Songstress Liwen from Yangzhou is extraordinarily talented and beautiful, but also frigid and proud. Someone poisons her because of this, causing her to go blind. Her lover, the hero Liu Yulong, also loses his sight after being poisoned by an enemy. General Song Wenhua proposes to Liwen, but she refuses. Liwen’s half sister loves Wenhua, however, and Liwen successfully matches the two. Yulong’s brother,Yuhu, steals the snow lotus, an imperial treasure, which eventually cures the blindness of both Yulong and Liwen, but in the process makes the lovers torn apart.

Three years later, Yulong and Liwen’s blindness is cured. A feudal lord, Wei, adopts Liwen and makes her his princess, called Fengping, to show his appreciation of her talent and beauty. Yulong passes the imperial examination and is appointed prefect. An upright imperial censor has him secretly investigate Wei to uncover a traitorous plot. Having become bandits, Yulong’s brother Yuhu and Wenhua meet Yulong and Liwen again. They reunite and plan together to bring the feudal lord to justice. Former general Song is reinstated to his previous post on account of his meritorious service. Yulong marries Liwen, and Wenhua marries Liwen’s half sister.

In order to gain more political power, director of the Music Conservatory, Zuo Kouyu sends sister of the musician Shen Tongxuan to the imperial palace, and forces the renowned songstress Gu Zhuqing to marry him. Determined to report Kouyu’s misconduct to the prime minister, Tongxuan advises Zhuqing to seek help from the minister’s fifth daughter, Song Yulan, who gets the wicked to be punished by her father. Winning Yulan’s heart with his talent, Tongxuan is invited to tutor Prime Minister Song Chongwen’s sixth son, Song Wenmin. To revenge on Yulan, Kouyu accuses her of seducing the residential tutor during the prime minister’s birthday celebration. Enraged, Song Chongwen disowns Yulan for her immoral act. While his money is stolen by Zhuqing out of jealousy, Tongxuan leaves the examination so as to secure Wenmin’s first place. Yulan misses the chance to meet Tongxuan. Thus, under the help from Kouyu, she has stayed at Rouge Alley for six years, waiting for her lover to return. Finding her lover a beggar now and knowing her brother the first place at the imperial examination, Yulan’s illness is worsened due to surprise and sadness. Zhuqing is so regretted that she returns the money to Tongxuan. Tongxuan’s sister wins the Emperor’s favour and brings glory to the family. After Wenmin explains to his sister Tongxuan’s intention, the couple is finally happily reunited.