HEI is suffered from smallpox. He is then being sent to the villa for recovery. On the way he meets AU PEI. AU rescues HEI from danger. He even kills the assassin. HEI regards AU as his idol. He even asks AU to teach him martial arts. SHUN CHI is also suffered from smallpox. He was on the throne for eighteen years and died. HEI succeeds the throne. HEI trusts AU. Thus, AU is arrogant in the palace. Other officials are very dissatisfied with AU. PING is HEI's sister-in-law. They grow up together. Her father is the ON Prince. On hates AU a lot as AU had once slapped him in public.

AU pretends to resign. The empress dowager asks AU to stay. However, she allows ON to resign. AU goes to the palace to see HEI. The palace guard, HAK, obstructs his way. He even finds excuse to send TONG YUR MON to JIANG NING. The empress dowager regards AU as enemy. The empress dowager arranges a lantern festival to select a queen for the emperor. HEI likes SOR LI's granddaughter the most. He even gives her a jade. He neglects PING. AU accuses HAK who has broken the rule of the palace as he takes the emperor out to hunting and uses the emperor's bow and arrow. He sentences HAK to death. HEI arrives in time and negotiates with AU. HEI orders AU to set HAK free. AU challenges HEI with the ex-emperor' s exhortation. Meanwhile, the empress dowager and the ex-emperor arrive.

The empress dowager agrees with AU instead of HEI. HAK thus is being killed. AU fears that HEI will be angry with him, he gives HEI a good horse. He also invites HEI to attend in the martial arts competition. He asks HEI to write an inscription for the champion. HA devises to set AU up. HA even sacrifices his son to kill AU's eldest son. AU swears to take revenge on HA. HA's subordinate, the department head of the correctional department, does not perform well in handling the history of the Ming Dynasty affair. AU rebukes him. He arrests a group of officials who are related in this job. HEI again negotiates with AU and settles the case. HEI knows that PING is not ON's flesh and blood daughter at ON's palace.

PING wants to question ON the case. However, HEI advises PING not to asks ON as HEI does not want ON to offend the palace rule. AU meets a brave girl when he is patrolling. She is hurt for AU's sake. AU brings her home and gives her some treatment. AU arranges to offer up a sacrifice to heaven as there are a lot of natural disaster recently. AU quarrels with the astronomical officer. Ultimately, HEI postpones the palace renovation and reserves some money for offering sacrifice to heaven, it could then settle the quarrel. AU accuses MON and claims that his western calendar is some demoniacal arts. MON changes the time to bury Prince WING without the emperor's prior consent. MON is then being sentenced to death. Even HEI could not rescue him. By the time they want to execute the punishment, there is an earth quake.

HEI takes the opportunity to save MON. MEI excuses that even the heaven does not want to destroy MON and the best time for execution had been passed. However, MON dies due to too exhausted. The empress dowager plans to eliminate AU after this incident. Firstly, she selects a girl for HEI. She urges HEI to get marry so that HEI could direct the Imperial rule. PING and HEI get along well with each other. Later, the empress dowager arranges PING to marry the General, CHUNG, at Fujian. She even has selected a girl for HEI. PING and HEI are very upset. HEI negotiates with the empress dowager. However, PING and HEI are persuaded by the dowager instead. HEI sends PING to Fujian unwillingly.