leave the central plains after the lantern festival. Minister Gao asks Gao Xian to instigate a fake rebellion in the Westlands in order to put the emperor into a difficult situation and subtly show him that he needs the Gao family's forces. Li Chengyin suspects Gu Jian will take Xiao Feng out of the city, using the crowds on the lantern festival day, and orders extra guards to be stationed at the gates. He also sends a message to general Zhao to quietly investigate the relationship between Shuobo and Gao Xian. Li Chengyin uses the emperor's slowly boiling anger over the Shuobo rebellion to subtly make him more suspicious of the Gao family and push his own agenda.

Xiao Feng, Gu Jian, and A'Du prepare to leave and say their goodbyes to Mi Luo. The lantern festival begins. Zhao Liang Di accompanies Li Chengyin in place of the crown princess. Li Chengyin sees Xiao Feng in the crowd and starts a fire in order to close all the gates and prevent her from leaving. Gu Jian and Xiao Feng lose each other in the crowd. Xiao Feng gets injured trying to save a child. The impact triggers the return of her lost memories.

Li Chengyin believes the person Xiao Feng is in love with (Gu Xiaowu) is actually Gu Jian and this awakens his evil side, permanently. The hatred is not helped by Gu Jian himself who keeps on confirming Li Chengyin's worst fears. He decides to kill Gu Jian. Xiao Feng suffers in silence and keeps calling for Gu Xiaowu. Prime minister Gao discovers the connection between the prince and Chai Mu. Mingyue tells the emperor she's pregnant. Prime minister Gao recognizes Chen Zhang.

Gu Jian is killed. General Zhang captures the last of Yi Moyan's men and asks him about Tanjong and Gao Xian's arrangements. Gao Ruyi complains to her father about Mingyue's hold over the emperor. General Zhang visits the Shuobo prince. He threatens him with the fate of the Dan Chi and tells him the Gao family is using him and the Shuobo for their personal gain. Ministers of criminal punishment and education discuss the ethics of moving forward with the evidence.

The emperor confronts Gao Yuming with the evidence collected against him and finally sentences him to death. A'Du wakes up. She and Xiao Feng perform a funeral ceremony for Gu Jian. Li Chengyin finally completes his revenge in the name of the Gu family.

Li Chengyin rushes to Xiao Feng to confess his undying love and devotion. Xiao Feng stabs Li Chengyin in return. In his feverish state, Li Chengyin calls for Xiao Feng and raises the ire of Zhao Liang Di. In retaliation, Zhao Liang Di tells Xiao Feng that she will help her escape to Western Liang as long as she gets to keep Li Chengyin. Xiao Feng couldn't agree any faster. Noble consort Gao dies from complications of miscarriage. Gao Yuming tells Li Chengyin about the real culprit behind the Gu conspiracy and calls him a puppet. The emperor pays a visit to Chai Mu and drinks wine with him. Mingyue finds out about the truth and kills herself. The emperor has a stroke and becomes paralyzed. Li Chengyin finishes his leftover revenge. Zhao Liang Di and Xiao Feng's escape plan fails.

Xiao Feng turns eighteen. She goes to Li Chengyin and asks him if he is willing to die with her or if he'll kill her in the future if she poses a threat to his throne. Li Chengyin says that he will not kill her and that it kills him that she doesn't have him in her heart. Xiao Feng tells him that she actually cannot help but have him in her heart and kisses him. Li Chengyin is overjoyed but unbeknownst to him, there was a sedative on her lips and he passes out. Xiao Feng says her farewell to Gu Xiaowu for the last time and escapes with A'Du. She gets a final chance to bid Yong Niang farewell as well. Mi Luo arranged for them to leave town through a Goryeo merchant caravan. Li Chengyin sends soldiers to get Xiao Feng by any means necessary. They meet at the Yumen gate. A'Du manages to get through but Xiao Feng doesn't. She climbs the tower and jumps. Li Chengyin remembers everything.

Li Chengyin wakes up seven days later to the news that Western Liang and Gao Xian have allied against the central plains and inciting a war. Xiao Feng asks her brother to stop the pursuit of war but he refuses. A'Du assassinates Gao Xian and sacrifices herself. Xiao Feng stops the war by sacrificing herself.