After Getting Rid of the Scumbag Gong [Quick Transmigration]

Tang Jiu is a twenty-one-year-old heir to the Tang Group, known for his wealth, good looks, and generous nature. Despite his privileged life, he suffers from a recurring pattern of romantic betrayal, having been cheated on by five consecutive boyfriends who viewed him merely as a source of financial support. After a particularly humiliating breakup where his partner admits to infidelity, Tang Jiu retreats to a bar and drinks until he loses consciousness. In his delirium, he is contacted by a mechanical entity known as System 233, which offers him a chance to alter his fate. The system proposes a mission involving travel to different timelines to possess tragic figures and punish the scumbags who wronged them. In exchange for completing these tasks, Tang Jiu will accumulate luck points and eventually find a loyal, monogamous partner who meets his ideal standards. Driven by a desire to escape his curse of rotten relationships, Tang Jiu agrees to the binding.

His first assignment transports him to the ancient Daliang Kingdom, where he inhabits the body of Lin Jinzhi, the current Empress. Lin Jinzhi was once a brilliant top scholar who sacrificed his career and pride to become the emperor’s consort, believing in a genuine love story. For three years, Emperor Yan Yuxuan treated him with devotion, but this changed when the emperor returned from a southern tour with Shen Ke, a man who physically resembled Yan Yuxuan’s deceased childhood love. Revealing that Lin Jinzhi was merely a substitute, the emperor demotes him and confines him, leading to Lin Jinzhi’s eventual madness and death at the hands of a jealous rival. Tang Jiu arrives just as Yan Yuxuan brings Shen Ke to the palace to announce his new favorite status. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Tang Jiu decides to change the tragic outcome by manipulating the emperor’s emotions to generate regret points.

Tang Jiu adopts a strategy of feigned submission and vulnerability. When Yan Yuxuan confronts him about Shen Ke, Tang Jiu appears heartbroken but understanding, which unsettles the emperor rather than relieving him. Yan Yuxuan, accustomed to Lin Jinzhi’s cold pride, is confused by this sudden softness and guilt. Tang Jiu further exploits the emperor’s conscience by pretending to catch a severe cold after waiting alone during the Lantern Festival, a tradition they once shared. While Yan Yuxuan tends to him, Tang Jiu secretly increases the emperor’s regret meter. However, the plan is complicated by the presence of Prince Duan, Yan Yuchen, a seemingly dissolute noble who is actually shrewd and politically ambitious. Yan Yuchen takes an immediate interest in Tang Jiu, sneaking into the palace to offer sweets and engage in flirtatious behavior that blurs the line between political alliance and personal desire.

The conflict escalates when Shen Ke, feeling threatened by Tang Jiu’s regained favor, accuses the Empress of poisoning his medicine. Tang Jiu turns the tables by revealing that the substance added was a rare thousand-year-old ginseng, a gift originally from the emperor, intended to heal Shen Ke. The imperial physicians confirm the absence of poison, exposing Shen Ke’s lie and forcing Yan Yuxuan to apologize to Tang Jiu. This victory boosts Tang Jiu’s regret points but deepens the rivalry with Shen Ke. During a subsequent ice polo game, Tang Jiu displays unexpected athletic skill, forming a powerful partnership with Yan Yuchen on the court. While Shen Ke watches in envy, Yan Yuchen deliberately lets him fall, further isolating the rival. The story concludes with Tang Jiu navigating the dangerous court politics, balancing his mission to punish the scumbag emperor with the growing, ambiguous attentions of Prince Duan, while Shen Ke plots his next move from his sickbed.