Synopsis: The "deadly man with a thousand faces and scheming men" Shen Run and the "clear-headed black lotus of the world" Xie Qingyuan intertwine blades. Together in reason and emotion, they join forces for revenge, engaging in open and covert struggles among the wealthy families, stirring up the winds and turmoil in the court and officialdom. In the end, they emerged from the depths of the undercurrents and pursued a brilliant rebirth.

Episode summary

• Episode 1

  The Xie residence was shrouded in eerie dark clouds. At night, a blood-written poem appeared in the abandoned courtyard Danyue Pavilion, predicting family disasters such as 'official robes will be buried' and 'the lintel of the door shattered.' Soon after, an unquenchable 'cursed fire' broke out in the mansion, causing panic throughout the household. To cope with the crisis, the strong-willed Old Madam Xie decided to bring back her granddaughter Yun Ya, who had been wandering away years ago and was raised by Granny Chen at the teahouse, intending to have her "acknowledge her ancestry" to ward off disaster. Meanwhile, Imperial Envoy Yan Rui was ordered to provide disaster relief, but made a lavish entrance, not bringing a single grain of food. He appears to be a greedy official who only knows how to enjoy life, forcibly requisitioning grain at three times the market price, but in reality, he is meticulous and ruthless. He executes assassins in the streets to assert his authority, while secretly investigating the truth behind the repeated failures of the court's relief grain, and targets the century-old aristocratic Xie family that dominates Hengtang. Yunya is actually not just a weak woman. She has close ties with the martial arts heroine Dong Fangchun and the mysterious Taoist Xinzhen. The "haunting" incident and the strange fire at the Xie residence are actually meticulously planned plots for revenge. She accepted the reunion and voluntarily stepped into the Xie residence, which was like a dragon's den and tiger's den. Yan Rui and Yun Ya clash several times, from glimpsing disaster relief sites to encountering a fire-setting white horse at Fushan Temple at night. The two probe each other, and Yan Rui sees through part of Yun Ya's actions, while Yun Ya also exposes Yan Rui's hidden powerful martial arts.

• Episode 2

  Yunya officially acknowledges her ancestry and becomes Xie Qingyuan. At the succession banquet, each branch of the Xie family reacts differently: Madam Hu outwardly accepts her, but Third Madam Qingrong, who was publicly humiliated and provoked because her birth mother was harmed by Qingyuan's biological mother, is severely suppressed by Madam Xie. Imperial Envoy Yan Rui came uninvited, repeatedly testing Qing Yuan with the game of guessing and flipping during banquets, and even used 'moldy millet' as a pretext to publicly question the Xie family's estate about hoarding old rice, intending to implicate them in a corruption case. Qingyuan responded cleverly, resolving the situation with the phrase "grain is more precious than gold and jade," and Madam Xie took the opportunity to promise to donate one hundred dan of grain, temporarily stabilizing the situation. Secretly, Yan Rui had already engaged in a tense standoff with Qingyuan at Chen's Teahouse. He exposed the arson's intentions and threatened his foster mother, Granny Chen, with the standoff about to erupt. Yan Rui suspects that Qingyuan and his underworld partners (Dong Fangchun and Xinzhen) are colluding and plotting against the Xie family. At night, while lighting lanterns by the Hengtang River, Qingrong provoked again and pushed Qingyuan to the riverbank. In the chaos, the village head, who secretly carried an account book to report the Xie family's embezzlement to Yan Rui, was silenced. The ledger disappeared, and Qingyuan and Yan Rui both fell into the water to avoid hidden weapons. After Qingyuan rescued Yan Rui, it was confirmed that the assassin's target was actually to prevent the village head from submitting evidence.

• Episode 3

  Yan Rui used the manor's murder case as an excuse to visit the Xie residence late at night, using the discovery of Xie Zhengjun's sachet at the scene as an excuse to pressure him. Qingyuan cooperated with his acting, forcing Madam Xie to once again exchange grain for Yan Rui's "sachet evidence" to protect the family's reputation. Yan Rui intended to force Qingyuan to become a "pawn" within the Xie residence, but Qingyuan responded with a hidden edge, saying "good and evil, born from the realm," warning him not to bring trouble upon himself. In the Xie residence, Concubine Mei arranged for Qingyuan to live in the ominous place of Danyue Pavilion. Qingyuan played along, conspiring with Baoxian and the Taoist priest Xinzhen to stage a dramatic "ghostly possession" by her birth mother, Jin Chunqing. She "went mad" in front of everyone, not only harshly denouncing the other branches but also bluntly stating that Jin Chunqing was not the real murderer of Third Lady's mother, Xia Yingying, but that the real culprit was among the Xie family members. This stirred up trouble, tested the reactions of all parties, and successfully got Madam Xie to order the Danyue Pavilion to be restored as it was—this was the key step in Qingyuan's investigation into her mother's old case. Qingyuan recalls a brief and beautiful time spent with a young man named Shen Run, but disaster struck suddenly: Jin Chunqing died, their home burned down, and Shen Run suffered a family massacre. The two depended on each other in a ruined temple, becoming each other's last support.

• Episode 4

  Qingyuan tightly gripped the silver coin symbolizing the vow of revenge in the temple, determined to honor his late mother Jin Chunqing with the blood of the Xie family. After returning to the Xie residence, she moved into the renovated Danyue Pavilion, where she exchanged words with the steward Granny Rong and skillfully punished her, revealing a sharpness and sharpness that contrasted with her delicate appearance. Meanwhile, Yan Rui from the Criminal Division pressured Madam Xie under the pretext of "an evil spirit demanding a debt," and appointed Qingyuan to deliver it herself, intending to test the situation. At Yan Rui's villa, he demonstrated the "blood writing" trick using turmeric water and wood ash, openly exposing Qingyuan's earlier arson and talisman scheming. Their words were sharp and undercurrents. Qingyuan remained calm and composed, using perilla sugar to respond smoothly, but had already planned for it. In the Xie residence, with the spring banquet approaching, several ladies were openly and covertly fighting over the welcome gifts. Qingyuan deliberately protected Qinghe, which led to conflict, and in the end, she took responsibility alone and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. At night, under the pretext of enforcing family rules, Granny Rong whipped Qingyuan to settle a personal grudge. Just as Nanny Rong was about to strike hard, Yan Rui broke in, intervened forcefully, punished Nanny Rong, and saved the battered Qingyuan.

• Episode 5

  Yan Rui breaks into the Xie residence at night to rescue the punished Qingyuan, publicly humiliates Granny Rong, and then forcibly takes her away. On the carriage, Yan Rui exposes Qingyuan's intention to manipulate the perilla candy, pointing out that she schemed against him to seek revenge by staying at the Xie residence, and threatened to take a concubine to force her into his pawn. Although Qingyuan stubbornly resisted, Yan Rui showed the Xie family sent a red note overnight—hinting that they were willing to "give" Qingyuan to him to curry favor with power—completely shattering her psychological defenses. Qingyuan was placed in Yan Rui's separate residence, where Yan Rui personally treated her wounds, pressing her with every step of the tongue, emphasizing that she could only take revenge by obeying him. Within the Xie residence, after learning that Yan Ruishen had received imperial favor, Madam Xie reversed her attitude, shifting from anger to flattery. Only Qinghe, eager to save his sister, was stopped by his birth mother, Concubine Lian, exposing the Xie family's long-standing indifference in controlling the fate of their children. The next day, at the Shangsi Festival Spring Banquet, Qingyuan attended in full dress, facing the difficulties and rumors from Qingru and Qingrong. She responded calmly and, through the prefect's wife, cleared her name. At the banquet, she approached Li Congxin, the heir of the Marquis of Danyang, drawing attention, while simultaneously gazing at Yan Rui on the high platform, stirring undercurrents.

• Episode 6

  Qingyuan secretly advised Qinghe to admit defeat on the grounds of Pei Guanling's hand injury, which actually helped him win the favor of the founding count's wife. Yan Rui bet on Pei Guanling but failed, but saw through Qingyuan's schemes. Their verbal exchange made their understanding even more clear. At the end of the banquet, Li Congxin offers Qingyuan peonies as a gesture of goodwill, but Yan Rui publicly destroys the flowers and provokes her. For the sake of the bigger picture, Qingyuan coldly rejects Li Congxin and chooses to accompany Yan Rui. Yan Rui proposed an alliance with Qingyuan, presenting him with a white jade plaque and hinting at cooperation in revenge. Although Qingyuan was wary, she did not refuse for the sake of the greater good. Inside the Xie residence, Madam Hu confined Qingyuan under house arrest under the pretext of "avoiding the spotlight." Qingyuan appeared compliant but actually teamed up with Baoxian to investigate Granny Rong's embezzlement of estates and money money. She schemed to lure her into losing composure at a banquet using gold bracelets as bait, ultimately exposing her deceitful behavior and greed for wealth in front of Madam Xie. Granny Rong was whipped for power seizure, and management of the estate fell into Qingyuan's hands. Meanwhile, Yan Rui held a banquet at the Drunken Immortal Tower to test the officials of Hengtang, subtly probing the account books and the estate's dark secrets, forcing Guo Baofeng and others to lose their composure. Aunt Mei senses the danger and tries to hand over the "hot potato" to Qingyuan, but Qingyuan turns the tables. On the other hand, Yan Rui repeatedly visits Qingyuan's mother-in-law, Madam Chen, showing rare warmth, which makes Qingyuan wary and questioning her, but Yan Rui retorts that she has never truly believed in others' true feelings.

• Episode 7

  Because Concubine Mei secretly lent money and made deficiencies in accounts, tenant farmers gathered to cause trouble. Qingyuan remained fearless in the face of danger, swearing a blood oath to pay triple compensation within seven days, temporarily stabilizing the situation. Yan Rui observed secretly but did not intervene, but instead performed a "coercive act" with Qing Yuan, deliberately making Granny Rong, who eavesdropped, mistakenly believe Concubine Mei was sacrificing herself to take the blame. Granny Rong fell into a trap, panicked, stole the IOU, and reported Concubine Mei to Madam Xie. During the Xie family night interrogation, Concubine Mei bribed Granny Rong's favored figure, Xue Sanlang, to shift all the blame onto Granny Rong. Both sides fought each other in court. In a panic, Granny Rong nearly exposed the old case of Concubine Mei killing Fifth Lady and forcing Fourth Lady (Qingyuan's birth mother) away, but was forcibly interrupted. In the end, Granny Rong was whipped to death, and although Concubine Mei lost her authority to manage the household, she temporarily escaped. Yan Rui took the opportunity to trick Concubine Mei with a "blank account book," forcing her to hand over five thousand taels to cover the estate's deficit. Qingyuan used this silver to successfully appease tenant grievances and win people's support. However, Madam Xie saw through Qingyuan's collaboration with Yan Rui, probed under the pretense of 'confined to copying scriptures,' and hinted that she wanted to marry Qingyuan to Yan Rui to hinder his investigation. Qingyuan wept bitterly and refused, citing "never having seen his biological father," showing her determination to stay in the residence.

• Episode 8

  When Madam Xie tested her relationship with Yan Rui, Qingyuan decisively pledged loyalty, using confined to house arrest to copy scriptures to express her ambitions, temporarily easing the pressure of the marriage alliance. She secretly investigated the truth behind her birth mother, Jin Chunqing, who was expelled, and learned from Concubine Lian that events from nineteen years ago had happened: Concubine Xia's death was actually caused by Aunt Mei poisoning Jin Chunqing through her hands. Concubine Lian, fearing the power of the Mei family, remained silent, causing Jin Chunqing to be wronged. Qingyuan was determined to uncover the truth, but also realized that the Xie residence was deep and unfathomable. Meanwhile, Li Congxin, the heir of Marquis Danyang, entrusts the prefect's wife to propose marriage, expressing his intentions toward Qingyuan, which arouses Qingru's jealousy. Qingyuan outwardly modestly retreats but secretly schemes to have Qingru seize the jade token Yan Rui gave her, using retreat as a way to advance. Li Congxin and Yan Rui both showed affection to Qingyuan, creating an emotional tug. In another thread, the second son of the Xie family, Zhengjun, is mentally disturbed due to involvement in a corruption case. His friend Guo Baofeng is "killed" at Chuxiang Pavilion, leaving behind a half-letter in blood identifying Zhengjun. After inspecting the scene, Yan Rui suspected that the mastermind behind it was Vice Magistrate Wei Changyan, who intended to frame the Xie family and cover up the truth behind the grain corruption case. Qingyuan sensed Zhengjun's unusual behavior and deduced that the turmoil outside the mansion had already reached the inner residence of the Xie family.

• Episode 9

  The Xie family fell into crisis because Erlang Xie Zhengjun was implicated in the "Disaster Relief Grain Swap" case. Yan Rui of the Criminal Investigation Department led troops to surround the prefecture, arresting Xie Zhengjun on charges of embezzlement and the murder of county magistrate Guo Baofeng, threatening that if convicted, the Xie family would face confiscation and exile. Qingyuan responded calmly, using the law as grounds to stop Yan Rui from breaking into the house and searching, and was forced to accompany him to the east wing room to negotiate. During the confrontation, Yan Rui seemed to have other intentions, sometimes intimidating Qingyuan, sometimes showing goodwill, and even sending medicinal dishes, making their relationship increasingly delicate. Li Congxin, the heir of Marquis Danyang, ignored his family's opposition, broke into the Xie residence and publicly proposed marriage to Dong Zhu, seeking to marry Qingyuan, intending to protect the Xie family through marriage ties, which sparked an open and covert struggle between Yan Rui and Li Congxin. Undercurrents were also brewing within the Xie family: Concubine Mei was willing to bribe Qingyuan with her land and shop to save her son; Madam Hu took the opportunity to suppress Concubine Mei; Although Madam Xie appeared calm on the surface, she was actually deeply worried. Meanwhile, a flashback reveals that Guo Baofeng's death was actually a fake suicide by Vice Magistrate Wei Changyan, who tried to silence and frame Xie Zhengjun to cover up the truth behind the corruption. Yan Rui interrogates Zhengjun in prison, pretending to coax confessions while actually testing the mastermind behind the scenes. Wei Changyan sneaks into the cell at night, trying to force Zheng Jun to take the blame, but is intercepted by Yan Rui's men, and the plot begins to flaw.

• Episode 10

  Xie Shu, the head of the Xie family, returns home and faces the predicament of Xie Zhengjun's corruption case and Yan Rui's siege of the mansion. Outwardly, he appears impartial and strict but personally goes to prison to whip his son to demonstrate fairness, while secretly playing games with Yan Rui. Yan Rui hinted that the account book was in the Xie residence, intending to use Xie Shu to eliminate Wei Changyan, the official of Hengtang. Xie Shu was forced to weigh his options to protect his family. Qingyuan has her first deep conversation with her father, using the excuse of "amnesia" to inquire about her biological mother, Jin Chunqing. Xie Shu opens the dusty wooden box and reveals his love poem with Jin Chunqing, recalling their past of loving each other but being forced apart, speaking earnestly, even coughing up blood to express regret, trying to move Qingyuan. Qingyuan appears moved on the surface, but inwardly recalls the scene of her mother's death. Xie Shu is the murderer of her birth mother, secretly holding onto her desire for revenge. Li Congxin insisted on marrying Qingyuan to save her, sending betrothal gifts to the Xie family alone, which angered Yan Rui; Qingru, driven by jealousy and resentment, snatched the jade pendant, causing a commotion, and was punished by Madam Xie. Qingyuan finally accepted Yan Rui's jade pendant, and their relationship shifted from confrontation to cooperation, with their words hinting at an alliance.