the Ruler of the past(GL)
Xin Ying, an ordinary modern-day teacher with a sharp mind and a love for food, never expects her life to be rewritten by fate. After a sudden twist of destiny, she awakens in an ancient imperial world—one that uncannily mirrors the plot of a novel she once knew.
Sold into the Palace, Xin Ying begins as a lowly servant, surviving through endurance, intelligence, and silence. As she adapts to palace life, she uncovers her talent for investigation, solving crimes that others dare not touch. Her keen observation draws the attention of the four great clans and the cold, untouchable Empress Li Hua—a ruler feared for her composure and political ruthlessness.
What begins as a relationship of necessity slowly transforms into something far more dangerous: trust, dependence, and forbidden affection. As palace politics tighten and the ambitious Ling clan plots rebellion, Xin Ying becomes both shield and sword for the Empress, uncovering conspiracies involving poison, explosives, and an unprecedented weapon—gunpowder.
Despite knowing the novel’s tragic ending—where she is meant to die protecting the Empress—Xin Ying struggles to change fate itself. Love deepens, secrets fracture the court, and during a grand festival, fate strikes in a crueler form than expected: a bullet meant for the Empress pierces Xin Ying’s chest, altering the story forever.
When darkness consumes her, Xin Ying awakens back in the modern world, seemingly restored. Yet the past refuses to fade. She remembers everything.
Fate reunites her with Li Hua—now Zhi Han, a young, powerful businesswoman who also remembers their shared past. Alongside Li Yuetong, reborn as a police chief, the truth emerges: some bonds transcend worlds, and some enemies follow.
As Ling Zhihao resurfaces in this new world, violence erupts once more. Xin Ying is injured protecting Zhi Han yet again, proving that even without a throne or crown, her choice remains the same.
Now freed from palace walls but bound by love and memory, Xin Ying and Li Hua must learn to live not as empress and servant, but as equals—while facing the lingering consequences of power, fate, and a story that refuses to end.