Zhang Xiao is a typical modern day 9-to-5 white-collar worker struggling day to day to advance her career. Her dreams of the future mirrored those of any modern day city worker - a home, travel and love. One day, Zhang Xiao's life changes dramatically when she is involved in a car accident and her soul is transported into the past. She wakes to finds herself in the imperial residence of the eighth prince, Yinsi, during the reign of Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. She is tended by maidservants who refer to her as Second Miss Ma'ertai Ruoxi, 16-year old daughter of a Manchu aristocrat and younger sister of the eighth prince's concubine Ma'ertai Roulan, and tell her that she is recuperating from a fall.

The fourth prince, Yinzhen, brings some medicine for Ruoxi and asks her to cherish her life. Having recovered, Ruoxi volunteers to read letters to her elder sister but is ridiculed for not knowing many of the words. Determined not to seem illiterate, she begins to study but is persuaded by the tenth prince, Yin'e, to go horse riding. Being unable to ride, Ruoxi fears that that she would be revealed as an impostor but she is fortunate that Yinsi has selected the best horse for her. On Yin'e's birthday, Yinsi selects Roulan to manage the celebrations. Before the celebrations, Ruoxi and Gororo Mingyu, younger sister of Yinsi's wife Gororo Minghui's, argue over a rabbit that Ruoxi had captured but had been stolen by Mingyu. Ruoxi uses Yin'e's hound to get revenge on Mingyu but inadvertently injures the prince in their resulting fight. Yin'e's birthday celebrations are a success and Ruolan is soundly praised by all the attendees except Minghui.