Xu He had always been the overshadowed sibling, living in the shadow of his elder sister. She was the epitome of beauty and fertility, the pride and joy of the Xu family. People from all over the village and even the nearby mountains dreamed of marrying her. Meanwhile, Xu He was a master in the kitchen, spending his days tirelessly cooking and tending to the fields. His disheveled appearance went unnoticed, as everyone's attention was fixated on his sister. The villagers often wondered how two children from the same parents could be so different. In comparison to his sister, Xu He knew it would be a challenging task to find a suitable partner. Despite this, there were numerous young men who showed interest in Xu He. However, their intentions were not genuine. They only sought to get closer to him in order to gather information about his sister. Xu He had grown accustomed to this behavior over the years, but recently even Zhang Fangyuan, who had no business in the village, tried to extract something from him. Xu He attempted to evade and hide, but he was cornered on his way home one day. The man said, "He ge'er, your cooking is exquisite. It would be even better if you were my partner."

Cai Lung had finally found solace within the walls of the palace, his heart filled with affection for the emperor. However, the peaceful days seemed to have faded away, replaced by a storm of discontent. The ministers, who had been silent for an entire year, now erupted in a cacophony of voices, their focus fixed on the appointment of a new Empress. Their main concern revolved around Cai's inability to produce an heir, a fact that troubled them greatly. Furthermore, the lingering memory of how the previous Empress had been disposed of cast a shadow of doubt upon the one-year-old prince. The citizens, too, were uneasy, eyeing the young prince with suspicion. Little did they know, fate had a twist in store for Cai Lung, one that would not only shake the very foundation of the kingdom, but also leave its citizens in utter shock. In progress.