After Breaking Off the Engagement, the Aloof Empress Regrets It

Chen Fan is a twenty-first-century PhD graduate who transmigrates into the body of the third young master of the Chen Guogong Mansion. Upon arrival, he discovers he is betrothed to the reigning Female Emperor, Ji Qianxue. Horrified by the prospect of competing with men for imperial favor and entering the treacherous palace life, he deliberately cultivates a reputation as a profligate and uneducated wastrel. His strategy succeeds when the Female Emperor issues an imperial edict annulling the marriage contract, declaring him unworthy. Chen Fan eagerly accepts the dismissal, but his father, Chen Guogong, furious that the political alliance has collapsed and that his son has ruined years of planning, expels him from the family and strikes his name from the genealogy. Chen Fan leaves the mansion penniless but liberated, accompanied only by two young maids he had purchased and treated with kindness.

Seeking shelter and sustenance, Chen Fan enters the Qingyin Pavilion, a renowned brothel in Jinling. There, he encounters Lian Yue, a breathtakingly beautiful courtesan who has refused all guests for three months, demanding a poem that moves her heart. Chen Fan, possessing the literary knowledge of a modern scholar, recites the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River," a masterpiece of classical Chinese poetry. The performance stuns the audience and wins Lian Yue’s favor. When challenged by his former friend Lin Feng, Chen Fan further demonstrates his genius by composing "Spring River, Flowers, Moon, Night" on the spot, winning a substantial wager and claiming Lian Yue as his guest of honor. Meanwhile, the Female Emperor, observing from the shadows, is shocked by the disparity between Chen Fan’s public persona and his literary brilliance. Convinced his profligacy is an act, she becomes increasingly obsessed with understanding his true nature, eventually issuing a decree to raid all brothels in a fit of jealous rage.

The Chen Guogong Mansion, desperate to salvage its reputation, launches a smear campaign against Chen Fan. Chen Guogong orders his second son, Chen Hao, to claim authorship of Chen Fan’s poems, accusing the expelled young master of plagiarism. The ploy gains traction in Jinling, isolating Chen Fan socially and economically. Undeterred, Chen Fan decides to establish his own enterprise, purchasing a remote estate and planning to start a distillery to produce high-quality liquor, a concept unknown in this world. During a trip to the grain market, he discovers the Lin family’s monopoly on agriculture, which is crushing local farmers. This discovery fuels his determination to dismantle their economic stranglehold while building his own power base.

The conflict escalates when Lin Feng and Chen Guogong host a literary gathering to publicly humiliate Chen Fan. They challenge him to a poetry contest with the theme of "studying," believing he cannot compose relevant work. Chen Fan arrives with Lian Yue and the maids, confidently accepting the bet of one million taels. During the contest, he recites three poems that appear to be about romance and longing. The crowd is initially confused by the lack of thematic relevance, but a great scholar and the Female Emperor recognize the profound philosophical layers within the verses, interpreting them as the three stages of scholarly pursuit. Chen Fan’s display of genius further cements his status as a hidden talent, leaving his enemies frustrated and the Female Emperor more intrigued than ever. The story concludes with Chen Fan having successfully defied his expulsion, established his independence, and begun his rise from a disgraced bastard to a formidable figure in the capital, setting the stage for future confrontations with the Guogong Mansion and the Lin family.