
In her past life, Emily Smith, as the daughter of the crown prince, wandered for ten years. After being recognized and taken back, she tried every means to please others, groveling for a little bit of family affection. But what was the result? Crown Prince William and Crown Princess Elizabeth were ashamed of her; her three brothers treated her with cold indifference. In the end, she was killed by her twin sister from the same parents, dying with bitter hatred. Reborn in this life, Emily Smith chose Prince Richard, the rogue prince, as her father. After careful guidance, Prince Richard finally became the ruler in a dragon robe.

Within the solemn and majestic palace, Song Shihuan, the newly found daughter of the Crown Prince, faces the fate of being sent as a hostage to an enemy country as she is not accepted by her birth parents. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess publicly accuse her of "disrespecting elders" and being "a bringer of disaster." Faced with the indifference and framing by her birth parents, Song Shihuan stands her ground with dignity, argues her case, and surprisingly requests the Emperor grandfather to "change fathers." Moved by her resilience, the Emperor overrides all objections and allows her to choose one of the princes as her father. To everyone's astonishment, Song Shihuan ultimately chooses the seemingly most unreliable, unmarried eldest prince, the Prince of Qin, completely altering the trajectory of her destiny.

At a royal banquet, the reborn Princess Song Shihuan publicly chooses the notorious "profligate prince," Prince Qin Song Yu, as her adoptive father. This action shocks everyone, including her biological father the Crown Prince, her mother the Crown Princess, and her grandfather the Emperor. Facing her family's confusion and reprimands, Song Shihuan recalls how only Prince Qin offered her warmth during her past tribulations. Prince Qin happily accepts, confronting the Crown Prince's family (the Eastern Palace) on the spot and霸气ly declaring he will protect Song Shihuan, ensuring she never suffers injustice again. Song Shihuan's "adoptive father plan" has successfully taken its first step.

This episode tells how the exceptionally intelligent young princess Song Shihuan devises an elaborate "trick of self-harm" to persuade her adoptive father, Prince Qin Song Yu, who is addicted to pleasure and neglects his duties. She first orders her servants to bring the household accounts, creating an impression of reforming family discipline. Then, she instructs the steward to falsely claim she has been weeping day and night out of longing for her father, prompting the Prince of Qin to rush back. Facing A'huan, who pretends to be wronged, the Prince of Qin ultimately makes a difficult choice between his "beloved daughter" and his "beloved pet." He painfully orders his cherished crickets to be thrown away to prove his daughter's importance in his heart. Amidst a lighthearted and humorous atmosphere, the plot showcases the unique power struggle and deep affection between father and daughter.

This episode tells how the intelligent Princess Song Shihuan, by feigning grievance, cleverly "disciplined" her cynical adoptive father, Prince Qin, Song Yu. Song Shihuan complained about the rooster cherished by Prince Qin and expressed her disappointment at not being loved, successfully stirring up Prince Qin's guilt and desire to protect her. The Prince not only willingly got rid of his beloved pet but also ordered the rooster to be stewed into soup for her nourishment. This transformation greatly delighted the wet nurse and steward of the princely mansion, who marveled that the princess's influence far surpassed that of the Emperor, successfully guiding the Prince onto the "right path."

Prince Song Yu of Qin, in order to appease his adopted daughter Song Shihuan, spares no expense, even sacrificing his beloved fighting cocks, which causes him to be late for the Emperor's family banquet. In the palace, the Emperor is furious at the Prince's tardiness but immediately softens his demeanor to comfort Song Shihuan after inadvertently startling her, revealing an extraordinary affection for his granddaughter. The Empress attempts to seize the opportunity to link Song Shihuan's identity to the Crown Prince's lineage, but the Prince fiercely opposes this in public, insisting his daughter has no ties to the Eastern Palace. As the father-son conflict escalates, the intelligent Song Shihuan takes responsibility, cleverly defusing the Emperor's anger by citing "eating chicken" as the reason for the delay, thus showcasing the complex yet warm family relationship among the three generations.

King Song Yu attends a palace banquet with his adopted daughter Song Shihuan. The Emperor praises him for changing his ways because of her. However, the Empress brings up past grievances, enraging Song Yu. He publicly accuses her of framing him years ago and accidentally pushes her down. The Emperor is furious and orders Song Yu to be caned. In the courtyard, Song Shihuan witnesses her adoptive father being punished and is cruelly mocked by her adoptive siblings, Song Yanzheng and Song Xiyan. Overwhelmed by this double blow, she breaks down, vomits blood, and faints before Song Yu, triggering a new crisis.

Crown Prince Song Ling, in an attempt to eliminate rivals, devised a harsh punishment for Prince Qin Song Yu. Unexpectedly, Princess Song Shihuan (Ah Huan) was severely injured while protecting her adoptive father, Song Yu. The Emperor, enraged by this turn of events, not only severely punished the eunuchs in the Empress's palace but also issued a warning to the Empress, revealing his extreme favoritism towards Song Yu and Ah Huan. Afterward, in the Eastern Palace, a conversation between the Empress and the Crown Prince exposed their plot to cripple Song Yu and hinted at an old secret that could shake their positions, intensifying the power struggle within the palace. The Emperor, meanwhile, kept Ah Huan in the palace, entrusting her to the meticulous care of imperial physicians, and expressed deep longing for the late former Empress.

Prince Song Yu of Qin is punished after being falsely accused of pushing down the Empress. His adopted daughter, Song Shihuan, bravely takes the blow for him. Later, in a private conversation, Song Shihuan, with childlike innocence and persistence, coaxes Song Yu into revealing the truth: he was framed by his stepmother, the Empress. The Emperor, eavesdropping outside the room, overhears everything and finally uncovers the Empress's scheme. Enraged, the Emperor summons the Crown Prince and orders him severely punished for forming a faction, officially marking the beginning of the counterattack against the Eastern Palace's influence.

Emperor Yuanyou publicly flogs Crown Prince Song Ling in the palace, citing "factionalism and private gain." The Empress intervenes to plead for him, but Emperor Yuanyou rebukes her, accusing her of "undermining the foundation of the state." Meanwhile, Prince Qin, Song Yu, watches the drama unfold with schadenfreude in his mansion. However, his adopted daughter, Song Shihuan, cleverly dissuades him by citing "self-preservation" and "his father's promise to never leave his side." Song Shihuan's strategy successfully keeps Prince Qin safe. On the other hand, Emperor Yuanyou, after observing the Empress's "concern" for the Crown Prince, becomes suspicious. He recalls the late former Empress "Fen'er" and decides to reinvestigate the past events, hinting at a deeper conspiracy behind the court struggles.

Prince Song Yu, while being treated for an injury by imperial physician Mei Zhilin, complains to his adopted daughter Song Shihuan about his father's favoritism, stating he was punished more severely than Crown Prince Song Ling. Unexpectedly, the Emperor arrives just in time to overhear Song Yu speaking ill of him, calling him "henpecked," and mentioning the late Empress Fen'er. The Emperor confronts Song Yu, leading to a heated argument filled with tension. They part ways on bad terms. The Emperor, in his frustration, confides in the portrait of the late Empress. Song Shihuan, having witnessed the entire scene, makes a firm decision and embarks on her "Adopted Father Plan."