Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Jinyi refuses Imperial Physician Feng’s offer of a calming medicine, saying he has settled down. The physician confirms that both Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Yuanqi are healthy.
• Shen Zexi tries to tell Shen Shixu that others can hear his thoughts, but he finds himself unable to speak. He concludes that many people may already know, including officials and the emperor, and that the secret does not seem to put Shen Shixu in danger.
• Jiang Bin arrives at Shen Shixu’s home carrying apprenticeship gifts. Xiaoshi recognizes that he has come to ask to become Shen Shixu’s disciple.
• Shen Shixu is astonished: he sent Jiang Bin’s father, Jiang Xingbang, to prison that very morning and expects him to face execution.
• Jiang Bin explains that he and his mother are grateful to Shen Shixu for exposing Jiang Xingbang, whose schemes could have harmed them. He wants to become capable of supporting his mother and admires Shen Shixu’s character and skill.
• Shen Shixu appears willing to accept him, but tests his resolve by warning that he would be the second disciple, junior to a five-year-old. Jiang Bin’s response is left for the next chapter.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Jinyi and Xiao Yuanqi reaffirm their deep, mutual affection: neither wants the other to face danger alone.
• Shen Zexi shifts from anxious concern about revealing Shen Shixu’s secret to accepting that it is probably widely known and not immediately dangerous. His curiosity—and envy—about the information Shen Shixu gains through his thoughts remains.
• Jiang Bin presents himself as polite and determined, in contrast to his former arrogant reputation. His stated aim is to become someone his mother can rely on.
• Shen Shixu balances openness to Jiang Bin’s request with caution, questioning his motives and testing whether he can accept an unusual position as a disciple.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and care: The brothers protect and worry about one another.
• Second chances and personal growth: Jiang Bin seeks to leave his wastrel reputation behind and build a more responsible life.
• Justice and gratitude: Though Shen Shixu’s actions harmed Jiang Bin’s father, Jiang Bin sees them as protection for himself and his mother.
• Trust and scrutiny: Jiang Bin’s sincerity must be weighed against the suspicious circumstances of his request.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Bin eagerly agrees to become Shen Shixu’s disciple, even though his new senior disciple is only five. Shen schedules their discipleship ceremonies for the same day, two days later.
• Jiang gives Shen a lavishly attentive ride to the Court of Judicial Review, where Shen meets his fellow Vice Minister, Ma Zhennan.
• Ma asks Shen to name his newborn son. Shen’s system, 011, reveals that the child is actually Ma’s wife’s child with her former husband—the innkeeper who engineered Ma’s marriage.
• 011 explains that the innkeeper learned Ma was unmarried and childless, drugged Ma, and deceived him into marrying the innkeeper’s pregnant wife. Ma believes he fathered the child, though he and his wife have never truly slept together; she has continued drugging him.
• Ma is devastated by the revelation, and the Court’s Minister steadies him sympathetically.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Bin’s eagerness to join Shen’s school shows his shameless, enthusiastic devotion; he immediately treats Shen with great deference.
• Shen is initially wary of Ma’s request, then reacts with pity when the truth emerges.
• Ma shifts from cheerful confidence to shock and humiliation. He edges closer to Shen to hear the gossip, unconcerned that his superior is listening too.
• The Minister responds with compassion, supporting Ma as he reels from the news.
• 011’s blunt revelation turns an ordinary naming request into a public exposure of Ma’s deception.

Significant themes

• Deception and betrayal: The innkeeper’s calculated scheme exploits Ma’s honesty and trust.
• Irony and misfortune: Ma seeks an auspicious name for a child he believes is his, only to learn he has been tricked into instant fatherhood.
• Honor and vulnerability: Ma’s sense of responsibility leads him to marry the woman, making him especially easy to manipulate.
• Public knowledge and private shame: The system’s gossip exposes an intimate scandal in the workplace.

Plot points

• Shen Shixu warns Ma Zhennan that his second wife may be deceiving him. Though reluctant to meddle, he feels Ma deserves to know.
• The chief of the Court of Judicial Review, Dong Daqiang—Ma’s superior and relative by marriage—backs up the warning and offers to investigate.
• Ma accepts their advice. He and Dong’s trusted men investigate and confirm that Ma’s second wife is the same woman as an innkeeper’s wife, identified by a distinctive mole between her brows. The innkeeper has vanished.
• While Ma and Dong wait for news, Dong’s wife, Xu Shumin, arrives with the captured innkeeper. She reveals that she had suspected the woman for some time and had secretly investigated her.
• Xu explains that Ma had difficulty fathering children. His late first wife, Yuan’er, concealed this from him and cared for him with nourishing soups. Since Ma’s health had not improved, Xu suspected his second wife’s pregnancy was impossible without deception.
• Xu tracked the regular payments the second wife sent and found the innkeeper. After being captured and beaten, he confessed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu shows compassion and a sense of responsibility, despite his dislike of interfering in others’ private affairs. Ma recognizes the warning as sincere.
• Ma Zhennan responds with gratitude rather than resentment and quickly acts on the advice.
• Dong Daqiang supports Ma as both colleague and family relation, encouraging him to verify the truth.
• Xu Shumin emerges as perceptive, decisive, and protective. Her husband anxiously reassures her that he and Ma are only waiting for investigative news; Ma plays along.
• Yuan’er, though deceased, is revealed as loving and self-sacrificing: she hid Ma’s fertility problem to protect his pride and tried to improve his health.

Significant themes

• Compassion and intervention: A difficult warning can be an act of genuine kindness.
• Trust and deception: Circumstantial clues and careful investigation expose a hidden betrayal.
• Loyalty and self-sacrifice: Yuan’er’s care contrasts with the second wife’s apparent scheme.
• Women’s intuition and agency: Xu notices inconsistencies, follows the evidence, and takes action before the men can finish their inquiry.

Key events

• Xu Shumin explains that she suspected Ma Zhennan’s second wife early on. When the innkeeper—her real husband—confesses, Xu sends people to find Ma Zhennan, who has been watching the area. Dong Daqiang praises his wife’s perceptiveness, and she rewards his flattery by raising his allowance.
• Ma Zhennan brings the innkeeper home. His second wife begs for mercy, but invoking the child only worsens Ma’s anger. He divorces her, sends her and the innkeeper to prison, and arranges for the newborn to be raised by another family.
• Shen Shixu formally accepts An Chengyu and Jiang Bin as disciples. Both offer tea and receive gifts: An gets a health-preserving jade pendant, while Jiang receives a seal inscribed “Maintain discipline and integrity,” with a reminder to keep his original purpose in mind.
• Shen tells Jiang that he will accompany him as an attendant and learn to investigate cases before being considered for a post at the Court of Judicial Review.
• The disciples present their own gifts. An gives Shen rare concealed armor to protect him, promising to guard him himself once he is able. Jiang gives him a residence, shops, money, and a treasured historical painting. Shen appreciates both boys’ thoughtfulness.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Shumin’s confidence and sharp judgment are confirmed; Dong Daqiang openly admires her and cheerfully indulges her pride.
• Ma Zhennan responds harshly to his wife’s betrayal, though he ensures the child is placed with a suitable family.
• Jiang Bin shows humility and resolve, accepting Shen’s guidance and promising to live honestly. The Eldest Princess is reassured by her son’s composure.
• An Chengyu’s affection for Shen is evident in his protective gift and earnest promise. Shen warms to both disciples, praising them and playfully ruffling An’s hair.

Significant themes

• Trust and integrity: Jiang’s seal and promise emphasize the importance of remaining honest and remembering one’s purpose.
• Mentorship and responsibility: The ceremony marks the start of Shen’s duty to train his disciples, while the boys show loyalty in return.
• Protection and care: The gifts reflect personal concern—An’s armor protects Shen, while Shen’s pendant is intended to safeguard An.
• Justice and consequences: The second wife and innkeeper face severe punishment for their deception, while the child is separated from their wrongdoing and given a new home.

Plot points and events

• After formally acknowledging Shen Shixu as his master, Xiao Jinyi gives him an invitation to a palace banquet. Princess Kangning explains that the banquet is being held because the former crown-princess candidate was disqualified for serious moral failings; the court must choose a replacement. The gathering also includes unmarried members of the imperial clan and other promising young people.
• Shen says he has no intention of marrying and plans to attend mainly for the food. Xiao Jinyi, who also claims not to want marriage, is pleased at the prospect of keeping Shen company.
• On the way to the palace, Xiao Jinyi offers Shen a bowl of noodles from his residence’s cook. Shen enjoys them, and Xiao invites him to visit for more of the cook’s specialties; Shen readily agrees.
• Their arrival together in Prince Jing’s carriage draws the attention of the noble young women outside the palace. Xiao ignores their greetings, while Shen politely acknowledges them. Xiao asks whether Shen likes any of them, and Shen explains that his response was simply courtesy. Xiao promises to protect him from anyone who causes trouble.
• At Penglai Hall, the men’s banquet venue, they meet Crown Prince Xiao Yuanqi, who complains that he is trapped listening to flattery because the Empress has ordered him to stay until the banquet ends. Xiao Jinyi suggests he choose a crown princess quickly so they can all leave sooner.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu remains uninterested in marriage and approaches the banquet pragmatically, focusing on food and avoiding entanglements. He is courteous and politically cautious, mindful of how his behavior might affect his career.
• Xiao Jinyi shows growing attentiveness toward Shen, bringing him food, inviting him to his residence, and offering to shield him. His jealousy when Shen greets the young women—and his private promise never to find Shen a nuisance—suggests affection he does not openly declare.
• Xiao Yuanqi appears weary of courtly flattery and eager to escape the event. His friendly, informal exchange with Xiao Jinyi contrasts with the ceremony of Shen’s greeting.

Significant themes

• Marriage as political duty: The banquet treats the selection of a crown princess as a matter of state and family reputation.
• Courtesy and workplace survival: Shen’s polite greeting is less romantic interest than a careful effort to avoid offending powerful families.
• Care and concealed affection: Xiao Jinyi expresses attachment through practical gestures and protection, while Shen accepts his kindness without recognizing its full emotional significance.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yuanqi explains that selecting a Crown Princess is a serious state matter: she must have good character, virtue, beauty, ability, and an appropriate family background. Secondary consorts face lower standards, but their selection is still difficult.
• Xiao Jinyi urges his brother to choose someone he genuinely likes, recalling how Emperor Wu’an and Empress Lin fell in love at first sight. Their marriage began happily, and the Emperor has continued to favor the Crown Prince, whose position is secure.
• Shen Shixu grows bored at the gathering and asks his system, 011, for gossip. While it upgrades, the people nearby overhear the exchange and wait eagerly.
• After upgrading and gaining a virtual avatar, 011 chooses a panda skin and reveals that Meng Jiyao—present as a candidate for Crown Princess—secretly took the imperial examinations disguised as a man. She earned Third Place in the Palace Examination.
• Further gossip explains that Meng’s parents favored her older brother and discouraged her education. Her brother secretly taught her; when she entered the exams under a false identity and succeeded, he helped conceal her secret by leaving the capital in her assumed identity.

Character developments

• Xiao Yuanqi shows a practical understanding of royal marriage but is touched by Xiao Jinyi’s wish that he find personal happiness. Meng Jiyao’s achievement sparks his curiosity and admiration.
• Xiao Jinyi demonstrates affection and concern for his brother, looking beyond political expectations to his happiness.
• Shen Shixu remains an amused observer, more interested in pastries and gossip than in the marriage discussions.
• Meng Jiyao emerges as determined, talented, and unwilling to accept the limits imposed on women. Her brother, Meng Chang, proves supportive and protective.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal happiness: The Crown Prince’s marriage serves the state, yet Xiao Jinyi hopes love can still be part of it.
• Gender and opportunity: Meng Jiyao challenges the belief that women should not study or pursue public achievement.
• Family loyalty: Meng Chang risks trouble to support and protect his sister.
• Power and security: Xiao Yuanqi’s strong standing reflects the Emperor’s favor and the stability of his maternal and sibling support.

Character interactions

• Xiao Yuanqi and Xiao Jinyi discuss the standards for royal marriage, with Jinyi gently advocating for his brother’s happiness.
• Shen Shixu’s silent presence contrasts with the serious conversation, while his mental exchange with 011 captures the surrounding guests’ attention.
• 011’s revelation turns the gathering’s focus toward Meng Jiyao, astonishing the guests and drawing Xiao Yuanqi’s interest.

Plot points and events

• After Meng Jiyao stands up for herself and is praised for placing third in the Palace Examination, the women at the gathering admire her courage and talent. Her modest response also exposes how little opportunity women have, even when they are educated.
• Shen Shixu’s inner thoughts propose that Meng would make an excellent crown princess—and could use that position to advance women’s education and their right to serve as officials. The women are inspired, while the men regard the idea as a threat to the established order. Xiao Jinyi’s glare silences their objections.
• Xiao Yuanqi takes the suggestion seriously. He notices Meng and, after Xiao Jinyi uses an excuse to take Shen Shixu away, arranges to meet her privately.
• Xiao Yuanqi directly asks Meng to become his crown princess. Though hesitant that her outspoken nature may make her unsuitable, she learns that he wants a capable partner and supports employing talented people regardless of gender.
• Meng is moved by his vision and begins to hope that women’s circumstances may change. Soon after Shen Shixu and Xiao Jinyi reach Azure Waves Palace, they hear that the Crown Prince has already chosen his consort; Shen wonders whether the decision was made impulsively.

Character developments and interactions

• Meng Jiyao shifts from admired scholar to a potential political reformer. She is tempted by the prospect of using the crown princess’s influence to expand women’s opportunities, but first tests whether Xiao Yuanqi genuinely supports that goal.
• Xiao Yuanqi reveals both ambition and openness to merit-based government. Rather than seeking a passive bride, he wants a capable partner to help govern.
• Shen Shixu inspires others through his progressive ideas, though he does not realize how strongly Xiao Yuanqi will act on them.
• Xiao Jinyi recognizes Xiao Yuanqi’s interest and discreetly removes Shen Shixu so the Crown Prince can proceed without attracting scrutiny.
• The women’s admiration and concern for Meng contrast with the men’s hostility toward the possibility of female officials.

Significant themes

• Women’s agency and solidarity: The women’s struggle is framed as a fight for control over their own lives, not petty rivalry.
• Merit and equality: Xiao Yuanqi’s willingness to employ talent regardless of gender challenges the social order.
• Reform through influence: Meng may be able to use her position to create educational and political opportunities for women.
• Hope and change: The chapter ends with the possibility that a new era for women is beginning, though the reforms remain only a promise.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Jinyi distracts Shen Shixu from worrying about Xiao Yuanqi by inviting him to share fine food and wine.
• During their meal, they are summoned to Cikang Palace because Princess Shou Jia has entered the palace over the arrest of her lover, Liang Junda. Xiao Jinyi declines the summons.
• Xiao Jinyi explains that Liang repeatedly embezzled funds and relied on Princess Shou Jia to cover the losses. After his latest crimes were exposed, he was imprisoned, and she has repeatedly pleaded for his release.
• Shen Shixu suggests finding Princess Shou Jia an honest new husband so she can move on. Xiao Jinyi likes the idea and says he already has a suitable candidate. Shen also offers a plan to make her give up Liang first.

Character developments

• Xiao Jinyi shows his frustration and vulnerability to Shen Shixu, deliberately seeking sympathy and advice. He also downplays his own intelligence while praising Shen’s.
• Shen Shixu proves perceptive and practical, offering a solution to Xiao Jinyi’s family problem.
• Princess Shou Jia is described as naive and devoted to Liang, repeatedly trusting his excuses and paying for his wrongdoing.

Character interactions

• Xiao Jinyi uses food and wine to draw Shen Shixu’s attention and later confides in him.
• Shen comforts Xiao Jinyi and advises him on handling Princess Shou Jia’s attachment to Liang.
• Their warm, teasing exchange strengthens their closeness, with Xiao Jinyi inviting Shen to keep relying on him for help.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and misplaced devotion: Liang exploits Princess Shou Jia’s affection, while she enables his crimes.
• Trust and intimacy: Xiao Jinyi’s calculated display of weakness leads to a more personal conversation with Shen.
• Reform and moving on: Shen’s proposed solution is to replace an unhealthy attachment with a genuinely good relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Jinyi tells Shen Shixu he is glad to be the first person Shen turns to in trouble, and the two share food and premium tea.
• Princess Shou Jia arrives to plead for Liang Junda, who has been arrested for embezzling disaster-relief funds. Xiao explains that his crime caused deaths, injuries, and homelessness, so he cannot simply be spared.
• Shou Jia offers to compensate the victims, but Shen points out that money cannot restore the dead or undo permanent injuries.
• Shen persuades her that repeatedly protecting Liang helped enable his behavior, and suggests Liang should accept responsibility rather than let her keep intervening.
• He offers her a final meeting with Liang. Xiao promises to take her to see him the next evening.
• After she leaves, Xiao orders Bai He to secretly place a Truth-Telling Gu in Liang and retrieve it after the visit, so they can learn the truth without resorting to torture.
• The chapter ends with Shen leaning close to Xiao, leaving his next move unrevealed.

Character developments

• Xiao Jinyi grows more confident about handling his aunt and relies on Shen’s judgment. He also chooses a calculated way to question Liang rather than immediately using torture.
• Shen Shixu shows sharp moral clarity and persuasive skill, confronting Shou Jia’s denial while offering her a way to accept the situation.
• Princess Shou Jia begins desperate to save Liang, but Shen’s argument briefly makes her reconsider her role in enabling him. She remains devoted to him and eagerly accepts the chance to see him.
• Bai He understands the plan and carries it out discreetly.

Significant themes

• Love versus enabling: Devotion can become harmful when it shields someone from consequences.
• Justice and accountability: Liang’s crime harmed many people, and personal affection cannot erase the damage.
• Limits of compensation: Material aid cannot undo death, disability, or grief.
• Truth and deception: The Truth-Telling Gu promises to expose Liang’s real motives.

Character interactions

• Xiao and Shen share an easy, trusting rapport, with Xiao openly expressing gratitude and admiration for Shen.
• Shen challenges Shou Jia’s plea with direct questions, then reframes Liang’s punishment as an act of responsibility and possibly love.
• Xiao follows Shen’s lead in arranging the final meeting and coordinating the secret interrogation plan.
• Shen’s unexplained close approach to Xiao at the end creates a note of suspense.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu becomes fascinated by the Truth-Telling Gu Xiao Jinyi mentions and asks to see it. Xiao offers him the only one he has, but Shen declines, saying it is a keepsake from Xiao’s uncle. Xiao decides to ask his uncle to bring back more gu.
• Elsewhere, Xiao Lie returns to the bamboo house with a fish and finds Bai Lixi celebrating the successful cultivation of a pair of Golden Silkworm Gu. The insects create a bond between their hosts, allowing them to sense one another’s injuries and approximate location.
• Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi each take one of the gu. While tending their bandaged wrists, they discuss Bai Lixi meeting Xiao Lie’s family. Xiao promises to support him and protect him if he is rejected; reassured, Bai Lixi decides they should travel to the Capital immediately.
• The couple packs and sets off. Unaware that his nephew has been discussing gu, Xiao Lie is unknowingly headed toward the Capital. Shen Shixu later takes his leave, and Xiao Jinyi accompanies him out before returning to his residence.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu shows his curiosity about gu and his integrity by refusing to accept Xiao Jinyi’s sole specimen as a gift.
• Xiao Jinyi is eager to please Shen and considers asking his uncle to obtain more gu for him.
• Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi display easy affection and trust. Xiao Lie gently reassures Bai Lixi about meeting his family, while Bai Lixi responds with humor and confidence, promising to support Xiao Lie if the family refuses to accept him.
• Their shared use of the Golden Silkworm Gu symbolizes their commitment and gives their relationship a supernatural bond.

Significant themes

• Trust and intimacy: The paired gu physically connect Xiao Lie and Bai Lixi, echoing their emotional closeness.
• Acceptance and belonging: Bai Lixi’s anxiety about meeting Xiao Lie’s family is met with Xiao Lie’s unconditional support.
• Generosity and restraint: Xiao Jinyi offers something precious to Shen, while Shen declines out of respect for its sentimental value.
• Affection expressed through teasing: The lovers’ playful exchange over Bai Lixi’s distinctive bandaging conveys their comfort and familiarity.

Key plot points and events

• On Jiang Bin’s first day as Shen Shixu’s apprentice at the Court of Judicial Review, Shen praises his neat, practical appearance and gives him foundational lessons in investigation.
• Shen urges him to observe details, make bold deductions, avoid judging people by first impressions, and test and revise his theories against new evidence.
• Since Jiang is not yet ready to work on a live case, Shen assigns him carefully documented case files to study. Jiang initially misses clues, over-records details, and identifies the wrong culprits.
• Discouraged by repeated mistakes, Jiang worries that he might one day cause harm through a wrongful verdict. Shen reassures him, explains the Court’s role in reviewing judgments, and promises to guide him.
• Encouraged, Jiang continues studying. He still gets a case wrong, but begins spotting useful leads and gradually understands how to analyze evidence.

Character developments

• Jiang Bin shows eagerness and preparation, taking notes and treating Shen’s advice—especially the warning against prejudice—as a lifelong principle. His concern about wrongful convictions reveals a growing sense of responsibility. With effort and encouragement, he begins to improve.
• Shen Shixu proves to be a thoughtful, observant mentor: he chooses suitable exercises, notices Jiang’s discouragement, and corrects him without shaming him. He also expresses confidence in his apprentice.

Significant themes

• Careful, flexible reasoning: Investigators must notice details, consider unlikely explanations, and revise their conclusions when evidence changes.
• Humility and fairness: A person’s public image or one visible trait does not reveal their whole character; assumptions can mislead.
• Learning through mistakes: Early failures are part of developing skill, provided one keeps working and checks one’s reasoning.
• Justice and accountability: Judicial review exists to catch errors and protect both victims’ families and the wrongly accused.

Character interactions

• Shen’s praise and practical instruction establish a supportive teacher–apprentice relationship. Jiang listens closely, records the lessons, and eagerly carries out even small errands.
• When Jiang fears his mistakes could hurt others, Shen responds with reassurance and explains the safeguards built into the justice system. Their exchange restores Jiang’s confidence and motivates him to keep learning.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu accompanies Xiao Jinyi to the Ministry of Justice prison, where Princess Shou Jia hopes to visit her imprisoned husband, Liang Junda.
• Under the influence of a Truth-Telling Gu, Liang Junda reveals his real feelings: he married Shou Jia for her status, resents her, and considers her gullible and useless.
• He also admits to stealing relief supplies meant for disaster victims, says corruption is widespread, and boasts that he plans revenge on those who made him take the blame.
• Shou Jia’s faith in her husband collapses. Xiao Jinyi urges her to stop protecting Liang and end the marriage, promising to help her find a better future. She leaves the prison stunned.

Character developments

• Princess Shou Jia moves from eager devotion to painful disillusionment, finally recognizing that Liang’s affection was an act.
• Liang Junda is exposed as selfish, contemptuous, and corrupt; his polished image gives way to open cruelty.
• Xiao Jinyi shows unexpected warmth and eloquence as he comforts his aunt and presses her to leave her husband.
• Shen Shixu observes Xiao Jinyi’s surprising skill at comforting people, contrasting it with his reputation for being cold and taciturn.

Significant themes

• The danger of mistaking manipulation for love.
• Truth as a painful but necessary path to freedom.
• The contrast between public appearances and private motives.
• Corruption and the human cost of embezzling disaster relief.

Character interactions

• Shou Jia approaches Liang with compassion, but he answers with insults and confessions that shatter her trust.
• Xiao Jinyi supports his aunt physically and emotionally, helping her face the truth and encouraging her to end the marriage.
• Shen Shixu accompanies the pair and silently witnesses both Liang’s exposure and Xiao Jinyi’s unexpected gentleness.

Plot points and events

• After escorting Princess Shou Jia home, Xiao Jinyi and Shen Shixu go to the Heavenly Fragrance House for dinner.
• They tease each other about Xiao Jinyi’s unexpectedly gentle way of comforting his aunt. When Shen asks whether he prefers Xiao to be cold or gentle, Xiao nervously awaits his answer.
• Shen says Xiao is “cold outside but warm within,” and admits he likes that sort of person. Xiao explains that he is generally cold, but softened his words because he feared his aunt might despair or act recklessly.
• A wealthy patron, Young Master Zheng, has provided every table with a jar of wine. Shen and Xiao try it; Shen limits himself to one bowl, while Xiao’s military experience has made him a strong drinker.
• Shen walks home and invites Xiao to celebrate his move in a few days. Xiao promises to come.

Character developments

• Xiao’s composure hides anxiety about Shen’s opinion and deeper affection for him. He also shows a protective, compassionate side in his concern for Princess Shou Jia.
• Shen is perceptive about Xiao’s kindness but oblivious to Xiao’s romantic feelings, interpreting their intimacy as friendship.
• Their easy teasing and shared meal show growing comfort and closeness.

Themes

• Hidden warmth and misunderstood feelings: Xiao’s stern exterior conceals tenderness, while Shen fails to recognize the romantic meaning behind Xiao’s questions.
• Everyday peace and community: The lively restaurant’s ordinary conversations reflect the security and warmth people enjoy when the country is at peace.
• Care expressed through action: Xiao’s effort to comfort his aunt, and his attentive offer to escort Shen, reveal his concern more clearly than his reserved manner does.

Character interactions

• Shen playfully calls out Xiao’s gentleness; Xiao turns the conversation around to ask which side of him Shen prefers, revealing his vulnerability.
• Shen praises Xiao’s character, unintentionally giving Xiao hope while missing the feelings behind his question.
• Xiao offers Shen a ride home, and Shen declines but invites him to his upcoming celebration.

Key events

• Shen Shixu decides to move into the larger residence Jiang Bin gave him so he can live closer to the palace and avoid losing an extra hour of sleep each morning.
• Shen Zexi has already arranged much of the move and planned how to furnish the new home. He urges Shen Shixu to take a sunny, spacious courtyard near Fu Gate, with a study, guest rooms, a kitchen, and scenic views of bamboo and a lotus pond.
• Shen Shixu accepts his brother’s recommendation. Shen Zexi plans to live in a separate courtyard beyond the pond and grove, choosing scenery over a convenient connecting path.
• An Chengyu and Jiang Bin help with the move. An Chengyu’s exceptionally strong manservant Datong impresses Jiang Bin; An explains that Datong is a former battlefield soldier who now protects him.
• The two disciples compare their housewarming gifts for Shen Shixu: Jiang Bin has prepared a red coral ornament, while An Chengyu has chosen a short sword—the renowned Windshaker Sword from his family’s collection.
• Once the move is complete, Shen Shixu invites them to a meal to thank them.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu’s main concern is comfort and sleep, but he readily trusts Shen Zexi’s judgment about where he should live.
• Shen Zexi takes charge of practical preparations, planning to hire more servants, cooks, and guards. His choice of a distant courtyard also shows how much he values the new residence’s landscape.
• An Chengyu is proud of Datong and eager to honor his teacher with a valuable, useful gift.
• Jiang Bin admires Datong’s strength and is briefly disappointed that he cannot easily find someone comparable. He and An Chengyu share a friendly, conspiratorial exchange about their gifts.
• The brothers show mutual care: Shen Zexi organizes the move around Shen Shixu’s needs, while Shen Shixu thanks his helpers with a meal.

Themes

• Family and loyalty: Shen Zexi’s planning reflects his concern for his younger brother.
• Practicality and comfort: The move is motivated by Shen Shixu’s desire for more sleep and a more convenient commute.
• Security and service: Shen Zexi considers household staff and guards essential as their circumstances improve.
• Respect and gratitude: The disciples’ gifts and Shen Shixu’s dinner express their regard for their teacher and one another.

Plot points and events

• Shen Shixu invites his disciples Jiang Bin and An Chengyu to lunch at the Heavenly Fragrance House to thank them for their help.
• Outside the restaurant, Xu Qing falls near the group. Shen Shixu pulls Jiang Bin out of her way, and Jiang Bin offers her ointment for her injured hands.
• Yan Weixuan, the Minister of War’s son, accuses Xu Qing of shamelessly pursuing Jiang Bin. Xu Zhen, Xu Qing’s richly dressed half-sister, joins in, pretending concern while implying Xu Qing could ruin the marriage prospects of the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity’s other daughters.
• At Shen Shixu’s quiet signal, Jiang Bin stops trying to leave and fires back. He turns Xu Zhen’s insinuation against her by offering to have his mother propose a match, even suggesting her as a concubine.
• Yan Weixuan objects that Jiang Bin is bullying a woman and exploiting his mother’s influence. Jiang Bin argues that Xu Zhen dragged him into the dispute first, while she now expects him to be “magnanimous.”
• Xu Qing privately enjoys seeing Yan and Xu Zhen embarrassed, but Shen Shixu’s penetrating look unsettles her.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Shixu shows gratitude toward his disciples and, recognizing Jiang Bin is being used in the quarrel, discreetly encourages him not to accept the insult.
• Jiang Bin initially wants to avoid the conflict, but becomes forceful once backed by his master. He defends himself with sharp, confrontational wit and challenges the double standard applied to him.
• Xu Qing appears vulnerable and grateful when Jiang Bin helps her, yet takes satisfaction in the confrontation that follows. Shen Shixu’s scrutiny makes her uneasy.
• Xu Zhen uses feigned concern to shame Xu Qing and provoke Jiang Bin, but is flustered when he turns her words against her.
• Yan Weixuan rushes to Xu Zhen’s defense, but Jiang Bin’s reply leaves him unable to answer effectively.

Significant themes

• Hypocrisy and double standards: Xu Zhen provokes Jiang Bin, then he is accused of mistreating a woman when he responds.
• Social status and unequal treatment: Xu Qing and Xu Zhen are both daughters of the same noble household, yet their clothing and apparent circumstances reveal a stark disparity.
• Power, reputation, and gender: The characters use marriage prospects, chastity, and family reputation as tools to control and shame one another.
• Loyalty and mentorship: Shen Shixu’s subtle support helps Jiang Bin stand up for himself.

Plot points and events

• After Jiang Bin defeats Xu Zhen in an argument, he tells Shen Shixu and An Chengyu not to let shameless people bully them. An Chengyu enthusiastically vows to have Datong deal with anyone who crosses him.
• Yan Weixuan pulls the furious, tearful Xu Zhen away. Jiang Bin leads Shen Shixu and the others into the restaurant.
• Xu Qing follows, explaining that she wants to escape the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity’s Residence. Shen invites her into a private room to explain.
• Shen’s system, 011, reveals that Xu Qing and Xu Zhen are the true and false heiresses: Xu Qing is the earl’s biological daughter, while Xu Zhen is not.
• 011 begins recounting how Xu Qing was born prematurely in a village after the earl’s wife fell during a storm. The chapter ends as the confused aftermath of the birth creates an opportunity for someone to interfere.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Bin is assertive and protective, coaching An Chengyu to stand up for himself and stepping in when Xu Qing is overwhelmed.
• An Chengyu eagerly embraces Jiang Bin’s advice and remains affectionate toward Shen Shixu.
• Xu Qing shows how isolated and desperate she feels by seeking help from strangers rather than staying with Yan Weixuan and Xu Zhen.
• Shen Shixu is perceptive and offers Xu Qing a chance to explain, while privately exchanging warm, playful thoughts with 011.
• 011 provides the crucial family secret and lightens the tension with its enthusiasm for learning insults from Jiang Bin.

Significant themes

• Standing up to bullying and refusing to be pushed around.
• The contrast between public appearances and hidden truths, embodied by the “true and false heiresses.”
• Xu Qing’s vulnerability and desire to escape an unjust family situation.
• Warm mentorship and loyalty, alongside humor that offsets the drama.

Chapter summary

• System 011 reveals that Xu Qing and Xu Zhen were switched at birth. Xu Zhen’s parents, paid to lend their home for the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity’s Lady to give birth, grew jealous and secretly exchanged the babies. They later tried to abandon Xu Qing, but her grandmother arrived in time, took her in, and raised her.
• After her grandmother died when Xu Qing was seven, the couple reclaimed her and treated her as an unpaid servant. Years later, Xu Qing saved Yan Weixuan and went with him to the Capital, where the Earl’s younger sister recognized her resemblance to a family ancestor, investigated, and rescued her before the couple could sell her.
• Xu Qing learned she was the Earl’s biological daughter and hoped her birth family would welcome her. Instead, when the switch was exposed, they kept Xu Zhen and largely spared the couple who had mistreated Xu Qing, despite initially planning to punish them. This deepened Xu Qing’s bitterness toward the Earl’s household and her disgust toward Yan Weixuan and Xu Zhen.
• Shen Shixu infers that Xu Qing’s grandmother is dead from the grief and hopelessness in her eyes. He explains that his insight comes from studying expressions and acting in his previous life, impressing Jiang Bin and An Chengyu.
• An Chengyu comforts Xu Qing by offering her a pastry. She accepts, touched that strangers show her kindness when her supposed relatives did not.

Character developments and interactions

Xu Qing’s memories reveal both the love and security her grandmother gave her and the years of neglect that followed. Her hopes for her birth family have largely collapsed, though An Chengyu’s simple kindness offers a moment of comfort. Shen Shixu appears perceptive and compassionate, while Jiang Bin and An Chengyu admire his ability to read people. The excerpt ends as 011 begins to speculate about why the Earl’s family kept Xu Zhen.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts chosen, loving care with blood ties without compassion; explores betrayal, injustice, and the lasting effects of childhood abuse; and suggests that small acts of kindness can matter deeply to someone who has been abandoned.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Shixu and 011 explain why the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity’s Residence concealed Xu Qing’s identity: they hoped to marry the favored Xu Zhen into a useful alliance, and Xu Qing’s proposed match to Minister of War Yan Weixuan threatened that plan.
• Xu Qing had saved Yan Weixuan, who became attached to her, but he favored Xu Zhen during their conflicts and repeatedly urged Xu Qing to yield to her—despite Xu Qing being the younger sister by birth.
• The earl tacitly allowed Xu Zhen to undermine Xu Qing’s engagement. Feeling betrayed by both her family and fiancé, Xu Qing wants to cut ties with the residence.
• Shen Shixu points out that the residence never publicly acknowledged Xu Qing as its daughter and likely never added her to its family genealogy, making it easier for her to leave.
• Xu Qing has a practical plan: return to her grandmother’s supposedly sold house, whose deed she secretly kept, earn money through her cooking, and eventually run a food stall. She has no wish to marry and intends to support herself.
• Just as the group finishes discussing her future, Xu Qing’s father arrives with Xu Zhen, who pretends to calm him while provoking his anger. The earl enters the private room and raises his hand to strike Xu Qing.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qing grows hopeful and resolute. Rather than depend on her family or Yan Weixuan, she chooses independence and sees her cooking skills—learned under harsh pressure—as a means of survival.
• Shen Shixu helps her understand her legal and social position, offers to accompany her to collect her belongings, and reflects that women possess quiet strength.
• Jiang Bin is shocked by the residence’s favoritism and worries about how Xu Qing will manage alone, but learns that she has a home and a livelihood in mind.
• Xu Zhen is revealed as jealous and manipulative: she wants Xu Qing’s advantageous marriage and uses insinuations to turn the family against her.
• Yan Weixuan is shown to be indecisive and unfair, favoring Xu Zhen while expecting Xu Qing to give way.
• The earl directs his anger at Xu Qing rather than confronting Jiang Bin, whose connection to the Eldest Princess makes him wary.

Significant themes

• Self-reliance: Xu Qing rejects dependence on family and marriage, choosing to build her own livelihood.
• Favoritism and betrayal: The residence values Xu Zhen’s usefulness and prospects over Xu Qing, despite Xu Qing being their biological daughter.
• Women’s strength and agency: Shen Shixu’s comparison of women to grass captures the chapter’s view that resilience can be quiet but powerful.
• Identity and belonging: Xu Qing’s lack of formal recognition, rather than binding her to the residence, gives her a path to freedom.

Key plot points and events

• When the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity tries to strike Xu Qing, she dodges behind Jiang Bin, who blocks him.
• The earl claims Xu Qing is his daughter by a concubine, concealing the truth that she is his biological daughter and Xu Zhen is the girl mistakenly raised as his legitimate child.
• Xu Qing challenges the earl’s claim. Jiang Bin and An Chengyu mock his hypocrisy, while Jiang Bin prevents him from taking her away and threatens to report him as a human trafficker unless he proves their relationship.
• Xu Qing backs Jiang Bin’s bluff, then confronts both the earl and Xu Zhen, voicing years of resentment. She accuses them of favoring Xu Zhen, dismissing her suffering, and treating her like an unwanted outsider.

Character developments

• Xu Qing shifts from hiding behind Jiang Bin to openly asserting herself. She is angry and defiant, determined to escape the earl’s household and Yan Weixuan.
• The earl protects his family’s reputation and authority rather than acknowledging the truth. His brief guilt gives way to anger when Xu Qing resists him.
• Xu Zhen presents herself as a dutiful daughter, defending the earl and chastising Xu Qing while remaining silent about the concealed family truth.
• Jiang Bin uses humor, bravado, and a legal threat to shield Xu Qing, though he oversteps with an outrageous insinuation.
• An Chengyu openly ridicules the earl’s contradiction; Shen Shixu watches warily and reins in the others when needed.

Significant themes

• Truth versus reputation: The earl lies to protect the household’s standing in aristocratic society.
• Family, identity, and belonging: Xu Qing’s biological connection does not earn her the care or acceptance she longs for.
• Favoritism and injustice: Xu Qing contrasts her own hardship with the family’s warmth toward Xu Zhen.
• Resistance and self-assertion: With support from Jiang Bin, Xu Qing finally voices what she has endured.

Character interactions

Jiang Bin repeatedly positions himself between Xu Qing and the earl, while Xu Qing uses his protection to challenge her father. An Chengyu adds public ridicule, and Shen Shixu tries to restrain the escalating confrontation. Xu Zhen’s defense of the earl prompts Xu Qing’s direct, emotional accusation against them both.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Qing confronts the Earl of Everlasting Prosperity, saying his family repeatedly rejected her despite her attempts to grow close.
• The Earl defends Xu Zhen and argues that Xu Qing should feel indebted to the couple who raised her. Xu Qing reveals that those people abused and exploited her from childhood: they forced her to work, starved her, and beat her, leaving lasting scars.
• Shen Shixu rebukes the Earl for never investigating how Xu Qing had been treated. Xu Qing explains that neither her father nor her birth mother truly cared for her.
• Xu Qing demands to sever ties with the Earl’s household, including giving up her betrothal to Yan Weixuan. She threatens to expose the family publicly if they refuse.
• The Earl agrees, and, with Shen Shixu and his companions as witnesses, he and Xu Qing sign a document formally ending their family relationship. Xu Qing is overjoyed and refuses compensation.
• Shen Shixu offers Xu Qing a position as a cook at his residence. She happily accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qing moves from explaining her hurt to taking decisive control of her future. Her revelation of the abuse clarifies why she wants no further connection to the family.
• The Earl remains defensive and shows little understanding of his failures, agreeing to the separation only under pressure.
• Xu Zhen reacts to the prospect of Xu Qing leaving with barely concealed delight.
• Shen Shixu supports Xu Qing, challenges the Earl’s neglect, witnesses the separation, and offers her work.
• Xu Qing and Shen Shixu develop a practical alliance rooted in his support and her willingness to begin anew.

Significant themes

• Family ties and rejection: Biological relationships do not guarantee love or care.
• Abuse and accountability: Xu Qing’s suffering exposes the harm done by her birth family’s indifference and her adoptive caregivers’ cruelty.
• Agency and liberation: Severing the relationship lets Xu Qing reclaim her independence and identity.
• A fresh start: The cooking offer gives her a hopeful path beyond the household that failed her.