Chapter Summaries

Wang Yue explained his plans for revenge and for strengthening Ryukyu to Zhao Pan'er, then agreed to help Sun Sanniang after learning she had been divorced and left destitute. Sun Sanniang woke when Zhao Pan'er told her Fu Zifang was in danger, and Wang Yue arranged to take money from the Fu clan to help her.

• Wang Yue told Zhao Pan'er he wanted the emperor to acknowledge the wrong done to her and hoped to build strength in Ryukyu so their descendants could protect themselves and perhaps unify the Central Plains.
• Wang Yue and Zhao Pan'er learned that Fu Xingui had divorced Sun Sanniang after she caught him with Madam Tao, while Fu Zifang and the Clan Leader had turned against her.
• Zhao Pan'er shouted that Fu Zifang had been hurt, and Sun Sanniang woke in alarm before learning he was safe.
• Sun Sanniang said she did not want revenge, but worried about Fu Zifang and asked Wang Yue and Zhao Pan'er for help.
• Wang Yue ordered Wang Jing to send someone to take money from the Fu clan, and Wang Ke returned with cash and property deeds he had pawned.
• Wang Yue praised Wang Ke but threatened to transfer him to Wang Cai's team, while Zhao Pan'er and Sun Sanniang stared in shock at the enormous haul.

Wang Yue investigated corruption in the two Zhejiang circuits, using the Emperor’s edict to arrest officials and strengthen his reputation. After receiving Song Yinzhuan’s release document, he found her imprisoned by Zhou She in Huating County and confronted the man who claimed she was his wife.

• Zhao Pan'er worried that Wang Ke had stolen the money he brought back, and Wang Yue explained that Wang Ke had gambled away the Fu Clan Leader’s land deeds and field deeds.
• Wang Yue’s memorial reached Ke Zheng, and the Emperor ordered officials in the two Zhejiang circuits to submit to Wang Yue’s authority while he investigated the naval forces.
• Wang Yue returned to Qiantang, found Zheng Qingtian dead, and worked with the Hangzhou and Mingzhou prefects to arrest officials implicated in naval-force corruption.
• The Hangzhou Prefect gave Wang Yue Song Yinzhuan’s document freeing her from the registry, and the Mingzhou Prefect sent two women from the pleasure registry, angering Zhao Pan'er.
• A Wang Wang Team outpost reported that Zhou She had brought a woman to Huating County, so Wang Yue went there with Zhao Pan'er, Sun Sanniang, Wang Cai, and Prefect Xu.
• Wang Cai broke into Zhou She’s house and freed Song Yinzhuan, and Wang Yue confronted Zhou She after he claimed Song Yinzhuan was his wife.

Wang Yue took charge of Zhou She’s case and exposed his scheme of luring women of servile status to Huating County, where they disappeared. After Zhou She’s accomplices revealed a likely hiding place, Wang Yue found the bones of several women buried beneath trees in a supposedly haunted grove.

• Zhou She and the Huating County magistrate tried to use the county court against Wang Yue, but Xu Yong identified Wang Yue as the newly appointed Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
• Wang Yue took over the hearing, obtained Zhou She’s confession to hiding Song Yinzhuan, and warned that concealing a woman of servile status could count as stealing government property.
• When Zhou She challenged Wang Yue’s impartiality, Wang Yue broadened the inquiry, and townspeople reported that Zhou She had brought numerous women to Huating County.
• Wang Yue ordered his men to search gambling dens and question Zhou She’s accomplices, who confessed that Zhou She had lured women with promises of marriage and helped identify a haunted grove.
• Wang Yue went to the grove with Xu Yong and the Huating County magistrate, where digging beneath unusually lush trees uncovered the bones of several women.

Wang Yue used Wenxin Chess to force Zhou She to confess, then continued north with Zhao Pan'er and encountered fresh political intrigue. After returning to the capital and meeting the Emperor, Wang Yue faced questions about his supposed ability to communicate with ghosts and gods.

• Wang Yue used Wenxin Chess to make Zhou She see the murdered women, and Zhou She confessed their identities and the crimes behind their deaths.
• Wang Yue dismissed the Huating magistrate and investigated the Suzhou naval force before setting out for the capital, while Gu Qianfan asked Wang Cai to help him deal with a betrayal at the Xiuzhou outpost.
• Zhao Pan'er ordered Wang Jing and Wang Ke to seize the magistrate's ill-gotten wealth, and the magistrate later died in prison as the Empress's faction grew fearful of Wang Yue's investigations.
• Wang Yue and Zhao Pan'er returned to Jiyun Lane, where Wang Yue noticed the Sheng family's courtyard and wondered where Minglan had gone.
• After arriving in the capital, Wang Yue went to register at Dali Temple, but the Emperor summoned him and asked about his alleged power to summon ghosts and discern hearts.

Wang Yue used a staged Wenxin Chess puzzle to satisfy the Emperor’s curiosity while preventing him from discovering how it worked. After the Emperor accidentally destroyed the original board, he compensated Wang Yue by granting Zhao Pan'er an official title, and the chapter ended with Zhao Pan'er celebrating with Song Yinzhuan and Sun Sanniang.

• Wang Yue demonstrated the Wenxin Chess puzzle to the Emperor, and a young eunuch experienced an illusion about his parents before Wang Yue jolted him out of it.
• The Emperor rewarded the eunuch with twenty gold coins and an arrangement for an heir, then tried to persuade Wang Yue to let him test the puzzle himself.
• Wang Yue warned the Emperor that trying the puzzle could bring serious consequences, but the Emperor later examined the board and accidentally destroyed its pieces.
• Wang Yue pretended to suffer internal injuries, and the Emperor ordered new stones tested before deciding to compensate him by granting Zhao Pan'er an official title.
• An old Imperial Physician confirmed Wang Yue appeared injured, while the Emperor concluded that his imperial aura had broken the Taoist art.
• Zhao Pan'er received the edict and celebrated her new title with Song Yinzhuan and Sun Sanniang as Wang Yue returned to his study.

Wang Yue helped Zhao Pan’er, Sun Sanniang, and Song Yinzhuan plan a teahouse, then baited Ouyang Xu into pursuing Daoist study to win the Emperor’s favor. After Ouyang Xu left, Wang Yue reassured Zhao Pan’er about their past and learned that several shops she had chosen would offend powerful officials.

• Wang Yue agreed that Zhao Pan’er, Sun Sanniang, and Song Yinzhuan could open a teahouse in nearby shops, though Song Yinzhuan wanted time to consider and Sun Sanniang was eager to start.
• Zhao Pan’er, Sun Sanniang, and Song Yinzhuan went out to look for shops, chose an area, and planned to return to make an offer.
• Ouyang Xu visited to redeem his jade pendant and seek Wang Yue’s advice, but Wang Yue rebuffed him and deliberately displayed a Daoist text to make him think Daoist study had won Wang Yue the Emperor’s favor.
• Ouyang Xu left angry and resolved to pursue an audience with the Emperor, while Wang Yue expected his scheme to work.
• Wang Cai reported that powerful officials had their eyes on the shops Zhao Pan’er had chosen, making a purchase risky.
• Zhao Pan’er worried Wang Yue was upset about Ouyang Xu, but Wang Yue reassured her, gave her the three hundred taels, and welcomed her affection.

Zhao Pan'er shared Wang Yue's plans for a pastry workshop with Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhuan, while the three women prepared to work and study under a governess. Meanwhile, Ouyang Xu pursued the Emperor's interest in Daoist arts, accepted a risky eighth-rank appointment, and left the palace unsure whether he had damaged his marriage prospects.

• Wang Yue warned Zhao Pan'er that nobles had laid claim to the shops she wanted, then proposed that Sun Sanniang make pastries in a workshop and supply businesses through free samples and advance custom orders.
• Wang Yue advised Zhao Pan'er that Sun Sanniang could also cook for officials' households if clients supplied the ingredients and witnesses observed the cooking.
• Zhao Pan'er told Sun Sanniang and Song Yinzhuan about the workshop plan, and said Wang Yue had hired a governess to teach them proper manners.
• Ouyang Xu, convinced that Daoist arts had helped Wang Yue advance, studied the subject and told the Emperor he had loved it since childhood.
• The Emperor appointed Ouyang Xu an eighth-rank Deputy Envoy and ordered him to travel to Xijing to summon Immortal Master Baoyi from seclusion.
• Ouyang Xu agreed to leave the next day, then realized outside the palace that he might have made a mistake and still needed to face Observer Gao over his broken engagement.

Ouyang Xu lost the Gao family’s support after Observer Gao condemned his career choices and ended his engagement to Gao Hui. Later, Wang Yue defended Zhao Pan’er from Ouyang Xu’s advances, while Ouyang Xu left after concealing his resentment.

• Observer Gao rebuked Ouyang Xu for using Taoist magic to seek advancement and explained that Wang Yue had earned his promotion through his achievements in Wenzhou.
• Observer Gao ended Ouyang Xu’s engagement to Gao Hui, and he ordered Ouyang Xu to arrange the formal breakup; Gao Hui protested, but her servants carried her away.
• Du Changfeng told Ouyang Xu that his political choices had damaged his prospects, and Ouyang Xu revealed that the Gao family had rejected him.
• Mama Kong taught Zhao Pan’er, Song Yinzhuan, and Sun Sanniang etiquette and household strategy, while Wang Yue arranged a more manageable schedule for their lessons.
• Ouyang Xu approached Zhao Pan’er, but Wang Yue told him to stop addressing her by her given name and warned him to leave for Luoyang.
• Ouyang Xu bowed to Wang Yue and said he would leave, but he secretly looked at Wang Yue with hatred.

Wang Yue tried to uncover the secret of the Night Banquet Painting, but Wang Ke’s reckless attempt to retrieve it drove Ouyang Xu out of the capital and drew the Imperial City Department’s attention. Gu Qianfan settled the matter with Wang Yue, who ended the night by turning his attention from the painting to Zhao Pan’er.

• Zhao Pan’er told Wang Yue that Ouyang Xu still had the Night Banquet Painting, which she had memorized and said depicted Xue Que hosting a desert banquet.
• Ouyang Xu asked Uncle De to pursue Gao Hui after learning the Gao Family wanted to end the engagement, then went to visit her.
• Wang Yue sent Wang Ke to retrieve the painting, but the Secret Guards returned with copied picture books and set a small fire in Ouyang Xu’s study as a warning.
• Ouyang Xu and Uncle De extinguished the fire and left the capital that night, while Wang Yue punished Wang Ke after the Imperial City Department noticed the Secret Guards.
• Gu Qianfan visited Wang Yue, explained that he had let the incident go to repay his debt to Wang Yue and Zhao Pan’er, and cautioned Wang Yue against entangling with Ouyang Xu.
• Zhao Pan’er showed Wang Yue a copy of the Night Banquet Painting she had painted from memory, but Wang Yue set it aside to admire her instead.

Wang Yue realized the Night Banquet Painting could endanger him and Zhao Pan'er, then arranged for Ding Zhongquan and his men to disappear when they came to search his peach estate. After Zhao Pan'er returned to the Capital, Uncle De began plotting to keep her from meeting Gao Hui.

• Wang Yue recognized Liu Wan's name on the Night Banquet Painting and feared that the Imperial City Department would trace it to Zhao Pan'er.
• After Wang Cai reported that the Imperial City Department was following them, Wang Yue took his family to the peach estate and ordered preparations for the pursuers.
• Wang Jing told Wang Yue that Ding Zhongquan and over a hundred men were approaching, and Wang Yue ordered his men to eliminate them and erase the evidence.
• Ding Zhongquan's squad vanished in the peach grove, prompting the Imperial City Department to summon Gu Qianfan back to the Capital.
• Gao Hui's maid asked Zhao Pan'er to return to the peach grove, but Cuizhu politely refused, and Gao Hui stopped Mama Jiang from confronting them.
• Uncle De warned Mama Jiang that Gao Hui's reputation could suffer if she spent time with Zhao Pan'er, and Mama Jiang asked whether he knew Madam Wang.

Mama Jiang learned Zhao Pan'er's past from Uncle De, and the Gao Family spread a rumor about her. Wang Yue countered with a more elaborate rumor linking Zhao Pan'er, Ouyang Xu, Gao Hui, and himself; after Gao Hui visited Zhao Pan'er, the chapter ended with Zhao Pan'er asking whether Gao Hui's late mother had been from Jiangnan.

• Uncle De told Mama Jiang that Zhao Pan'er had once been a government courtesan, and Mama Jiang passed the information along to Gao Hui.
• Lei Jing sought Qi Mu's help to approach Wang Yue about Gu Qianfan, but Qi Mu instead warned Wang Yue against associating with Gu Qianfan.
• Wang Yue learned the Gao Family had spread slander about Zhao Pan'er and ordered his men to circulate a more entertaining rumor involving Ouyang Xu, Gao Hui, Zhao Pan'er, and himself.
• Observer Gao traced the original rumor to the Gao Family and suspected Ouyang Xu had started the newer one; his men and Wang Yue's both failed to find Ouyang Xu.
• Gao Hui confirmed in Qiantang that Zhao Pan'er and Ouyang Xu had been engaged, then visited Zhao Pan'er and awkwardly accepted a dress and brown sugar water.
• Gao Hui said the drink tasted familiar and mentioned her late mother, prompting Zhao Pan'er to ask whether she had been from Jiangnan.

Zhao Pan'er and Gao Hui grew closer during a long conversation, while Wang Yue's work at Dali Temple and his capture of two Hat Demons drew him into a major investigation. The Emperor ordered Wang Yue and Gu Qianfan to investigate the case together, setting Wang Yue against the factions behind the attacks.

• Zhao Pan'er eased Gao Hui's stomach pain with brown sugar water, and the two women talked about their lives and arranged to meet again at Peach Garden.
• Qi Mu burdened Wang Yue with paperwork to find fault with him, but Wang Yue completed it flawlessly and gained trusted subordinates at Dali Temple.
• Wang Jing and Wang Yue's guards stopped two Hat Demons from attacking a passerby and captured them before Gu Qianfan arrived.
• Wang Yue warned Gu Qianfan that the Hat Demon case could be tied to factional intrigue and urged him to report it to the Emperor.
• After the Hat Demons resisted interrogation, Gu Qianfan reported the case, and the Emperor ordered him and Wang Yue to investigate together.

Wang Yue deliberately dragged out the Hat Demon investigation while his household’s cuju games led to an awkward encounter with Gao Hui. Zhao Pan'er, Song Yinzhuan, and Sun Sanniang launched their tea-snack business, and the chapter ended with Sun Sanniang considering a supply deal with Young Official Chi’s Yong'an Tower.

• Wang Yue and Gu Qianfan failed to make progress in the Hat Demon investigation, while Wang Yue deliberately held back to avoid the emperor’s scrutiny.
• Wang Yue found Gao Hui changing in his and Zhao Pan'er's bedroom, apologized, and hurried away when she ordered him out.
• Zhao Pan'er, Song Yinzhuan, and Sun Sanniang began promoting their tea snacks for free, and the treats quickly became popular across the Eastern Capital.
• Young Official Chi brought He Si and his men to the workshop to request snacks for Yong'an Tower, but Sun Sanniang chased them with a broom before hearing his business proposal.
• Sun Sanniang agreed to ask Zhao Pan'er and Song Yinzhuan whether they would supply Yong'an Tower, while Young Official Chi boasted to He Si that he had tricked her.

Chi Pan partnered with Zhao Pan'er, Sun Sanniang, and Song Yinzhuan to renovate and reopen his unprofitable restaurant. The next day, he brought Zhang Haohao to Wang Yue's peach grove to ask about serving the pastries, but he was stopped at the estate entrance while she went inside.

• After Sun Sanniang returned, Chi Pan met Zhao Pan'er behind a screen and asked to buy pastries for Yong'an Tower.
• Zhao Pan'er proposed that Chi Pan contribute his restaurant while she and her sisters handled its renovation and management, and they signed a contract.
• Chi Pan told Zhang Haohao about the partnership and refused to promise her pastries without the other women's consent.
• The next morning, Chi Pan and Zhang Haohao learned that Zhao Pan'er and her sisters had gone to Wang Yue's peach grove, so they followed them there.
• A maid escorted Chi Pan and Zhang Haohao into the estate's outer courtyard, but Chi Pan was stopped at the entrance while Zhang Haohao walked inside.

Zhao Pan'er welcomed Zhang Haohao to the Wang household, where Zhang met the women and discussed performing at Chancellor Xiao's birthday celebration. Zhao Pan'er quietly advanced her plans for revenge against the Emperor and considered bringing Gao Hui into the household, while Zhang offered Song Yinzhuan a chance to attend the celebration as her pipa partner.

• Zhang Haohao mistook the courtyard pillar's unusual sound effect for a dance, and Zhao Pan'er briefly feared that Zhang had become involved with Wang Yue.
• Zhao Pan'er welcomed Zhang Haohao and showed her the women's cuju match, where Zhang asked to join them and discussed supplying refreshments to her song house.
• Zhang Haohao met Song Yinzhuan and praised her pipa; she later told the women that Chancellor Xiao had invited her to sing at his birthday celebration.
• Zhao Pan'er and Gao Hui agreed to attend Chancellor Xiao's celebration together, while Song Yinzhuan worried she could not go because her sister and brother-in-law had received the invitation.
• Zhang Haohao offered to bring Song Yinzhuan along to perform a pipa duet, and Sun Sanniang encouraged her to go and look for a suitable marriage prospect.

At the Xiao Family Night Banquet, Song Yinzhuan defended Gu Qianfan when Xiao Wei insulted him, and Wang Yue stepped in to take responsibility for her. The guests laughed at Ke Zheng’s teasing, but some began to suspect Wang Yue had improper feelings for his sister-in-law.

• Zhang Haohao realized Chi Pan might never intend to marry her, while Song Yinzhuan resolved not to wait years for a scholar’s uncertain future.
• At the Xiao residence, Zhao Pan'er socialized with Gao Hui while Song Yinzhuan waited anxiously to perform alongside Zhang Haohao.
• Gu Qianfan caught Song Yinzhuan when she nearly fell and learned that Wang Yue was her brother-in-law.
• Ke Zheng praised Song Yinzhuan’s pipa playing, and Xiao Wei then proposed that Gu Qianfan perform a sword dance like an entertainer.
• Song Yinzhuan objected that Xiao Wei was disrespecting Gu Qianfan, and Wang Yue stood up to accept responsibility for her words.
• Ke Zheng joked that Song Yinzhuan’s integrity came from her family, prompting laughter and rumors among the guests about Wang Yue and his sister-in-law.

At Xiao Qinyan’s birthday banquet, Wang Yue drew Minister Ke Zheng’s approval, while Gu Qianfan defended Song Yinzhuan and she performed Ambush from Ten Sides. After Song Yinzhuan was harassed outside the mansion, Wang Yue had the men responsible taken away, leaving the Xiao family convinced Ke Zheng’s faction was behind it and prompting Xiao Qinyan to target Qi Mu.

• Wang Yue impressed Ke Zheng with his defiant speech and publicly asked to be taken as his pupil, but Ke Zheng only promised to test his abilities later.
• Gu Qianfan sliced a Yellow River carp with his sword to honor Xiao Qinyan, then Song Yinzhuan performed Ambush from Ten Sides and received Ke Zheng’s praise.
• Wang Yue noticed Song Yinzhuan’s feelings for Gu Qianfan, while Gu Qianfan kept his distance and left her disappointed.
• Outside Xiao Mansion, Wang Yue’s guards seized two men harassing Song Yinzhuan, and Wang Cai dragged out their accomplice, Shen Ruzhuo.
• Wang Yue ordered Shen Ruzhuo and the two men taken away, and they vanished from Eastern Capital that night.
• Xiao Qinyan blamed Ke Zheng’s faction for the disappearance and resolved to strike back at Qi Mu.

Wang Yue prepared to use Xiao Qinyan’s staged boat trip to expose the Pure Stream faction’s attempt to kill him and preserve the court’s balance of power. As armed men dressed as Hat Demons closed in on Xiao Qinyan’s boat, Wang Yue realized their numbers would force him to change his plan.

• Xiao Qinyan lured Qi Mu into targeting him, while Wang Yue concluded that the Pure Stream faction was behind the Hat Demon killings and arranged for Dali Temple and Imperial Guard forces to watch the river.
• Wang Yue explained his plan to Wang Ke and ordered him to keep the attackers from escaping without getting involved himself.
• Xiao Qinyan revealed to Gu Qianfan that Qi Mu had deceived him and admitted that he had staged the previous day’s Hat Demon case, but not the current one.
• Xiao Qinyan boarded his unguarded boat to make Qi Mu’s assassins reveal themselves, forcing Gu Qianfan to choose between saving him and keeping Qi Mu’s trust.
• A large force of men dressed as Hat Demons charged through the streets toward Xiao Qinyan’s boat, and Wang Yue realized his plan had to change.

Wang Yue helped capture the assassins who attacked Xiao Qinyan and exposed Commander Cui’s role, then persuaded Cui to implicate Qi Mu. The Dali Temple constables arrived at Qi Mu’s residence to arrest him.

• Wang Yue sent Wang Ke to coordinate with the Dali Temple men, who attacked the riverbank when Wang Yue played The Ballad of the Knight-Errant.
• Gu Qianfan rescued Xiao Qinyan and revealed Commander Cui’s identity, while Wang Ke and the palace guards cut off the assassins’ escape and captured them.
• The Emperor promoted Wang Yue to Minister of Dali Temple and Gu Qianfan to commander of the Imperial City Department, and ordered them to continue the investigation.
• Wang Yue challenged Commander Cui’s claim of personal revenge and convinced him that his brother-in-law’s death had protected his sister from exile.
• Commander Cui gave Wang Yue evidence of Qi Mu’s orders, and Dali Temple constables entered Qi Mu’s residence.

After the Emperor dismissed Qi Mu and failed to punish him, Wang Yue prepared to leave the Eastern Capital while Ouyang Xu and Qi Mu plotted against him using the Night Banquet Painting. Wang Yue thwarted their accusations by presenting Ryukyu’s submission, then asked the Emperor to pardon Zhao Qian, but the Emperor refused and demanded another request.

• The Emperor dismissed Qi Mu to serve in Xijing, and Wang Yue resolved to leave the Eastern Capital and build up his pirate enterprise with his father.
• Ouyang Xu gave Qi Mu the Night Banquet Painting and claimed that Empress Liu Wan had once been connected to Xue Que, prompting Qi Mu to consider switching sides to the Empress’s faction.
• Wang Yue received Ryukyu’s letter of submission and brought it to court, where the Emperor confronted him over Ouyang Xu’s accusations and his supposed foreign dealings.
• Wang Yue presented the letter, and the Emperor welcomed Ryukyu’s submission and offered Wang Yue a reward.
• Wang Yue asked the Emperor to pardon his father-in-law Zhao Qian, but the Emperor refused and told him to choose another request.