Chapter Summaries

Shen Tang told Gongxi Chou that she was the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object, though he planned to verify her story before deciding what to do. After Shen Tang’s forces captured Xiaocheng, Xun Ding helped Gongxi Lai and her guards reach safety, and offered to take her to Shen Tang so she could learn whether her brother was safe.

• Shen Tang explained to Gongxi Chou that she had once awakened inside a coffin and believed she was the Gongxi Clan’s Sacred Object.
• Gongxi Chou said he would verify Shen Tang’s claim, then revealed that Gongxi Lai was inside Xiaocheng.
• Shen Tang’s troops defeated Qiu Cheng’s forces after a day of fighting, while Jiang Sheng and Gu Chi watched for fleeing Literary Scholars.
• Yang Ying tried to escort Gongxi Lai out of Xiaocheng after learning the city had fallen, but enemy troops blocked their way.
• Xun Ding arrived, stopped the confrontation, and offered to take Gongxi Lai to Shen Tang so she could see Gongxi Chou.

Gongxi Lai reunited with Gongxi Chou after the fighting in Xiaocheng, while Xun Ding brought suspicious captives to see Shen Tang. The group found Shen Tang washing her hair with an upside-down trick as Gongxi Chou watched.

• Yang Ying insisted on accompanying Gongxi Lai and kept Xun Ding from speaking with her as they rode through Xiaocheng.
• Liao Jia silenced Gu Chi and made him rest while the city gates and barriers kept Qiu Cheng's remaining forces trapped.
• Gongxi Lai told Yang Ying that her former fiancé had once wanted to keep her as a concubine, then asked to see him when she spotted him in an alley.
• Xun Ding captured a man and a woman and brought them to the governor's residence, where Xun Zhen led the group to Shen Tang.
• Gongxi Lai joyfully reunited with Gongxi Chou and found Shen Tang washing her hair upside down beside a basin of warm water.

Shiitake greeted readers for the New Year and looked back on her 2022 pregnancy, writing career, and the creation of Retreat Emperor. She thanked readers for their support and ended by sharing hopes for the new year and future stories.

• Shiitake wished readers good fortune in 2023 and thanked them for accepting her sporadic updates.
• Shiitake described her pregnancy, reduced update schedule, and the birth of her child on December 15.
• Shiitake celebrated Retreat Emperor reaching nine thousand average paid subscriptions and explained why she chose to write another empress story.
• Shiitake recounted how she developed characters including Qi Yuanliang, Chu Yao, and Gu Chi while writing without an outline.
• Shiitake shared how Lord Yang's storyline changed and noted her 2022 monthly-ticket ranking achievement.
• Shiitake hoped for more readers, subscriptions, and a chance to start another book, then wished readers a happy New Year.

After Shen Tang’s forces captured Qiu Wenyan, Xun Ding brought in Miao Shu, a hidden female Literary Scholar who had served under him and fought at Beishang County. Shen Tang recognized her connection to Longwu Commandery’s Miao clan and confronted her about the family’s crimes.

• Shen Tang learned that Qiu Wenyan had been captured and ordered her troops to search for the unknown Literary Scholar who had spied on them at Beishang County.
• Xun Ding presented Miao Shu and a man he had captured together, explaining that she was a female Literary Scholar and one of Qiu Wenyan’s women.
• Gongxi Chou set Miao Shu’s dislocated jaw, and Shen Tang asked whether she came from Longwu Commandery.
• Miao Shu revealed that her clan’s surname was Miao, and Shen Tang recalled the clan’s wealth and wicked deeds.

Shen Tang confronted Miao Shu over her hatred and defended the execution and confiscation of the Miao Family by recounting the clan’s abuses. Unable to reconcile with Miao Shu, Shen Tang ordered her to receive a dignified death, and Miao Shu cursed her as the poison took hold.

• Miao Shu accused Shen Tang of killing the Miao Family’s men and seizing their land and wealth, and Shen Tang admitted it.
• Shen Tang listed the Miao Family’s crimes against tenant farmers and other commoners, including extortion, sexual violence, and tax evasion.
• Shen Tang explained that Miao Shu’s hatred was understandable but declared that she could not be allowed to live because of their blood feud.
• Shen Tang ordered Han Zhang to leave Qiu Wenyan and the others alone for the time being and instructed Xun Zhen to give Miao Shu a dignified death.
• Miao Shu refused Xun Zhen’s offer of a sword, drank Poisoned Wine, broke through Shen Tang’s speech-sealing ability, and cursed Shen Tang.

Bai Su confronted the dying Miao Shu, revealed that Shen Tang was also a woman, and watched her die before she could receive a dignified end. Qiu Cheng received Miao Shu’s body and feared for his family, while Shen Tang later began judging her prisoners and offering some Redemption Contracts.

• Bai Su entered the council hall and learned that Miao Shu was dying from Poisoned Wine, though Shen Tang had wanted her to have a dignified end.
• Bai Su revealed that she was a woman and told Miao Shu that Shen Tang was a woman too, then explained that Miao Shu’s status as a female scholar had followed Shen Tang’s takeover of Longwu Commandery.
• Miao Shu died, and Bai Su later learned of her role in the attack on Nanyu County and regretted that she had died too comfortably.
• Qiu Cheng received Miao Shu’s corpse, feared Shen Tang meant to kill his family, and failed to draw his sword to take his own life before his wife comforted him.
• After three days, Shen Tang questioned Qiu Cheng’s prisoners about their backgrounds and ambitions; some changed allegiance, some died, and many received Redemption Contracts.

After taking Xiaocheng, Shen Tang handled the redemption of Qiu Cheng’s captured forces, received Xun Ding’s offer of Minfeng Commandery, and agreed to join Huang Lie’s alliance against Zheng Qiao after the spring plowing. The chapter ended with Shen Tang sending Lord Yang to meet Gongxi Chou while she considered how to keep the formidable fighter.

• Qiu Cheng and his former subordinates received deeds of redemption and learned they could pay their fees or earn freedom through Corvée Labor.
• Xun Ding offered Shen Tang Minfeng Commandery’s Seal Ribbon to redeem Gongxi Chou, but Shen Tang explained that Lin Ling De and Tu Xianrong had already paid Gongxi Chou’s redemption fee.
• Qin Li asked Shen Tang to join the alliance against Zheng Qiao, and Huang Lie’s envoy later secured her agreement to attend a meeting after the next spring plowing.
• Bai Su told Shen Tang that a former subordinate of Qiu Cheng had arranged Miao Shu’s burial, and Lord Yang confirmed that the man was earning work credits through Corvée Labor.
• Shen Tang invited Lord Yang to visit Gongxi Chou, hoping she might persuade the fighter to stay with her forces.

Shen Tang tried to recruit Gongxi Chou and persuade him to leave Gongxi Lai in her care, but Gongxi Chou agreed only to fight for her if she truly was the Sacred Object. The visit ended with Lord Yang recognizing Yang Ying as his long-lost daughter, though neither had recognized the other at first.

• Shen Tang and Lord Yang visited Gongxi Chou and watched him spar with the black-clad Yang Ying.
• Gongxi Lai brought Gongxi Chou tonic soup, and Shen Tang proposed keeping her in Longwu Commandery while recruiting Gongxi Chou.
• Gongxi Chou agreed to return and fight for Shen Tang if she was the Sacred Object, while explaining that he still needed to find his older brother.
• Gongxi Chou recognized Lord Yang, who gave his name as Yang Gong, and Yang Ying's emotional reaction revealed that she recognized him as her father.
• Yang Ying told Lord Yang who she was, and he embraced his long-lost daughter before she blamed Gongxi Chou for her battered appearance.

Yang Ying reunited with Lord Yang and prepared to follow in his footsteps, while Shen Tang and Gongxi Chou discussed her cultivation and Gongxi Chou’s future help against Zheng Qiao. Qi Shan arrived in Xiaocheng and unexpectedly ran into Xun Ding, then faced Xun Zhen at the administrative office.

• Yang Ying told Lord Yang about her grievances, and Gongxi Chou sparred with Shen Tang before explaining that Lord Yang had found comfort in reuniting with his daughter.
• Shen Tang questioned why Yang Ying could cultivate, and she and Gongxi Chou proposed testing whether women who served the Gongxi Clan could also cultivate.
• Shen Tang asked Gongxi Chou to help her fight Zheng Qiao after the spring plowing, and he demanded payment for his assistance.
• Lord Yang encouraged Yang Ying to surpass him, while Xun Ding worked on Xiaocheng’s damaged walls and celebrated Gongxi Chou’s departure.
• Qi Shan arrived in Xiaocheng, where Xun Ding recognized him and escorted him to the administrative office.
• Qi Shan found Xun Zhen on duty at the administrative office, and the two met face-to-face.

Qi Shan revealed to Xun Ding that he had once disguised himself as Lady Tan, shattering Xun Ding’s cherished memory before the two reconciled. After Qi Shan joined Shen Tang in Xiaocheng, construction resumed and redemption payments began arriving ahead of the spring campaign.

• Xun Zhen confronted Qi Shan and Xun Ding about Lady Tan, prompting Qi Shan to reveal that he had used [Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell] to fake his death and escape.
• Qi Shan used [Masterful Painting and Calligraphy] to show Xun Ding his former female appearance, and Xun Ding ran from the council chamber in shock.
• Shen Tang returned and heard from Qi Shan that Qian Yong had been defeated at Nanyu County, though Wen Shi and Xu Quan had been injured.
• Xun Ding later tried to persuade Qi Shan to swear brotherhood, but Xun Zhen stopped him with a punch.
• Qi Shan’s arrival restarted construction in Xiaocheng, while Shen Tang received redemption payments, including an unexpected payment from the Qiu clan.

Shen Tang and Gu Chi predicted that Qiu Cheng would interpret the Qiu family’s ransom as a trap, and their prediction proved correct. Believing his elder brother would kill him after his return, Qiu Cheng took his own life, leaving his wife beside him.

• Shen Tang and Gu Chi wagered that Qiu Cheng would die when he heard the Qiu family had paid his ransom, and both chose death.
• Shen Tang sent a clerk to tell Qiu Cheng that the Qiu family had paid and that he would be escorted home the next day.
• Qiu Cheng learned the ransom came from his elder brother and feared that returning to the Qiu family would leave him at his mercy.
• Qiu Cheng recalled his jealousy of his elder brother and his past plot to kill him, then rejected his wife’s attempt to reassure him.
• Convinced he would be humiliated or killed, Qiu Cheng cut his own throat and urged his wife to seek a good match after his death.

After Qiu Cheng took his own life, Shen Tang arranged a public funeral and allowed his former subordinates to mourn him. Gu Chi and Liao Jia watched a limping Literary Scholar among the mourners, while Gu Chi decided to wait and see whether the man would prove loyal.

• Shen Tang and Gu Chi discussed why Qiu Cheng could not endure returning in disgrace, and an official reported that Qiu Cheng had killed himself and asked his wife to remarry.
• Shen Tang ordered a seven-day public funeral for Qiu Cheng and arranged for his family to return home with his coffin afterward.
• Qiu Cheng's wife received his former subordinates at the Mourning Hall, where a burly man regretted having argued with Qiu Cheng over Miao Shu's neglected burial.
• A limping Literary Scholar asked Qiu Cheng's wife to recount the official's message in detail, then questioned why Qiu Cheng had suddenly chosen to die.
• Shen Tang, Gu Chi, and Liao Jia paid their respects, while Gu Chi recognized the Literary Scholar and decided to wait before judging his intentions.

Shen Tang agreed to let Gongcheng escort Qiu Cheng’s family home and learned that Luan Xin wanted to honor his former master but felt unable to go. After Shen Tang explained her interest in Luan Xin’s rainwater-related abilities, the mourners accused him of avoiding the battlefield and called him a cripple.

• Gongcheng asked Shen Tang to protect Qiu Cheng’s family and then requested permission to escort them home himself; Shen Tang agreed.
• Shen Tang asked Luan Xin whether he wanted to accompany the funeral procession, but he said he could not go.
• Shen Tang told Liao Jia and Gu Chi that she liked Luan Xin because his unusual literary energy held abundant water and could help her territory’s agriculture.
• Gu Chi warned Shen Tang to stay cautious around Luan Xin, but she trusted that his intentions would become clear over time.
• After Shen Tang left, mourners accused Luan Xin of abandoning Duke Wen Yan on the battlefield, and one called him a cripple.

At Duke Wen Yan’s mourning, Luan Xin was insulted and left after urging Gongcheng to consider serving Shen Tang. After using his Way of the Scholar, Luan Xin returned home bloodied and warned his wife that one of Shen Tang’s colleagues would eventually kill her; meanwhile, Gu Chi and Qi Shan investigated the dangerous side effects of Luan Xin’s ability.

• A man insulted Luan Xin in Duke Wen Yan’s Mourning Hall, and the First Madam’s response made Luan Xin leave.
• Luan Xin asked Gongcheng what he planned to do after earning his freedom and encouraged him to consider serving Shen Tang.
• Luan Xin vomited blood after parting from Gongcheng, then returned home and told his wife that one of Shen Tang’s subordinates would eventually kill her.
• Luan Xin’s wife asked about his Way of the Scholar’s effects, and he said he would return to work at the government office in two days.
• Gu Chi and Qi Shan examined Luan Xin’s records and speculated that his Way of the Scholar’s slow-reaction drawback might last longer as the ability grew stronger.

After Qiu Cheng’s funeral procession departed, Shen Tang walked with Luan Xin and discussed helping the city’s courtesans find other livelihoods and making use of Luan Xin’s agricultural abilities. A few days later, Lin Feng arrived at the Household Office and introduced herself to Luan Xin.

• Shen Tang sent an elite troop under the Eighth-Rank Gongcheng to escort Qiu Cheng’s family home, and Luan Xin watched the funeral procession leave.
• Shen Tang walked with Luan Xin toward the government office and said she wanted to help the city’s courtesans learn trades or farm.
• Shen Tang learned that Luan Xin’s leg had been broken when someone ran over it with a carriage, and she offered to have Elder Physician Dong examine it.
• Shen Tang urged Luan Xin to use his Way of the Scholar to improve agriculture and prevent famine across the three commanderies.
• A Household Office clerk brought Lin Feng to meet Luan Xin, and she introduced herself as his colleague.

Lin Feng helped Luan Xin understand Sibao Prefecture’s Household Administration work and warned him that spring preparations would require more staff. Shen Tang assigned Xun Ding and Gu Chi to help him, while Lin Feng searched the storehouse for rare plants and seeds.

• Luan Xin welcomed Lin Feng to the Household Administration office and listened as she explained agriculture and sericulture duties.
• Lin Feng outlined the work needed before spring plowing, including registering fields and farmers, distributing unclaimed land, obtaining tools and cattle, selecting seeds, and building irrigation canals.
• Luan Xin requested more workers from Shen Tang, who assigned Xun Ding to assist him and had Gu Chi guide him.
• Xun Ding led soldiers in digging irrigation canals with his Martial Gall Totem, while Gu Chi and Luan Xin chatted together.
• Lin Feng searched the Household Administration storehouse for rare flowers, herbs, and seeds, then asked Luan Xin about an unusual item.

Lin Feng identified the neglected Bai Die seeds and used her literary energy to grow the plants through flowering and seed-pod formation, demonstrating their potential as a source of warm, useful broadcloth. Luan Xin watched her work and began to understand how her abilities had helped produce the bumper harvests in Heyin and Longwu.

• Lin Feng found blackened seed clumps in a damp corner of the Department of Agriculture, and Luan Xin identified them in the records as Bai Die Zi.
• Lin Feng recognized Bai Die from the Qi Min Yao Shu as a plant whose fluffy seed fibers could be woven into broadcloth, and Luan Xin took her to the private fields.
• Lin Feng confirmed that viable seeds remained and asked Luan Xin and Gu Chi to help if she ran short of literary energy.
• Lin Feng used literary energy to sprout the seeds and rapidly grow the plants, while Gu Chi and Luan Xin watched.
• Lin Feng tested different growing techniques as the plants flowered and formed cotton bolls, revealing the fluffy white fibers she hoped could help provide winter clothing.

Lin Feng and Luan Xin discovered cotton seeds in Sibao Prefecture, and Shen Tang recognized their potential to protect people from the cold. The chapter ends with Shen Zhi unexpectedly awakening a low-ranked Literary Heart and the Scholar’s Way ability [Spring scenery fills the garden].

• Lin Feng explained that she wanted to pass on improved seeds and farming methods so the people could support themselves, and she shared credit with Luan Xin for finding the cotton seeds.
• Gu Chi brought Lin Feng and Luan Xin to Shen Tang, who recognized the seeds as Bai Die Zi, or cotton, and celebrated their value for making warm clothing.
• Shen Tang ordered Gu Chi to summon Shen Zhi after learning about the cotton.
• Shen Zhi, who had devoted herself to flowers after struggling to cultivate, dreamed of a fragrant woman and woke to find her garden full of blossoms and petal butterflies.
• Shen Zhi condensed a lower middle tier eighth-rank Literary Heart and awakened the Scholar’s Way ability [Spring scenery fills the garden], which made seeds bloom immediately.

Shen Tang arranged for Luan Xin and his clerks to help Lin Feng prepare cotton seeds and considered putting former subordinates of Duke Wen Yan to work reclaiming land. After Qiu Cheng’s defeat and suicide, Xu Xie worried that Shen Tang’s growing power might provoke Duke Zhaode, though Zheng Qiao’s continued rule offered her some protection.

• Shen Tang asked Luan Xin to assist Lin Feng in producing and improving enough cotton seeds for Sibao Prefecture’s next planting season, and Luan Xin agreed.
• Shen Tang asked Luan Xin to persuade several former subordinates of Duke Wen Yan to help with construction and land reclamation.
• Xu Xie learned that Wen Shi was injured but alive, while Xu Quan was recovering after General Zhao’s daughter restrained him from rushing to see Gongxi Chou.
• Xu Xie worried that Duke Zhaode might view Shen Tang’s control of three commanderies and victory over Gongxi Chou as a threat.
• Xu Xie concluded that Shen Tang would join the campaign against Zheng Qiao, since she would become a target after Zheng Qiao fell if she refused.

Wu Xian reflected on his sons’ rivalry while Shen Tang’s rise drew attention from leaders across the region. In Shang Nan, Shao Chong survived another violent episode, and after waking he encountered a mysterious young man whose red flower caught his attention.

• Wu Xian lamented the strife between brothers, and Consort Mi cheered him by showing how affectionately her youngest son treated Fourth Brother.
• Wu Xian’s aides viewed Shen Tang’s growing influence as a threat, while Huang Lie and Zhang He discussed her unusual strength.
• Gu Ren rushed to Shao Chong after another violent episode left him badly weakened, and Chao Lian warned that they might not be able to restrain him next time.
• Gu Ren refused to take Shao Chong to Zhang He, and his brothers worried over how to prevent Shao Chong’s body from failing.
• After waking, Shao Chong went with Chao Lian to buy food and spotted a mysterious young man carrying a wooden staff topped with a red flower.