A Second Chance: Married to the Regent Prince

Tang Chuyao, the legitimate daughter of the Wen Yongbo family, endures a life of abuse and neglect after her mother’s death. Her father, Tang Youze, and her aunt, Concubine Mei, favor Tang Chuying, the concubine’s daughter, who systematically poisons Tang Chuyao with bone-eating and facial-discoloring toxins. Despite her deteriorating health and ruined reputation, Tang Chuyao remains devoted to her family, unaware that her half-sister and her fiancé, Gu Huaifeng, are lovers who plot against her. Gu Huaifeng, a member of the Xuanping Marquis household, marries Tang Chuyao solely to access the military power of her maternal grandfather, the General of the National Defense. After discovering their affair, Tang Chuyao is pushed into a pond by Tang Chuying and beaten unconscious by Gu Huaifeng. She survives but loses her memory, eventually marrying Gu Huaifeng and suffering five years of torment. In her final moments, Tang Chuying gouges out her eyes and kills her loyal maid, Dujian, before framing Tang Chuyao for suicide. The Regent Prince, Gu Qingchen, discovers her body and mourns her deeply, revealing a hidden devotion that Tang Chuyao never understood in life.

Upon death, Tang Chuyao is bound to a system that grants her a chance for rebirth with the mission to replace Tang Chuying as the protagonist of the world. She awakens in the past, one year before her marriage to Gu Huaifeng, retaining all her memories. Realizing she has been poisoned for three years, she immediately identifies the treachery in her household. She refuses to drink the poisoned medicine, exposes the conspiracy, and confronts her aunt and half-sister with newfound assertiveness. She also reconnects with her master, Ke Wuwei, the leader of Xiaoyao Valley, who had secretly tried to save her in her previous life. Tang Chuyao resumes her martial arts training and seeks the help of Hua Wanshu, the leader of Baihua Valley, to obtain the rare medicinal ingredients needed to detoxify her body.

As Tang Chuyao recovers her strength, she begins to dismantle the schemes of her enemies. She uses her knowledge of poisons and medicines to humiliate Tang Chuying and Gu Huaifeng, exposing their affair in front of the entire estate. She also reclaims her mother’s dowry and asserts her status as the legitimate daughter, turning the household’s power dynamics against her abusers. Meanwhile, Gu Qingchen, the Regent Prince, encounters Tang Chuyao during an assassination attempt and recognizes her as the girl he has been searching for. Their paths cross again, and Gu Qingchen’s protective nature becomes increasingly apparent, though Tang Chuyao remains wary of his intense devotion.

The story follows Tang Chuyao’s journey from a victim of betrayal to a formidable opponent who outsmarts her enemies at every turn. She navigates the complex political landscape of the capital, dealing with Prince Rui’s faction, which includes Gu Huaifeng, while maintaining her alliance with the Regent Prince. Her ultimate goal is to avenge her mother’s death, protect her loved ones, and ensure that Tang Chuying and Gu Huaifeng face justice for their crimes. As she regains her health and power, Tang Chuyao prepares to confront the full extent of the conspiracy against her family, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown that will determine her fate and the fate of the dynasty.