Two young men looking for a better life enter the royal palace in the midst of a tumultuous political era of the late Qing Dynasty. Chun Er, a poor peasant boy, and Liang Wen Xiu, who grew up in a wealthy household, find their fates are tied together in unexpected ways. The two young men and Chun Er’s younger sister, Ling Er, travel to the Forbidden City together to look for a better future. Wen Xiu scores the highest on an imperial exam and secures an important position in the Qing court and becomes the confidante of the Emperor Guang Xu.