The series kicks off with our female lead, Han Zi Qing (played by Zhu Xu Dan), a badass Forest Ranger who saves a group of men from a massive snake. But things take a turn when she falls into a manhole while moving through the forest.

When she comes to, still in the manhole, she decides to look around, hoping to find an exit. During her search, she stumbles upon a stunning dagger decorated with stones. As soon as she unsheathes it, she’s suddenly transported to another world.

The next thing she knows, she’s in an ancient setting, lying on the ground as a crowd gathers around her, clearly confused by her sudden appearance. A woman who seems to know her rushes over and does something that startles her. On instinct, Han Zi Qing kickboxes the woman away, only then realizing she’s not in the forest anymore.

Soon, we learn that the woman she kicked is actually her stepmother. True to form, the stepmother dramatically proclaims how well she’s raised Zi Qing, even though she’s not her biological daughter. But in a bizarre twist, she orders her guards to seize our lead.

Remember how fiercely Han Zi Qing handled that giant snake? She brings the same energy here, disarming and taking down all the guards who come at her. But when someone douses her with a bucket of water, she starts remembering bits and pieces of the life of the person whose body she now occupies.

It turns out the original owner of the body lost her mother young, was bullied by her stepmother and stepsister, and completely ignored by her father. With this flood of memories, Han Zi Qing decides to embrace her new identity and make everyone who wronged her pay.

Her first move? Stripping her stepmother of her luxurious overcoat, wearing it herself, and dragging the woman back to their household. We soon find out that her stepsister, Han Xi Er, is the one who got her abandoned on the streets. When they reach the house, the stepmother desperately bangs on the door for her daughter to let them in, but the stepsister stays inside, scheming her next move.

Everyone is shocked by the sudden change in Han Zi Qing, who was once known to be docile. Meanwhile, Xi Er, still not opening the door, worries about getting caught up in a scandal, especially since she’s aiming to be selected as a prince’s consort.

Just as the chaos is escalating, the father arrives. Predictably, he immediately blames Han Zi Qing. But she confronts him, questioning why he doesn’t bother to get the facts before accusing her. Her boldness catches everyone off guard, as she’s not known for speaking her mind.

The father insists they sort things out inside the house, but Han Zi Qing refuses to budge unless her stepsister is brought out. When he tries to use a whip on her, she grabs it before he can strike and firmly states that she won’t agree to anything until her stepsister faces her.

When Xi Er finally shows up, Han Zi Qing confronts her, asking why she forced her to drink the night before and then left her stranded at a bar. Her stepsister lies, claiming she didn’t know Han Zi Qing was that drunk and that the shopkeeper can vouch for her.

The shopkeeper admits that he did get those instructions from the stepsister but says he left Han Zi Qing in a room, only for a lord’s son to book the same room by accident. It’s obvious from the glances exchanged between the stepsister and the shopkeeper that this was all a setup.

The lord’s son eventually shows up, pleading with Han Zi Qing’s father for forgiveness, suggesting that he mistook Han Zi Qing for a prostitute and had his way with her.

At this point, even if you didn’t know the synopsis beforehand, it’s clear that the stepsister sees Han Zi Qing as a threat to her future with who I assume is the male lead, and has been sabotaging her from the get-go.

This becomes even clearer when the lord’s son asks Han Zi Qing’s father for her hand in marriage. But with her memory returning, she realizes this is all part of a plot against her.

Amid the chaos, the stepsister approaches Han Zi Qing, apologizing profusely. In response, Han Zi Qing slaps her hard, shocking everyone. The stepsister’s maids help her up as she continues apologizing, promising to make things right if Han Zi Qing marries the lord who supposedly took her virginity.

But Han Zi Qing slaps her again, stunning the entire family. She then declares that she’s willing to marry the man everyone assumes has ruined her purity, though her expression hints that she has something up her sleeve.

The scene wraps up with Han Zi Qing announcing she’s hungry, shoving both the lord and the shopkeeper aside, leaving her family and the maids speechless.

Next, we see three men hidden in the shadows, discussing the whole event. We learn that Han Zi Qing survived what was supposed to be a deadly poison, though the details are still unclear. I have a feeling this might tie into the prince’s consort selection, which seems to be a major plot point.

Once inside the house, Han Zi Qing takes time to get a feel for her surroundings. When she, her father, stepsister, and stepmother are finally alone, her father pressures her to marry the lord’s son, assuming he took her virginity.

It’s satisfying to see Han Zi Qing toy with them, establishing her dominance by sitting while they all stand, trying to persuade her to marry the son. But she sees right through their scheme to cover up the stepsister’s scandal and refuses to play along.

She gets tired of their games and bluntly tells them she’s well aware of how they’ve mistreated her for years. She declares that from now on, she’s in charge of her own life and will do as she pleases.

Han Zi Qing then heads to her room and discovers that she’s been living like a maid in a cramped space. She realizes her new maid is the only ally she has in the house. As she goes through her belongings, she starts recalling happy moments with her mother.

At this point, she still thinks this might be some sort of dream, as the memories of her mother feel incredibly real and emotional. While rummaging through her things, she finds a chest that reminds her of the dagger that brought her to this world, but it’s not inside. When her maid returns, Han Zi Qing notices she’s even been mistreated when it comes to the food she eats and decides to test it for poison.

Remember those three men talking about the poison earlier? The scene then shifts to the palace, where we get a glimpse of the drama between the princes. One prince, that is the second prince, believes that our male lead, who is the fourth prince, won’t show up since he must have died from the poison. 

If you recall, when Han Zi Qing saw the lord’s son who claimed to have taken her virginity, she mentioned that he wasn’t the man she saw before. It seems she encountered Li Ge, our male lead, the previous day.

Our male lead’s entrance at court is nothing short of dramatic, leaving his brother stunned, thinking he was a ghost, as he was sure he’d successfully killed him the night before. 

Just before the male lead’s entrance, the second prince was suggesting to their father that they secure relations with a neighboring state, Xiling, through marriage. The male lead makes a joke about this, and their father has to calm them down, showing that such conflicts are pretty common.

In the next scene, my suspicions are confirmed. The second prince apologizes to his mother for failing their mission, revealing that they did poison the fourth prince and are frustrated that he survived. Their plot to kill him is linked to the upcoming consort selection since they fear that if he marries the chancellor’s daughter, the chancellor will side with him, threatening their influence at court.

A maid then informs the second prince and his mother about the incident at Han Zi Qing’s house. The mother is pleased, thinking that the scandal surrounding the stepsister, who is also the legitimate daughter of the chancellor, will prevent her from marrying Li Ge.

Later, Han Zi Qing reflects on her situation and concludes that she must still be in some kind of hypnotic state since none of her real-life teammates have found her yet. Desperate to wake up, she decides to find the dagger, hoping it will bring her back to reality.

My Review

So far, I’m really enjoying this drama. It’s full of potential, even though I’m not completely hooked on the plot yet. The political intrigue feels natural and isn’t overwhelming or confusing, which is a common problem in a lot of historical Chinese dramas. While it’s still early to say for sure, things are looking good.

One thing that stands out to me is the cast. I haven’t seen any of these actors before, including the male lead. While he’s a decent actor, I’m curious to see how the chemistry between the characters develops as the story unfolds.

I’m loving the Cinderella vibes and the similarities to Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, another transmigration story, though that one is Korean. Both dramas involve royal politics and sibling rivalries.

I’ll be recapping the entire series as new episodes come out. If you’re interested in my thoughts on Episode 2 of Fateful Love, here’s a link.

I’m also recapping No Gain No Love, so be sure to check that out too. Are you watching this drama? What do you think of it so far? Love it or hate it? Let me know in the comments, and let’s chat about it.