the emperor returns chinese drama

The drama tells the story of an ordinary white-collar worker oppressed by the workplace. Through a fortuitous encounter, she reunites with her wealthy sister whom she hasn't seen for years. With her sister's help and support, the protagonist gradually regains confidence and courage, achieving success in the workplace. Meanwhile, as they spend time together, the protagonist and her sister unravel the emotional knots between them, re-establishing a deep bond of sisterhood.

Esme Lang, the eldest daughter of the Lang family, is poisoned by her cousin Susie Lang, leaving her disfigured, with memory loss, and mentally impaired. She’s rescued by the Reed family matriarch, who arranges for her to marry Caleb Reed, the third son of the Reed family, under the name Faye Reed. After the matriarch’s death, Esme, pregnant with twins, is sent away by Caleb. A car accident later restores her memory, revealing her true identity. Five years later, Esme returns to the capital with her son, Eli, unaware that her other child, Zach, is alive. When Eli tries to teach Susie a lesson, Caleb mistakes him for Zach and takes him away. The two children end up swapping identities. What will happen next in this tangled web of secrets and mistaken identities?

The drama unfolds the tale of the Brian family, the most prominent and wealthy household, notorious for favoring sons over daughters. Mia, who married into the family, switched her newly born daughter to a male infant because the family preferred a Grandson. In this way, they successfully inherited the family fortune. She entrusted the female infant to Thea Jake, who took the money but abandoned the baby. Thankfully, a scavenger found the baby and raised her through hardship and adversity. Twenty years later, Sean, the heir to the Brian family, had a one-night stand with Julie Grant, who happened to be Mia's daughter. He was touched by Julie's love for her scavenger father and then married her. However, the unexpected occurred when Thea presented her daughter as the lost heiress to Mia. In an effort to ensure her supposed daughter's marriage into the Brian family, Mia subjected Julie to relentless humiliation and oppression, all to coerce her into divorcing Sean. She even tried to kill Julie to bolster her daughter's position. When the truth is finally revealed, will Julie forgive her mother, who repeatedly sought to drive her to the brink of death?

Gianna Mason is Javion Herman's protected "golden canary." Just as Gianna is about to give birth, Javion is framed and disappears. Five years later, Gianna returns to the country with her daughter and encounters a down-on-his-luck Javion. Mother and daughter bring him home, and the three join forces to face their enemies and clear up past misunderstandings.

The eldest legitimate daughter Libby Wolfe is reborn and returns to a life that will be completely different this time.

The revelation of the children switching saw Ann Stone's fall from grace; she went from being revered to reviled. Her own kin turned on her, transforming into adversaries, and her betrothed added to her wounds with his treachery and public scorn. Yearning to flee the chaos, Ann found her path blocked by the genuine affection of the Crofts, leaving her in a dire dilemma. She believed she had reached the peak of drama in her life, but the twist was yet to come—she learned that the man she played with was no ordinary person but a heir of the capital's most powerful clan. "Ah! Someone, please help me!"

Jenna Dillard has always been a stand-in for Camryn Acosta’s first love. When his true love finally returns, Jenna is diagnosed with cancer and decides to leave him for good. Yet after years of being bound by a contract, Camryn has unknowingly developed feelings for her. The moment Jenna announces the end of their contract, he finally realizes his own heart, only to be shattered by the news of her death. Years later, a top designer named Gemma Dillard appears in his life. He is certain that his Jenna has returned, but why is there a child by her side?

After dying alone in a hospital bed due to indulging her love-obsessed son, Gracie Carter returns to the past and vows to live only for herself, slapping the faces of her senseless son and his opportunistic future in-laws.

On their wedding night, Deanna Levine's husband, Myles Howell, eloped overseas with her best friend, Rebecca Romero. Wiping away her tears, Deanna drowns her sorrows at a bar and ends up "keeping" a strikingly handsome young man. After three years of entanglement, her husband returns home, and Deanna, with grace, hands over a check and coolly breaks things off with her boy toy. However, when they cross paths again, she's shocked to discover that the seemingly weak and helpless young man she had kept is none other than the feared heir of the Stuarts, Gerald Stuart.

Yanxing Shen, born into a military family and serving as a female general, was granted the honor of becoming a consort in the imperial palace by the emperor. Upon learning of this, Consort Ning, the most favored consort of the palace, framed Yanxing, leading to the overnight massacre of her entire family. Seeking justice from the emperor, Yanxing found that instead of punishing Consort Ning, he stripped her of her title as a female general. Carrying a deep-seated grudge, Yanxing resolutely embarked on a path of revenge, determined to seek justice for herself. From an official courtesan, she ascended to become a palace lady, and then replaced Consort Ning as the most favored consort. Just as she finally avenged herself, she discovered that her true enemy was someone else.

In a family where sons inherit the fortune, while daughters are treated like strangers, Grace Reid is determined to secure her own position. To ensure her status, she switches her newborn daughter with another family's son. The baby girl is left in the care of Beatrice Young, who, more interested in money than motherhood, abandons the child. But twenty years later, Beatrice returns, presenting her own daughter as Grace's biological child, and Grace, desperate to marry off Abby as her daughter, begins to subject her real daughter, Kiana, to relentless humiliation and manipulation, pushing her to divorce her husband, Ashton Grant. In a twisted effort to bolster Abby's future, Grace even schemes to take Kiana's life…

Linden Barrow and Lena Wells were arranged to marry by their families without ever meeting each other. After Lena unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she raises their son, Asher Barrow, on her own. Six years later, Linden returns to the country and unknowingly rescues his own son, unaware of the truth, and mistakenly believes Lena has been unfaithful. However, as they work together, they become attracted to each other, the misunderstandings gradually clear up, and they eventually reconcile, leading to a happy life together.

When Lily Quinn and Lucas Mosby were young, their grandparents set a marriage pact for them. However, Lucas has been living abroad, so no one mentions it. On the day he returns home as the CEO, both receive surprise calls from their grandmothers, telling them to meet at a restaurant for a blind date. That’s when they learn about their engagement. Lily, who dislikes arranged marriages, decides to ruin the date. She asks her best friend to help her find a temporary boyfriend. However, she mistakenly thinks the man who shows up is her rented date. To her shock, it’s actually Lucas, the very CEO she is supposed to meet.

Jade Shawn, the CEO of Wonda Group, is a once-in-a-millennium business prodigy. However, five years ago, she was known as Jade Zimmer, a pitiful girl whose gambler father and brother conspired to marry her off to a village bully in exchange for a hefty dowry of a hundred thousand. Unable to bear the prospect of her daughter's misery, her mother helped Jade escape this disastrous fate. Fast forward five years, Jade returns to her hometown with the company's projects, aiming to rescue her mother and sister still trapped in a perilous situation. Mindful of her family's devious nature, Jade opts to conceal her true identity. In the process, she falls victim to mistaken identity and faces various forms of bullying and humiliation from the villagers. It isn't until Brennan steps in to assist Jade that her true identity is revealed. Ultimately, Brennan successfully proposes to Jade, bringing a heartwarming conclusion to this tale of perseverance, self-discovery, and love.

A humble and kind-hearted father from a rural village was abandoned by his wife, who left him for a wealthy city businessman. He managed to raise his son by selling basket after basket of vegetables. But heartbreakingly, the son refuses to acknowledge him after achieving success. Just when all seems lost, the adopted daughter who had gone missing years ago returns, bringing with her success and honors to repay the father's kindness for raising her. A lifetime of good deeds is finally rewarded.

Linden Barrow and Lena Wells were arranged to marry by their families without ever meeting each other. After Lena unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she raises their son, Asher Barrow, on her own. Six years later, Linden returns to the country and unknowingly rescues his own son, unaware of the truth, and mistakenly believes Lena has been unfaithful. However, as they work together, they become attracted to each other, the misunderstandings gradually clear up, and they eventually reconcile, leading to a happy life together.

The short drama follows the lives of Sandy Wood and Dave Carter, shedding light on the complex and often conflicting aspects of family duty. Before their marriage, Dave is hailed by everyone as a reliable, dutiful man, someone who embodies devotion and is expected to become the perfect husband. Yet, once married, Sandy begins to see another side of him. His so-called "honesty" masks a deeper flaw - blind, unquestioning obedience to his parents. Dave sacrifices their marriage and Sandy's happiness, putting his parents' wishes above all else. His submission leaves him helpless in the face of family tensions, and it forces Sandy to endure constant injustice and pressure from her in-laws. Over time, this silent suffering builds until Sandy reaches her breaking point and finds the courage to break her silence, seeking change and her own liberation.

Six years ago, Alyssa Moss lost her voice in a car accident and was led to believe that her husband, Caleb Wood, had cheated on her with Mandy Shaw. Crushed and betrayed, she faked her death and disappeared. Now, she returns as Anna, a renowned architect, with her son, Connor Wood. But when she unexpectedly crosses paths with Caleb and Mandy, she must hide Connor's true identity. When Connor is kidnapped, Alyssa and Caleb join forces to rescue him—only to discover that every lie and heartbreak between them had been orchestrated by Mandy all along.