Season 1

At the Lunar New Year’s Eve in the 3rd year of JIAQING Era, QIANLONG as usual writes calligraphy with words of blessings at the Yangxin Hall and bestows it upon his son JIAQING. He also tells JIAQING to write something for HESHEN, to which JIAQING dares not to oppose. At HESHEN’s Villa, the representative of East India Company finally has an opportunity to meet up with HESHEN, the “Vice Emperor”. HESHEN is attacked by a mystery man at night, and he is certain that General ZHANGJIA AGUI is behind this. So, he leads his troops to arrest that person, and they end up having a big fight. When QIANLONG goes out to enjoy the snowy view, the cape he wears spontaneously catches on fire all by itself! HESHEN claims it’s very unusual. With himself being attacked and the cape catching on fire all by itself, he believes that they are intended targets.

Feeling perturbed, HESHEN rushes to the palace and learns that QIANLONG coughed up blood; whereas QIANLONG pretends nothing happened, instead, he wants HESHEN to go out with him as promised. At the first Day of the Lunar New Year, all the court officials are gathering inside of the Yangxin Hall as well as outside. When QIANLONG announces the imperial decree, he suddenly passes out. Worrying that QIANLONG’s days are numbered, PRINCE YONGXUAN wants HESHEN to help him usurp the throne immediately, but HESHEN refuses, claiming the time is not yet ripe. ZHU GUI returns to the capital to make an audience with JIAQING, and even discusses with LIU YONG and JI XIAOLAN about how to deal with HESHEN. Once again, QIANLONG leaves the palace, and HESHEN arranges for a Tibetan doctor to attend to him, only to find out that he suffers from a rare poisoning!

With PRINCE YONGXUAN purchasing a large amount of firearms and hiding them in his residence in the capital, JIAQING has HESHEN’s son FENGSHEN-YINDE lead the troops on a raid to his residence. The situation is becoming more volatile, fortunately, HESHEN shows up in the nick of time and calms things down. Out of the blue, HESHEN’s crony FUCHANG’AN, whom QIANLONG has regarded highly, is sent by QIANLONG to station in Gansu. He can’t help feeling resentful, so HESHEN tries to comfort him. HESHEN gets help from DOUKOU, the owner of Mi House, successfully bringing a blind fortune teller back to the palace. It turns out that QIANLONG met the blind fortune teller during his inspection tour, and he wants the blind fortune teller to divine the future for him again. At night, HESHEN is summoned back the palace. To his surprise, QIANLONG prepares a coffin for him.

Sensing the uncertainty, HESHEN asks his second wife CHANG MEI to write a letter in English then tells FUCHANG’AN to hand it to the representative of East India Company as a contingency plan. Hundreds of court officials gather in HESHEN’s mansion for the Spring Festival gathering, which makes CHANG MEI feel relieved as she thinks that HESHEN’s political influence hasn’t waned. Just as JIAQING laments how people can be so indifferent, he is urgently summoned by QIANLONG. QIANLONG passes away. Hearing the death knell coming from the palace, HESHEN worships the heavens, pouring out wine to bid farewell to QIANLONG. HESHEN is getting ready to go to the palace. Though CHANG MEI reminds him it’s very dangerous, HESHEN insists on going there. Prior to his departure, HESHEN goes to a lodge to pay tribute to his late wife. Suddenly, FENGSHEN-YINDE appears, announcing that he is under the imperial decrees to escort HESHEN back to the palace.

JIAQING puts HESHEN and FUCHANG’AN under house arrest at the Qianqing Palace, commanding the two to confess their crimes in public the next morning. FUCHANG’AN is very uneasy, but HESHEN doesn’t panic at all, because JIAQING is the one whom he taught! JIAQING has a confidential conversation with PRINCE YONGXUAN, who is willing to testify against HESHEN on the charge of treason. JIAQING then has a drink with PRINCE YONGLIN and gets his support to deal with HESHEN. GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO brings along CHANG MEI and her son FU’EN to the palace to greet NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING, who just returned from Mongolia, but FU’EN suddenly disappears. HESHEN and FUCHANG’AN are summoned by JIAQING to stand trial for their crimes, unexpectedly, explosion-like sounds are heard everywhere from the Forbidden City!

JIAQING receives a record book containing the list of court officials who received bribes from HESHEN, so he immediately instructs LIU YONG to get ready to publicly prosecute HESHEN. Following his failed assassination attempt on HESHEN, NAYANCHENG has a narrow escape and he makes an audience with JIAQING as soon as he recovers from his injuries. Worrying that HESHEN is going to collude with the White Lotus Sect, JIAQING orders NAYANCHENG to infiltrate the White Lotus Sect for intelligence. Just as the members of the White Lotus Sect are discussing about how to rescue their leader QI LIN, DOUKOU out of the blue shows up. NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING returns to the capital from Mongolia, bringing along her cousin Mongol Prince LAVAN DORJI, who is received by JIAQING, demonstrating the close relationship between Qing and Mongolia. The rescue action launched by the White Lotus Sect causes chaos on the streets.… ...

When JIAQING questions the court officials who received bribes from HESHEN, the record book is switched with another one, above which it’s reported by an official that LIU YONG’s adopted son LIU HUANZHI allegedly misappropriated the seized funds and properties. Suddenly, the case takes a new turn, which JIAQING underestimated. HESHEN makes an audience with NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING in private, thanking her for offering a helping hand. He then arranges for the White Lotus Sect members to flee the capital, but runs into PRINCE YONGLIN, who is leading troops for investigation. HESHEN receives a token from HELIN, who is heading to Shandong to conquer the White Lotus Sect. The token indicates that HELIN is safe, making HESHEN feel relieved. DOUKOU leads her men to eunuch CHANGCHUN’s home, only to find out his family members were massacred, except his younger sister, who hid herself in time.

At night, JIAQING visits ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, who is under house arrest on the conviction of possession of a prohibited drug. He asks her about the night that the late Empress died in the Qianqing Palace fire, but she seems to prevaricate, making him feel that she is hiding something. The White Lotus wreaks havoc in the capital and even burns down the government granaries, which exasperates JIAQING so much that he accuses HESHEN of taking advantage of a national crisis to reap huge profit as he manipulated the venders to elevate the granary prices and sell it back to the government. JIAQING summons FUCHANG’AN in private, ordering him to arrest HELIN and bring him back to the capital so as to weaken HESHEN’s military power. Using the pretext of rewarding the army, FUCHANG’AN is about to depart, ahead of which HESHEN suddenly arrives and even asks unsuspecting FUCHANG’AN to send a bag of pine nuts to HELIN.

After the plum blossom tree in the palace suddenly withered, word gets around, and rumor has it that the late EMPEROR EMERITUS died of a suspicious death. JIAQING goes in person to check it out, surprisingly, HESHEN also shows up. JIAQING then goes in person to make an audience with NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING and enquires about the Qianqing Palace fire, but to no avail. On the day when the mercy release ritual takes place, the pigeons that are released out of the blue all dive to the ground and die. Seeing the abnormal phenomena, people quiver with bloodcurdling screams that it’s an omen. At night, when the princes pay tribute to the late QIANLONG, PRINCE YONGXING mentions the rumor about the misconduct of the Emperor. Eagerly to protect his elder brother, PRINCE YONGLIN angrily refutes the allegation. HESHEN runs into JIAQING, who notices that HESHEN intends to take away QIANLONG’s favorite tea cup as a souvenir.

PRINCE YONGXUAN asks for an audience with JIAQING and raises his concern regarding QIANLONG’s suspicious death. He then asks for permission to investigate the matter, seeking to pledge allegiance to JIAQING. When JIAQING goes to visit bed-ridden PRINCE MIANNING, he becomes very touched after seeing ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT guarding at his bedside. Investigating the death of the late EMPEROR EMERITUS at the imperial harem, PRINCE YONGXUAN learns from CONSORT XIAN that eunuch CHANGDONG suddenly asked for permission to leave the palace to treat his illness following the death of his roommate CHANGCHUN, so he feels something smells fishy. JI XIAOLAN and PRINCE YONGLIN are hearing stories at a restaurant, during which the storyteller makes a sly innuendo that JIAQING committed regicide and patricide. Meanwhile, HESHEN and CHANG MEI learn about CHANGDONG’s sudden absence, and they decide to wait and see.… ...

PRINCE YONGXUAN takes CHANGDONG back to the palace and wants him to reveal the name of the culprit who poisoned QIANLONG, without knowing that CHANGDONG instead claims that the culprit is PRINCE YONGXUAN himself! After ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT is reinstated to lead the imperial harem, CONSORT XIAN, who is aware that it’s a serious crime to offend ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, slaps her own face in public. JIAQING commands HESHEN to go to the palace at night to guard the late QIANLONG, so HESHEN asks CHANG MEI to hand a letter for him to DOUKOU. Meanwhile, FUCHANG’AN, who was captured by the White Lotus Sect, gets help from an insider, managing to escape together with his deputies. Unexpectedly, they are later caught again by HELIN’s subordinates. Being taken back to the barracks, FUCHANG’AN starts verbally provoking HELIN, who can’t help but unsheathe his sword to fight against him!

On his way to bring injured HELIN back to the capital, FUCHANG’AN notices that he is heavily encircled by a large group of people. He later reports to JIAQING, claiming that a group of masked men in black took HELIN away. FUCHANG’AN bribes a eunuch so that he can check the accessories used by JIAQING, in hopes of finding a new clue in the murder of his elder brother. With LIU QUAN’s help, HESHEN arranges for DORJI to meet DIEYI at a restaurant. At the court hall, LIU YONG submits a memorial to the throne, seeking to hold HELIN accountable for the embankment burst that discharged a flood resulting in civilian casualties. However, HESHEN carries out the plaque “Sage Emperor Just Minister” that was bestowed on him by the late Emperor QIANLONG to secure HELIN. Surprisingly, JIAQING agrees to apologize to HELIN in person if it’s proven that HELIN is innocent, causing quite a stir among the court officials.

Following a clue, JIAQING discovers where HELIN is hiding; whereas HESHEN comes too late, feeling rather perturbed as he can only watch his younger brother being taken into custody from a distance. ZHU GUI interrogates HELIN, who is brutally tortured and suffers injuries all over his body. Despite that, he still refuses to confess anything. DOUKOU attempts to steal the evidence against HESHEN and his younger brother, but to no avail. ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT is fully in charge of distributing things left behind by the late QIANLONG, during which CONSORT XIAN has her eye on a jade bracelet, but ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT refuses to let her take it. After CONSORT XIAN breaks the bracelet, she out of the blue passes out. JIAQING pays a visit to CONSORT XIAN, and she is confirmed to be pregnant after an imperial physician attended to her. Having heard this, everybody is thrilled with joy.

JIAQING orders PRINCE YONGLIN to parade HELIN through the streets, seeking to force HESHEN to save him. Unfortunately, the plan doesn’t work out well, and PRINCE YONGLIN returns in failure. Judging the situation, HESHEN decides to let CHANG MEI leave the capital as soon as possible and return to her hometown in Jiangnan to settle down, to which CHANG MEI agrees in tears. Military commander QI JIN escorts the evidence for SHEN CHU, who died in the line of duty, but is once again attacked by DOUKOU and the others. Meanwhile, HESHEN meets up with DORJI again in secret, asking him to send his Mongol troops to help free HELIN. When JIAQING goes with ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT to visit CONSORT XIAN, CONSORT XIAN surprisingly takes advantage of the fact that she has conceived the Emperor’s baby, asking ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT to give her a massage. LIU QUAN escorts CHANG MEI to set off for her destination, but they are attacked by masked men!

FENGSHEN-YINDE reports to JIAQING that HELIN is found dead when he arrives at the jail; whereas JIAQING is furious at this because HESHEN beats him to it. In the wake of the Ziguang Pavilion explosion, JIAQING commands FENGSHEN-YINDE to go all out to probe into the matter, asking him to treat the suspect ruthlessly not leniently, and to kill without mercy. FENGSHEN-YINDE is under orders to arrest GRANNY FANG for interrogation. When PRINCE YONGLIN begs JIAQING to release her, he instead receives an earful and is punished to kneel on the ground in freezing weather for self-reflection. Drinking alcohol in Xiaoyao House to vent his feelings, LIU QUAN reveals that HESHEN is planning to step down and withdraw from the capital.… ...

When ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT is holding a memorial service at night, JIAQING suddenly arrives and once again asks her about the Qianqing Palace fire that happened two years ago, to which ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT finally reveals everything. However, JIAQING suspects that she might not know the whole truth, so he orders XIAODEZI to conduct a thorough investigation. CONSORT XIAN makes an audience with NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING, reporting that she saw that HESHEN met ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT in private at the imperial harem. JIAQING sends JI XIAOLAN and LIU YONG to chase after LIU QUAN as the latter is leaving the capital while transporting a large amount of state silver. In the meantime, JIAQING, ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT and the others depart for Guande Hall to light incense for the late QIANLONG. Under attack by the White Lotus Sect midway through, JIAQING brings along ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT to fight their way out of double lines of besiegers.… ...

Word gets around after the attempted assassination of JIAQING. In order to show that he is safe, JIAQING urgently summons all the court officials, but soon lapses into a coma upon his return to the palace, to which ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT orders everyone to keep it a secret. All the court officials are discussing with NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING about who is going to be the envoy to talk to Mongolia. HESHEN recommends himself to the mission but is objected by LIU YONG. At that moment, PRINCE YI appears to preside over the meeting, and he even appoints PRINCE YONGLIN as the envoy. HESHEN goes to the mausoleum to visit PRINCE YONGXUAN, telling him about the attempted assassination of JIAQING. CONSORT XIAN requests an audience with the Emperor but is rejected. On top of that, she is slapped on face by ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, so she leaves with resentment.… ...

In the nick of time, JIAQING regains consciousness, managing to avert disaster. Suddenly, ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT bursts in, begging him to go to Shoukang Palace and bring back PRINCE MIANNING. PRINCE YONGXUAN commits suicide to prove he is innocent and he didn’t poison the late QIANLONG. After that, PRINCE YONGLIN discusses the matter with PRINCE YONGXING, but each has his own opinion, and it seems a very dubious one to PRINCE YONGXING. After a series of devious stratagems devised by HESHEN fails, JIAQING immediately strikes back by ordering LIU YONG to lead his troops to HESHEN’s mansion and putting HESHEN and CHANG MEI under house arrest. Surprisingly, HESHEN seems unruffled, keeping things under control with diplomatic maneuvers. Due to his involvement in the assassination orchestrated by HESHE, DORJI is stripped of the title of Prince by JIAQING, who even commands him to leave the capital immediately.… ...

HESHEN is arrested; whereas CHANG MEI disappears. HESHEN is then taken to JIAQING, who threatens him with the accessories and jewellery worn by DOUKOU in order to make him confess his crimes. DOUKOU wakes up to find herself tied up; whereas NAYANCHENG tells her what he has discovered about her family massacre, seeking to persuade her to be a turncoat. Disguising as a palace maid, CHANG MEI requests an audience with ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, in hopes of meeting HESHEN, but to no avail. FENGSHEN-YINDE asks a eunuch to prepare the last meal for HESHEN, and then tenders his resignation to JIAQING, seeking to leave the palace, which is endorsed by LIU YONG and eventually granted by JIAQING. When JIAQING denounces HESHEN’s twenty counts of crimes at Qianqing Palace, HESHEN suddenly coughs up blood and collapses!

HESHEN manages to escape from the palace, but he refuses to leave. Eventually, he finds DOUKOU. After DOUKOU wakes up, LIU QUAN gets down on his knees to apologize to her, above which he even hands her a dagger so that she can take revenge herself. JIAQING flies into a rage after learning about HESHEN’s escape, so he detains FENGSHEN-YINDE, GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO, and FU’EN in the palace. LIU YONG reports that a secret passage is discovered in the Qianqing Palace, and one of the entrances even connects to the imperial harem. Listening to what CONSORT XIAN said, JIAQING is convinced that XIAOHERUI betrayed him, and angrily puts her under house arrest. Discovering that NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING is up to something, JIAQING orders her expulsion on the accusation of conspiracy to murder royalty. Meanwhile, HESHEN is furious at CHANG MEI’s attempt to kill DOUKOU.… ...

FUCHANG’AN manages to convince CHANG MEI and allows her to make an audience with the Emperor late at night. Running away through the water route, HESHEN goes with LIU QUAN to the Canal Trade Gang to meet up with GU CHUAN, Chief of the Qingyun Hall. PRINCE YONGLIN makes an audience with the Emperor in hopes of begging for leniency for NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING, instead, exasperates JIAQING, ending up being sent to guard the mausoleum. Rushing to Tianjin, FUCHANG’AN shows the token banner, forcing the Canal Trade Gang to surrender HESHEN. Though HESHEN is very attentive to DOUKOU, DOUKOU still gives him the cold shoulder. On the other hand, GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO, who is under house arrest, panics begging ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, who eventually gives in and secretly sends away FU’EN.… ...

Holding tight to FU’EN’s dead body, FENGSHEN-YINDE returns to the palace to make an audience with JIAQING, who also shares his grief. CHANG MEI has a surprise discovery while praying for the late FU’EN by lighting a lamp. GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO is out of her mind due to the loss of her son, and she even scolds JIAQING because he didn’t hesitate to sacrifice all his close family members to unscrupulously achieve his goals, to which JIAQING can’t help feeling regretful. Drawing a lesson from this, HESHEN goes to the headquarters of Canal Trade Gang and wants to meet their mysterious leader. Out of the blue, FUCHANG’AN appears to capture HESHEN. Despite imprisonment, silver-tongued HESHEN still tries to convince FUCHANG’AN. GU CHUAN tells the leader of Canal Trade Gang things about HESHEN. Just as the leader is concerned that HESHEN might be up to something, HESHEN shows up calmly.

JIAQING becomes furious after discovering that HESHEN escaped again; whereas FUCHANG’AN explains that all his subordinates were killed when they tried to capture HESHEN. JIAQING is skeptical about what FUCHANG’AN said, so he temporarily detains him. Though ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT is grounded, she still shows sympathy towards GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO, keeping her in the Jingren Palace for recuperation. While there, GULUN PRINCESS HEXIAO mistakes PRINCE MIANNING for her late son FU’EN and chases after him. In desperation, ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT chases after her outside of Jingren Palace, but is caught by CONSORT XIAN. CONSORT XIAN punishes ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT severely in public, telling her to walk barefoot on gravel. DOUKOU and LIN GAN run into NAYANCHENG while searching for clues to the whereabouts of CHANGDONG. Just as DOUKOU has nowhere to turn to, HESHEN appears to help her out of trouble.… ...

With JIAQING and HESHEN caught in a deadlock at the Canal Trade Gang inner hall, FUCHANG’AN appears. Instantly, both sides try to win him over as reinforcement to deal with each other. Not wanting FUCHANG’AN to shift his ground, HESHEN threatens to expose his secret, putting him in a dilemma. Though HESHEN runs away during chaos, FUCHANG’AN is shot to death by NAYANCHENG’s hidden arrow, and then his dead body is burnt. PRINCE YONGXING is finally detained by JIAQING; whereas HESHEN orders LIU QUAN and DOUKOU to escort the detained CHANGDONG back to the capital, plotting to strike a fatal blow at JIAQING! To make ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT miscarry, CONSORT XIAN forces her to put on a quilt that is freezing cold. In the nick of time, JIAQING rushes there. However, PRINCE MIANNING suddenly disappears, which greatly startles JIAQING!

JIAQING calls a secret meeting to discuss countermeasures with three senior court officials, during which LIU YONG suspects that PRINCE MIANNING probably fell into HESHEN’s hands as the latter secretly returned to the capital. To prevent ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT from having a miscarriage, JIAQING conceals PRINCE MIANNNING’s disappearance from her. On the other hand, CONSORT XIAN is devastated following a miscarriage, so JIAQING goes to visit her. She pleads with JIAQING, hoping that he will let NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING return to the palace to look after her. HESHEN locates CHANG MEI’s whereabouts and goes to visit her but she refuses to see him. After learning that NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING was taken back to the palace, HESHEN contacts DORJI on the sly to plot something big. CHANGDONG eventually gets rid of DOUKOU and flees to the capital, seeking shelter with CAO JINXI.… ...

HESHEN threatens JIAQING with PRINCE MIANNING’s life, forcing him to give in. In order to save PRINCE MIANNING, NAYANCHENG even risks his own son by making him as a decoy to lure away the pursuing enemies. After HESHEN leads JIAQING to a temple located on Jing Mountain, PRINCE YONGXING suddenly shows up, and he turns out to have joined forces with HESHEN. PRINCE YONGLIN leads his troops to Jing Mountain to rescue the Emperor but is thwarted by DORJI and his troops midway through. Just as HESHEN thinks he can easily get rid of JIAQING, FUCHANG’AN out of the blue leads his troops there to seek revenge from them. QI JIN rushes there to rescue ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, who was confined by CHANG MEI, and then takes her to make an audience with JIAQING, who was also rescued. With the two of them thinking they had a narrow escape, suddenly, someone attacks JIAQING……

HESHEN cremates CHANG MEI’s dead body, following which he brings along DOUKOU to meet a mysterious man. The mysterious man hands him an empty edict, adding that the late QIANLONG arranged a back-up plan for him. Following DORJI’s arrest, he testifies that HESHEN and NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING are the masterminds behind all this. In order to get away with it, NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING shifts the blame to CONSORT XIAN, fortunately, ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT arrives in the nick of time to reveal the whole truth. Feeling uneasy, HESHEN specifically hires the blind fortune teller to predict his future for him, but the result is not what he wanted. With NAYANCHENG leading his troops to encircle and attack DOUKOU and LIU QUAN, LIU QUAN sacrifices himself to save DOUKOU.

PRINCE YONGLIN finds out that NOBLE CONSORT DOWAGER YING committed suicide and left a note, accusing JIAQING of killing QIANLONG by poisoning him. Furious YONGLIN goes to confront JIAQING, who silently admits it. Without saying anything, YONGLIN draws his sword to point at JIAQING! Claiming that defeating JIAQING will be an uphill battle, HESHEN wants to fulfill his wish to tie the knot with DOUKOU. However, after they drink wine from the nuptial cups, DOUKOU suddenly coughs up lots of blood! At the crack of dawn, HESHEN completes the posthumous edict of the late QIANLONG by forging his handwriting, then marches into the palace with his head held high. Right in front of LIU YONG, PRINCE YI and other high-ranking officials, HESHEN claims that he has a way to verify how JIAQING poisoned the late QIANLONG!