Lin Yanran, a modern woman who fought for her inheritance against half-siblings, transmigrates into the body of the Marquis of Wenxuan’s wife after dying in a bicycle accident. The original owner had discovered her husband Chu Mochen’s infidelity at a temple fair and died of grief. Lin Yanran, however, possesses no romantic illusions and immediately asserts her dominance. When Chu Mochen attempts to bring his mistress Sun Xinrou and her two children into the estate, Lin Yanran coldly negotiates terms: she demands the establishment of her eldest son, Chu Yunxuan, as the Heir Apparent and the transfer of Chu Mochen’s private treasury to her children before consenting to the concubine’s entry. Chu Mochen, believing his wife’s compliance is a result of her deep affection and expecting to regain control later, agrees without hesitation.
Lin Yanran proceeds to empty the Marquis’s private treasury, moving all wealth and deeds to her mother’s residence. She then confronts the Dowager Marchioness, her mother-in-law, threatening to expose Chu Mochen’s broken oath to the Emperor if she is not compensated with manors and goods. The Dowager Marchioness, fearing the wrath of Lin Yanran’s parents, capitulates. Lin Yanran also discovers that her wet nurse, Nanny Tian, had been spying for Chu Mochen and drugging her tea. She executes Nanny Tian and sells her family into servitude in the northwest, purging the household of traitors while sparing her loyal maids with minor fines.
The Eldest Princess Changning and Prince Consort Lin, Lin Yanran’s parents, visit to investigate their daughter’s well-being. Upon learning of Chu Mochen’s betrayal, the Eldest Princess physically disciplines the Marquis with a whip. She then visits the Emperor, grabbing his thigh and weeping to secure political leverage. The Emperor, bound by familial ties and the Marquis’s earlier oath, agrees to establish Chu Yunxuan as the Heir Apparent and promises to punish Chu Mochen in the future while redirecting his merits to Lin Yanran’s children.
Chu Yunxuan, who had secretly reborn from a past life where he died at sixty-eight after failing to protect his mother and brother, returns from the palace. He tests Lin Yanran’s resolve, suspecting she is not the original owner due to her calm demeanor. Lin Yanran, in turn, deduces his rebirth from his premature discovery of the affair. They reach a mutual understanding: she is a transmigrator, and he is a reborn individual. Chu Yunxuan, ruthless in his past life, now aligns with his mother to secure their positions. He confronts his father, asserting that the illegitimate children are not his siblings and threatening violence if they disrespect his mother. Chu Mochen, realizing his son’s ferocity, backs down. The story establishes a new power dynamic within the Marquis estate, with Lin Yanran and Chu Yunxuan uniting to strip Chu Mochen of his assets and influence while preparing for the eventual arrival of the mistress and her children.
