Chapter Summaries

The Marquis of Pacifying the South suffered a stroke after losing his title, leaving Xie Hongdao feeling forgotten and unsafe in the residence. Fearing the Great Demon might kill him for knowing its secrets, Xie Hongdao fled toward the Crown Grandson's Residence.

• The Marquis of Pacifying the South fainted, and Physician Zhang diagnosed him with a severe stroke.
• The marquis's wife and the household grieved as Physician Zhang prescribed medicine and the steward began arranging changes to the residence.
• Xie Hongdao watched his family tend to the muddled marquis and realized he had no place in the household.
• Xie Hongdao grew angry at being blamed for the household's troubles and feared a cat might be one of the Great Demon's spies.
• Xie Hongdao vaulted over the wall and ran toward the Crown Grandson's Residence to seek safety.

Su Ziji learned that Zhao Xu and Qian Wei had contained the examination scandal, ending his attempt to damage the emperor’s reputation. He went to help Yu Lü and Fang Xi after their fellow Provincial Graduate Xing Ye died by suicide, and read Xing Ye’s note.

• Wild Daoist reported that Qian Wei had closed the case, the Spring Examinations would be held again, and the chief grand secretary’s resignation had been refused.
• Su Ziji ordered the rumors withdrawn and learned that the Marquis of Pacifying the South had lost his title after a Great Demon replaced the heir.
• Yu Lü and Fang Xi told Su Ziji that Xing Ye had hanged himself and that authorities had left his body unexamined.
• Su Ziji went with them to Xing Ye’s room, where he saw the body still hanging and asked whether Xing Ye had left a note.
• Yu Lü handed over Xing Ye’s suicide note, and Su Ziji read it and sighed.

After reading Xing Ye’s suicide note, Su Ziji reflected on how the examination scandal and the emperor’s actions had harmed innocent people. The true heir of the Marquis of Pacifying the South, Xie Hongdao, arrived bloodied and pursued by monsters to report a secret matter to Su Ziji.

• Su Ziji read Xing Ye’s suicide note and considered how the examination scandal had ruined candidates and their families.
• Su Ziji thought about the Marquis of Pacifying the South’s family and other innocent victims of the emperor’s anger.
• A guard told Su Ziji that a bloodied man claiming to be the marquis’s true heir had come to see him.
• Su Ziji sensed more than a dozen monsters lurking near the inn and ordered the man brought in.
• Xie Hongdao introduced himself to Su Ziji and asked to speak with him in secret, so Su Ziji took him to his carriage.

Chapter Summary: “A World-Shaking Secret”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji meets Xie Hongdao, the true heir of the Marquis of Pacifying the South’s Residence, inside an oxcart. Xie explains that he was previously replaced and controlled by a monster named Xie Zhenqing, gaining knowledge of the monster’s plans.
• Xie reveals that Xie Zhenqing deliberately arranged for the Great Restoration Elixir and its formula—originally associated with the Wei emperor—to be discovered and presented to the current Emperor.
• The elixir is rumored to extend life dramatically. Hui Dao clarifies that while the Lesser Restoration Elixir offers only limited longevity, the Great Restoration Elixir may extend a person’s life by two epochs.
• Xie discloses the crucial secret: the elixir must be refined through the principle of “using Dragon for Dragon.” It works only when made from someone who possesses Imperial Fortune, because an emperor’s life is bound to the fortune of the entire empire.
• A thunderclap sounds immediately after this revelation, signaling that a Heavenly Secret has been exposed and confirming that Xie’s account is truthful. Su Ziji orders Hui Dao to eliminate the monsters following them.
• Xie then reveals that the current Emperor already consumed a True Great Restoration Elixir in the past. Though he was expected to have only three years of Imperial Fortune remaining, the elixir extended his life by twenty years.
• Su Ziji realizes that the Crown Prince was likely sacrificed as the key ingredient for that elixir. The Crown Prince’s death, and the subsequent extermination of his entire family line, were therefore part of the Emperor’s attempt to prolong his own life.
• The revelation also suggests that the Emperor may be plotting to repeat the process by framing and sacrificing Su Ziji, explaining his hostility and attempts to discredit the Imperial Grandson.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji begins the meeting composed and politically cautious, but the revelation about the Crown Prince’s death profoundly shocks him. He quickly regains control, orders Hui Dao into action, and demonstrates decisive leadership.
• Xie Hongdao proves himself a valuable informant. Though cautious because he fears the consequences of revealing forbidden secrets, he earns Su Ziji’s trust by presenting information that is confirmed by the Heavenly Secret.
• Hui Dao shifts from skepticism to belief after the thunder confirms Xie’s statements. He immediately obeys Su Ziji’s first direct order, showing loyalty and competence.
• Wild Daoist initially mocks the exaggerated claims about the elixir but becomes horrified when the truth is revealed. His spilled tea reflects the magnitude of his shock.
• The Emperor is presented as ruthless and morally corrupted, willing to sacrifice his own son and destroy an entire bloodline for additional years of life.
• The Crown Prince is recontextualized from a tragic political victim into the central sacrifice in the Emperor’s longevity scheme.

Significant Themes

• The corruption of power: Imperial authority has been used not to protect the realm but to justify murder and personal indulgence.
• The cost of immortality and longevity: The desire to extend one life comes at the expense of a family, a royal succession, and possibly the stability of the empire.
• Truth and forbidden knowledge: The thunder marking the disclosure emphasizes that some truths are so powerful that revealing them disrupts the laws of Heaven.
• Political conspiracy and moral betrayal: The Emperor’s actions expose the extreme lengths rulers may take to preserve power and life.
• Fate versus human ambition: Imperial Fortune determines an emperor’s lifespan, yet the Emperor attempts to defy fate by consuming the lives of those who bear that fortune.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji interrogates Xie Hongdao while maintaining authority and control, allowing him to speak but carefully managing who remains present.
• Xie relies on Su Ziji’s protection, especially when he hesitates to reveal the final secret in front of Wild Daoist. Su Ziji reassures him that Wild Daoist is a trusted confidant.
• Wild Daoist challenges Xie’s initial claims, while Hui Dao provides scholarly knowledge that partly supports them.
• The Heavenly Secret’s thunder transforms the group’s dynamic: skepticism gives way to certainty, and Su Ziji takes immediate command.
• Xie’s testimony connects the Emperor’s past crime—the sacrifice of the Crown Prince—with the present danger facing Su Ziji, uniting the characters around the realization that the Imperial Grandson may be the next intended sacrifice.

Chapter Summary: “Searching for a Swordsman for Thirty Years”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a rainy night, Su Ziji, Wild Daoist, and Xie Hongdao remain inside a stationary ox cart. Su reflects mournfully on his life and recites verses about searching for a swordsman for thirty years and finally finding clarity after seeing peach blossoms.
• Wild Daoist recalls Su Ziji’s tragic history: he is the surviving Imperial Grandson of the former Crown Prince, whose household was exterminated. Su was smuggled away as an infant, raised anonymously in Linhua County, and later returned to his ancestral clan after succeeding in the metropolitan examination.
• Instead of receiving familial happiness, Su discovered that the Emperor intended to use him as a medicinal ingredient. Wild Daoist argues that the Emperor has lost Heaven’s Mandate by acting against Heaven, while Su—being the rightful heir of Great Zheng—may now possess that mandate.
• Su accepts Wild Daoist’s encouragement and begins considering the struggle for imperial succession rather than following the passive example of his deceased father.
• Xie Hongdao kneels and pledges loyalty to Su. He explains that the Marquis of Pacifying the South’s Residence declined because of the “monster” and that he wishes to kill the creature and restore his family’s former status.
• Su promises to restore Xie’s family peerage if Xie serves him faithfully. Xie recognizes that he has no real alternative: if the Emperor learns that he knows the secret, both he and his household will be destroyed.
• Su assigns Xie a covert political mission: investigate the thirteen original examiners of the Spring Examinations, determine their attitudes toward Su, and identify which families might be willing to support him.
• Xie worries that leaving Su’s protection will expose him to the monsters hunting him. Su reassures him indirectly, just as screams reveal that Hui Dao is slaughtering the pursuing monsters throughout the rainy city.
• The chapter ends with Hui Dao confronting the remaining monsters in an alley. He mocks their threats about the Demon Race and prepares to kill them as well.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Moves from grief and emotional numbness toward determination. He begins accepting his identity as the rightful Imperial Grandson and takes practical steps to build political support.
• Wild Daoist: Shows deep emotional loyalty to Su and openly encourages him to claim the Heaven’s Mandate. His sorrow over Su’s past turns into fierce resolve against the Emperor.
• Xie Hongdao: Fully transitions from a compromised servant of the “monster” into Su’s subordinate. Though motivated partly by survival and the restoration of his family, he willingly accepts a dangerous mission to prove his usefulness.
• Hui Dao: Demonstrates his formidable strength and loyalty by eliminating the monsters pursuing Xie. His calm, contemptuous attitude toward the Demon Race reinforces his confidence and combat superiority.

Significant Themes

• Heaven’s Mandate and political legitimacy: The chapter presents imperial authority as something that can be lost through tyranny and transferred to a more rightful claimant.
• Betrayal, survival, and allegiance: Xie’s loyalty is shaped by necessity, but Su gives him a concrete future to fight for. Political alliances emerge from both personal conviction and desperate self-interest.
• Revenge and restoration: Su seeks justice for his murdered family and the recovery of his rightful position, while Xie seeks revenge against the monster and the revival of his household’s status.
• The burden of inheritance: Su’s imperial lineage brings not privilege but persecution, grief, and responsibility.
• Hidden power beneath apparent weakness: Xie is more capable than an ordinary servant, Hui Dao is vastly stronger than the monsters, and Su is beginning to reveal himself as a serious political force.

Important Character Interactions

• Su and Wild Daoist: Wild Daoist consoles Su and urges him to embrace his dynastic claim rather than repeat the Crown Prince’s failure to fight for power.
• Su and Xie Hongdao: Su tests Xie’s motives, offers him a conditional promise of restoration, and assigns him a mission intended to prove his loyalty and political value.
• Xie and the monsters: Though not directly interacting in the cart, Xie’s fear of the monsters explains his dependence on Su’s protection and the urgency of his allegiance.
• Hui Dao and the monsters: Hui Dao methodically hunts and kills the monsters, dismissing their threats and revealing that their numerical advantage cannot overcome his strength.

Hui Dao slaughtered the monsters who attacked the Imperial Grandson, though a civet-cat monster escaped. Su Ziji ordered Hui Dao and Shi Chengyan to hunt down the remaining monsters in the Capital City and uncover who was behind them, especially the false heir.

• Hui Dao used talismans, his peachwood sword, and a hidden formation to kill the attacking monsters as they tried to flee.
• A civet-cat monster escaped through the rain while Hui Dao pursued the Tiger Demon and the other fleeing monsters.
• Hui Dao returned to the Imperial Grandson's ox cart, where he recognized the bailiff leader, Shi Chengyan.
• Su Ziji told Xie Hongdao to carry out his assigned task and sent him away.
• Su Ziji ordered Hui Dao and Shi Chengyan to slaughter the remaining monsters in the Capital City and investigate who was behind them, especially the false heir.

Chapter Summary: The Imperial Examination in Three Days

Key Plot Points and Events

• During heavy rain, Su Ziji decides to return to the inn to help deal with Xing Ye’s suicide, despite Wild Daoist Feng Yun’s warning that the matter is unlucky and beneath someone of Su Ziji’s status.
• Su Ziji explains that while Xing Ye’s death may appear to be the result of his own crimes, Yu Lü and Fang Xi are deeply affected because they were fellow Provincial Graduates. He believes a true friend must empathize with their guilt and grief.
• At the inn, authorities have inspected Xing Ye’s death and declared it a simple suicide caused by fear of punishment. Since Xing Ye’s scholarly rank has been stripped, they order that he be treated as an ordinary commoner and leave the burial arrangements to the innkeeper.
• The innkeeper reveals that Xing Ye owes seventeen taels for lodging but still plans to provide him with a coffin and send him to the charity mortuary for cremation. Returning the body to Xing Ye’s distant hometown would cost one or two hundred taels, an amount no one initially wants to pay.
• Moved by the situation, several Provincial Graduates contribute small sums for Xing Ye’s clothes, coffin, and funeral rites. Their donations show sympathy, although many are also eager to avoid the perceived bad luck of remaining near a corpse before the examinations.
• Su Ziji visits Xing Ye’s room, where the deceased has been washed, dressed, and placed on the bed. He praises the innkeeper for treating Xing Ye with dignity.
• Su Ziji offers three hundred taels: fifty for the coffin, one hundred and fifty for returning the body to Xing Ye’s family, and one hundred for the family’s future livelihood.
• Yu Lü and Fang Xi explain that the other scholars have also donated several hundred taels. They discuss arranging reliable boatmen to transport Xing Ye’s body home directly, which would be faster, cheaper, and more dignified than waiting for his family to travel to the capital.
• The chapter ends with Su Ziji reminding them that the Imperial Examination will begin in three days, shifting attention from mourning and funeral arrangements back to the approaching examination.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji demonstrates compassion, moral responsibility, and practical generosity. Though Xing Ye was not his friend and Su Ziji bears no responsibility for his death, he refuses to ignore the deceased’s dignity or the suffering of Xing Ye’s family.
• Wild Daoist Feng Yun initially focuses on avoiding bad luck and protecting Su Ziji’s status, but he is persuaded by Su Ziji’s argument about empathy and agrees to accompany him.
• Yu Lü and Fang Xi reveal their emotional burden and sense of responsibility toward Xing Ye. Their willingness to contribute money and arrange transportation shows that their relationship with Xing Ye, despite the scandal, was meaningful.
• The Provincial Graduates display mixed motives: they sympathize with Xing Ye and donate money, but they are also anxious about the omen of death before the Imperial Examination.
• The innkeeper emerges as practical yet humane. Despite Xing Ye’s unpaid debt, he ensures that the body is cleaned, clothed, and given a proper burial.

Significant Themes

• Compassion versus social judgment: The authorities dismiss Xing Ye as a disgraced fraudster, while Su Ziji and the scholars insist that he still deserves dignity as a human being.
• Empathy and moral responsibility: Su Ziji emphasizes that people experience the same event differently and that one must understand the guilt and grief of those directly involved.
• The value of dignity after death: The characters’ efforts to provide clothing, a coffin, funeral rites, and a return to Xing Ye’s family underline the importance of honoring the dead.
• Class, wealth, and charity: The chapter highlights the enormous financial burden of transporting and burying the dead, as well as the difference between what officials can afford and what ordinary families can manage.
• Reputation and superstition: The scholars mourn Xing Ye but still fear the “bad luck” associated with his corpse, especially so close to the examinations.
• Duty versus self-interest: The authorities avoid responsibility, while the scholars and Su Ziji act despite personal inconvenience and financial cost.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Feng Yun debate whether Su Ziji should personally involve himself in Xing Ye’s funeral. Su Ziji’s reasoning persuades Feng Yun to support him.
• The Provincial Graduates discuss Xing Ye’s fate and gradually contribute money to ensure he receives a respectable burial.
• Su Ziji meets Yu Lü and Fang Xi at Xing Ye’s bedside, offering substantial financial support and validating their desire to send Xing Ye home.
• Yu Lü and Fang Xi respond by explaining the collective donations and proposing a more efficient way to transport the body.
• The chapter closes with Su Ziji redirecting the discussion toward the Imperial Examination, reminding the others that their immediate future—and perhaps their ability to change their circumstances—depends on the examination in three days.

Chapter Summary: I Hope This Day Never Comes

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji learns that the imperial examinations will resume immediately after being suspended because of the examination-question leak. Yu Lü and Fang Xi, provincial graduates with limited funds, are relieved that they will not have to remain in the capital or return home.
• Su Ziji offers to test the two men by posing the examination question, “One person two, intentional unintentional.”
• Fang Xi argues that intentional good deeds should not be rewarded, while unintentional evil should not be punished. Yu Lü takes the opposite position, arguing that good should be rewarded and evil punished regardless of intention.
• Su Ziji criticizes both answers:
  • Fang Xi’s view would discourage people from doing good and allow criminals to escape punishment by claiming they acted unintentionally. It also conflicts with Confucian teachings and the state’s governing policies.
  • Yu Lü’s answer is closer to correct but is too harsh and lacks consideration for human nature.
• Su Ziji explains that proper governance requires balancing law with compassion: crimes should be judged according to facts, while punishment should take intention and circumstances into account. This reflects the true meaning of the Doctrine of the Mean.
• He then expands the lesson, asking how officials should view the people. Fang Xi initially says officials must prioritize the people’s livelihood, but Su Ziji explains that candidates for office must first demonstrate loyalty to the emperor and the state.
• Su Ziji teaches that the imperial examinations assess three levels of ability: talent, knowledge of rules, and political stance. The highest examination tests whether a candidate can think from the perspective of the court and sovereign.
• After leaving, Su Ziji speaks with the Wild Daoist about whether his concern for the candidates reflects excessive softness. The Wild Daoist instead praises him as a rare ruler who retains genuine human feeling.
• The chapter ends with Su Ziji reflecting on the emperor, who was once loving toward his family but gradually lost his human warmth through the exercise of power. Su Ziji expresses his fear that he may one day become the same kind of ruler.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji demonstrates his political insight and ability to mentor others. He moves beyond merely providing examination advice, teaching the candidates how officials must think and act. At the same time, his final conversation reveals vulnerability and anxiety about losing his compassion.
• Fang Xi begins confident in his interpretation but becomes unsettled when Su Ziji exposes its impractical and dangerous consequences. He is forced to reconsider his understanding of the classics and governance.
• Yu Lü gives the more legally sound answer but learns that strict justice without benevolence can become oppressive. He also struggles with the idea that an official’s first obligation is to the sovereign and state rather than directly to the people.
• The Wild Daoist acts as an observer and emotional counterpoint to Su Ziji. He recognizes Su Ziji’s humanity as a strength rather than a weakness and reassures him that compassion does not make him unfit to rule.
• The Emperor is discussed rather than directly appearing. He serves as a warning of how political power can erode affection, warmth, and moral feeling.

Significant Themes

• Law versus compassion: Justice must account for both objective facts and subjective intention. Purely rigid law risks becoming cruel, while excessive leniency undermines order.
• The purpose of education and examinations: The examinations are not merely tests of memorization or literary skill; they select future officials and therefore evaluate judgment, political understanding, and loyalty.
• The relationship between ruler, officials, and people: Candidates must learn to think as servants of the state. Concern for the people is important, but it must be framed within loyalty to the sovereign and the government.
• Humanity and power: The chapter questions whether a ruler can retain ordinary human emotions after assuming immense political authority.
• Fear of moral corruption: Su Ziji’s worry that he may become like the emperor introduces a deeper concern about whether good intentions can survive prolonged political struggle.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji’s examination with Fang Xi and Yu Lü is both an academic test and a political lesson. He challenges their assumptions, explains their weaknesses, and pushes them toward a more sophisticated understanding of governance.
• Fang Xi and Yu Lü function as contrasting students: Fang Xi is idealistic but impractical, while Yu Lü is legally minded but overly severe. Their disagreement allows Su Ziji to present a balanced position.
• Su Ziji and the Wild Daoist share a quiet, intimate conversation after the lesson. The Daoist’s praise confirms that Su Ziji’s emotional sensitivity is not a defect, while Su Ziji’s response reveals his fear of losing that very quality.

Chapter Summary: “Go to the Imperial Guards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On a rainy night, Su Ziji and Wild Daoist encounter a large group of Provincial Graduates kneeling before them.
• The scholars explain that they are honoring Su Ziji for helping escort the coffin of Xing Ye, whose death had been treated as insignificant by the nobility.
• Su Ziji clarifies that his assistance came from personal guilt and sympathy, not a desire for fame. He emphasizes that while he can honor private feelings and friendship, he cannot overturn the court’s laws or plead for special treatment.
• He urges the scholars to direct their loyalty toward the imperial court rather than toward him personally, reminding them that the state’s examination system exists to recruit capable officials who will serve the people and government.
• The scholars, led by Tian Fu, express deep admiration and pledge their loyalty. The surrounding commoners also bow to Su Ziji.
• Wild Daoist identifies Tian Fu as someone attempting to align himself with Su Ziji. Su Ziji decides to offer Tian Fu an opportunity to join his faction if he passes the imperial examination.
• Reflecting on his reputation, Su Ziji recognizes that his earlier actions—especially the destruction of the capital’s Divine Shrines—have established him as practical, capable, and willing to act, despite damaging his reputation among some people.
• He concludes that scholars and commoners are increasingly being won over by his policies and influence. He then orders the ox cart to head to the Imperial Feather Guards.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Demonstrates political composure, humility, and strategic thinking. He separates personal compassion from public duty and skillfully redirects popular admiration toward loyalty to the state. Internally, he reveals that his public acts of benevolence and pragmatism also support a deeper, long-term plan connected to the Imperial Academy and his cultivation of influence.
• Wild Daoist: Remains alert and protective of Su Ziji, while also acting as an astute political observer. He recognizes Tian Fu’s attempt to attach himself to Su Ziji and understands the importance of the growing reputation surrounding his lord.
• Tian Fu: Emerges as a Provincial Graduate willing to openly declare loyalty to Su Ziji. His leadership of the scholars marks him as a potential future ally or official within Su Ziji’s faction.
• The Provincial Graduates and commoners: Their attitude shifts from observers to active supporters, showing that Su Ziji’s reputation has begun to gain broad social and political significance.

Significant Themes

• Public duty versus private compassion: Su Ziji insists that sympathy for an individual cannot justify violating legal or governmental principles.
• Political reputation and influence: Acts that appear charitable or practical can create long-term political capital, even when they were not originally undertaken for fame.
• Pragmatism over empty virtue: Su Ziji contrasts his willingness to undertake difficult, unpopular reforms with the polished reputation-building of Prince Shu.
• The value of taking action: The chapter argues that power cannot be preserved through passive concealment; influence must be built through visible movement and decisive deeds.
• Long-term cultivation of loyalty: Su Ziji’s efforts resemble gradual moral and ideological education. His influence is beginning to produce results earlier than expected, drawing scholars and commoners toward him.
• Faction-building: Tian Fu’s decision to align with Su Ziji demonstrates how reputation encourages talented individuals to “take a side,” strengthening Su Ziji’s future political base.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and the Provincial Graduates: He responds respectfully to their worship but corrects their focus, turning their personal gratitude into loyalty toward the imperial court.
• Su Ziji and Tian Fu: Though they do not have an extended private conversation, Su Ziji notices Tian Fu’s initiative and decides to reward his loyalty with a possible invitation into the manor.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist: Wild Daoist praises Su Ziji’s growing reputation, while Su Ziji explains the strategic value behind his seemingly modest acts of benevolence and public service.
• Su Ziji and the crowd: His treatment of Xing Ye inspires the crowd’s admiration, establishing him as a compassionate yet principled imperial figure.

Su Ziji visited the Imperial Feather Guards and assessed their training, while recognizing that many officers were not truly loyal to him. Wu Fengtian noticed something disturbing about the soldiers’ apparent devotion and left uneasy.

• The Wild Daoist told Su Ziji that his poetry and biography had spread widely through the Capital City.
• Su Ziji arrived at the Imperial Feather Guards’ camp, where Bi Xin, Wan Qiao, Lou Yuanbai, Wu Fengtian, Xu Chan, and the others greeted him.
• The officers praised the guards’ improved meals and training, and Su Ziji suggested taking them to suppress bandits for experience.
• Su Ziji inspected the guards and found that the soldiers he questioned were wholly devoted to him, though he kept his distance from military affairs and dismissed them.
• Wu Fengtian watched the guards’ submission to Su Ziji, tried to explain it as ordinary respect, but felt a chilling dread whenever he recalled the scene.

Wu Fengtian overcame his unease and resolved to win the Imperial Grandson’s trust while Su Ziji assessed the Imperial Feather Guards. At the palace, the emperor discovered that the Nine-Dragon Instrument’s Dragon Pearl had brightened and searched the Imperial Study until he found the book he wanted.

• Wu Fengtian suppressed his suspicion that the Imperial Grandson had seen through him and decided to become a trusted confidant.
• Su Ziji observed the Imperial Feather Guards and considered how he could make use of them.
• Meng Lin reported that the Dragon Pearl’s light had grown brighter and richer, reaching seven-tenths of its finished state.
• The emperor examined the changed Dragon Pearl, questioned Meng Lin, and ordered his palanquin to the Imperial Study.
• The emperor searched the Imperial Study himself and found the book he was looking for.

The emperor read a tale about illness altering a man’s fate and wondered whether his actions had strengthened the Imperial Grandson at his own expense. He then ordered old grain depot records and selected a troubling report, while Hu Huai'an visited the disgraced Eunuch Zhao, who was studying poetry.

• The emperor found a story in Notes from Plum Garden about a man whose illness diminished his own fortune while improving his son’s prospects.
• The emperor wondered whether the Imperial Grandson had gained more of Heaven’s Mandate through his existence, then resolved to make him learn the difficulty of governing.
• The emperor ordered records from the ninth day of last month, last year, and examined the archived memorials before choosing one concerning bad news.
• Hu Huai'an left the palace and visited Eunuch Zhao, who told him he was studying poems by Xu Mo.

Hu Huai'an visited Eunuch Zhao to ask about the emperor's renewed interest in a grain-granary case, but Zhao urged him to keep his loyalty solely with the emperor. After Hu reported Zhao's response, the emperor felt reassured that Zhao still understood his place, though he remained wary of divided loyalties among his descendants and ministers.

• Hu Huai'an told Eunuch Zhao that the emperor had revisited a month-old memorial about moldy grain in Yulin Prefecture.
• Eunuch Zhao remembered the case, warned Hu Huai'an not to visit him again, and told him to remain loyal to the emperor.
• Eunuch Zhao privately suspected that the emperor might be preparing the Imperial Grandson to tackle the granary problem.
• Hu Huai'an returned to the Imperial Study and reported Eunuch Zhao's words to the emperor.
• The emperor reflected on why rulers relied on eunuchs and concluded that Zhao's lack of resentment reassured him, though he would have Zhao killed if that changed.

Eunuch Zhao realized the emperor deeply distrusted him and feared he would meet the same fate as Xu Zhong, who had vanished under surveillance. Unable to accept being erased without a trace, he sent a secret message to the Empress and broke down in tears.

• Hu Huai'an left Eunuch Zhao after discussing the emperor’s suspicions and quietly reflected on Zhao’s possible fate.
• A young eunuch reported that Hu Huai'an had returned to the Imperial Study after visiting Zhao, confirming Zhao’s belief that he was being watched.
• Eunuch Zhao recalled how Xu Zhong had disappeared after Zhao himself was assigned to observe him.
• A sudden noise frightened Eunuch Zhao into thinking guards had come to make him disappear, and he resolved that he could not accept such a fate.
• Eunuch Zhao wrote a message for the Empress, briefly called the messenger back, then sent him on and wept, crying out to the emperor.

Chapter Summary: “Installing an Agent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Empress’s palace has been revitalized after the Emperor’s attitude toward her improves. Palace servants enjoy better clothing, livelier duties, and increased confidence because the Emperor now openly favors and respects the Empress.
• Imperial gifts arrive regularly from the Emperor, including food, necessities, ornaments, cosmetics, flowers, jewelry, and other luxuries.
• A large shipment of rare, out-of-season fruits—including lychees, grapes, melons, and other varieties—is delivered exclusively to the Empress’s palace. The fruits are extremely expensive and difficult to transport, emphasizing the Emperor’s special regard for her.
• Zhaoxia orders the fruit to be carefully recorded, stored, and distributed. She reserves part for the Empress, the Crown Grandson’s household, palace consorts, princesses, and titled ladies.
• The Empress reflects on her past relationship with the Emperor. They were once loving partners who struggled together for the succession, but his later suspicion led him to wrongly destroy their son Fu’er, grandson, and the entire Crown Prince’s household.
• Although the Emperor has never deposed her and continues to provide for her, the Empress remains unable to forgive him for the tragedy.
• Zhou Zhong reports that, after the eunuch Wang Jinzhong was beaten to death, one of the Empress’s agents was successfully placed in Wang’s former position. However, the agent’s authority is restricted mainly to palace–outside communications and food purchases.
• The Empress accepts these limitations as a consequence of the Emperor’s vigilance. Zhou Zhong assures her that communications are secure because messages are passed through an unrelated, inconspicuous young eunuch, while the main agent’s origins have been concealed through several intermediaries.

Character Developments

• The Empress: Her status and influence have visibly recovered, but her emotional wounds remain unresolved. She appreciates the Emperor’s current respect yet cannot forgive his past actions against their son and grandson. She also demonstrates caution and strategic patience regarding her covert network.
• Zhaoxia: She appears highly perceptive, efficient, and loyal. She understands the political significance of the Emperor’s gifts, manages their distribution diplomatically, and withdraws at the right moment to allow confidential matters to be discussed.
• Zhou Zhong: He functions as a discreet intelligence coordinator, carefully reporting on the placement of the Empress’s agent and emphasizing the security of their communication system.
• The Emperor: Though absent from the scene, he is portrayed as lavishly attentive toward the Empress while remaining naturally suspicious and controlling about access to information.

Significant Themes

• Reconciliation versus forgiveness: The Emperor’s renewed affection improves the Empress’s circumstances but cannot erase the past or restore her trust.
• Power and political perception: The palace’s servants and court figures interpret the Emperor’s gifts as proof that the Empress is once again favored, showing how personal relationships affect political standing.
• Surveillance and secrecy: The Empress’s faction must operate through layered intermediaries and indirect communication to avoid triggering the Emperor’s suspicion.
• Luxury as political symbolism: The rare fruits represent more than generosity; they publicly demonstrate the Emperor’s special treatment of the Empress.
• Resilience and strategic patience: Rather than openly opposing the Emperor, the Empress quietly rebuilds influence and secures reliable channels to the outside world.

Character Interactions

• The palace servants celebrate the Emperor and Empress’s improved relationship because their own lives become more comfortable and secure.
• Zhaoxia reports the fruit shipment to the Empress and consults her about distributing it among the palace and court, reinforcing her role as a trusted attendant.
• The Empress and Zhaoxia discuss the political and practical handling of the gifts.
• Zhou Zhong privately updates the Empress about the newly installed palace agent. Their conversation reveals the Empress’s cautious planning and Zhou Zhong’s efforts to reassure her that their communications remain undetectable.

Chapter Summary: “Can No Longer Withstand It”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Empress questions Zhou Zhong about the spies planted in various royal residences. He reports that agents have been placed in Princess Xinping’s Residence—one maidservant and one junior eunuch—and that similar spies exist in several princes’ residences.
• The empress explains that she must now be more vigilant because the return of her grandson has given her a reason to protect her descendants, unlike in the past.
• Zhou Zhong reports that Zhao Bingzhong has not yet reacted to their provocations. The empress praises Zhou Zhong’s work and rewards him with fifty taels of silver.
• Shortly afterward, a junior eunuch arrives with a secret message from Zhao Bingzhong. The empress is initially delighted, believing Zhao has finally decided to ally himself with her.
• Zhao Bingzhong’s influence is emphasized: despite his current decline in status, he remains a powerful chief eunuch with extensive connections. If he joined the empress, her faction’s strength would increase dramatically.
• After reading Zhao’s message, however, the empress’s expression changes. She dismisses the messenger and goes outside, attempting to suppress her panic.
• Looking across the palace grounds, she remembers her former family life with the emperor and her young son, Fu’er—the crown prince—before those memories are shattered by the implication of Zhao’s message.
• The message concerns the granary and reveals that the emperor—or the forces acting under his authority—may once again be targeting her grandson. The empress realizes that the past conspiracy against her son was likely not merely political necessity but a deliberate attempt by the emperor to destroy him.
• Overcome by grief and despair, she clings to a pillar and finally sheds a tear.

Character Developments

• The Empress: She is shown as increasingly strategic and politically alert, planting spies and preparing to protect her grandson. Her initial excitement over Zhao Bingzhong’s possible defection quickly turns into emotional collapse when she realizes that the emperor’s ruthlessness has not changed. Her old self-deception finally gives way to grief and anger.
• Zhou Zhong: He proves himself a reliable intelligence operative who has successfully infiltrated multiple royal residences. His obedience and effectiveness earn him a monetary reward.
• Zhao Bingzhong: Though he does not appear directly, his importance grows. His decision to send a message suggests he is willing to communicate with the empress, but the contents indicate a serious warning rather than a simple pledge of allegiance.
• Zhaoxia: She remains emotionally supportive of the empress, trying to comfort her with jokes, lychees, and quiet companionship. She senses the empress’s pain even without knowing its exact cause.
• The Emperor and Crown Prince Fu’er: They appear through the empress’s memories. Fu’er is remembered as youthful, idealistic, and devoted to helping his father govern, making his later downfall seem especially tragic.

Significant Themes

• Political surveillance and distrust: The palace is portrayed as a web of spies, hidden loyalties, and carefully managed information.
• Maternal protection and inherited conflict: The empress’s political awakening is driven by her determination to protect her grandson from the same forces that destroyed her son.
• Betrayal and disillusionment: She can no longer convince herself that Fu’er’s downfall was justified or accidental; she recognizes the emperor’s possible role in it.
• Power and influence: Zhao Bingzhong’s allegiance could radically alter the balance of power, showing how personal networks matter as much as official positions.
• Memory and grief: The quiet palace landscape triggers the empress’s memories of her lost family, contrasting past hope with present loneliness.
• The collapse of hope: Her long-held expectation that the emperor might have changed is destroyed when she realizes he may still be threatening her descendants.

Character Interactions

• The empress and Zhou Zhong discuss the placement of spies, establishing their relationship as one based on confidential political cooperation.
• The empress rewards Zhou Zhong for his service, reinforcing her authority and his loyalty.
• The empress and the junior eunuch exchange a discreet message from Zhao Bingzhong, with the empress carefully concealing her excitement and later her distress.
• Zhaoxia attempts to comfort the empress through small acts of kindness, but ultimately can only stand beside her as she confronts her memories.
• The empress’s remembered interactions with the emperor and Fu’er contrast sharply with her present isolation and deepen the emotional impact of the chapter.

Chapter Summary: “An Unbearable Matter Follows Immediately”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Empress becomes visibly distressed after receiving troubling news, though she conceals the cause from the palace attendants.
• She dismisses everyone and retreats to the inner hall, where she breaks down in private.
• Zhaoxia and the other officials assume the Empress is merely tired or unwell. They discuss her recent cough and arrange soothing food and precautions against illness.
• The chapter explains the harsh palace rules regarding sickness: high-ranking nobles receive treatment, while lower-ranking servants may be expelled and left to depend on luck or personal connections for survival.
• Zhaoxia privately reflects on the recent appointment of the Imperial Grandson. Though it is publicly celebrated, those close to the Empress sense that the event has created hidden political danger.
• In the inner hall, the Empress meets with Yu Han, a trusted longtime aide who now manages much of her depleted faction.
• She gives him a written message revealing that the “old scoundrel”—the Emperor—has once again turned his attention toward the Imperial Grandson.
• Yu Han burns the message completely to prevent anyone else from discovering its contents.
• The Empress asks whether she can win over court officials and take political action against the Emperor.
• Yu Han warns her not to act rashly. He explains that twenty years of political erosion have left her with almost no loyal officials in the outer court.
• He emphasizes that the Emperor’s rule remains highly consolidated despite his age, and that any major move by the Empress would immediately alert him and provoke severe consequences.

Character Developments

• The Empress: Her composed public image cracks under the threat to the Imperial Grandson. She is exhausted, grief-stricken, and driven toward desperate action, but still possesses fierce determination and political awareness. Her grief over past losses, especially the destruction of the Crown Prince’s family, continues to shape her decisions.
• Zhaoxia: She demonstrates loyalty and perceptiveness, sensing that the Empress’s distress is more serious than ordinary illness. However, she respects the Empress’s command and does not intrude.
• Yu Han: He is established as the Empress’s most trusted remaining adviser. Calm, cautious, and politically realistic, he acts decisively by destroying the message and restraining the Empress from an impulsive response.
• The Emperor: Though absent from the scene, he emerges as a powerful and dangerous political opponent. His long reign has systematically weakened the Empress’s former supporters and consolidated control over the court.

Significant Themes

• Political decline and the passage of time: Twenty years have eroded the Empress’s influence, relationships, and faction. Former alliances have disappeared, demonstrating how power and loyalty fade over time.
• The vulnerability of the Imperial Grandson: His recent elevation brings public celebration but also makes him a target in the imperial succession struggle.
• Appearance versus reality: Palace attendants believe the Empress is simply tired or ill, while the true crisis is political and potentially life-threatening.
• Powerlessness and desperation: The Empress still holds the title of Empress, but her practical influence has greatly diminished. Her desire to act clashes with the reality that she lacks sufficient allies.
• The cruelty of the imperial system: The discussion of illness reflects a broader palace structure in which survival depends on rank, connections, and usefulness.
• Restraint versus haste: Yu Han stresses that emotional reactions can destroy political prospects. In a dangerous court, patience and concealment are essential.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhaoxia and the Empress: Zhaoxia tries to support the Empress but obeys when ordered to withdraw, revealing both her loyalty and the strict boundaries of palace service.
• The palace officials: They collectively maintain the appearance of normalcy, unknowingly helping conceal the Empress’s true distress.
• The Empress and Yu Han: Their exchange reveals deep trust. The Empress openly exposes her fear and anger, while Yu Han responds with measured counsel rather than emotional reassurance.
• The Empress and the Emperor: Though they do not meet, the chapter presents them as opposing forces. The Emperor’s political dominance and possible threat to the Imperial Grandson drive the Empress toward contemplating rebellion or alliance-building.
• The Empress and her lost faction: References to the Crown Prince’s death and the destruction of his supporters show that the Empress’s current isolation is the result of long-term political defeat.

Overall Significance

The chapter shifts the story from celebration over the Imperial Grandson’s appointment to an atmosphere of imminent political danger. The Empress learns that the Emperor may target the new heir, but her ability to respond has been weakened by decades of political losses. Yu Han’s warning—“an unbearable matter will likely follow immediately”—foreshadows a major crisis and emphasizes that any attempt to protect the Imperial Grandson may trigger an even more dangerous confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Buying Bones with a Drop of Blood”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The empress initially panics over the possibility that the emperor may be repeating the tragedy surrounding the crown prince. She considers contacting ministers but recognizes that doing so could expose her intentions, strengthen the emperor’s suspicions, and endanger the Imperial Grandson.
• Yu Han advises her to remain composed and avoid giving the emperor any excuse to increase surveillance. He emphasizes that the Imperial Grandson is not as gentle or passive as the former crown prince.
• Yu Han explains that the Imperial Grandson has built a reputation for decisive action, eliminating anyone who obstructs him—from the Black Scarf Society in Linhua County to Marshal Qian Zhidong in the southwest. His investigation of the imperial guards and inspection of the Imperial Feather Guards suggest that he is already preparing for a larger confrontation.
• The empress realizes that the Imperial Grandson may be planning a drastic move, likely one connected to seizing or reshaping imperial power. Though this possibility frightens her, she also gains confidence that he is capable of acting where she cannot.
• Yu Han tells her that her most important role is preserving her status as empress. Because she represents the empire’s “mother of the world,” she could use an imperial edict to control the court during a crisis and potentially depose or enthrone an emperor.
• The empress agrees to help establish a network inside the palace. She instructs Yu Han to tell the Imperial Grandson that she will manage the palace’s interior while he operates outside it.
• In a secret passage, the injured Civet Cat returns to Xie Zhenqing and reports that the assassination or attack failed because they encountered a trap. Xie Zhenqing reacts with threatening anger but spares the creature after it demonstrates submission.
• To reward its loyalty despite the failure, Xie Zhenqing gives Civet Cat half a drop of mysterious red-golden blood, promising the other half if it succeeds in the future. Hidden figures, including Xu, watch enviously as Civet Cat consumes the blood.

Character Developments

• The Empress: Moves from panic and helplessness toward strategic resolve. She recognizes that her authority and position may be more valuable than direct intervention, and she accepts a central role in supporting the Imperial Grandson’s plans.
• Yu Han: Demonstrates political insight and loyalty. He acts as the empress’s strategist, warning her against rash action while directing her toward palace-based power and preparation.
• The Imperial Grandson: Although absent, he is characterized as calculating, ruthless, capable, and proactive. His actions against powerful enemies and his inspection of military forces suggest ambitions far beyond simple self-defense.
• Xie Zhenqing: Revealed as a dangerous, manipulative figure who controls his subordinates through fear and rewards. His calm cruelty is evident in how quickly he shifts from murderous intent to deceptive gentleness.
• Civet Cat: Shows fear and obedience toward Xie Zhenqing, but its loyalty is rewarded with a supernatural or highly valuable substance. Its enhanced status creates jealousy among the other hidden followers.
• Xu and the other shadows: Their envy of Civet Cat establishes a hierarchy based on merit, rewards, and access to Xie Zhenqing’s power.

Significant Themes

• Power through position: The empress’s authority, rather than physical freedom, may allow her to control the court during a succession crisis.
• Political restraint and indirect action: Both the empress and the Imperial Grandson must act carefully, avoiding moves that alert the emperor too early.
• Contrasting legacies: The Imperial Grandson resembles the crown prince in appearance but differs sharply in temperament, having developed through hardship rather than palace privilege.
• Fear and loyalty: Xie Zhenqing maintains control through terror, while small rewards—such as a drop of blood—encourage obedience and competition.
• Succession and upheaval: The chapter strongly suggests that a major struggle over the throne is approaching, with the empress and Imperial Grandson preparing from inside and outside the palace.
• Blood as power and currency: The red-golden blood functions as a rare reward, symbolizing both supernatural strength and the transactional nature of loyalty.

Character Interactions

• The empress and Yu Han engage in a tense strategic discussion, with Yu Han repeatedly grounding her panic in political reality.
• The empress gradually accepts Yu Han’s assessment that the Imperial Grandson is capable of decisive action and agrees to become his ally within the palace.
• Xie Zhenqing intimidates Civet Cat through overwhelming killing intent, then manipulates it with reassurance and a reward.
• Civet Cat’s receipt of the blood provokes silent envy from Xu and the other hidden figures, revealing competition among Xie Zhenqing’s subordinates.

Chapter Summary: “Finding That Drop of Blood”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Zhenqing deliberately provokes the demons around him by insulting their beastly nature, then motivates them with the promise of power and profit. After giving the monsters a drop of blood, he orders them to attack, restoring their confidence and fighting spirit.
• He reflects on the difference between humans and demons, believing demons can be controlled through strength, authority, and rewards, while humans are more easily restrained by habit and social conditioning.
• Having learned from the failure of an earlier assassination attempt, Xie Zhenqing resolves not to waste more forces. He intends to locate Xie Hongdao first, then strike decisively and kill him before he can recover or prepare.
• At the Zhou Residence, Xu Yin practices an extremely slow, graceful form of swordsmanship that resembles a dance. During the exercise, she suddenly senses that she has located the mysterious blood she has been searching for.
• Xu Yin uses her gaze to hypnotize her maid Shi Qin, sending her into a deep sleep so she can act without supervision. She then summons a Giant Eagle and orders it to find the stolen drop of blood.
• Xu Yin reveals her anger over the damage caused by the demon impersonating or acting in her name. Because of this manipulation, her daughter nearly died, her original dragon body was endangered, and her broader plans were disrupted.
• At the former Marquis of Pacifying the South’s/Earl’s Residence, the household has fallen into disgrace after its title was stripped. The plaque has been removed, servants have departed, restricted rooms have been sealed, and the residence has lost its former vitality.
• The Countess, once overwhelmed by social obligations and household management, now has the leisure she once wished for—but only because her family has fallen into ruin. She sits with Xie Hongdao and several frightened stewards in a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Character Developments

• Xie Zhenqing is shown as calculating, ruthless, and strategically disciplined. He understands how to manipulate the Demon Race through fear and desire, and he has become more cautious after the failed assassination attempt.
• Xu Yin/Zhou Yao is revealed to be far more powerful and mysterious than her identity as a young lady suggests. She has awakened, recovered enough to act, and is actively tracking the stolen blood. Her anger shows that she is determined to reclaim control and punish those responsible.
• Shi Qin demonstrates loyalty by constantly monitoring her mistress, but she is easily subdued by Xu Yin’s supernatural ability. Her parents’ concern explains why she had been ordered to watch Xu Yin.
• The Countess has undergone a sharp reversal of fortune. Her former authority and busy social life have vanished, leaving her physically and emotionally devastated.
• Xie Hongdao remains under pressure and appears connected to the ruined household, while Xie Zhenqing identifies him as the primary target of his next attack.

Significant Themes

• Power over morality: Xie Zhenqing argues that authority and material reward, rather than virtue, are what truly control people and monsters.
• Beastly resilience versus human weakness: He believes demons can recover quickly after defeat as long as they are offered rewards, whereas humans are less able to rebound from failure.
• Manipulation and identity: Xu Yin’s plans were disrupted by someone acting in her name, emphasizing the danger of impersonation, political manipulation, and hidden power struggles.
• Decline and loss of status: The former Earl’s Residence illustrates how quickly privilege, prestige, and social order can disappear when political favor is lost.
• Patience and decisive action: Both Xie Zhenqing and Xu Yin avoid acting blindly. Xie waits to find Xie Hongdao before striking, while Xu Yin uses the Giant Eagle to track the blood and uncover the culprit.

Character Interactions

• Xie Zhenqing dominates the demons through insults, promises, and commands, turning their fear and greed into renewed aggression.
• He also examines the unconscious Civet Cat, whose blissful expression contrasts with his own cold calculation.
• Xu Yin silently overrides Shi Qin’s attempts to supervise her, using hypnosis to remove the obstacle without confrontation.
• Xu Yin commands the Giant Eagle as a trusted supernatural servant, directing it to recover the stolen blood.
• At the ruined residence, the Countess and Xie Hongdao face the stewards in a strained meeting, reflecting the household’s anxiety and collapse.

Chapter Summary: “Willingly Serve as Bait”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The countess reviews the condition of the family’s estates, shops, and other assets with their stewards. Although the properties are currently stable, she warns Xie Hongdao that losing their noble title will eventually leave them vulnerable to suppression and financial losses.
• Xie Hongdao recognizes that the family’s wealth depended heavily on its noble status. He also notices the hostility of the household staff, many of whom blame him for the residence’s downfall.
• He reassures the countess that matters will not become as bad as she fears, though she doubts that a former pageboy can restore the family’s standing or gain acceptance among the nobility.
• Xie Hongdao visits his biological father, the severely weakened Marquis of Pacifying the South. Seeing the marquis emaciated and half-paralyzed deeply distresses him. He realizes that even if he can recover the family’s prestige, his father’s health and the household’s trust may never fully be restored.
• Concluding that ordinary efforts cannot secure him a place in either the imperial court or the aristocracy, Xie Hongdao decides to take another route: he will serve the Imperial Grandson and willingly act as bait in a dangerous operation.
• He leaves the residence with Hui Dao and Shi Chengyan and travels to the mansion of an imperial examiner. Xie Hongdao uses a powerful concealment technique that makes him disappear whenever observers relax their attention, allowing him to enter the official’s residence unnoticed.
• After Xie Hongdao leaves, the supposedly sleeping marquis reveals that he was awake and secretly orders a man to follow Xie Hongdao and observe what he accomplishes.

Character Developments

• Xie Hongdao: Becomes more resolute and pragmatic. Though hurt by the household’s resentment and aware of his low social standing, he accepts that he has no safe or respectable path forward. His decision to become bait shows his willingness to risk his life to secure a future and gain the Imperial Grandson’s protection.
• The Countess: Remains caring but skeptical. She understands the political and economic realities of losing noble status and doubts that Xie Hongdao can overcome the entrenched barriers of aristocratic society.
• The Marquis of Pacifying the South: Appears physically ruined, but his secret awakening shows that he is still mentally alert and interested in Xie Hongdao’s actions. His decision to send someone after him suggests concern, suspicion, or a desire to assess his son’s abilities.
• Hui Dao: Warns Xie Hongdao about the danger of acting as bait, but accompanies and supports him.
• Shi Chengyan: Initially watches from the carriage, then becomes shocked by Xie Hongdao’s concealment ability, recognizing its terrifying potential for infiltration or assassination.

Significant Themes

• Loss of status and protection: The chapter emphasizes that wealth and security depend not only on assets but on political rank and social connections.
• Social prejudice and legitimacy: Xie Hongdao’s origins as a former pageboy prevent him from being accepted, even though he is the Marquis’s biological son. The chapter questions whether bloodline matters when society values usefulness and affiliation more.
• Desperation and sacrifice: With the family’s future collapsing, Xie Hongdao chooses a dangerous course because conventional options are closed to him.
• Perception and invisibility: His concealment technique reflects both literal stealth and his social position—he has long been overlooked, underestimated, and treated as an outsider.
• Family resentment and responsibility: Xie Hongdao struggles with guilt over the household’s misfortune but ultimately rejects the belief that he alone is responsible, blaming Xie Zhenqing and the political circumstances instead.

Character Interactions

• The countess and Xie Hongdao discuss the family’s precarious future, revealing her doubts and his determination.
• Xie Hongdao silently confronts the resentment of the household stewards, showing the emotional distance between him and the people he hopes to protect.
• His visit to the marquis is tender but tragic; he cares deeply for his father, while the marquis secretly observes him and orders him followed.
• Hui Dao challenges Xie Hongdao’s decision to act as bait, while Xie Hongdao insists that serving the Imperial Grandson is his only remaining option.
• Shi Chengyan and Hui Dao observe Xie Hongdao’s infiltration, with Shi Chengyan expressing astonishment at the concealment art and its dangerous implications.