The Crown Prince Broke Off the Engagement? Then I'll Pick Someone Else to Be Crown Prince!

This story follows Yun Wan, head of the Yun family and the legitimate daughter of the Great Chu's foremost clan. After the crown prince breaks off their engagement, she seeks cooperation with the emperor's second son, Gu Changming, to secure her family's standing.

As they work together, the two bring down the crown prince and his birth mother, Consort De, who care only for pleasure and have no regard for the people. After they jointly weather the unrest among scholars in Jiangnan and an earthquake in Donglu, Gu Changming's heartfelt concern for the people gradually changes Yun Wan's single-minded pursuit of political power. Through their repeated collaborations, they come to recognize each other's sincerity and choose to be together.

The two then win the people's support and ascend to the throne as emperor and empress. But the empress dowager, who is Yun Wan's aunt, cares only for power. Hoping to seize control before Gu Changming has firmly secured his position, she repeatedly disrupts the government, bringing suffering to the common people.

In the end, Yun Wan must choose between her family ties and the people of the realm. She chooses the people, personally confining her aunt deep within the palace.

From then on, Gu Changming and Yun Wan become an emperor and empress who stand side by side in the people's eyes. They govern diligently for decades, eventually reclaiming the nation's lost lands and allowing the people to live in peace and prosperity. In doing so, they also bring about the future they had hoped for together when they first met in the fields.