Fair enough, you ruined my marriage? I’ll seize your kingdom.

Ji Ruyue, the cherished daughter of the wealthy Ji family in Jizhou City, wakes up on the day of her marriage proclamation stage, reborn into her sixteenth year. In her previous life, she was strangled to death by her husband, Chen Shujin, on the day his lover, Princess Changle, ascended to the throne. Chen Shujin, a poor scholar whom Ji Ruyue married under duress, betrayed her family, murdered her father, and handed over the Ji family’s immense wealth to the princess, ultimately leading to the extermination of the Ji clan’s nine generations. Driven by hatred and a desire for revenge, Ji Ruyue resolves to change her fate and make her betrayers pay.

At the marriage proclamation stage, Princess Changle, disguised as a young man, forcibly throws the embroidered ball to Chen Shujin, intending to force Old Master Ji to accept him as a son-in-law despite the clear rules requiring candidates to pass literary and martial tests. Ji Ruyue confronts the princess publicly, challenging her authority and exposing the impropriety of the forced match. Wei Zizhang, a noble scholar and future ally, attempts to defend Ji Ruyue but is arrested by the princess’s guards. Ji Ruyue strategically submits to the princess’s authority to avoid immediate bloodshed, knowing that open defiance would endanger her father and family. She endures a public slap from Murong Jing, playing the role of a victim to sway public opinion and force the princess to back down due to rising crowd pressure.

As the wedding preparations proceed, Ji Ruyue implements strict household rules to marginalize Chen Shujin and his family. When Chen Shujin’s mother destroys the wedding attire, Ji Ruyue confines the Chen family to their courtyard, citing family regulations that protect the household’s peace. During the wedding banquet, Chen Shujin arrives with a fabricated injury, accusing the Ji family of attempting to cripple him. Princess Changle, enraged by the perceived defiance, orders the arrest of the entire Ji family. Just as execution seems imminent, Wang Yu’an, a representative of Prince Rui, intervenes. He reveals that the Ji family has pledged a substantial donation for the Jizhou river embankment project, a matter of national importance that requires the princess’s patience.

Wang Yu’an’s intervention saves the Ji family from immediate destruction, but the political landscape remains precarious. Ji Ruyue recognizes the need for powerful protection and approaches Wang Yu’an privately. She offers Prince Rui fifty percent of the Ji family’s silver income for the next decade in exchange for his political庇护. Wang Yu’an, initially dismissive of a merchant’s daughter, is swayed by the sheer magnitude of the offer and agrees to facilitate the alliance. This marks a significant shift in Ji Ruyue’s strategy, moving from passive endurance to active political maneuvering.

Meanwhile, Chen Shujin, realizing that the princess has retreated and the Ji family has powerful backers, panics. He attempts to distance himself from the Ji family, hoping to align himself directly with Princess Changle. However, his plans are thwarted by the tight control Ji Ruyue exerts over the household. The tension between Ji Ruyue and the princess escalates, with Murong Jing viewing Ji Ruyue’s resilience and cunning as a direct threat. Ji Ruyue, armed with foreknowledge of future events, begins to lay the groundwork for her revenge, targeting not only Chen Shujin but also the corrupt political structures that enabled her family’s destruction. The story sets the stage for a prolonged struggle between the reborn merchant’s daughter and the ambitious princess, with the fate of the Ji family hanging in the balance.