Chapter Summaries

Chapter 9 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Bafu is caught in a latrine by the examiner, Li Chenjing, who insists on watching to determine whether Zhu urinates standing up “like a man.” Zhu becomes increasingly embarrassed and furious, refusing to relieve himself under Li’s scrutiny.
• The two recognize each other as the same people involved in their earlier encounter. Li remembers Zhu’s flirtatious love poem and remains unsettled by the effect it had on him.
• Li reveals that he is one of the examiners, while Zhu is taking the examination. He jokingly threatens to add a urinary inspection to the exam, causing Zhu to panic and storm out.
• Zhu realizes that his embarrassing encounter has likely made Li an enemy. Entering the examination hall, however, he finds Li presiding over the exam in a dignified and intimidating manner.
• During the examination, Li questions Zhu about his earlier behavior. Zhu accidentally admits that, unable to use the latrine, he urinated in a peony bed. Li presses him for details, forcing Zhu into an increasingly awkward confession that he gave the flowers “homemade fertilizer.”

Character Developments

• Zhu Bafu: Her bold, blustering exterior gives way to nervousness and embarrassment when confronted by Li. She remains quick-witted and defiant, but her impulsive remarks repeatedly expose her secret and leave her vulnerable. Her behavior also highlights the difficulty of disguising herself as a man.
• Li Chenjing: He appears increasingly amused by Zhu’s discomfort and deliberately teases her. Although outwardly cold and authoritative as an examiner, he shows a growing personal interest in her, remembering her love poem and provoking her for his own entertainment. His composed public persona contrasts with his mischievous private behavior.

Significant Themes

• Disguise and gender identity: Zhu’s attempt to pass as a male scholar is threatened by the question of how she urinates, emphasizing the constant practical dangers of her disguise.
• Embarrassment and power: Li’s position as examiner gives him authority over Zhu, allowing him to exploit her humiliation and unsettle her.
• Public dignity versus private absurdity: The solemn examination hall and its ideals of selecting worthy scholars contrast sharply with Zhu’s childish panic and the ridiculous latrine incident.
• Growing romantic tension: Li’s lingering reaction to Zhu’s love poem and his fascination with her behavior suggest an attraction or emotional confusion he does not yet understand.

Character Interactions

• Zhu and Li’s exchange is dominated by teasing, embarrassment, and power struggles. Zhu responds with indignation and bravado, while Li remains calm and deliberately provocative.
• Their mutual recognition transforms a random encounter into a personal conflict, but Li’s amusement and continued attention also hint at increasing intimacy.
• In the examination hall, Li maintains his formal authority, while Zhu becomes submissive and nervous—only to undermine herself with another outrageous confession.

Key events

• During her examination, Zhu Bafu is surprised when examiner Li Chenjing praises her after she has secretly relieved herself in the Peony Garden.
• Li tests her with riddles. She answers briskly and playfully, impressing him with practical reasoning and wit.
• Asked where she wants to serve, Zhu requests the undesirable post of warden in Qingzhou. She jokes that the position offers opportunities to make money, while privately wanting to help her father, who was sent there.
• Li sets her a timed poem on “Cold Window.” Zhu first seems to compose a love poem, then completes it with verses about a woman waiting for her beloved while he spends ten years studying for fame. Li falls silent, apparently affected by the poem.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu shows confidence, quick intelligence, irreverence, and poetic skill. She disguises her real reason for seeking Qingzhou beneath a deliberately shameless explanation.
• Li Chenjing, initially detached and skeptical, becomes intrigued by Zhu’s liveliness and unconventional answers. Her poem seems to touch him personally or awaken a deeper reflection.

Character interactions

• Li questions Zhu with a mix of riddles, career questions, and a poetry challenge; Zhu responds with humor and audacity.
• Their exchange shifts from formal examination to mutual curiosity: Li studies Zhu more closely, while Zhu openly teases and tries to win his favor.

Significant themes

• Appearances and hidden motives: Zhu’s male disguise and joking ambition conceal her filial purpose.
• Unconventional intelligence: Her practical, quick answers challenge rigid scholarly expectations.
• Women’s longing and sacrifice: The poem evokes a woman left waiting while a man pursues status through years of study.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Zhu Bafu grows increasingly anxious when examiner Li Chenjing ignores her question about whether she answered correctly.
• Instead, Li asks whether she likes men, then abruptly invites her to “try liking” him. Zhu realizes that her earlier recitation of a love poem may have been mistaken for a love letter and that Li’s official power could threaten her examination prospects.
• She attempts to refuse by flattering Li and explaining that, as the Zhu family’s only son, she must marry a woman and continue the family line.
• Li assures her he will not prevent her from having children or marry, and says he only wants her to pretend to like him. He explains that he wants to know what it feels like to be loved, and that he finds women too troublesome.
• Though he eventually says she may leave if she is unwilling, Li’s teasing “You could try and find out” leaves Zhu uncertain whether refusal will carry consequences.

Character developments

• Zhu is revealed as a woman passing as a male candidate, forced to think quickly to protect her identity, future career, and family obligations. Her thoughts are comic and often tangled, but her fear of Li’s authority is genuine.
• Li appears calm and playful, but his request hints at loneliness or curiosity about affection. He claims he is not seeking a physical relationship and says he will not block Zhu’s future marriage or children.

Character interactions

• Zhu tries to redirect the conversation to her exam answer, but Li turns it into a personal—and potentially coercive—romantic proposition.
• She counters with flattery and an appeal to family duty; Li rejects her “I’m unworthy” excuse and brushes aside her concern about children.
• Li’s offer to let her go softens the pressure somewhat, but his ambiguous final remark keeps the power imbalance—and Zhu’s fear—unresolved.

Significant themes

• The chapter uses comic misunderstanding and gender disguise to explore the vulnerability of women in male-dominated institutions.
• It highlights the danger of official power intruding into private life, while also raising questions about affection, loneliness, and the different burdens attached to relationships with men and women.

Chapter Ten Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Six-Ministry Review convenes to select new students for the Dongxu Mansion. The ministers discuss the applicants, each choosing according to their department’s needs and personal preferences.
• The Emperor repeatedly interrupts the meeting to ask who impregnated his “Imperial Noble Consort.” The ministers ignore him until Li Chenjing points out that the “consort” is actually a cat in the Imperial Garden.
• Lord Long accuses Li Chenjing of having an improper relationship with a male student and hints at bribery and favoritism. Li gives him the silent treatment, then turns the accusation back on him with a pointed joke about Long’s name.
• Nian Youyu selects several applicants but rejects those he considers clever, corrupt-looking, or overweight. The Minister of Works asks for poor students willing to do hard labor, while Long Ang raises a separate complaint about someone defiling his Peony Garden.
• Li ends the review by confirming that the students will enter the mansion on a date to be decided, then leaves. The others continue their informal gathering.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chenjing remains cool and aloof under Lord Long’s provocation, showing both his authority as head of the Six Ministries and his sharp wit when he finally responds. His brief irritation suggests the accusations have worn on him.
• Lord Long (Longyang) is brash and provocative, openly challenging Li, but ends up embarrassed by Li’s retort. He privately resents being made to look responsible for driving Li away.
• The Emperor behaves less like an imposing ruler than a distracted, shameless jokester, repeatedly demanding answers about his pregnant cat.
• Long Ang, the Minister of Rites, tries to keep the meeting orderly and later gently scolds both the Emperor and Longyang for provoking Li.
• Nian Youyu reveals strict, blunt standards in choosing students, while the Minister of Works shows practical concern for applicants who are poor and hardworking.

Significant themes

• Power undermined by informality: Even the Emperor’s authority is ignored amid the ministers’ banter.
• Professional duties mixed with personal rivalries: The student review is repeatedly diverted by teasing, accusations, and private grievances.
• Wit as a weapon: Li’s composure and cutting wordplay let him counter Lord Long without losing his dignity.

Chapter Eleven Summary

Key plot points and events

• The emperor lounges in the Imperial Garden with his pregnant Persian cat, whom he jokingly calls the “Imperial Noble Consort.” His indulgence has inspired palace rumors: the cat gets a koi at every meal, chooses which concubine’s chambers he visits, and wanders the palace with him.
• The concubines try to attract the emperor by grooming tomcats and hoping the Imperial Noble Consort will favor their pets—and, in turn, their chambers.
• The cat has no lasting interest in other cats, but she is strongly attracted to handsome men. She leaps onto Grand Secretary Li Chenjing and settles in his arms.
• Li is uncomfortable with the cat’s advances and repeatedly asks the emperor to call her back. He finally returns her to the emperor and asks why he was summoned.
• The emperor says he has reviewed Li’s list of new Academy Students and thanks him. He then claims to know that Li wanted a private heart-to-heart with him.

Character developments and interactions

• The emperor is playful, self-absorbed, and deliberately provocative, teasing Li about the cat’s affection and suggesting Li should feel honored by it.
• Li remains composed but visibly exasperated, disapproving of both the cat’s behavior and the emperor’s teasing. He steers the conversation back to official business.
• The cat is portrayed as spoiled and fickle, yet unusually discerning in her attraction to handsome men.
• Earlier, the Minister of Rites advises the emperor to soothe Li’s hurt feelings after Li leaves without receiving thanks. The emperor accepts the advice, though he misunderstands the likely consequences of a private meeting. Xiaoyang privately doubts that Li would welcome such an encounter.

Significant themes

• Courtly favoritism and absurdity: The emperor’s affection for his cat parodies the politics of the Inner Palace.
• Duty and recognition: Li’s hard work goes unacknowledged, prompting concern that he feels slighted.
• Power and discomfort: The emperor’s teasing highlights the imbalance between his authority and Li’s ability to object freely.
• Appearance and attraction: The cat’s preference for strikingly handsome men becomes a comic refrain, and Li recognizes himself in the description despite rejecting it.

Chapter Twelve Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The emperor summons Li Chenjing and teasingly questions him about Zhu Bafu, particularly his dramatic “confession” to the young scholar during the examination.
• Li reveals that the confession was a calculated performance designed to reassure the emperor. Since he knew the emperor was having him watched, he used the situation to make it appear that he posed no threat—especially regarding romantic competition.
• The emperor sees through the scheme but is amused by it. He rewards Li for recruiting talented students for Dongxu Mansion by issuing a decree appointing Zhu Bafu as Li’s personal Study Attendant.
• Beneath the joking tone, the emperor reminds Li of the true purpose of the Six Ministries Student Council and asserts his authority over him, warning, “You are mine.”
• In the second section, Zhu Bafu asks what it means when a man tells another man, “You are mine.” She is told it signifies love, leading her to wonder whether the statement has the same meaning when both people are male.
• Young Master Piao suddenly visits Zhu Bafu, carrying his spoiled and aristocratic cat. Zhu recognizes him from their previous visit to Spring Breeze House but is initially confused by his surname and manner.
• Piao joins Zhu at a shabby roadside tea stall. Despite the unpleasant setting and the cat’s obvious displeasure, Zhu treats him warmly and orders tea, while Piao’s refined cat reacts dramatically to the dirty table and splashed tea.

Character Developments

• Li Chenjing is shown to be highly strategic and politically cautious. He anticipates the emperor’s surveillance and constructs an elaborate romantic performance to protect his position and prove his loyalty.
• The Emperor is playful and possessive but also deeply politically minded. His teasing masks suspicion and a desire to control Li’s loyalties. His statement that Li is “mine” emphasizes their intimate yet unequal relationship.
• Zhu Bafu remains straightforward, practical, and socially unconventional. She takes romantic questions literally and responds to Young Master Piao with open hospitality, unconcerned by his status or the shabby surroundings.
• Young Master Piao appears elegant, wealthy, flirtatious, and self-assured. His visit suggests continued interest in Zhu, while his fondness for his pampered cat adds a comic and eccentric element.
• The cat functions as a humorous reflection of its master’s refinement and arrogance, reacting indignantly to the crude tea stall.

Significant Themes

• Political loyalty and control: The emperor’s reward is also a reminder that Li’s service and allegiance belong to him.
• Performance and deception: Li’s supposed confession demonstrates how romance can be used as political theater.
• Possessiveness and romantic ambiguity: The phrase “You are mine” carries both emotional and authoritarian meanings.
• Class contrast: Zhu’s ordinary, practical behavior contrasts with Piao’s wealth and refinement.
• Comedy through misunderstanding: Zhu’s literal interpretation of romantic language and confusion over Piao’s surname create much of the chapter’s humor.

Character Interactions

• The emperor and Li engage in a familiar but tense exchange filled with teasing, suspicion, and political subtext. Their shared childhood creates intimacy, but the emperor’s authority remains unmistakable.
• Zhu and Young Master Piao interact in a playful, awkward manner. He hints at familiarity and possible affection, while she treats him as an ordinary guest and focuses on providing tea.
• Zhu’s unpretentious hospitality clashes humorously with Piao’s aristocratic expectations, especially through the cat’s exaggerated disgust at the tea stall.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Young Master Piao visits Zhu Bafu, bringing along the Persian cat he treats with unusual tenderness. When Zhu insults the cat by comparing its tea to ditch water, Piao becomes quietly murderous and defensive, revealing how important the “pet” is to him. He then confides that Young Master Chenjing—whom he considers “his person”—has betrayed him. Zhu assumes Piao is suffering from romantic heartbreak and offers advice as a self-styled emotional counselor.
• Zhu asks whether Piao’s feelings are stronger for Chenjing or for Miss Liu, exposing the tangled love triangle between the two men and the woman. Piao avoids answering and instead takes Zhu to the riverside. There, he mischievously has her confirm that the tea she drank was actually cheap tea-water used for livestock, privately enjoying her discomfort after she mocked his cat.
• At the river, Piao finally reveals his real request: he wants Zhu to investigate something at Dongxu Mansion. He demonstrates that he already knows extensive details about her life—her upcoming examination, desire to become an official in Qingzhou, poor family background, younger brother, and financial difficulties—leaving Zhu alarmed that he may also know her secret identity and origins.

Character developments

• Young Master Piao appears outwardly elegant and playful but is deeply possessive, emotionally conflicted, and highly protective of the cat/Imperial Noble Consort. His apparent heartbreak over Chenjing suggests complicated feelings that may be stronger than his attachment to Miss Liu.
• Zhu Bafu continues to misunderstand the romantic situation, interpreting Piao’s distress as a conventional love problem. She remains calculating and money-conscious, initially considering whether she could benefit from attracting such a wealthy man, but becomes increasingly wary once she realizes how thoroughly he has investigated her.
• The cat’s importance to Piao is emphasized: it is treated almost like a beloved companion or romantic partner, and Piao reacts sharply to any insult toward it.

Themes

• Emotional ambiguity and tangled relationships: Piao’s bond with Chenjing, Miss Liu, and Zhu forms a confusing romantic triangle—or possibly a more complex web of desire and possessiveness.
• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: Zhu believes she is counseling Piao about love, while the reader can see that she is entangled in his schemes and that his true motives may be unrelated to emotional consolation.
• Power, surveillance, and vulnerability: Piao’s knowledge of Zhu’s personal circumstances shows his influence and investigative reach, threatening her independence and hidden identity.
• Humor through contrast: Zhu’s practical, profit-driven thoughts clash with Piao’s melodramatic sorrow and refined mannerisms, while the “ditch water” joke becomes a playful act of revenge.
• Character interactions: Piao alternates between confiding in Zhu, teasing her, and subtly intimidating her. Zhu tries to act helpful and professional while privately judging his relationships and hoping to profit from him. Their conversation shifts from emotional counseling to manipulation and investigation, ending with Zhu realizing that she may be the one under scrutiny.

Plot points and events

• Young Master Piao hires Zhu Bafu to discover which people in Dongxu Mansion’s Mini-Court received its members’ Seals. The Seals can serve as Death-Exemption Tokens, so their recipients may reveal whom the powerful advisers care about most.
• Bafu initially suspects Piao wants her to steal the Seals, but he clarifies that he only wants information. His real interest is Young Master Chenjing, one of the six Mini-Court members.
• Piao offers a blank check, and Bafu accepts the job. They seal their agreement with a high five.
• Days later, Bafu’s name appears on the admission list: she has passed the examination and will study at Dongxu Mansion.
• She returns home pleased with her double gain—an academy place and a lucrative side job. Zhu Xiaojiu is unsurprised and tells her to attend classes with him while pretending they do not know each other.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu shows her usual mix of suspicion, practicality, and opportunism. She worries about the risks of Piao’s request, then eagerly accepts once she learns it is harmless gossip and the payment could be substantial.
• Young Master Piao reveals that his interest in the Seals is personal: he wants to know whom Chenjing favors. His distant smile suggests disappointment that he may not be the person Chenjing cares about most.
• Zhu Xiaojiu remains calm and matter-of-fact about Bafu’s success, then insists on keeping their relationship secret at the academy.

Themes

• Wealth and influence: Piao repeatedly credits his family’s riches for his knowledge and ability to secure Bafu’s admission, prompting Bafu’s cynical view of how easily money can bend society.
• Love, loyalty, and sacrifice: A Seal’s value as a Death-Exemption Token makes its recipient a possible sign of deep affection and trust.
• Self-interest and comic opportunism: Bafu frames the arrangement as a harmless, profitable opportunity and celebrates her good fortune.

Character interactions

• Piao and Bafu negotiate their information-for-money arrangement through teasing, suspicion, and shared humor.
• Bafu privately interprets Piao’s interest in Chenjing as a sign of romantic longing and possible heartbreak.
• Bafu seeks praise from Xiaojiu for her success, but receives only a restrained response and instructions to keep their connection hidden at school.

Plot points and events

• Zhu Bafu discovers that her younger brother, Zhu Xiaojiu, wears a fine amber Ministry of Revenue Seal. Believing such Seals are romantic gifts from powerful officials, she panics that Xiaojiu has become someone’s lover and resolves to protect him.
• Dongxu Mansion, an academy under the Ministry of Personnel, holds its opening ceremony in Year 6 of Tianjuan. The Dean delivers a long, pompous welcome speech and begins reciting the academy’s strict rules.
• Li Chenjing interrupts the ceremony to complain that the Emperor missed it. He orders the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort to appear before the ancestral tablets the next day and kneel as punishment. The Dean is left bewildered, unsure whether to continue preaching loyalty to the sovereign.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu is fiercely protective of Xiaojiu and quick to jump to dramatic conclusions about the Seal’s meaning.
• Zhu Xiaojiu is calm and matter-of-fact about the gift, while guarding it from his sister’s scrutiny.
• Li Chenjing appears stern and authoritative, willing to reprimand even the Emperor.
• The Dean is shown as pompous and uncertain, especially when his lesson on obedience is contradicted by events.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: The academy teaches loyalty to the Emperor, yet a high-ranking official openly disciplines him.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhu Bafu’s assumptions about the Seal—and the Dean’s grand rhetoric—create comic misunderstandings.
• Authority and absurdity: The contrast between formal rules and the characters’ irreverent, unconventional behavior drives the humor.

Character interactions

• Zhu Bafu questions Xiaojiu about the Seal and privately resolves to defend him from the feared romantic entanglement.
• The Dean addresses the new students, but Zhu Bafu silently mocks his speech.
• Li Chenjing interrupts the Dean and issues orders concerning the Emperor and Imperial Noble Consort, leaving the Dean and the implied court hierarchy in disarray.

Key plot points and events

• Grand Secretary Li Chenjing interrupts the dean’s speech by reminding him that he had threatened to use the Imperial Sword. The dean collapses, ending the ceremony, and the students applaud Li for rescuing them from the speech.
• Zhu Bafu reflects on the Student Council’s power: its six commanders, appointed by the emperor, form a miniature court within the academy. She worries about the Minister of Revenue’s apparent interest in her younger brother, Xiaojiu, and hopes to identify him—and perhaps discover where the other five Seals are.
• Zhu sneaks into the forbidden Annex Courtyard, where the six ministry commanders have private studies. Mistaking a study marked by abacuses for the Minister of Revenue’s, she peers inside and sees a woman arranging peonies—an apparent breach of the academy’s strict ban on women.
• The woman notices Zhu and sends a flower flying toward her. As Zhu flees, someone hooks her foot with a smoking pipe, sending her tumbling down the stairs.
• The man is Young Master Long. He accuses Zhu of taking his silver without completing the task he paid her for: delivering a love letter to the Prime Minister’s Son. Zhu insists she delivered it, but Long grabs her chin as she begins to explain.

Character developments

• Li Chenjing displays authority and dry wit, effortlessly silencing the dean and underscoring the Student Council’s influence.
• Zhu Bafu remains determined and resourceful, investigating the commanders and the Seals, but her curiosity leads her into danger. Her thoughts also show her fierce protectiveness of Xiaojiu.
• Young Master Long reappears as a threatening, teasing presence, confronting Zhu over the letter and leaving his intentions ambiguous.
• The woman in the study is introduced as a skilled and potentially dangerous figure, reacting quickly to Zhu’s intrusion.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: The student council’s authority rivals—and apparently exceeds—the dean’s.
• Secrecy and surveillance: Zhu investigates hidden studies, concealed identities, and the Seals, while others catch her spying.
• Gender and propriety: The academy’s strict exclusion of women makes the woman in the study especially suspicious.
• Comic danger and misunderstanding: Zhu’s dramatic assumptions about Long and her painful fall mix farce with genuine menace.

Character interactions

• Li confronts the dean with his own earlier threat, prompting the dean’s collapse and the students’ relief.
• Zhu’s concern for Xiaojiu motivates her investigation of the Minister of Revenue.
• The woman in the study detects Zhu’s spying and throws a peony toward the doorway.
• Young Master Long trips and confronts Zhu, demanding an account of the paid errand; Zhu claims she delivered the letter, but the exchange ends before she can explain further.

Key plot points and events

• Zhu Bafu confronts Longyang, who mistakes him for a male rival and boasts that he has won over the woman Longyang is supposed to marry.
• Zhu Bafu plays along, calmly telling Longyang to pursue her and even wishing them well, frustrating Longyang, who expects jealousy and resistance.
• Longyang accuses Zhu Bafu of lacking masculine pride, then threatens to punish him for trespassing in the Six Ministries’ Forbidden Land by castrating him.
• Longyang orders his men to restrain Zhu Bafu. In the central hall, Zhu Bafu begs, jokes, and calls for rescuers, but Longyang draws his sword and threatens to strip him.
• Longyang’s swordplay slices Zhu Bafu’s belt into scraps, leaving his trousers in danger, though the excerpt ends before the threatened punishment is carried out.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu stays irreverent and evasive under pressure, treating Longyang’s romantic claims as unimportant and using jokes to deflect danger. His panic grows when Longyang’s threat becomes physical.
• Longyang is boastful, theatrical, and easily provoked. His attempted display of romantic dominance turns into an angry, coercive punishment when Zhu Bafu refuses to react as expected.

Significant themes

• Gender expectations and identity: The humor depends on Longyang’s assumptions about Zhu Bafu’s masculinity and anatomy, while Zhu Bafu’s disguise makes the threat of castration especially absurd.
• Pride versus indifference: Longyang expects Zhu Bafu to defend his honor and engagement; Zhu Bafu’s apparent lack of jealousy undermines Longyang’s performance of masculine pride.
• Comic bravado and escalating danger: Banter and exaggeration mask a real power imbalance as Longyang shifts from boasting to threatening physical violence.

Character interactions

• Longyang tries to provoke jealousy by claiming he and Zhu Bafu’s supposed fiancée have pledged themselves to each other; Zhu Bafu responds with cheerful indifference.
• Their teasing turns into a contest over shame, dignity, and masculinity, with Zhu Bafu mocking Longyang’s vanity.
• Longyang uses his authority and sword skill to intimidate Zhu Bafu, while Zhu Bafu pleads, bargains, and jokes in an effort to escape.

Key plot points and events

• Longyang prepares to strip Zhu Bafu and cut off her “manhood,” convinced she is a man. She panics, shouts accusations, and tries to stop him.
• When Longyang tears his robe to gag her, Zhu notices the military seal pendant on his chest and reaches toward it. Longyang reacts sharply, interpreting the touch as an attempt to seduce him.
• Zhu is gagged and pinned down as Longyang moves to pull down her trousers.
• Grand Secretary Li Chenjing interrupts, objecting that Longyang is assaulting his personal Study Attendant. Longyang claims Zhu was spying on Minister of Revenue Xiao Yu.
• The woman Xiao Yu appears above and confirms that Zhu was watching through the window. Zhu, still gagged, can only protest silently.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu is terrified but remains quick-witted and irreverent, mentally mocking Longyang and desperately seeking rescue. Her attention to Longyang’s seal suggests she is looking for a particular military seal.
• Longyang is domineering and easily provoked. Zhu’s accidental touch unsettles him, and he masks his reaction with insults and aggression.
• Li Chenjing intervenes with calm authority, openly challenging Longyang while asserting his claim over Zhu as his attendant.
• Xiao Yu is introduced as a poised, beautiful woman whose testimony puts Zhu in greater danger.

Significant themes

• Mistaken identity and gender disguise: Longyang treats Zhu as a man, while the reader sees the danger created by her concealed identity.
• Power and vulnerability: Zhu is restrained and silenced by powerful men, while Li’s arrival shifts the balance.
• Appearance versus reality: Longyang misreads Zhu’s motives, and her outwardly comic behavior masks genuine fear.
• Humor amid danger: Zhu’s extravagant inner commentary contrasts with the serious threat she faces.

Character interactions

• Longyang humiliates and threatens Zhu; she counters with frantic protests and sharp internal mockery.
• Zhu’s brief touch of Longyang’s pendant triggers his anger and suspicion.
• Li Chenjing challenges Longyang’s treatment of Zhu, while Longyang defends his actions as enforcement of the mansion’s rules.
• Xiao Yu confirms the spying accusation and teasingly observes Zhu’s gaze, leaving Zhu unable to defend herself.

Key plot points and events

• Longyang tries to claim Zhu Bafu, insisting he will discipline her after she has broken the rules. Li Chenjing refuses, saying Zhu is his responsibility from now on.
• Li reveals that Zhu is his personal Study Attendant—a special gift from the Holy Emperor. Longyang is surprised and annoyed that Li received such a privilege, while Long Ang takes the arrangement in stride.
• Li leads Zhu away to his study. Since her trousers are slipping and her mouth is still sealed, their exchange is awkward and comic: he tells her to hold up her pants and follow him, but refuses to help or carry her.
• Zhu realizes that the job Young Master Piao arranged for her is precisely the post that will keep her close to Li. She worries this will make it harder to gather gossip and fears being trapped under Li’s watchful eye.
• She plans to ask for another assignment, even considering unpleasant alternatives. Then Li asks whether she is free that night, and Zhu hastily claims she has plans with women.

Character developments

• Zhu Bafu remains quick-witted and anxious, but her panic over Li’s authority gives way to practical worries about her disguise, her trousers, and her mission. She is determined to avoid intimacy or scrutiny from Li.
• Li Chenjing calmly asserts authority over Zhu and presents their new arrangement as settled. His restrained manner and pointed remarks leave Zhu unsure how to interpret his intentions.
• Longyang is possessive and competitive, pressing to take Zhu from Li and resenting the Holy Emperor’s apparent favoritism toward the Li household.
• Long Ang is amused by the situation and teases Longyang, whose mother has warned him not to become romantically involved with men.

Significant themes

• Disguise and gender performance: Zhu’s presentation as a boy drives both the comedy and the danger of her situation.
• Power and control: Li’s new authority over Zhu sharply limits her freedom, while Longyang’s attempt to claim her is another form of control.
• Misunderstanding and comic tension: Zhu interprets Li’s words and actions through fear and suspicion, while their practical, awkward exchanges leave their relationship unclear.
• Favoritism and status: Longyang’s resentment highlights the political privilege attached to the imperial gift.

Character interactions

• Li firmly rejects Longyang’s offer to take Zhu and declares that Zhu is now his to manage.
• Longyang and Long Ang banter about Li’s new attendant and the possibility of Longyang’s romantic interest in men.
• Zhu and Li have an awkward, minimal conversation about her slipping trousers, followed by Li’s invitation to meet that night—which Zhu rejects with an excuse about her social life.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chenjing abruptly ends the heroine’s supposed romantic outing and orders her to return with him to the Prime Minister’s Residence.
• He reveals that he intends to introduce her to his father, Prime Minister Li Xiangfan, as someone he is “together with.”
• The heroine is shocked because she does not believe they have a romantic relationship and fears the consequences of being linked to the Prime Minister’s son.
• When she refuses, Li Chenjing threatens to have her expelled from Dongxu Mansion for sneaking into the forbidden Six Ministries area and investigating the Ministry of Revenue Study. He further warns that she would owe a thirty-tael fine, which she cannot afford.
• Faced with expulsion, she agrees to accompany him. She hides her panic behind exaggerated flattery, enthusiastically claiming that she adores and reveres him while joking about pretending to be an affectionate partner to anger his father.
• The scene shifts to the Prime Minister’s Residence, where Li Xiangfan is completing a calligraphic longevity character during his birthday evening.
• Liu Rongrong, a courtesan from Chunfen Pavilion, prepares to leave after realizing she was summoned not to perform but for a private conversation.
• Li Xiangfan stops her and offers to buy out her contract and send her to Jiangnan. He explains that he wants to prevent his naïve, “wayward” son from becoming involved with her or visiting the courtesan house.
• Liu Rongrong recognizes the insulting implications of his words and directly challenges him, asking whether he considers Chunfen Pavilion an “unclean” place and her a woman with ulterior motives.

Character Developments

• The heroine: Demonstrates her resourcefulness, shameless humor, and strong survival instincts. Although terrified of meeting the Prime Minister, she quickly adapts by using exaggerated praise and submission to avoid expulsion. Her financial insecurity remains a major vulnerability.
• Li Chenjing: Shows an increasingly forceful and possessive attitude toward the heroine. He casually defines their relationship as “being together,” despite her lack of consent or awareness, and uses his authority to pressure her into accompanying him. His embarrassment at her over-the-top flattery suggests he is not entirely comfortable with her performance.
• Li Xiangfan: Appears controlled, practical, and politically perceptive. His polite offer to help Liu Rongrong masks his disapproval and his desire to protect the Prime Minister’s family reputation. He is especially concerned about his son’s judgment and susceptibility to manipulation.
• Liu Rongrong: Reveals intelligence, pride, and emotional resilience. She refuses to accept Li Xiangfan’s charity without questioning his motives and does not meekly tolerate his veiled condemnation of her profession.

Significant Themes

• Power and coercion: Li Chenjing uses institutional authority and financial threats to force the heroine into returning with him, while Li Xiangfan uses social rank to control Liu Rongrong’s future.
• Reputation and social hierarchy: The characters are deeply constrained by status, family honor, official positions, and the stigma attached to courtesans and low-ranking scholars.
• Performance and disguise: The heroine pretends to be devoted to Li Chenjing, while Liu Rongrong and Li Xiangfan navigate a conversation filled with formal politeness that conceals hostility and judgment.
• Family conflict: Li Chenjing’s plan to announce their relationship threatens to provoke his father, setting up a confrontation between filial authority and the son’s impulsive behavior.
• Economic vulnerability: The heroine’s inability to pay the expulsion fine and Liu Rongrong’s indenture both show how money determines personal freedom.

Character Interactions

• Li Chenjing and the heroine: Their exchange is antagonistic but comic. He pressures and threatens her, while she responds with sarcasm, exaggerated devotion, and strategic flattery. Their relationship remains ambiguous, though Li Chenjing clearly treats it as more intimate than she does.
• Li Xiangfan and Liu Rongrong: Their conversation is formally courteous but sharply adversarial. Li Xiangfan offers apparent protection while insulting Liu Rongrong’s profession and motives; she responds by exposing the condescension beneath his words.
• Li Xiangfan and Li Chenjing: Though they do not meet directly in this excerpt, the conversation establishes tension between the Prime Minister’s concern for family reputation and Li Chenjing’s reckless decision to bring a supposed partner home.

Chapter Sixteen Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prime Minister Li summons Liu Rongrong to confront her about her relationship with his son, Li Chenjing.
• He reveals that his invitation to her performance at Chunfen Pavilion was deliberately insulting: he wanted to remind her that she was no longer a minister’s daughter, but merely a courtesan under the power of wealthy patrons.
• Li offers her money to sever ties with Chenjing. Liu refuses, sarcastically implying that the Prime Minister is really worried about his son’s lack of prospects and declining political favor.
• Liu boldly declares that she cannot bear to leave Chenjing and insists that their relationship is consensual and not illegal.
• When persuasion fails, Prime Minister Li orders his guards to remove her by force.
• He then threatens her with a much more serious charge: because of her connection to Young Master Piao, he could accuse her of “bewitching the Emperor and endangering his imperial person,” an offense punishable by death.
• Realizing that the Prime Minister has seized upon her greatest vulnerability, Liu falls silent. The gifts from the palace displayed in his study emphasize his enormous influence over the Emperor and the court.
• The guards roughly drag Liu toward the woodshed, insult her, and threaten further punishment from the “Young Master Support Society” once its leader returns.
• At the doorway, Liu encounters Li Chenjing. She recognizes his familiar fragrance and deliberately allows him to witness how badly the guards have treated her. The guards immediately release her, terrified that Chenjing has seen their behavior.

Character Developments

• Liu Rongrong remains proud, sharp-tongued, and defiant despite her vulnerable position. She refuses to be bought or intimidated and openly challenges Prime Minister Li’s assumptions about her status.
• Her confidence falters only when the Prime Minister threatens to involve Young Master Piao and accuse her of endangering the Emperor. This reveals that, beneath her boldness, she understands the danger of her political circumstances.
• Liu also demonstrates her resourcefulness by using her encounter with Chenjing to her advantage, presenting herself as a mistreated and helpless woman while allowing him to see the guards’ cruelty.
• Prime Minister Li is shown to be calculating, politically powerful, and ruthless. He initially attempts coercion through money and social humiliation, then resorts to force and legal threats when Liu refuses to submit.
• Li Chenjing does not speak in the chapter, but his arrival immediately changes the guards’ behavior. His authority and reputation are strong enough to frighten them, suggesting that he may be more influential—or more feared—than they assumed.
• The guards reveal their contempt for Liu and their fanatic loyalty to Chenjing. Their bullying collapses as soon as Chenjing appears.

Significant Themes

• Power and social status: Liu is reminded that her fall from noble birth to courtesan status has made her vulnerable to abuse, while Prime Minister Li’s court influence gives him immense power.
• Political manipulation: Personal relationships are treated as threats to careers and imperial stability. Li uses legal accusations and his influence with the Emperor to control Liu.
• Pride and resistance: Liu refuses to accept humiliation or surrender her relationship with Chenjing, even when confronted by overwhelming authority.
• Appearance versus reality: Li presents his coercion as “advice” and “hospitality,” while his guards’ actions expose the violence beneath the polite language.
• Romance as political danger: Liu’s relationships with Chenjing and Young Master Piao carry consequences far beyond personal affection, placing her at the center of court intrigue.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Prime Minister Li engage in a tense verbal confrontation, with Liu using sarcasm and defiance against his attempts to buy her compliance.
• Li’s interaction with Liu shifts from negotiation to intimidation and finally to physical coercion.
• The guards verbally and physically abuse Liu, exposing the household’s contempt for her.
• Liu’s arrival before Chenjing is deliberately dramatic: she allows him to witness her mistreatment, while the guards are forced to retreat in embarrassment and fear.

Chapter 36 Summary

Plot and Key Events

• Li Chenjing returns to the Prime Minister’s Residence and discovers that the guards have detained Liu Rongrong on his father’s orders.
• The guards explain that the Prime Minister wants Liu Rongrong removed because she has allegedly harmed Li Chenjing’s career and may be manipulating him for revenge against her father.
• Rather than confront his father directly, Li Chenjing devises a shocking solution: he presents Zhu Bafu—who is disguised as a young man—as his new lover.
• He publicly declares that his father has seized the wrong person and introduces Zhu Bafu as his “Cut Sleeve” lover, exploiting the Prime Minister’s dislike of women from pleasure quarters.
• The announcement leaves the guards stunned and creates an ominous silence outside the Prime Minister’s study as they await his reaction.

Character Developments

• Li Chenjing demonstrates decisiveness, resourcefulness, and willingness to defy his father. He protects Liu Rongrong by pretending to abandon her and instead risks his reputation by claiming a male lover.
• Zhu Bafu is terrified by the danger of the ruse but cooperates. Her nervous, humorous reactions reveal both her fear of the Prime Minister and her growing dependence on Li Chenjing for protection.
• Liu Rongrong attempts to rely on Li Chenjing to save her, but he coldly ignores her once Zhu Bafu appears, making it clear that his priority is carrying out his plan.
• The guards misunderstand Li Chenjing’s intentions and initially believe he has rejected romantic distractions in favor of his political future. His announcement completely overturns their expectations.
• The Prime Minister remains unseen and silent, but his authority and anticipated anger dominate the scene.

Themes

• Defiance against parental and political control: Li Chenjing refuses to let his father dictate his relationships or career.
• Sacrifice and protection: He risks his social standing and family relationship to shield Liu Rongrong and Zhu Bafu.
• Disguise and performance: Zhu Bafu’s male identity becomes central to Li Chenjing’s strategy, emphasizing the role of appearances in navigating power structures.
• Comedic reversal: The guards expect Li Chenjing to reject women for the sake of ambition, only to discover that he has seemingly rejected women altogether.
• Romantic and social taboo: The “Cut Sleeve” declaration shocks everyone and raises the stakes of Li Chenjing’s rebellion.

Character Interactions

• The guards plead with Li Chenjing to obey his father and abandon Liu Rongrong, but he dismisses their assumptions.
• Li Chenjing silently signals Zhu Bafu to take his hand, then escorts her into the study while publicly presenting her as a man.
• He addresses his father with calculated boldness, introducing Zhu Bafu as his lover and directly challenging the Prime Minister’s expectations.
• Zhu Bafu privately begs Li Chenjing not to let her die if the Prime Minister retaliates, while Li Chenjing reassures her through a protective gesture—though his silent implication that they might “die together” only increases her panic.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Zhu Bafu and Li Chenjing are brought before the Prime Minister, who immediately questions their relationship and sarcastically suggests that Zhu is his son’s “birthday gift.” When asked how far their romance has progressed, Zhu claims that Li pursued her first, while Li jokingly describes their relationship as having reached an uncontrollable, passionate stage. The Prime Minister interprets their answers as scandalous and orders Li to be subjected to family discipline while Zhu is attacked by the household’s guard dogs.
  Zhu desperately flees the hounds and climbs onto a rockery. Li tells her to jump, promising to catch her. Terrified of both the dogs and the possibility of being fed to a foreign lion kept at the residence, Zhu finally leaps. Li catches her, but the impact knocks him to the ground and leaves her straddling him, while he struggles to breathe beneath her weight.
• Character developments: Zhu remains impulsive, shameless, and highly theatrical under pressure. She immediately shifts blame for the supposed romance onto Li, yet also shows how much she relies on him when threatened. Her bravado collapses into panic when confronted by the dogs, revealing her fearfulness beneath her comic confidence. Li stays outwardly calm and answers the Prime Minister with bold, suggestive humor. Despite his teasing and apparent willingness to let Zhu take the blame, he ultimately protects her by catching her and putting himself in danger.
• Character interactions: The exchange between Zhu and Li is full of flirtatious misunderstanding, silent glances, and mutual blame. The Prime Minister interrogates them with dry sarcasm and appears deeply suspicious of their closeness. The guards and dogs act as instruments of the Prime Minister’s punishment, while Li’s authority over the dogs protects him but not Zhu. Their final physical collision intensifies the romantic comedy and the ambiguity surrounding their relationship.
• Significant themes: The chapter emphasizes comic romance, mistaken appearances, and the contrast between public propriety and private attraction. Zhu and Li’s exaggerated statements create scandal even when their actions may be innocent. It also highlights loyalty and trust: although Li teases Zhu and allows her to claim he pursued her, he still risks injury to save her. The chapter maintains a farcical tone through physical comedy, dramatic overreaction, and the absurdity of using dogs—and possibly a lion—for household discipline.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Zhu Bafu helps Young Master Li Chenjing escape from his father’s furious attack, during which vicious, deliberately underfed hounds are released to chase them. After Li protects Zhu from the dogs, the two flee through the western gate of the Prime Minister’s Residence toward the Imperial City Gate. Li reveals that his father intends to punish him with family discipline, while Zhu refuses to abandon him, partly out of concern for her own safety.
Their escape is blocked when they reach the moat: the city gate is closed, the drawbridge is raised, and guards and hounds are closing in behind them. Li suggests jumping into the deep moat, but then admits he cannot swim and depends on Zhu to save him. Horrified, Zhu protests and desperately tries to avoid being dragged into the water with him as he prepares to jump.

Character development

• Zhu Bafu: Shows courage and resourcefulness by helping Li escape, but remains sarcastic, self-interested, and highly pragmatic. She is annoyed by Li’s complaints about her weight and his failure to remember her name, yet she also demonstrates growing concern for him by refusing to leave him behind.
• Li Chenjing: Despite being physically exhausted and threatened with punishment, he instinctively protects Zhu and devises an escape plan. His calm, authoritative demeanor is undercut by his ignorance of swimming, revealing a reckless and mischievous side.
• Their relationship develops through forced cooperation, mutual dependence, and comedic tension rather than genuine trust or affection—at least from Zhu’s perspective.

Character interactions

Li shields Zhu from the hounds and secretly instructs her to escape alone, while Zhu insists they flee together. Their banter centers on his insulting nicknames—especially “Mortal Weapon of Mass Destruction”—and her complaints about his family, dogs, and treatment of her. The pursuing guards repeatedly urge Li to surrender, while Zhu angrily curses the Prime Minister’s household. The final exchange becomes absurd when Li asks Zhu to hold him tightly during the jump, only to reveal that he cannot swim.

Significant themes

• Comedic danger and mistaken dependence: A life-threatening chase is treated with exaggerated humor, especially through Zhu’s constant complaints and Li’s reckless plans.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Zhu’s decision not to abandon Li suggests an emerging bond, though she frames it as practical survival rather than loyalty.
• Abuse of power: The Prime Minister’s household uses starving animals and family authority to punish and control others, prompting Zhu’s criticism of their cruelty and privilege.
• Gender disguise and social identity: Zhu’s male persona allows her to participate in the escape while creating comic misunderstandings, particularly when Li refers to her in masculine terms despite her sensitivity and hidden identity.

Chapter 18 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Bafu and Li Chenjing fall into the river while fleeing danger. Li Chenjing, unable to swim, begins drowning.
• Although Zhu Bafu could escape alone, she turns back to rescue him. She fights through the water and tangled weeds, even biting through them to free his hair.
• Li Chenjing loses consciousness and sinks. Zhu Bafu prepares to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, risking exposure of her disguised female identity.
• Before their lips meet, a mysterious man in black intervenes, striking Zhu Bafu’s mouth with internal energy and rescuing Li Chenjing himself.
• Onshore, the man—identified as Lord Wei—revives Li Chenjing by forcing water from his lungs. The guards wrap the Young Master in Lord Wei’s fur robe.
• The guards mistakenly describe Zhu Bafu as Li Chenjing’s “new sweetheart,” explaining that Li Chenjing brought her to meet his Master and caused the Master to become furious enough to unleash dogs against them.
• Lord Wei confronts Zhu Bafu, apparently suspicious and hostile. She defensively insists that her underwater actions were intended only to save Li Chenjing and that nothing improper happened.
• The chapter ends with Zhu Bafu nervously threatening to complain to Li Chenjing if Lord Wei attacks her.

Character Developments

• Zhu Bafu: Demonstrates courage, loyalty, and compassion by risking her life to save Li Chenjing. Despite her fear that he may discover she is secretly a woman, she prioritizes his survival. Her anxious, outspoken protests afterward reveal her comic personality and discomfort with Lord Wei’s hostility.
• Li Chenjing: His reckless decision to jump into the river despite being unable to swim shows his impulsive determination to protect Zhu Bafu. His near-drowning also reveals his physical vulnerability and dependence on others.
• Lord Wei: Appears powerful, disciplined, and fiercely protective of Li Chenjing. His cold manner and immediate suspicion of Zhu Bafu suggest jealousy, distrust, or strict guardianship. His mastery of internal energy establishes him as a formidable figure.
• The Guards: Their fear of Lord Wei and reluctance to explain events create comic tension. Their careless description of Zhu Bafu as Li Chenjing’s sweetheart worsens the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Self-sacrifice and loyalty: Zhu Bafu risks drowning rather than abandon Li Chenjing, repaying his earlier protection of her.
• Hidden identity and danger: Zhu Bafu’s disguise as a man remains a source of constant anxiety, especially when Lord Wei nearly discovers the truth during the rescue.
• Misunderstanding and comic tension: The guards’ inaccurate explanation of Zhu Bafu’s relationship with Li Chenjing creates an embarrassing and potentially dangerous misunderstanding.
• Protection and possessiveness: Li Chenjing, Zhu Bafu, and Lord Wei are all connected through acts of protection, though Lord Wei’s behavior is harsher and more controlling.
• Romantic and physical awkwardness: The almost-kiss, accidental contact underwater, and Zhu Bafu’s frantic denials intensify the chapter’s playful romantic tension.

Character Interactions

• Zhu Bafu and Li Chenjing share a life-threatening rescue scene that deepens their bond, though their physical closeness also risks exposing her secret.
• Lord Wei rescues Li Chenjing but treats Zhu Bafu roughly, striking her away before she can give him air.
• The guards portray Zhu Bafu as Li Chenjing’s lover, provoking Lord Wei’s suspicion.
• Zhu Bafu tries to defend herself through increasingly flustered explanations and threats to seek Li Chenjing’s protection, while Lord Wei remains silent and intimidating.

Key plot points and events

• Wei Chenmu kneels to apologize to Zhu Bafu, explaining that he mistook her for someone who had offended the Young Master. He promises to protect her and arrange apologies from the men who insulted her.
• Bafu learns that Wei is not merely a servant but the Minister of Punishments of Dongxu. He takes the unconscious Young Master away in a richly appointed carriage, carefully tending to him, and gives Bafu the Young Master’s fur cloak.
• Wei urges Bafu to devote herself to the Young Master and not hurt him as Miss Liu did. Bafu reflects that she has accepted her reduced status and believes people should face romantic and social realities plainly.
• Returning home, Bafu discovers Li Luyang has been waiting all night to see her. Xiaojiu rebuffs him and refuses his money on Bafu’s behalf, though Li leaves it behind, insisting her family may need it.
• Bafu keeps out of sight until Li is leaving. She asks him not to approach, then speaks coolly about his wife and his proposed concubinage. Li insists he only considered taking a concubine as a way to marry Bafu, and says they would already be married if family and political circumstances had not intervened.

Character developments and interactions

• Bafu remains wary and pragmatic: she is relieved by Wei’s kindness, but resists Li’s attempts to help or draw close. Her men’s clothing and distance from Li underscore their strained relationship.
• Wei Chenmu reveals his formidable rank and strong loyalty to the Young Master. He treats Bafu respectfully and entrusts her with the Young Master’s welfare.
• Xiaojiu is protective of his sister and openly hostile to Li, rejecting his money and blaming Bafu’s hardship on her refusal to become a concubine.
• Li Luyang shows continuing concern by waiting all night and leaving financial help, but Bafu’s coldness and his explanation expose the unresolved conflict between his feelings and the means he proposed to marry her.

Significant themes

• Power, status, and duty: Wei’s humble manner contrasts with his high office, while Bafu’s family’s political fall shapes her choices.
• Love constrained by social and political realities: Li claims he sought a concubine arrangement to marry Bafu, but she sees it as an unacceptable compromise.
• Independence and self-respect: Bafu prefers to support herself rather than accept Li’s money or surrender her dignity.
• Loyalty and protection: Wei’s devotion to the Young Master and Xiaojiu’s defense of Bafu mirror different forms of steadfast care.