The Empress’s Decree Arrived, Her Ex Lost His Minds

In short: 10 episodes, in English, original audio — episodes 1–10 play right here.

The renowned General Qin family was falsely accused of treason. Qin Zhaoling, the disgraced daughter of the ""traitor,"" was sentenced to military exile as a courtesan. Her husband, Gu Huiming, immediately took their two children, divorced her, and remarried. Fortunately, Qin Zhaoling found protection under the Ninth Prince, Xiao Jingxian. Three years later, Xiao Jingxian ascended the throne and issued a general pardon. Qin Zhaoling was about to be crowned empress and planned to bring her children into the palace to share her fortune. However, her son, ashamed of her past poverty, rejected her, while her ex-husband and his scheming new wife, Lin Wanrou, relentlessly bullied her. When Qin Zhaoling discovered that her daughter had been abused for years, she finally took action. Just as Gu Huiming and his family were about to attack Qin Zhaoling, Emperor Xiao Jingxian arrived in grand procession with a dowry spanning ten miles and the imperial edict naming her empress. He gloriously escorted Qin Zhaoling and her daughter, Gu Wei, away. Desperate to curry favor with the future empress, Gu Huiming and Lin Wanrou bankrupted themselves to buy extravagant gifts for the coronation ceremony.

Qin Zhaoling’s kind-hearted daughter, still clinging to familial bonds, tried to reveal the truth to her father but was humiliated and misunderstood. Qin Zhaoling rescued her just in time and seized the opportunity to force Gu Huiming’s family to sign a severance agreement, cutting all ties to prevent future trouble. At the coronation, before seeing the empress’s face, Gu Huiming and Lin Wanrou groveled, lavishing praise on the empress while slandering Qin Zhaoling. Their son, who had already recognized his mother as the empress, tried to stop them but was angrily scolded for his ""impudence." " Only when their true colors were fully exposed did they realize—the empress they worshipped was the very woman they had scorned: Qin Zhaoling. In a final, desperate act, Gu Huiming’s family attempted a coup, but Qin Zhaoling had anticipated their move. She had already invited the retired emperor to intervene, and he arrived just in time to punish them. Not only did Gu Huiming’s family fall into ruin, but Qin Zhaoling also cleverly used historical records to collaborate with the retired emperor in a staged performance, successfully clearing the Qin family’s name and exposing Lin Wanrou as the true mastermind behind the false treason accusations. Refusing to accept defeat, Lin Wanrou rebelled—only to be captured and sent to the execution grounds alongside Gu Huiming. As they faced the executioner’s blade, Gu Huiming and Lin Wanrou caught one last glimpse of Qin Zhaoling’s happy family—and realized, too late, the depth of their regret.