After Remarrying into a Noble Family in Her Second Life, She Gave Up

Jiang Nian, a farmer's daughter, endured years of humiliation as the wife of Qi Heng, the second son of Prefect Qi, who had risen to become Emperor. Despite her relentless efforts to master etiquette and household management, she was scorned by her noble sisters-in-law and mother-in-law for her rustic origins. After losing her first child and facing escalating abuse, she collapsed upon learning she would be stripped of her status in the capital. In her final moments, she was reborn sixteen years earlier, returning to her childhood home in Yong’an Village just before her father saved Prefect Qi, the event that had originally led to her forced marriage.

Upon realizing she had returned to the past, Jiang Nian resolved to alter her fate and avoid the Qi family entirely. She immediately intervened to prevent her cousin, Jiang Xiaomai, from marrying Yan Ruyu, a man known for his homosexuality and abusive nature, thereby saving her cousin from a tragic life. When the Qi family, led by Qi Heng, arrived with five thousand taels of silver to formalize the marriage proposal, Jiang Nian and her grandfather firmly rejected the match. They returned the silver, insisting that the debt of gratitude had been settled and that Jiang Nian was unworthy of such a prestigious union.

Prefect Qi, however, was trapped by his own deception. To avoid suspicion from the corrupt Crown Prince, who had attempted to arrange a marriage between Qi Heng and a princess, Prefect Qi had publicly claimed Jiang Nian as his daughter-in-law to save face. With the wedding date imminent and the Crown Prince expecting to attend, the Qi family faced execution for deceiving the sovereign if the marriage did not proceed. Qi Heng, initially cold and detached, personally visited the Jiang residence to plead with Jiang Nian, offering her absolute loyalty and protection in exchange for her cooperation.

Jiang Nian, aware of the impending chaos and banditry that would plague the region, recognized that her farming family needed protection to survive the coming turmoil. She agreed to the marriage but on her own terms, negotiating a pact where the Qi family would safeguard the Jiang clan in exchange for her role as a political shield. She entered the marriage not as a submissive wife, but as a strategic partner determined to reclaim her agency. As she prepared to leave her family for the Prefectural Residence, Jiang Nian faced the complex dynamics of the Qi household, vowing to navigate the treacherous waters of noble politics with the wisdom of her past life.

The story follows Jiang Nian’s transition from a victim of circumstance to a calculated participant in her own destiny. She must balance her resentment toward Qi Heng with the pragmatic need for his family’s protection. Meanwhile, Qi Heng begins to see Jiang Nian not merely as a tool for survival, but as a woman of strength and intelligence who challenges his assumptions. As the political landscape shifts and the Crown Prince’s influence grows, Jiang Nian’s presence in the Qi manor becomes a focal point of tension, setting the stage for a struggle that will determine the fate of both families.