Catching the Groom Cheating on the Wedding Night, Remarrying the Gloomy Shizi on the Spot

Ji Yunshu, a modern woman, transmigrates into a melodramatic novel as the vicious supporting character who shares her name. On her wedding night to Zhao Heng, the second young master of the Changxing Marquis residence, she discovers him in bed with his cousin, Yao Ruolan, the novel's female lead. Realizing her fate as cannon fodder—destined to be destroyed alongside her family so the leads can achieve a happy ending—she immediately decides to alter her destiny. Instead of accepting her role, she confronts the couple and summons the Marquis and his wife. When Zhao Heng arrogantly assumes she will tolerate Yao Ruolan as a concubine, Ji Yunshu demands the girl sign a deed of sale, effectively threatening her life. Her eldest brother, Ji Yunlan, a celebrated general, arrives and exposes the marriage fraud, forcing the Zhao family to explain the situation.

Ji Yunshu seizes the opportunity to switch grooms, proposing instead to marry Zhao Shen, the disabled eldest son and legitimate heir of the Marquis. Zhao Shen, once a genius scholar and warrior, was crippled in an accident ten years prior, leading to the marriage alliance being transferred to his younger brother. Ji Yunshu argues that Zhao Shen’s status as a cripple ensures she will not face the same political dangers as a wife to the ambitious Zhao Heng. The Marquis, who favors his disabled eldest son and wishes to secure the alliance with the powerful Ji family, agrees to the switch. He punishes Zhao Heng severely and promises Zhao Shen the title of Marquis, effectively cutting him out of the inheritance line if he and Ji Yunshu produce no heirs.

The Empress Dowager, Ji Yunshu’s aunt and guardian, summons the couple to the palace. She is initially suspicious of Ji Yunshu’s sudden change of heart but is convinced by her niece’s boldness and affection for Zhao Shen. The Empress Dowager issues an imperial edict sanctioning the marriage, while simultaneously forbidding Yao Ruolan from ever holding a formal status, ensuring the ill-fated lovers remain trapped in their scandalous relationship. Back at the Changxing Marquis residence, Ji Yunshu moves into Qionghua Courtyard with Zhao Shen. She observes his meticulous security measures and suspects his accident was not an accident, recognizing that he is guarding against hidden enemies within the household.

Ji Yunshu’s primary goal shifts from mere survival to actively dismantling the plot that leads to her family’s destruction. She learns that her father and brother are destined to die in a northern border ambush orchestrated by the Northern Desert Royal Court. Determined to save them, she asks her brother to seek out the legendary Biling Elixir, a mythical remedy said to exist in the Northern Desert, hoping to use it to prevent future tragedies or save her cousin, the Emperor, from poisoning. Meanwhile, she navigates her new marriage with Zhao Shen, who is wary of her intentions but gradually appreciates her directness and loyalty. Their relationship develops as they form an alliance against the scheming Madam Yao and her son, Zhao Heng, while Ji Yunshu prepares to face the impending political storms that threaten to upend the empire.