When Kangxi was sixteen, he eliminated the traitor, Oboi, and his allies. A misunderstanding causes a loyal officer and Chahar Mongol prince, Wei Abunai, to be treated as a fellow rebel, causing his entire family to be sentenced to death. Ten-year-old Liang'er had to witness the death of her parents and brother. As she was escaping, she met the young Kangxi, who was being pursued by his enemies. Without knowledge of each other's backgrounds, Liang'er and Kangxi undergo life and death. Having left a deep impression on each other, they made a promise to meet again. However, Liang'er loses her memory through an accident. In order to protect Liang'er, her cousin Nalan Rongruo changed her name to Wei Linlang, and took her into his care. The two grew up together and developed a special bond. However, Rongruo's father, Nalan Mingju, fearing that Linlang's identity would cause trouble for the family, secretly sent her to the palace to become a maid in order to prevent the two from being together. Linlang thought she would end up dying a lonely death in the palace, but the appearance of Kangxi disrupted her life. Her reunion with Rongruo also gave her another ray of hope. Kangxi recognized Linlang as the young girl who saved his life as a child, and resorted to various methods to help her remember the past. Meanwhile, Rongruo plans to take Linlang and escape from the palace. Stuck between an overbearing emperor and her childhood lover, Linlang is at a loss. It was only after Kangxi fell deeply in love with Linlang that he learned she was actually the cousin Rongruo was in love with all along. He decides to let the two lovers be reunited, but a twist of fate causes deeper misunderstandings and missed chances. After going through a series of tribulations, Linlang realizes that she has fallen in love with Kangxi. However, at this moment, she recovers her memory and realizes Kangxi was responsible for her family's death. Linlang's brother, Changqing, who has been ambushed to the palace as a eunuch, also shows up and reveals his identity to Linlang and pressurizes her to seek revenge for their family. Linlang and Kangxi thus become entangled in a sorrowful and heart-wrenching love.
