Chapter Summaries

Su Qiao began cultivating her new body, then attended court and let Empress Li Ying handle state affairs until she objected to Li Ying’s proposed tax increase. The chapter ended as Li Ying tried to justify the decision by invoking her father, and Su Qiao cut her off.

• Su Qiao ordered Li Jue to tell anyone who asked that the Ministry of Revenue visit was her command, then went to her study and discovered she could cultivate Internal Cultivation.
• Su Qiao spent the day cultivating and, before dawn the next morning, went with guards to attend court.
• At Zhengming Hall, Su Qiao stayed out of the Empress’s discussion of state affairs while Li Ying began ruling personally.
• Li Ying announced a decision to increase taxes with the Minister of Revenue, but Su Qiao interrupted and declared that she objected.
• Li Ying asked why Su Qiao had changed her mind, and Su Qiao denied agreeing before Li Ying began to cite her father.

Su Qiao addressed the ministers on Li Ying’s first day ruling personally, criticizing her reliance on her father and proposing tax relief amid a severe spring drought. She urged Li Ying to use the policy to win public support, leaving the ministers to consider the proposal.

• Su Qiao told Li Ying she should stop asking her father about every matter and warned that the harem should not meddle in state affairs.
• Su Qiao argued that the drought-stricken people should receive a tax reduction, with the hardest-hit areas exempted for a year.
• Li Ying was shocked by Su Qiao’s change of position and wondered whether she was trying to warn her about relinquishing power.
• Minister Li accepted Su Qiao’s analysis when she challenged him about the tax proposal.
• Su Qiao told Li Ying that tax relief could unite the people and strengthen her prestige.

Su Qiao overturned the tax increase and urged the court to reduce local taxes for the sake of the people, winning the ministers’ support. Li Ying reluctantly approved the proposal, and Su Qiao ordered Minister Li to carry it out immediately.

• Su Qiao argued that the people were the foundation of the nation and that their hardships should be relieved.
• Grand Tutor Wen endorsed Su Qiao’s proposal, and the ministers knelt to support reducing taxes.
• Su Qiao suspected the kneeling officials included some who could be removed from office.
• Li Ying, unable to oppose a proposal presented as serving the kingdom and her own interests, reluctantly agreed to the tax reduction.
• Su Qiao ordered Minister Li to implement the reduction at once.

Su Qiao confronted Minister Li over the withheld stipend owed to Prince Ye of Eastern Jin and ordered her to investigate and repay him. After Li Ying ended the court session, Su Qiao left to rest.

• Su Qiao asked Minister Li whether officials were concealing abuses and lining their pockets, then revealed that someone had withheld Prince Ye of Eastern Jin’s stipend.
• Su Qiao accused Minister Li of neglecting her duties and told her to investigate, apologize to Prince Ye, and repay the missing silver with compensation.
• Minister Li agreed to investigate and pay Prince Ye every coin he was owed.
• Li Ying asked whether Su Qiao knew Prince Ye, and Su Qiao gave a vague answer before saying she needed to sleep.
• Li Ying allowed Su Qiao to leave and planned to investigate the matter herself.

Su Qiao decided to act as though she still trusted Li Sang while secretly building her own power and planning to avenge the suffering of herself and Huang Lan. When Li Sang’s attendant summoned her, she asked after the Phoenix Monarch and learned that his health and mood had been poor.

• Little Xuan told Su Qiao that the Phoenix Monarch wanted to see her.
• Su Qiao discussed with 444 how she could conceal her change in attitude while building up her forces against Li Sang and his daughter.
• 444 reminded Su Qiao that Li Sang had used her and that Huang Lan had been tortured to death, strengthening her resolve to take revenge.
• Su Qiao asked how the Phoenix Monarch had been, and Little Xuan said his health was poor and his mood was low.

Su Qiao visited Phoenix Palace and confronted Li Sang, who tried to provoke her after summoning her. She threatened his attendants over their treatment of him, leaving Li Sang forced to defend them.

• Little Xuan noticed that Su Qiao stayed calm when told the Phoenix Monarch was well, despite her recent efforts to obtain fresh lychees for him.
• Su Qiao arrived at Phoenix Palace and silently sat down while Li Sang waited for her to placate him.
• Li Sang angrily ordered Little Xuan to prepare Su Qiao’s favorite tea.
• Su Qiao questioned the palace attendants and threatened to punish them for making Li Sang angry.
• Li Sang defended his attendants and claimed his poor health and mood were responsible for his behavior.
• Su Qiao replied that Li Sang’s poor health meant the attendants had failed to care for him properly.

Su Qiao learned that Li Sang wanted to arrange a marriage between Aran and his niece, Li Ruo, and discovered that Li Ruo was dangerous and that Li Sang intended to use Aran as leverage. The chapter left Su Qiao questioning Li Sang’s motives.

• Su Qiao threatened the kneeling attendants, then spared them after Li Sang asked her to.
• Li Sang explained that he wanted to choose an auspicious wedding date for Aran and Li Ruo.
• Su Qiao recalled Li Ruo as the woman who had brought young men to Mount Meng to play a human-shooting game.
• 444 revealed that Li Ruo’s virtuous reputation hid her lechery and brutality, and warned Su Qiao that Li Sang wanted Aran as a hostage.
• Su Qiao asked Li Sang whether he thought something was wrong with her brain.

Su Qiao saw through Li Sang’s attempt to manipulate her with regret and proposed that they leave the palace together instead of marrying their children. Li Sang rejected the idea, and Su Qiao suggested they leave a year later.

• Su Qiao remembered that Ling'er had died because of her in her previous life and resolved not to let her brother suffer again.
• Li Sang tried to stir Su Qiao’s sympathy by lamenting their past and suggesting their children and relatives could be happily together.
• Su Qiao proposed that she and Li Sang get together and that he fake his death to regain his freedom outside the palace.
• Li Sang refused to abandon Ying'er before she came of age or leave Ling'er's marriage unsettled.
• Su Qiao proposed that Li Sang leave the palace with her one year later.

Su Qiao told Li Sang she would prepare to leave the palace within a year and would return state power to Ying'er when the girl turned sixteen. She also revealed plans to bring a female general into the imperial family as Huang Lan's husband, leaving Li Sang jealous and unsettled.

• Su Qiao reassured Li Sang that she would prepare to take him out of the palace within a year.
• Li Sang asked if Su Qiao planned to let Ying'er take over the government, and Su Qiao agreed it was time for her to shoulder responsibility.
• Su Qiao reminded Li Sang that she had promised to return Ying'er's power when she turned sixteen, and Li Sang hurriedly claimed he had believed her.
• Su Qiao said she would bring a female general into the imperial family as Huang Lan's husband so he would not be mistreated.
• Li Sang reacted with shock and jealousy, while Su Qiao dismissed his objections and called the female generals crude and inconsiderate.

Su Qiao refused Li Sang’s plan for Li Ruo to marry Aran, insisting that her younger brother would take a wife instead. When Huang Ying questioned the sudden change to their tax agreement, Su Qiao defended it as necessary for the young Emperor’s authority and ordered Li Sang to stop interfering in court affairs.

• Su Qiao told Li Sang that Aran would not marry out and would only take a wife, despite their earlier agreement about Li Ruo.
• Li Sang urged Su Qiao to reconsider the marriage decision and said Aran was still only fifteen.
• Huang Ying returned and asked why Su Qiao had changed the tax agreement they had reached.
• Su Qiao said Huang Ying needed to build her authority and public image rather than begin her rule by raising taxes.
• Su Qiao told Li Sang not to meddle in court affairs from then on.

Su Qiao announced that she would stop handling state affairs and leave Huang Ying to rule personally, while urging the court to choose a new Phoenix Monarch. Li Sang suspected that Su Qiao had changed for a reason, but Huang Ying began to suspect that her father wanted to keep her from ruling.

• Su Qiao told Li Sang she would no longer interfere in Huang Ying’s rule and would only advise her when necessary.
• Su Qiao said Huang Ying was old enough to rule and urged them to choose a new Phoenix Monarch before leaving the Phoenix Palace.
• Li Sang told Huang Ying that Su Qiao seemed like a different person and resolved to discover what had happened.
• Huang Ying asked whether Li Sang opposed her ruling personally, recalling that he had tried to stop her from handling state affairs.
• Li Sang reassured Huang Ying, but she remained only partly convinced and wondered if her father had grown accustomed to discussing court affairs with her.

After Li Sang and Huang Ying reconciled, Su Qiao anticipated further conflict as he continued meddling in court affairs. Back at her estate, she issued a decree raising her younger brother Huang Lan to the unprecedented rank of Prince.

• Li Sang reassured Huang Ying that he only wanted her to be safe, and she apologized for hurting him.
• Su Qiao predicted that Li Sang's interference in state affairs would deepen the tension between him and Huang Ying.
• Su Qiao told 444 she planned to send Li Ruo to face consequences for her actions involving Huang Lan and Li Sang.
• Su Qiao returned to her estate and went to her study.
• Su Qiao drafted an Imperial Decree conferring the title of Prince on Huang Lan, whose rank had been held back because of his age.

Su Qiao handed the court’s affairs to the Little Emperor and ordered Mu Rong to investigate officials’ secrets, while hinting that she planned to move into the Imperial Palace. Her younger brother Huang Lan arrived, and Su Qiao looked at him with affection as she recalled the original body’s plan to marry him to Li Ruo.

• Su Qiao sent Mu Jin to deliver the Imperial Decree and memorials to the Little Emperor, then ordered him to spread news of the proposed tax increase.
• Su Qiao told Mu Rong to send out the Shadow Guard Camp and uncover every court official’s whereabouts and secrets.
• Su Qiao said she intended to move to the Imperial Palace to enjoy the Former Emperor’s hot spring, and Mu Rong hurried off to carry out her orders.
• Huang Lan entered the study and asked Su Qiao why Mu Rong seemed so happy.
• Su Qiao examined Huang Lan fondly and thought of how the original body had planned to marry him to Li Ruo.

Su Qiao reassured Huang Lan that she would not marry him off to the Li family and told him that, as a prince of Huangming Kingdom, he could take a spouse instead. She revealed that an imperial decree would soon confer the title of prince on him, leaving Huang Lan stunned and wondering if he would be the first in Huangming Kingdom’s history.

• Huang Lan visited Su Qiao and complained that she had not come to see him, then admitted he did not want to marry Eldest Miss Li.
• Su Qiao agreed that Eldest Miss Li was not as good as she appeared and said she had never agreed to marry Huang Lan off to her.
• Su Qiao told Huang Lan that members of Huangming Kingdom’s imperial family took spouses rather than marrying into another family.
• Su Qiao revealed that an imperial decree would soon make Huang Lan a prince, and he was shocked by the news.

Su Qiao reassured Huang Lan that he would not have to marry Li Ruo and urged him to study and learn to judge people. After he left, Ye Lihan arrived at Su Qiao’s home.

• Su Qiao told Huang Lan he could postpone marriage and should study with his teachers.
• Huang Lan happily thanked Su Qiao, hugged and kissed her, then left to see his teachers.
• Su Qiao and Xiao Si discussed Huang Lan’s lively nature and the men of Huangming Kingdom.
• Su Qiao cultivated and read at home until Xiao Si announced Ye Lihan’s arrival.

Ye Lihan visited Su Qiao to thank her and bring gifts, but after waiting in the outer hall, he grew impatient and tried to leave. Xiao Yuzi convinced him to sit back down while they waited for Su Qiao.

• Su Qiao learned that Ye Lihan had come to thank her and ordered the finest tea and pastries prepared for him.
• Ye Lihan waited in the outer hall for a quarter of an hour, then stood to leave because Su Qiao had not appeared.
• Xiao Yuzi reminded Ye Lihan that Li Jue had delivered ten years of his overdue stipends and urged him to thank Su Qiao properly.
• Ye Lihan complained about the cost of the gifts and his new outfit, then reluctantly sat back down at Xiao Yuzi's urging.

Su Qiao welcomed Ye Lihan to Prince Rui's Estate and offered him tea and pastries, while he struggled to act properly and hide how much he wanted to eat. The visit ended with Ye Lihan following Su Qiao's suggestions, astonishing Xiao Yuzi.

• Xiao Yuzi urged Ye Lihan to buy new clothes for their visit, but Ye Lihan refused to spend the money.
• Su Qiao entered, and Ye Lihan thanked her for saving him and handling his salary matter.
• Li Jue served tea and freshly made pastries, and Su Qiao encouraged Ye Lihan to try them.
• Ye Lihan ate and drank as Su Qiao suggested, leaving Xiao Yuzi amazed at his master's obedience.

Su Qiao asked Ye Lihan whether he wanted to return to Dongjin, but he said he had been gone too long and no longer had a place there. She urged him to stay in Huangming and promised to help if he encountered trouble, while he questioned why she cared about a prince of Dongjin.

• Su Qiao asked Ye Lihan whether he had considered leaving Huangming and returning to Dongjin.
• Ye Lihan said he had thought about returning but believed there was no place for him after twenty years away.
• Su Qiao told Ye Lihan he should stay in Huangming and warned that the Dongjin Empress and Crown Prince might have him killed if he went back.
• Su Qiao promised to help Ye Lihan if he ran into trouble, and he questioned her kindness because he was a prince of Dongjin.
• Su Qiao said war between countries did not mean she had to hate everyone from Dongjin.

Su Qiao urged Ye Lihan to move into the estate next to Prince Rui's Estate, but he suspected she had an ulterior motive. She warned him that the Empress and Crown Prince of Eastern Jin might soon move against him.

• Ye Lihan asked Su Qiao to explain what she wanted from him after she arranged for his overdue salary to be paid.
• Su Qiao told Ye Lihan to move in, alarming him and angering Xiao Yuzi because he took her words as an improper invitation.
• Su Qiao explained that Ye Lihan's shabby courtyard and lack of guards put him in danger.
• Ye Lihan asked whether Su Qiao had heard a rumor from Eastern Jin that explained her sudden concern for him.
• Su Qiao recalled that Eastern Jin had begun secretly contacting Huang Ying and her father, and warned Ye Lihan that the Empress and Crown Prince might soon target him.
• Su Qiao urged Ye Lihan to move into the estate next to Prince Rui's Estate.

Su Qiao tried to persuade Ye Lihan to move into the room next door by warning that the Eastern Jin Crown Prince might target him and that Huangming’s court was unstable. She revealed that she had returned the memorials and planned to let the Little Emperor take control, leaving Ye Lihan questioning whether he could trust her.

• Su Qiao argued that Ye Lihan should live nearby so she could protect him from the Eastern Jin Crown Prince and possible allies in Huangming.
• Ye Lihan questioned whether the King would allow the Eastern Jin Crown Prince to act freely, and Su Qiao said the changing court made the danger hard to predict.
• Su Qiao revealed that the Little Emperor was about to take personal control of the government and that she had sent back all the memorials.
• Su Qiao said she was tired of ruling and intended to quit, leaving Ye Lihan stunned by her attitude toward being emperor.
• Ye Lihan asked how he could trust Su Qiao when they had never interacted before yesterday.