Refusing the Old Man: The Marquis's Daughter Becomes a Female Official

Song Zhimian, a strategic consultant from the modern era, transmigrates into the body of a neglected noblewoman in the Dayu Dynasty. The original host, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Zhongyong Hou Mansion, died of rage after discovering her father’s treachery. Song Kaishan, the Marquis, had colluded with a prince to murder his own brother, Song Kaiyuan, and his entire family in Beidi. To secure his position, Song Kaishan forced his daughter to marry a violent widower who had already killed four wives. Upon waking, Song Zhimian found herself in a dire situation with no allies, only a young maid named Cuiguo, and a stepmother, Madame Ding, who was plotting to steal her mother’s substantial dowry.

Realizing that suicide would only benefit her abusers, Song Zhimian resolved to survive and exact revenge. She identified two critical pieces of information: the imperial palace was recruiting Female Officials, and the Directorate of Supervision was managing fundraising efforts for the war in Beidi. Understanding that her father’s influence would likely block her application for a palace position, she chose a different path. She visited the Directorate of Supervision and donated her remaining silver and a valuable jade hairpin. When she claimed to have a donation worth over ten thousand taels that required the Minister’s personal attention, she caught the interest of Ye Yunshu, the formidable Minister of the Supervisory Department, who was present with Prince Qi.

Song Zhimian revealed a hidden ledger in a wooden box containing the complete inventory of her mother’s dowry, valued at one hundred thousand taels. She offered to donate the entire dowry to the war effort in exchange for Ye Yunshu’s protection. Ye Yunshu agreed to help her within the bounds of the law. Meanwhile, Madame Ding and Song Zhiqing believed Song Zhimian was merely trying to build a reputation and planned to let her marry the widower, intending to intercept or steal the dowry en route. They were unaware that Song Zhimian had already secured imperial backing.

The Directorate of Supervision, led by Wen Shaoqing, arrived at the mansion to bestow an imperial plaque praising Song Zhimian’s righteousness. During the inventory of the dowry, it was discovered that most items had been stolen or misappropriated by the household, including the coffin Madame Gu had prepared for herself. Ye Yunshu’s subordinates demanded that Song Kaishan compensate for the missing items in silver, giving him three days to pay eighty-six thousand five hundred taels. Panicked, Song Kaishan was forced to borrow money from his political benefactor, the Prince, and his own family, severely damaging his financial stability.

Song Zhimian’s actions disrupted her family’s plans completely. The imperial plaque and the public donation of her dowry made her a celebrated figure, complicating her father’s ability to force her into the unwanted marriage without political repercussions. With the dowry gone and her family in debt, Song Zhimian had effectively severed their control over her assets while placing herself under the protection of the imperial court. She awaited the next phase of her strategy, knowing that her path to freedom was now intertwined with the political machinations of the Directorate and the Prince.