The Matriarch Transmigrates as the Bullied Eldest Daughter; the Whole Family Kneels for Punishment

Jiang Yuwei, the formidable Marchioness of Zhaoping, has spent twenty years upholding her family's honor after her husband's death on the battlefield. Her relationship with her four children is strained due to her strict upbringing. On the anniversary of her husband's death, she receives devastating news that her eldest daughter, Shu Nansheng, has hanged herself at the Fu family mansion after enduring abuse and being forced to accept her husband's secondary marriage to Yao Huiyi. Overcome with grief, Jiang Yuwei collapses and falls into a coma.

Upon awakening, Jiang Yuwei discovers she is no longer in her own body but inside the coffin of her deceased daughter, Nansheng. She realizes her soul has transmigrated into her daughter's corpse just as the funeral preparations are underway. While the Fu family servants gossip disrespectfully about Nansheng's death, Jiang Yuwei sits up, terrifying everyone present. When Fu Jiuque and Yao Huiyi arrive, having already begun wedding preparations for their union, Jiang Yuwei confronts them with cold fury. She slaps both of them, asserting her authority and rejecting their claims of love and kindness.

Jiang Yuwei proceeds to the Fu family residence, where she catches them in the act of looting Nansheng's dowry. She stops the theft, reveals the conspiracy to steal her daughter's wealth, and demands an immediate inventory of all missing items. With the evidence secured, she declares her intention to divorce Fu Jiuque and reclaim her dowry. Despite the Fu family's attempts to persuade her to stay for the sake of reputation, she marches out with her belongings, leaving them in disarray. During this confrontation, she overhears Yao Huiyi communicating with a mysterious system called Xitong, revealing that Yao Huiyi is also a transmigrator with ambitions to become Empress.

Jiang Yuwei returns to the Zhaoping Marquis Mansion, where she finds her original body lying in a coma. She learns from Nanny Wu that her other children are indifferent to the family tragedy. Seeking help, she summons Abbot Yuantong, a former lover from her youth, who confirms that Nansheng's fragmented soul resides within Jiang Yuwei's unconscious body. The Abbot proposes a dangerous ritual: Jiang Yuwei must reside in the temple to nurture Nansheng's soul using her own accumulated merit, hoping to eventually restore Nansheng's consciousness so they can swap bodies back.

While at the temple, Jiang Yuwei discovers that the health rewards meant for Yao Huiyi's system missions are being diverted to her own body, strengthening her. Meanwhile, the Fu family faces a crisis when Imperial Consort Deng invites them to a palace banquet, but the invitation specifically requires Shu Nansheng's presence. Realizing they cannot attend without her and fearing damage to Fu Jiuque's career prospects, Lady Fu and Fu Jiuyun visit the temple to beg Jiang Yuwei to return. Jiang Yuwei agrees but demands repayment of fifty thousand taels in dowry expenses, forcing the indebted Fu family to sign an IOU.

Jiang Yuwei returns to the Fu mansion, not to reconcile, but to settle accounts. She immediately sends her servants to seize imperial rewards and dowry assets to cover the debt, humiliating the Fu family further. The Fu family, desperate to maintain their social standing and secure Fu Jiuque's promotion, is forced to comply. Jiang Yuwei uses this time to dismantle the Fu family's internal power structure while continuing her spiritual journey to save her daughter. She remains determined to expose Yao Huiyi's true nature and protect her family, even as she navigates the complex political landscape of the capital and the mysterious system controlling Yao Huiyi's actions.