The Empress Arrives: Consort Hua Is Reborn

After her fall, Nian Shilan woke with memories of her previous life—a lifetime of scheming as a concubine in the Fourth Prince's manor, losing her child, and witnessing her entire family executed. She was sixteen again, before she had ever met Yinzhen. Determined to avoid the same fate, she initially planned to stay far from the prince and marry an official to live a stable life. But the hatred of her past life burned too fiercely. Knowing that Yinzhen would ultimately ascend the throne, she resolved to enter his manor once more, this time to protect her family and settle all old scores.

At the Autumn Imperial Hunt, Nian Shilan deliberately drew attention in fiery red riding attire. The Fourth Prince Yinzhen was captivated, and through his father he requested a marriage. An imperial decree arrived at the Nian estate, betrothing her to Yinzhen as a secondary consort. Though her father worried about her earlier wish to never be a concubine, Nian Shilan reassured him that the decree could not be defied and that she would ensure the family's safety. The Nian family focused on preparations.

Before the wedding, Nian Shilan encountered Yinzhen on a snowy street. He saved her from a horse team and invited her to a private room. She confronted him about arranging the marriage without her consent, noting that she could have been a main wife elsewhere. Yinzhen confessed his impatience from captivation and promised to cherish her for life. Nian Shilan accepted.

On her wedding day, Yinzhen was promoted to Prince Yong, a change Nian Shilan found suspicious—in her past life this elevation came three years later. She enjoyed his exclusive favor while secretly observing the manor. Consort Ulanara, the Fujin, remained patient and generous, but Nian Shilan knew her past life's enemy was biding her time. Two Geges, Hu Qing'er and another, stayed quiet.

One afternoon, Hu Qing'er came with rose sweet soup, which Nian Shilan recognized the faint scent of a trance-inducing drug. She refused the soup and ordered Hu Qing'er slapped, claiming disrespect. Hu Qing'er's face swelled, and she reported to the Fujin. When Yinzhen returned, he summoned Nian Shilan. In the main hall, Nian Shilan argued that Hu Qing'er had been disrespectful and that the manor's strict hierarchy should be upheld. She knelt in apology but suddenly collapsed and fainted.

Yinzhen caught her and summoned an imperial physician. As he carried her, a broken jade hairpin was discovered containing a suspicious black ointment—a drug that induces a trance. The physician confirmed that Nian Shilan had been exposed to it, though not long enough to cause serious harm. Yinzhen ordered an investigation and realized his inner court needed cleaning. Nian Shilan woke to see Yinzhen at her bedside; he comforted her, promising to take her horseback riding when she recovered. But her schemes were already in motion, and the hairpin was planted to expose Hu Qing'er and test the Fujin's reaction, setting the stage for her revenge.