[1vN + all male leads are virgins + rivalry for her affections + a crowd of admirers + lovesick men + coercive romance]
(The exact number of male leads will depend on the story.)
Shen Nanyi is a wandering poison doctor. By a stroke of luck, she takes the place of the legitimate daughter of the Dingbo Marquis's household and becomes Gu Qingxu.
The road to the capital is fraught with danger. Not only does she encounter bandits, but she is also kidnapped by human traffickers who plan to sell her to a brothel. Just then, a young man on horseback rides by, and Shen Nanyi cries for help.
Pei Yanchuan had no intention of getting involved, but the moment he sees her face, he decides to help. He never expects Shen Nanyi to repay his kindness by drugging him and stripping him naked just because he made a few jokes. She sells him to a male brothel. Humiliated beyond measure, Pei Yanchuan swears that one day he will tear her limb from limb.
On the journey from Pingyang City to the capital, Shen Nanyi intends to turn the marquis's household upside down and avenge the real Gu Qingxu, making sure no one there gets to enjoy a peaceful day.
But somehow, she becomes the object of desire for the capital's powerful families. Gu Qingxu's brothers fall for her at first sight, the horse slave she once saved becomes deeply devoted to her, an impoverished male courtesan wants to be her kept lover, and the bookish man who claims a gentleman should renounce love goes mad for her. Even the Crown Prince...
Everyone wants to marry into her family. Driven to desperation, Shen Nanyi packs up and flees the capital in the dead of night, only to be caught and dragged back by them working together.
The old emperor demands she enter the palace as a consort. Within days, his authority is stripped away, and he becomes a puppet emperor.
The old emperor tries to have her assassinated. The next day, the dynasty is overthrown, and her supporters raise her to the throne, making her the first empress in history.
The powerful men fight tooth and nail for a place in her harem.
