This story takes place at the end of the Ming Dynasty, in the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, and the location is Beijing City.
Emperor Chongzhen was the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and his reign was plagued by external and internal troubles. At this critical juncture, he made a decision to kill a woman named Hakka.
Ke was a beautiful woman from a commoner family, and she became good friends with Chen Yuanyuan, who was a palace maid at the time. Chen Yuanyuan was a clever and witty woman who greatly admired Emperor Chongzhen's talent and wisdom and longed to serve him.
However, Hakka warned Chen Yuanyuan not to trust men easily. She told Chen Yuanyuan that even the emperor was not necessarily someone who could really be trusted. She said she had an encounter with a man who turned out to be bitter and betrayal.
Chen Yuanyuan had a hard time understanding Hakka's words, and she thought that Emperor Chongzhen was a smart and kind person who would not do anything to hurt others. But Hakka insisted on her opinion, saying that men have ambitions and desires, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
It didn't take long for Emperor Chongzhen to learn of the conversation between Chen Yuanyuan and the Hakka clan, and he told Chen Yuanyuan that he was not a bad guy as the Hakka clan said. However, as he continued to push forward with his reform program, his suspicion and distrust of Chen Yuanyuan gradually deepened.
With Chen's help, Emperor Chongzhen began a series of political and economic reforms in an attempt to save the court from collapse. However, when the political situation became more and more tense, Emperor Chongzhen always had doubts about Chen Yuanyuan in his heart.
One day, Chen Yuanyuan received an unfortunate news that she learned that the Hakka family had been beaten to death by order of Emperor Chongzhen. Before dying, Hakka warned her not to trust men easily, especially those who held great power.
Chen Yuanyuan was in pain, and she began to doubt her choice and trust. She thinks about this cruel world, and she feels like she is caught in a dangerous maelstrom, not knowing who to trust and who to rely on.
In the years that followed, Emperor Chongzhen's suspicions and distrust gradually deepened, and he closely monitored and controlled Chen Yuanyuan. Chen Yuanyuan strives to maintain her innocence and loyalty, but there are always doubts and fears in her heart that are difficult to dispel.
In the end, the fate of the Ming Dynasty was irretrievable, and Emperor Chongzhen chose to commit suicide.