The Shangsi Festival Promise at Nanmeng Lake
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Lu Yuan — Participant · Yi Hua — Participant
Shen Bu Yan convinces Lu Yuan to reconcile and join him at Nanmeng Lake, promising to celebrate the Shangsi Festival with her every year. He also works to help persuade Emperor Yuan Qi to halt a northern military expedition she opposes.
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Lu Yuan — Participant · Yi Hua — Participant
First Time Travel
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Yi Hua — Participant · Lu Yuan — Participant
Shen Bu Yan's first journey into the past brings him to Lu Yuan's 36th year, the 15th year of Emperor Yuan Qi's reign, where he meets her as the "demon empress" and senses that history has misjudged her.
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Yi Hua — Participant · Lu Yuan — Participant
Shen Bu Yan's Career Pressure
In the present day, Shen Bu Yan faces pressure from Editor-in-Chief Lin to rush a sequel to his bestselling book about the historical "demon empress" Lu Yuan, and refuses to fabricate history he cannot verify. Upset and frustrated, he experiences a nosebleed that will soon set his time travel journey in motion.
The Broken Jade Pendant Purchase
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Old Lady at the Wishing Tree — Participant · Editor-in-Chief Lin — Participant
Still in the present day, Shen Bu Yan visits a wishing tree and buys a broken jade pendant from a mysterious old woman, who warns him that incomplete jade can affect the mind. His blood later drips onto the pendant, triggering his first journey into the past.
Involved: Shen Bu Yan — Participant · Old Lady at the Wishing Tree — Participant · Editor-in-Chief Lin — Participant