Chapter Summaries

Zhai Le urged Shen Tang and Qi Shan to leave the drought-stricken northwest, but Qi Shan rejected the southeast and Shen Tang argued that a good ruler should ensure ordinary people had enough to eat and live securely. As dawn came, the group prepared to enter the city, with Gongshu Wu’s imposing size making him conspicuous.

• Zhai Le recommended that Shen Tang and Qi Shan head southeast, but Qi Shan pointed out the floods and water politics there and preferred the northwest.
• Zhai Le warned that Geng Country might collapse within five years, citing his cousin’s judgment of Zheng Qiao as an unfit ruler.
• Gongshu Wu asked what made an enlightened ruler, and Shen Tang said one should ensure the people had food, clothing, and stable lives rather than pursue military glory at their expense.
• Shen Tang said she would not serve a feudal lord who withheld wages, while Qi Shan suggested that her agricultural Way of the Feudal Lord might offer a new path.
• After resting through the night, Shen Tang, Zhai Le, Qi Shan, and Gongshu Wu prepared to enter the city, and Shen Tang realized Gongshu Wu was nearly two meters tall and impossible to overlook.

Shen Tang and her companions entered Xiaocheng after Qi Shan disguised Gongshu Wu, and Qi Shan arranged for him to stay nearby. When Chu Yao returned with a butcher’s son, Shen Tang noticed the child was carrying a cat, and Qi Shan stopped at its faint meow.

• Shen Tang asked Gongshu Wu how to grow taller, and Qi Shan explained that his disguise could last only seven days.
• Qi Shan disguised Gongshu Wu and granted Zhai Le’s request to appear as a 20th Rank Che Hou.
• The four entered Xiaocheng and split up; Zhai Le made plans to meet Shen Tang, while Gongshu Wu agreed to rent a nearby room.
• Chu Yao returned with a butcher’s son, whom he planned to teach, and the child greeted Shen Tang and Qi Shan.
• Shen Tang asked whether the child was carrying a cat, and Qi Shan halted when he heard it meow.

Shen Tang and Qi Shan took in a green-eyed kitten, while Chu Yao cooked and taught Shen Tang martial arts. Shen Tang went to sell wine and accepted Mr. Gu’s offer to buy it all, only to learn he wanted it delivered to Xiaocheng’s pleasure quarter.

• The chubby boy explained that his family planned to discard the kitten because its green eyes seemed taboo, and Qi Shan decided to formally betroth himself to it and raise it.
• Chu Yao prepared a meal of offal and noodles, then taught Shen Tang martial arts in the courtyard.
• Bored at home, Shen Tang went to her usual spot and set up a stall selling several kinds of wine.
• Mr. Gu bought all of Shen Tang’s wine and asked her to deliver it to Yaoling Pavilion in Xiaocheng’s pleasure quarter.

Shen Tang accompanied Mr. Gu to Yaoling Pavilion after he insisted she make wine for him, while both tested each other and Mr. Gu questioned her about Chu Yao. They arrived at a private room where servants brought in empty wine jars.

• Shen Tang tried to delay Mr. Gu, but he calculated the wine amount and said he had already prepared vessels at Yaoling Pavilion.
• Shen Tang agreed to go with Mr. Gu and silently used Chu Yao's Word Spirit, Hearts Are Hard to Fathom, while considering whether she could kill him if necessary.
• Mr. Gu praised Shen Tang's ability to block Heart Peeking, and Shen Tang challenged him about whose thoughts he could read before claiming she was the same inside and out.
• Mr. Gu asked Shen Tang about Chu Yao's background, but she pretended not to know anything about the servant she had bought.
• Mr. Gu and Shen Tang reached Yaoling Pavilion, where a courtesan led them to a private room and servants brought in empty wine jars.

Shen Tang served Mr. Gu wine while the two questioned each other’s motives, then discovered that his apparent hospitality concealed a dangerous test. Mr. Gu revealed that the dancer who attacked Shen Tang was Madam Shen’s dowry servant, leaving Shen Tang shocked by the connection.

• Shen Tang used her Word Spirit to produce wine, and Mr. Gu drank heavily while explaining that wine helped keep him alive.
• Mr. Gu questioned Shen Tang about her identity and why she had bought Chu Yao’s freedom, while Shen Tang challenged him over the Northern Desert message in his painting.
• Mr. Gu invited Shen Tang to stay for a performance, and she claimed she was interested in Weng Zhi to provoke him.
• A one-eared dancer lunged at Shen Tang, who kicked her away and identified her as a woman of the Gong Clan punished by banishment.
• Mr. Gu revealed that the dancer was Madam Shen’s dowry servant, and Shen Tang was stunned.

Shen Tang confronted Mr. Gu after he deduced her connection to Madam Shen, but the dancer’s testimony exposed a deeper mystery about Madam Shen’s disappearance. The chapter left Shen Tang and Mr. Gu learning that a coffin containing someone who resembled Madam Shen had been brought to the Shen residence.

• Mr. Gu accused Shen Tang of being Madam Shen and explained how the dancer had helped conceal her escape from exile, while Shen Tang denied it and challenged him about his mind-reading.
• Shen Tang confronted the dancer, who admitted she had attacked Shen Tang out of resentment over being sold into exile but insisted Shen Tang was not the real Madam Shen.
• Mr. Gu questioned the dancer about Madam Shen, and Shen Tang threatened her until she revealed that Madam Shen had disappeared before her wedding and Shen Tang had appeared afterward.
• The dancer said she had heard that a strange coffin was brought into the Shen residence, containing someone who looked much like Madam Shen.

Shen Tang and Mr. Gu questioned a dancer about the strange coffin that had preceded the wedding, uncovering clues about Shen Tang’s unknown identity and Madam Shen’s disappearance. The dancer said Madam Shen’s personal maids had been beaten to death, though Shen Tang suspected they had helped Madam Shen vanish.

• Shen Tang admitted to Mr. Gu that she had lost her memories from before her exile and did not know her true identity.
• Mr. Gu used [Separate the False from the True] to question the dancer, who said a strange coffin had arrived half a month before the wedding, delivered by Second Master Shen.
• The dancer said she did not know whether Shen Tang was a Shen Clan offspring born outside the family or where the coffin came from.
• Shen Tang learned that the dancer had not been Madam Shen’s personal attendant and that the bridal entourage’s maids had been gathered at the last minute.
• The dancer said Madam Shen’s personal maids had been beaten to death, while Shen Tang suspected they had been taken away to help Madam Shen disappear.

Shen Tang questioned Mr. Gu about the Shen Clan and learned he knew of Qi Shan’s Way of the Scholar. After the dancing girl died, Mr. Gu decided to meet Qi Yuanliang, while Shen Tang returned to the farmhouse and teased Qi Shan about a man surnamed Gu.

• Mr. Gu proposed theories about how Shen Tang came to marry into the Shen family, and she rebuked him for his wild speculation.
• Mr. Gu warned Shen Tang to ask Qi Yuanliang about his Way of the Scholar, but she left without discussing it further.
• Shen Tang refused to kill the dancing girl, and the girl later threw herself into a well after Mr. Gu left.
• The courtesan questioned Mr. Gu about Shen Tang, and he said he had found nothing suspicious before privately deciding to meet Qi Yuanliang.
• Shen Tang returned to the farmhouse and claimed Qi Shan’s old flame, a man surnamed Gu, had bullied her.

Shen Tang learned that Qi Shan’s Way of the Scholar was dangerous enough to make him wary of revealing it, but she misunderstood his hints about their relationship. The chapter ended with Qi Shan asking how she would react if his Way of the Scholar were “Master-Slaying.”

• Chu Yao and Shen Tang teased Qi Shan about an unknown man surnamed Gu, whom Shen Tang had met at Moonlit Pavilion.
• Shen Tang explained that Mr. Gu had mentioned Qi Shan’s Way of the Scholar and tried to sow discord between them.
• Qi Shan said his Way of the Scholar was not mind-reading and warned Shen Tang that it was formidable.
• Qi Shan hinted that their relationship might be more than friendship, and Shen Tang mistakenly thought he wanted to put her on his household register.
• Chu Yao told Shen Tang that she would understand when the time was right, while Qi Shan withdrew to his room.
• Qi Shan opened the door and asked Shen Tang what she would do if his Way of the Scholar were “Master-Slaying.”

Shen Tang learned how Qi Shan’s Way of the Scholar bound a lord and subject through trust, and suspected he had concealed a dangerous cost. Qi Shan identified the mysterious Mr. Gu as Gu Chi, while Shen Tang misheard his name as “Gucci” and his courtesy name as “octopus.”

• Shen Tang misunderstood Qi Shan’s Master-Slaying ability as a way to infiltrate and kill a lord, then listened as he explained its rules.
• Qi Shan explained that a loyal subject could borrow a lord’s literary heart and Way of the Feudal Lord, while a lord’s suspicion would trigger backlash.
• Shen Tang guessed Qi Shan had hidden a personal weakness tied to the cost of his ability, but he did not confirm or deny it.
• Shen Tang asked whether a Way of the Scholar could have two abilities, and Qi Shan said it usually had one, except in special circumstances.
• Qi Shan recognized Mr. Gu as Gu Chi, a scholar skilled in Heart Peeking and spirit speech, and Shen Tang misheard his name as “Gucci” and Wangchao as “octopus.”

Qi Shan warned Shen Tang that Gu Chi was a dangerous, vengeful man, then learned that Zheng Qiao had humiliated the fallen Xin Country and its princess. After hearing how the princess was forced into Zheng Qiao’s inner court and later died, Qi Shan vomited blood and collapsed.

• Qi Shan laughed at Shen Tang’s joke about Gu Chi, then warned her that Gu Chi was a venomous man skilled in Heart Peeking and Word Spirit.
• Shen Tang said she knew how to catch snakes, and Qi Shan finished weaving a basket and sewing a small pillow for the cat.
• Chu Yao brought the drunken, wounded Gongshu Wu back to the courtyard and explained that he had found him drinking after seeing a notice at the city gate.
• Chu Yao told Qi Shan that Zheng Qiao had forced the Xin Sovereign to surrender and had made the princess endure a public humiliation.
• Chu Yao revealed that Zheng Qiao had drugged the princess and sent her to his inner court, then falsely claimed she had died after an affair with a guard.
• Qi Shan vomited blood and collapsed as Shen Tang and Chu Yao called out to him.

Qi Shan woke after collapsing from anger, with Shen Tang and a kitten beside him, and explained that his weakened health came from repeatedly using Master-Slaying. Shen Tang urged him to rest and warned that Zheng Qiao’s brutality could provoke rebellion, leaving Qi Shan to consider recovering or serving a lord who kept his promises.

• A kitten woke Qi Shan, who opened his eyes after a frightening nightmare and began coughing.
• Qi Shan noticed Shen Tang had stayed nearby and learned she had brought the kitten as his cat bride.
• Shen Tang brought Qi Shan medicine and minced-meat porridge, and he consumed both.
• Qi Shan said his weakness came from the burden of Master-Slaying, which punished him when his sworn masters broke their promises.
• Qi Shan said he could recover through years of seclusion or by serving a trustworthy lord, and Shen Tang advised him to rest.

Qi Shan recovered from his internal injuries while Zhai Le and his cousin visited, and the cousin learned that Qi Shan was from Xin Country. Meanwhile, Weng Zhi revealed to the dying Gong Cheng that Zheng Qiao had once admired the Princess before becoming the Sovereign’s Male Consort.

• Shen Tang welcomed Zhai Le and his cousin, who had come to ask Qi Shan to remove a disguise Zhai Le had requested.
• Qi Shan told Zhai Le’s cousin that he could not use his Literary Heart while recovering, so the cousin examined his pulse and prescribed medicine instead.
• Zhai Le’s cousin asked whether Qi Shan was from Xin Country, and Qi Shan confirmed that he was.
• Zhai Le sparred with Shen Tang while his cousin chatted with Qi Shan and Chu Yao.
• Weng Zhi told Gong Cheng that the Sovereign had been closer to Gong Cheng than to the Princess, and that Zheng Qiao had once admired the Princess before becoming the Sovereign’s Male Consort.

Weng Zhi persuaded Gong Cheng to help him seize power in the Northern Desert by promising to rule more humanely. Meanwhile, Shen Tang overwhelmed Zhai Le in a series of contests, leaving the others to find them moving rocks upside down.

• Weng Zhi swore an oath to Gong Cheng and asked him to help him claim the Northern Desert throne.
• Gong Cheng weighed the dangers of helping Weng Zhi against the chance to avenge himself, then began to accept the proposal.
• Shen Tang defeated Zhai Le in a sword spar, rapidly improving until she disarmed him and held her blade to his neck.
• Zhai Le challenged Shen Tang to move rocks, and they competed by carrying them upright and upside down.
• Qi Shan, Chu Yao, and Zhai Huan emerged to find Shen Tang and Zhai Le moving rocks upside down and each thought the fool could not be from their family.

After Zhai Huan took Zhai Le home, Qi Shan warned Shen Tang that the cousins might be testing them as potential allies after learning of her strength. He told her an opportunity was coming, while leaving her wary that he had a scheme in mind.

• Zhai Huan hurriedly dragged Zhai Le away after bidding farewell to Shen Tang and Chu Yao.
• Qi Shan explained that Zhai Huan may have brought Zhai Le to test them and assess whether they could be recruited.
• Qi Shan reminded Shen Tang that she had defeated an eighth-rank Gongcheng and described the military power such a rank possessed.
• Shen Tang discussed whether the Zhai cousins could afford to recruit them, using modern business terms that left Qi Shan unimpressed.
• Qi Shan pointed out that Shen Tang was penniless and said an opportunity was coming, making her suspect a trap.

Qi Shan proposed that Shen Tang help him seize Sibao Prefecture’s three years of Tax Silver, which he hoped to use to undermine his enemy and aid suffering commoners. Shen Tang remained wary but was tempted, leaving her undecided about joining the dangerous plan.

• Shen Tang questioned Qi Shan’s promise of enormous riches and asked him to explain the opportunity.
• Qi Shan revealed that he planned to take the Tax Silver stored in Xiaocheng, and Shen Tang was shocked by the criminal scheme.
• Qi Shan explained that he wanted to ruin his enemy, the prefect of Sibao, and said Gongshu Wu’s strength would make the operation more feasible.
• Qi Shan said the money could help them find a place to settle and support commoners burdened by heavy taxes.
• Shen Tang worried that their small group could not pull off the plan, while Qi Shan reassured her that they were all elites.

Qi Shan pushed Shen Tang toward robbing Sibao Prefecture’s tax silver to strengthen her position, while Chu Yao and Gongshu Wu joined the planning. The group studied Xiaocheng’s defenses and the convoy route, but Gongshu Wu questioned how they could distinguish the real tax silver from a decoy.

• Shen Tang told Chu Yao that Qi Shan wanted to rob Sibao Prefecture’s tax silver, and Chu Yao agreed it was a good idea.
• Qi Shan privately told Chu Yao that the robbery would test and cultivate Shen Tang’s ambition, and Chu Yao accepted his plan.
• Chu Yao agreed to persuade Gongshu Wu to join them, and Gongshu Wu later arrived injured for the meeting.
• Chu Yao presented Xiaocheng’s defense map, while Qi Shan shared troop numbers and the likely tax-silver route.
• Gongshu Wu noted that the defenses were tight and asked how they could identify the real tax-silver convoy rather than a decoy.

Shen Tang helped Qi Shan and the others devise a way to identify the real Tax Silver convoy and plan their ambush. After Qi Shan received a letter by arrow, Shen Tang went out to sell wine near the Prefectural Government, where she waited for customers.

• Shen Tang suggested estimating the Tax Silver’s weight from records and comparing it with the carts’ wheel tracks and the horses’ pace.
• Chu Yao and Qi Shan calculated that the convoy carried an unusually large amount of Tax Silver, which Qi Shan attributed to the Prefect’s added taxes.
• Qi Shan, Chu Yao, Gongshu Wu, and Shen Tang planned their ambush and decided not to recruit more helpers to protect their secret.
• An arrow carrying a letter struck a wooden pillar as Qi Shan sensed danger and dodged.
• After her nap, Shen Tang found Su Shang alone, returned her to Qi Shan’s room, and set up a wine stall near the Prefectural Government.

Shen Tang sold wine to a Prefectural Government servant while Gu Chi and Qi Shan met in private and agreed to exchange questions. At the Prefectural Government, the prefect received a shabby but honored guest and his young companion, whose violence had already injured the gatekeeper.

• Shen Tang refused to discount her wine for a Prefectural Government servant, who bought her stock and said the prefect might order more.
• Gu Chi watched Shen Tang from a window, and Qi Shan closed it after she noticed their gaze.
• Gu Chi and Qi Shan revealed themselves to each other and agreed to ask one question each.
• The prefect respectfully received a weathered guest and a six-year-old boy who had broken the gatekeeper’s leg with his spear.

The prefect reunited with his former Seat Master, who introduced A Yan as his junior brother and explained that the boy had a brain disorder despite his exceptional martial talent. The old man revealed that an unknown force had driven them to Sibao Prefecture, and the chapter ended with the prefect sending them two hundred taels of gold.

• The old man introduced A Yan to the prefect as his junior brother and let the boy keep the filled pastries.
• The prefect questioned A Yan’s intelligence, and the old man insisted that A Yan had a brain disorder but could learn and understand normally.
• The prefect praised A Yan and cautiously probed why his former Seat Master had come to Sibao Prefecture.
• The old man explained that an unknown force had pursued him, so he had come to find safety for A Yan.
• The prefect recalled the old man’s history of defying Zheng Qiao and worried that Zheng Qiao’s lackeys might still seek revenge.
• The prefect treated the old man and A Yan to a meal, then sent two hundred taels of gold to their guest compound.