At 18 years old, Chu Yuan grapples with the weight of proving himself as the new emperor of Chu State amidst border conflicts with Xinan. When Duan Baiyue, the youthful Xinan King, quells the rebellion single-handedly, he gains heroic status among the Chu people. As rumors swirl about Xinan's ambitions to annex Chu State, Chu Yuan, standing beneath a winter plum tree, wrestles with conflicting emotions and memories of a past pledge. Tensions escalate when a duke from Ahnu, a Chu ally, is mysteriously found dead in Chu's streets, pushing the fragile political balance to the brink.