Since ancient times, both virtuous monarchs and lords have boasted of their own romance, which is often breathtaking. Emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, because he often went out of the forbidden palace privately, looked for flowers and willows, and finally contracted the virus and died, but behind the incident, there was a love story of grief and mourning.
Tongzhi (played by Song Benzhong) is the emperor, but he has no real power, everything is decided by the Empress Dowager Cixi, the young and vigorous Tongzhi is deeply dissatisfied, but he has no choice but to talk to the palace maid Guilian (**). Guilian and Tongzhi are childhood sweethearts, older than Tongzhi, caring about everything, like sisters and brothers, but deep down, they both regard each other as lovers.
Before the pro-government, Cixi was the queen of Tongzhi, and Cixi had already determined that Concubine Hui was the queen, but it was unexpectedly that Tongzhi insisted on going his own way, setting up the queen, and the relationship between mother and son increased the estrangement, which was the root of the bane.
An Dehai was Cixi's personal eunuch, he coveted the beauty of Guilian and disrespected her many times. After this incident was known to Tongzhi, he joined forces with Xiao Li Zi (played by Liang Sihao) and Zheng Beile (played by Wang Shuqi) to beat An Dehai violently. An Dehai held a grudge because of this, and slandered in front of Cixi, causing Guilian to be expelled from the palace.
On the wedding night, Tongzhi and the queen **, but in his heart, he always regarded the queen as the embodiment of Guilian. Soon after, it was rumored that Guilian appeared in Bada Hutong, and Tongzhi went out of the palace privately under the arrangement of Zheng Beile to find Guilian's whereabouts. However, he did not find Guilian, but was attracted by the world of flowers, and from time to time he used the excuse of looking for Guilian to enter and exit the Eight Hutongs.
By chance, Tongzhi and Guilian reunited, and the two seemed to see each other again. However, Tongzhi had been infected with the virus and became ill, and Guilian was very sad. On the other hand, Cixi was determined to treat the same treatment with an incurable disease, so as not to publicize the scandal. On the eve of Tongzhi's death, he ordered An Dehai to be assassinated to avenge Guilian's humiliation. As a result, An Dehai was executed, Tongzhi died, and Guilian was disfigured and martyred to show chastity.