Chapter Summaries

Wang Huan rescued the badly wounded Zhou Yanshan from the Four Extremes Sacred Beasts, forcing their controllers to redirect their attack toward Gu Han and Silk Pulling Granny. Gu Han blocked much of their assault with the Green Lotus Lamp and endured the remainder with Prince Ming's Immovable Demonic Body, leaving the four ancestors shocked by his resilience.

• Wang Huan arrived in time to protect Zhou Yanshan, using the Fire Spirit Pearl to shield them from the Four Extremes Sacred Beasts' attack.
• Old Ancestor Zhang persuaded the others to abandon their assault on Wang Huan and target Gu Han and Silk Pulling Granny instead.
• Gu Han sensed the danger and warned Silk Pulling Granny as the four ancestors prepared a surprise attack.
• Gu Han used the Green Lotus Lamp's golden light swords to consume half of the Four Extremes Sacred Beasts' combined strike, then let the remainder hit him.
• Gu Han's Prince Ming's Immovable Demonic Body withstood the attack without injury, astonishing the four ancestors.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to West Egg, Long Island, in the Roaring Twenties and becomes neighbors with the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby.
• Nick's cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her unfaithful husband, Tom, move back from Paris to East Egg. Daisy and Gatsby rekindle their old love affair.
• Tom discovers Daisy and Gatsby's affair and confronts Gatsby at the Plaza Hotel, revealing that Gatsby is a bootlegger and a criminal.
• Daisy accidentally runs over and kills Tom's mistress, Myrtle Wilson, while driving Gatsby's car. Gatsby takes the blame to protect Daisy.
• Gatsby is shot and killed by George Wilson, Myrtle's husband, who believes Gatsby was the driver responsible for his wife's death.

Character Developations

• Nick Carraway: Nick's idealism and faith in the American Dream are challenged and ultimately shattered by the events he witnesses.
• Jay Gatsby: Gatsby's obsession with Daisy and his belief in the power of his own self-created image lead to his downfall. His dream of recreating the past remains unfulfilled.
• Daisy Buchanan: Daisy's carelessness and self-absorption are exposed, revealing her as a shallow and unworthy object of Gatsby's affection.
• Tom Buchanan: Tom's brutish behavior and infidelity highlight the moral decay of the old money elite.

Significant Themes

• The American Dream: The novel critiques the idea of the American Dream, showing it to be an illusion that leads to disillusionment and tragedy.
• Wealth and Social Class: Fitzgerald explores the differences between old and new money, and the moral decay associated with both.
• The Past and the Present: The characters' inability to escape or change the past leads to tragic consequences.

Character Interactions

• Gatsby and Daisy: Their rekindled love affair is marked by tension and unfulfilled expectations, ultimately leading to tragedy.
• Nick and Gatsby: Nick's initial admiration for Gatsby turns to disillusionment as he witnesses Gatsby's downfall.
• Tom and Daisy: Their marriage is marked by infidelity and mutual disrespect, highlighting the emptiness of their relationship.

Qin Yuyao persuaded He Feng to avenge her younger brother by taking one of Shen Shi’s legs. Meanwhile, Xiao Ruoyun humiliated Gu Qingcheng and her maid in the Crown Prince’s residence, leaving Gu Qingcheng pressured to punish her own servant.

• Qin Yuyao reminded He Feng that Qin Yuzhuo was his younger brother too and demanded that he avenge him.
• He Feng offered to kill Shen Shi, but Qin Yuyao asked him to take the leg Shen Shi walked with instead.
• Xiao Ruoyun refused to salute Crown Princess Gu Qingcheng and dropped her handkerchief for Gu Qingcheng to pick up.
• Gu Lian picked up the handkerchief, and Xiao Ruoyun slapped her for doing so without permission.
• Xiao Ruoyun demanded that Gu Qingcheng punish Gu Lian immediately, threatening that her unborn baby would be unhappy otherwise.

Gu Qingcheng tried to protect her maid Lian'er from Xiao Ruoyun's demands, but Rong Qing sided with his pregnant concubine and ordered Lian'er maimed and killed. Gu Qingcheng concealed her fury behind a promise to get along with Xiao Ruoyun, while He Qing remained uncertain about Jin Zhi's mixed signals.

• Xiao Ruoyun demanded that Gu Qingcheng punish Lian'er, and Gu Qingcheng refused to accept her demand to chop off the maid's hands or kill her.
• Rong Qing slapped Gu Qingcheng, dismissed her defense, and ordered his guards to chop off Lian'er's hands and then kill her.
• Rong Qing told Gu Qingcheng that Xiao Ruoyun's unborn child mattered more than a maid, and Gu Qingcheng secretly came to hate him and Xiao Ruoyun.
• Gu Qingcheng saw Rong Qing off with a chilling smile and promised to get along with Xiao Ruoyun.
• At Marquis Zhenguo's Manor, Jin Zhi pulled away from He Qing and said he had not thought things through, leaving her confused.

Qin Yuyao advised He Qing to stop pursuing Jin Zhi so eagerly and make him chase her instead. When Jin Zhi tried to leave their moonlit outing, He Qing threatened to find another man, and he immediately agreed to stay.

• He Qing asked Qin Yuyao how she had won over her brother, explaining that she wanted to pursue Jin Zhi.
• Qin Yuyao told He Qing not to spoil Jin Zhi and advised her to make him chase her.
• He Qing invited Jin Zhi to Moon Street and watched the stars and moon with him.
• Jin Zhi tried to leave, claiming he had matters to attend to at the Imperial Tutor's Mansion.
• He Qing said she would find another man to accompany her, so Jin Zhi changed his mind and agreed to stay.

He Qing teased Jin Zhi into kissing her, while Crown Prince Rong Qing sought Gu Qingcheng’s help to rescue his captured men. Gu Qingcheng agreed on the condition that Rong Qing give her a child, and he stayed with her through the afternoon and night.

• He Qing threatened to let another man kiss her, so Jin Zhi nervously kissed her cheek.
• Rong Qing learned that more than a thousand of his trusted subordinates, including his cousin, had been sold to a lawless border region.
• Unable to move troops without risking conflict, Rong Qing brought gifts to ask Gu Qingcheng to enlist the Gu Family’s help.
• Gu Qingcheng agreed to help only if Rong Qing gave her a child, hoping to secure her future through an heir.
• Rong Qing accepted her condition, and he and Gu Qingcheng spent the afternoon and night together.

Xiao Ruoyun resented Rong Qing’s renewed closeness to Gu Qingcheng and had to endure Gu Qingcheng’s public humiliation because the Crown Prince needed the Gu Family’s support. Meanwhile, Qin Yuyao decided to fund Xin Wu’s ventures so he could target Xiao Ruoyun’s businesses, leaving him free to build a business of his own.

• Xiao Ruoyun learned that Rong Qing had spent the night with Gu Qingcheng and concluded that she could rely only on power.
• Gu Qingcheng had a nanny slap Xiao Ruoyun and demanded that she pay respects, threatening her pregnancy and warning her not to complain to Rong Qing.
• Xiao Ruoyun swallowed the humiliation and vowed to take revenge once she gained power as Empress Dowager.
• Qin Yuyao learned that Xiao Ruoyun’s shops were thriving and decided to compete against them despite being willing to lose money.
• Qin Yuyao gave Xin Wu the chance to open shops targeting Xiao Ruoyun’s businesses and promised rewards to help him establish his own business.

After Imperial Noble Consort Ling took Xiao Ruoyun into the palace, Gu Qingcheng seized control of the Crown Prince’s Residence and eliminated Xiao Ruoyun’s trusted aides, while Rong Qing tried to appease both women. The chapter ended with Qin Yuyao arriving at her medicinal cuisine business to investigate a million-tael request for pregnancy-supporting food.

• Xin Wu agreed to open a medicinal cuisine shop under his own management, with Qin Yuyao providing the capital.
• Imperial Noble Consort Ling brought Xiao Ruoyun into the palace, giving Gu Qingcheng room to reclaim authority in the Crown Prince’s Residence.
• Gu Qingcheng had Granny Li killed with poisoned wine and arranged for more of Xiao Ruoyun’s trusted aides to be eliminated.
• Rong Qing rebuked Gu Qingcheng over her attacks on Xiao Ruoyun’s people, then reconciled with her and spent the night with her.
• Qin Yuyao learned that a woman had offered one million taels for her to prepare pregnancy-supporting medicinal cuisine and went to investigate.

Gu Qingcheng paid Qin Yuyao for medicinal cuisine that helped her conceive, but after Xiao Ruoyun regained influence over the Crown Prince, Gu Qingcheng sought Qin Yuyao’s help to make Xiao Ruoyun miscarry. Qin Yuyao hesitated over the political consequences, leaving their alliance against Xiao Ruoyun uncertain.

• Gu Qingcheng bought Qin Yuyao’s conception-aiding medicinal cuisine for one million taels and ate it daily.
• A month and a half later, Gu Qingcheng became pregnant, while the Crown Prince’s rescued subordinates returned and Xiao Ruoyun resumed serving Rong Qing.
• Gu Qingcheng, unable to tolerate Xiao Ruoyun’s renewed influence, offered Qin Yuyao three million taels to provide a miscarriage-inducing formula.
• Qin Yuyao hesitated because harming Rong Qing’s first child could provoke the Crown Prince, Xiao Ruoyun’s allies, and the Emperor against Duke Zhenguo’s Mansion.
• Gu Qingcheng and Qin Yuyao traded barbs before discussing how to join forces against Xiao Ruoyun.

Gu Qingcheng persuaded Qin Yuyao to ally with her against Xiao Ruoyun by revealing that Xiao Ruoyun had arranged an attempt on Qin Yuyao and her son. Qin Yuyao agreed and helped cause Xiao Ruoyun to miscarry; afterward, Xiao Ruoyun accused Gu Qingcheng, but Rong Qing refused to confront her, leaving the couple in a cold war.

• Qin Yuyao hesitated to work with Gu Qingcheng because she expected their households to become rivals.
• Gu Qingcheng told Qin Yuyao that Xiao Ruoyun had requested the four dead guards who tried to kill Qin Yuyao and her son.
• Qin Yuyao agreed to help Gu Qingcheng get rid of Xiao Ruoyun's child and planned to use food incompatibilities to destabilize the pregnancy.
• Xiao Ruoyun miscarried after drinking the fetal-protecting medicine for several days, while Gu Qingcheng avoided the foods Xiao Ruoyun ate.
• Xiao Ruoyun accused Gu Qingcheng, but Rong Qing refused to act against the child Gu Qingcheng carried, and he and Xiao Ruoyun fell into a cold war.

After learning how much Shangguan Yan had sacrificed for her, He Yan brought him old duck soup to apologize, but her visit led to a clash with Xiang'er. Xiang'er left Shangguan Manor after falling into a fish pond and finding Shangguan Yan unwilling to defend her.

• Shangguan Yan had cried over eating the golden fish he regarded as his childhood friends, and He Yan later learned he had eaten them to please her.
• He Yan brought old duck soup to Shangguan Manor to apologize to Shangguan Yan and encountered Xiang'er, who mocked her by calling her Marquis Wen Yang's Wife.
• He Yan insulted Xiang'er in return, and Xiang'er shoved her near a pond; He Yan steadied herself and pulled Xiang'er into the water.
• Xiang'er complained to Shangguan Yan, but he corrected her for calling He Yan Marquis Wen Yang's Wife and told her He Yan was unmarried.
• After a servant pointed out that the pond was too shallow for Xiang'er to drown, Xiang'er changed into dry clothes and left Shangguan Manor.

He Yan and Shangguan Yan grew closer, and her family agreed to their marriage after Shangguan Yan proposed again. Shangguan Qing regretted losing He Yan and resolved to stop Du Ruhua from becoming his wife, while struggling with the burden of supporting her three younger brothers.

• Shangguan Yan and He Yan spent the night together, and Shangguan Yan promised to propose to her and give her all his possessions.
• Madam Zhou agreed to He Yan and Shangguan Yan's marriage after seeing his sincerity and hearing He Yan plead.
• Shangguan Qing realized he loved He Yan more than Du Ruhua and decided he would not make Du Ruhua his Main Wife or concubine.
• Shangguan Qing struggled over whether to support Du Ruhua's three younger brothers as she demanded.

Shangguan Yan brought lavish betrothal gifts to Marquis Zhenguo's Manor, where Shangguan Qing tried to win He Yan back and was rejected. After returning to Shangguan Manor, Shangguan Qing beat and threatened Du Ruhua, who began plotting against him.

• Shangguan Yan arrived at Marquis Zhenguo's Manor with 108 loads of betrothal gifts, including 8.8 million taels of silver, land deeds, and property deeds.
• Shangguan Qing came with Shangguan Yunlan and asked He Yan to reconcile, offering to drive Du Ruhua out of the manor.
• He Yan rejected Shangguan Qing, and Shangguan Yunlan supported her right to pursue her own happiness before Shangguan Qing left.
• At Shangguan Manor, Shangguan Qing refused Du Ruhua's demand that he honor his promise, then beat her and threatened to expel her and her three younger brothers.
• Du Ruhua secretly resolved to retaliate against Shangguan Qing and noted that his second younger brother had been looking at her strangely.

Qin Yuyao admitted to He Feng that she had planned Xiao Ruoyun’s miscarriage, while He Feng struggled to choose between his wife and the woman he once owed. Their relationship later softened as they prepared a hundred-day banquet for their son, He Lanxing.

• Grand Tutor Xiao pressured He Feng to have Qin Yuyao testify against Gu Qingcheng over Xiao Ruoyun’s miscarriage, citing suspicious visits and medicine.
• Qin Yuyao admitted to He Feng that she had planned Xiao Ruoyun’s miscarriage and accused Xiao Ruoyun of previously targeting her and her unborn child.
• He Feng left without resolving the matter, promising to investigate and give Qin Yuyao an explanation if Xiao Ruoyun was responsible.
• He Feng avoided Qin Yuyao for several days, and she remained angry because he could not bring himself to kill Xiao Ruoyun.
• Madam Zhou suggested combining He Lanxing’s missed full-month celebration with his hundred-day banquet, and Qin Yuyao and He Feng agreed.

He Feng struggled to address Qin Yuyao’s demand that he deal with Xiao Ruoyun, while Qin Yuyao threatened divorce and treated their intimacy as something she would soon leave behind. At He Lanxing’s hundred-day banquet, the couple welcomed guests together, but their marriage remained in jeopardy.

• He Feng admitted to Qin Yuyao that Xiao Ruoyun was connected to the matter but asked for more time, prompting Qin Yuyao to bring up his earlier failure to avenge her younger brother.
• Qin Yuyao said she wanted to discuss divorce after their son’s hundred-day banquet, and warned He Feng that keeping her by force would leave him with a corpse.
• Qin Yuyao initiated sex with He Feng, then teased him about other men and left him feeling distressed.
• While preparing for the banquet, Qin Yuyao discussed their son’s affairs with He Feng but mocked his reluctance to resolve the matter involving Xiao Ruoyun.
• Guests arrived for He Lanxing’s hundred-day banquet and offered blessings to the baby and his parents.

At He Lanxing’s hundred-day celebration, Qin Yuyao and Mo Weiwei’s long-standing rivalry flared up after Mo Weiwei offered an unpleasant blessing. Madam Zhou defended Qin Yuyao and forced the guests to settle the dispute before the celebration’s opening remarks began.

• Qin Yuyao and Mo Weiwei’s history of jealousy and hostility was recounted, including their rivalry over beauty, Xing Tian, and past humiliations.
• Mo Weiwei gave an insincere blessing at He Lanxing’s celebration, and Qin Yuyao mocked her in response.
• Madam Zhou arrived and ordered Mo Weiwei to leave unless she offered sincere blessings, but other guests pleaded until the dispute ended.
• The host welcomed the guests to He Lanxing’s hundred-day celebration and recited a poem composed for the occasion.

At her son’s hundred-day banquet, Qin Yuyao retaliated against Mo Weiwei’s flaunting by flirting with Xing Tian, provoking both Mo Weiwei and He Feng. He Feng took Qin Yuyao to Fengyuan Tower and promised to deal with Xiao Ruoyun, leaving Qin Yuyao secretly pleased by his declaration that she mattered most.

• He Feng failed to curry favor with Qin Yuyao and went to entertain the guests, while Mo Weiwei mistook Qin Yuyao’s indifference for being slighted.
• Mo Weiwei linked arms with Xing Tian and sarcastically apologized to Qin Yuyao, showing off her marriage.
• Qin Yuyao deliberately gave Xing Tian a flirtatious look, and he blushed as Mo Weiwei grew furious.
• He Feng saw the exchange, pulled Qin Yuyao into his arms, and took her to Fengyuan Tower.
• Qin Yuyao slapped He Feng and told him that intimacy between them depended on what she wanted.
• He Feng promised to handle Xiao Ruoyun after the banquet and told Qin Yuyao that she was the most important, secretly delighting her.

Qin Yuyao decided to stay with He Feng as long as he treated her as his only woman, while recognizing how much she depended on the power of Marquis Zhenguo's Manor. At Shangguan Manor, Du Ruhua confronted Shangguan Feng about secretly watching her bathe, and their relationship turned ambiguous without Shangguan Qing noticing.

• Qin Yuyao chose He Feng and resolved to remain with him only if he valued her above other women, knowing divorce could leave her vulnerable and powerless.
• Du Ruhua grew angry that Shangguan Qing attended Qin Yuyao's son's hundred-day banquet with a generous gift despite neglecting such expenses while married to He Yan.
• Du Ruhua confronted Shangguan Feng about peeping at her while she bathed, and he blushed and claimed it had happened by accident.
• Du Ruhua deliberately encouraged Shangguan Feng's hidden attraction, and the two began exchanging suggestive glances while Shangguan Qing remained unaware.

He Lanxing received 6.66 million taels of silver in gifts at his hundred-day banquet, leaving Qin Yuyao jealous of her infant son’s fortune. He Feng gained permission to enter Nishang Courtyard but not Qin Yuyao’s bedroom, and he went to Seven Kill Pavilion to arrange revenge against Qin Yuzhuo’s enemies.

• He Feng, Madam Zhou, and the banquet guests gave He Lanxing red envelopes totaling 5.18 million taels, and Madam Zhou raised the final amount to 6.66 million taels.
• Qin Yuyao envied He Lanxing’s fortune and decided that his private stash belonged to her.
• He Feng followed Qin Yuyao into Nishang Courtyard, but she refused to let him into her bedroom.
• Qin Yuyao told He Feng she would let him into her bedroom if he helped Qin Yuzhuo take revenge or arranged Xiao Ruoyun’s assassination.
• He Feng went to Seven Kill Pavilion to mobilize men, intending to target Xiao Ruoyun and Shen Shi.

After He Feng killed Shen Shi to please Qin Yuyao, Xiao Ruoyun confronted Qin Yuyao at Duke Zhenguo's Mansion, but Rong Qing took Xiao Ruoyun away before the conflict escalated. The Emperor then promoted Consort Xia and sent for Qin Yuyao, leaving her wary and without Fu Hongyan's protection.

• He Feng killed Shen Shi, and news of the death deterred people in the capital from targeting Qin Yuzhuo.
• Qin Yuyao rewarded He Feng with affection, believing his killing of Shen Shi showed he was willing to oppose Xiao Ruoyun and the Ninth Prince.
• Xiao Ruoyun stormed into Duke Zhenguo's Mansion and demanded that Qin Yuyao bow, while He Feng threatened her and Qin Yuyao urged him to kill her.
• Rong Qing arrived with Imperial Guards and brought Xiao Ruoyun back to the Crown Prince's Manor, where she demanded revenge for their lost son.
• Rong Qing told the Emperor about Xiao Ruoyun's demands, and the Emperor promoted Consort Xia and decided she should deal with Qin Yuyao.
• Consort Xia summoned Qin Yuyao to the palace; He Feng gave her a way to contact spies, but Qin Yuyao could not bring Fu Hongyan because Xiao Ruoyun had arranged her transfer out of the capital.