Stand By Me - Season 1

After failing to reclaim his authority as the emperor from the eunuch, Emperor Wenzong of Xing passed away. His brother Qi Yan succeeds the throne with the help of the eunuch, now Duke Chu and Godfather to Qi Yan. With influence over Qi Yan, Duke Chu still holds control over the court. Years later, Chen Ruo Yu becomes the 23rd Sword Bearer of the Purple Clothing Bureau, tasked to serve the emperor and nation.

Emperor Qi Yan wants to go hunting and asks Chen Rou Yu to along with him. Under the orders of Duke Chu, Qiu Yan Zhi accompanies the emperor to keep a close eye on him. Chen Ruo Yu does not trust Qi Yan Zhi and tries to keep her from Qi Yan. On his outings, Qi Yan is met with several assassination attempts.

Duke Chu wants to hold a small celebration with close officials and the emperor for his birthday. He requested the Purple Clothing Bureau to do a sword dance for him. On the day of the celebration, one of the Purple Clothing Bureau members, attempt to assassinate Duke Chu. Chen Rou Yu prevents the assassination and asks to be part of the investigation. Through the investigation of Chen Rou Yu, she realizes that Qi Yan isn't the emperor that she thought he would be.

Qiu Yan Zhi continues the investigation on Zheng Wu and realizes that Qi Yan may be hiding an agenda with the Purple Clothing Bureau. Chen Ruo Yu won't give up on Zheng Wu's case that is tied to the Morning Dew Rebellion and is dismissed from her role as a Sword Bearer.

Chen Ruo Yu discovers Prince An at the old base of the Chess of General's base. She helps Prince An escapes with the help of Qiu Yan Zhi. Madam Cheng Xi helps Prince An by sending him to Prince Guang. Qiu Yan Zhi finally pieces together what is going on behind the scene with the Purple Clothing Bureau.

Qiu Yan Zhi uses Chen Ruo Yu's favor to help find the third person behind Zheng Wu's case. With the three vague clues from Qiu Yan Zhi, Chen Ruo Yu heads to Yuzhen Hall to find out the truth. Emperor Qi Yan finds out that the Purple Clothing Bureau has hidden secrets from him and tails Chen Ruo Yu for clues.

Madam Cheng Xi comes clean to Emperor Qi Yan about what she's been hiding from him. In anger, he reappoints Chen Rou Yu back as the Sword Bearer and to manage the Purple Clothing Bureau in place of Madam Cheng Xi. Emperor Qi Yan finally attends the imperial court meetings and gives the task of arranging the Queen Dowager's birthday to Prince Guang to bring him back to the palace.

Zou Ma makes his first appearance and wants to take the Chess General position from Qiu Yan Zhi. Emperor Qi Yan, Chen You Ru, Madam Cheng Xi, Prince Guang, Qiu Yan Zhi are getting closer to finding out who the mysterious third party is.

Duke Chu allows Princess Ninghe to come back into the palace. To figure out what Duke Chu's plans are, Qi Yan and Chen Rou Yu devise a plan to fool Qiu Yan Zhi. Qi Yan and Chen Rou Yu become closer as they work together.

Chen Rou Yu leaves for Mount Qi under Qi Yan's orders. Zou Ma gets poisoned from one of Qiu Yan Zhi's traps and on his escape out of the palace, he meets Chen You Ru but denies her help. Chen You Ru continues to Mount Qi and tries to obtain the respect of Yuzhen Hall to become their new leader.

Qiu Yan Zhi sets out to capture Princess Ninghe and promises Chen Rou Yu not to expose Yuzhen Hall. Princess Ninghe gets attacked before entering the palace.

Zou Ma fails to prove that Qiu Yan Zhi is not trustworthy to Duke Chu. Chen Rou Yu visits Princess Ninghe in place of Qi Yan, as they try to figure out who harmed Princess Ninghe.

Princess Mi Sha brings Princess Ninghe to the palace to recover. Duke Chu sends Qi Yan a warning on choosing his empress.

Qiu Yan Zhi and Princess Mi Sha battle for the position of empress. Qi Yan pushes Chen Rou Yu out of the palace to keep her safe from Duke Chu; however, Chen Rou Yu still meets misfortunes outside of the palace.

Prince Guang, Qi Yan, Qiu Yan Zhi, and Chen Rou Yu fall into the military strategist's scheme. Chen Rou Yu finds out the truth behind the Morning Dew Rebellion.

More mystery from 8 years ago gets revealed. Chen You Ru's condition gets worse as they sit and wait for General Han to free them.

Qiu Yan Zhi and General Han set their plan in motion to exact revenge on Duke Chu and Qi Yan.

The favor is not in everyone's odds at the Chess of General's camp. The Purple Clothing Bureau and Li Ze Ning make their moves.

Qiu Yan Zhi has to reestablish her innocence with Duke Chu. Li Ze Ning makes her appearance in the palace.

Prince An sets off to Zheng Wu with Cheng Xi. Duke Chu brings Qi Yan a bowl of blowfish soup as the feud within the court intensifies.

Official Li appears in court to settle the problem in Lu Cong. Chen Rou Yu is at a marriageable age and Grand Empress Dowager grants her a jade bangle.

Chen Rou Yu and Zi Yuan head to Lu Cong to meet with Chen Yin Tai.

Duke Chu brings Prince An back to use as a pawn to control. Chen Rou Yu finds out the truth about Cheng Xi.

Chen Rou Yu disappoints Qi Yan with her decision. Qiu Yan Zhi lends a hand to Chen Rou Yu to regain Qi Yan's trust.

Qi Yan and Chen Rou Yu infiltrate the Purple Clothing Bureau in hopes to find Princess Mi Sha. Qi Yan's old injury flares up again.

Chen Rou Yu fails to get Princess Mi Sha away from Cheng Xi from Wang Lin's residence. Qi Yan tries to find out Chen Rou Yu's true identity.

Chen Rou Yu successfully gets Princess Mi Sha to Qi Yan, but she's stuck in Qiu Zi Lang's residence. Qi Yan leaves the palace to retrieve Chen Rou Yu. Cheng Xi tries to frame Chen Rou Yu and she tells them unexpected news to get extend her punishment.

After confirming Chen Rou Yu's pregnancy news, Qiu Zi Lang forces Chen Rou Yu to drink anshen soup. Cheng Xi is now trapped and captures Qiu Yan Zhi to use as leverage against Qiu Zi Lang.

Qiu Yan Zhi makes it back to the Chess General Camp with the help of the Right Minister. In the palace, Qi Yan nurses Chen Rou Yu in his room while she recovers. Everything is going well for Qi Yan finally has the military control until Shi Yuan attempts to assassinate Qi Yan.

Qiu Zi Lang suspects Qiu Yan Zhi and the Right Minister of betrayal. Right Advisor sneaks in to help Chen Rou Yu and Qi Yan get the medical treatment they need, while Qiu Zi Lang works to get Prince An appointed.

Qi Yan is willing to give up the throne for Prince An and sneaks out to meet Prince An. Qiu Yan Zhi and Right Minister are using their own methods to sabotage Qiu Zhi Lang's plans. Cheng Xi appears and tries to kill Prince An.

Cheng Xi reveals to the Right Minister how she was able to poison Prince An. Qiu Zi Lang has no choice but to allow Qi Yan to continue to reign. Right Minister reveals his real identity to Qiu Yan Zhi. Trouble brews at the border with Zhang Jiang's ambition in Lu Cong.

The Grand Empress Dowager banishes Chen Rou Yu from the palace. Qiu Zi Lang suspects Chen Rou Yu to have the commanding seal and captures her while the Shen Cai Army starts a mutiny.

Qiu Zi Lang interrogates Chen Rou Yu to find out who betrayed him. Qiu Yan Zhi falls into the trap Qiu Zi Lang sets up and is faced with a tough decision to make alongside the truth of Chen Rou Yu's identity.

Ling Ling makes her move to aid Qi Yan and Li De Yun with the rebellion in Lu Cong. Eunuch Gao told Qi Yan negative news in regards to Chen Rou Yu.

Qiu Zi Lang prepares to go into isolation training. Ling Ling meets Cheng Xi during the mission to capture Zhang Jiang. Military Commissioner Zhang Zhong Ru and Ling Ling return to the palace.

Qi Yan refuses to acknowledge that Ling Ling is the real Chen Rou Yu. Qiu Yan Zhi teaches Ling Ling tactics and pushes her to improve her martial arts.

Prince Guang reveals that he has been planning his revenge on Qiu Zi Lang since the Morning Dew Rebellion. Cheng Xi seeks out Ling Ling to confirm that she is Chen Rou Yu to tell her of her true identity.

Chen Rou Yu is angry that Qiu Yan Zhi is preventing her from finding out about her identity; however, Madam Li's death was not futile. Chen Rou Yu finds the note that explains her identity, and she confronts Qi Yan.

Qi Yan offers his life to Chen Rou Yu to satisfy her revenge, but she couldn't kill him. Chen Rou Yu meets with Cheng Xi to confront her about Madam Li's death and Cheng Xi holds her as a hostage.

Prince Guang saves Chen Rou Yu while Qi Yan refuses treatment. Qiu Zi Lang uses the Left Advisor to make his moves in the dark while Qi Yan and Qiu Yan Zhi try to get Chen Rou Yu out of Heng'an.

Chen Rou Yu and Qi Yan work on a strategy to find out everyone's plans. Qiu Zi Lang finds about the truth of Qiu Yan Zhi and Prince Guang's identities.

Qiu Yan Zhi and Prince Guang are kept as pawns for Qiu Zi Lang's scheme. Qiu Yan Zhi heads into the palace as the empress while Chen Rou Yu is still out of Heng'an.

Cheng Xi sows discord between the two Wang sisters. Chen Rou Yu goes back to the palace to confront Qiu Yan Zhi. Qi Yan finds out about Qiu Yan Zhi's true identity.

Madam Jade and Chen Rou Yu break into the Chess Generals Camp to help Prince Guang. Qi Yan risks his life to save Chen Rou Yu. Matters at Danfeng Gate escalates as Li Deyan, and Qiu Zi Lang struggles to take control.

Not wanting to keep her in the dark, Qi Yan reveals to Chen Rou Yu how the Morning Dew Rebellion came to be. Chen Rou Yu and Qiu Yan Zhi reconcile as Chen Rou Yu realizes that Qiu Zi Lang is trying to sow discord between them. Meanwhile, Qiu Zi Lang gets desperate to take control of the court.

Qiu Zi Lang gets backed into a corner and defeated underneath Hanyuan Hall. Qiu Yan Zhi risks her life to save Chen Rou Yu, and Rou Yu belatedly remembers Yan Zhi's real identity.

Chen Rou Yu and Yan Xiu send Qiu Yan Zhi off. Prince Guang shows up at his first imperial court meeting and finally shows his true intentions.

Qi Yan shows the court official the hidden secret of the posthumous imperial edict. Due to the annihilation of the eunuch group, he makes his preparations to pass the throne off and for the Xing empire to stay peaceful.