Qing Jin Zhi – Richards Wang, Li Zixuan

After peace was restored, the new emperor, Huo Jingheng, selected a worthy consort and summoned Yue Ling’er—the long-missing sister of the former dynasty’s prime minister, Yue Chi—into the palace to serve. Deeply protective of his sister, Yue Chi was reluctant to let her suffer in the palace. Moreover, as Huo Jingheng had recently shown increasing interest in matters and people of the former dynasty, Yue Chi feared a potential purge of former officials. To uncover the emperor's true intentions, he decided to enter the palace in his sister’s place.

However, this was all part of a secret plan: Yue Ling’er and Huo Jingheng had conspired to use the consort selection as a means to bring Yue Chi into the palace and help him return to court. Once inside, Yue Chi used his intelligence to avoid various traps, while Huo Jingheng, through a series of calculated moves—such as exposing the misconduct of the imperial uncle—steadily elevated Yue Chi to the position of Right Prime Minister.

Though the two became estranged due to the scheming of former princess Jiang Yunqing, they eventually put aside their differences. Together, they confronted the internal strife and external threat posed by Crown Prince Yi Qingyun of the neighboring Li Kingdom, standing united to overcome the crisis.