Jiang Yourning

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Jiang Yourning (姜祐宁); later Chu Yourning, also rendered Chu Youning 209 210.
Alias(es)	Ningning; Sixth Miss Jiang; “Sixth Jiang”; Yu’er 12 208 209.
Gender	Female 1.
Age	Fourteen when she considers learning lightness skills 152.
Affiliation	Jiang household; later formally recognized as a member of the Yu Kingdom’s imperial family 1 208.
Occupation/Role	Jiang household’s sixth young miss; tavern business partner with Jiang Wanrong; later Elder Princess 12 119 210.
Imperial Title	Jia Yu, bestowed at her investiture 221.
Biological Family	Daughter of Empress Dowager Wu Qingyuan and younger sister of Emperor Chu Wenzong 200 208.
Adoptive Parents	Jiang Huai’an and Lin Xiangyin 1 200.
System	Tormented-Novel Character Breakdown System 5.
Residence	Initially the Jiang Residence; later stays at Cining Palace. Her Princess’s Residence is planned beside the Jiang Residence 1 210 250.
Fief	The three principal commanderies of South River 221.
Status	Alive in the latest supplied passages 361.
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1.

Power Progression

Yourning’s advancement comes through system rewards and skill books, rather than a documented cultivation realm. The System explicitly states that the world lacks the spiritual energy needed for cultivation 250.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
System binding	5	Binds the Tormented-Novel Character Breakdown System, gaining access to its Shop, Prize Draw, Inventory, and My Little Home interfaces.
Beginner skill: Suona mastery	27	Obtained from a Beginner Skill Book after Jiang Wanrong’s persona collapse reaches 95%. Instrument knowledge appears directly in her mind.
Beginner skill: Jinx	27	Obtained from the second rewarded Beginner Skill Book; enables single-target misfortune without physical combat.
Inventory expansion: 200 cubic meters	40	Sells medicine, purchases supplies with the proceeds, and converts those supplies into points to enlarge her storage.
Hidden skill: Dog Nose	109	Unlocks enhanced scent tracking; immediately tests it on a silver ingot and discovers its usefulness for locating valuables.
Skill: Elementary School Drawing	109	Chooses colored-pen drawing and plans to draw Lin Qingrao’s portrait herself.
Special skill: Light as a Swallow	171 172	Unlocks extraordinary, presence-concealing movement after Jiang Huai’an’s persona collapse earns a Beginner Skill Book.
Intermediate Skill Book creation	250	Merges eight Beginner Skill Books after learning the upgrade rules. The resulting skill is not identified in the supplied passage.
Higher-tier reward access	273	Su Fuling’s rapid persona collapse earns two Beginner Skill Books, an intermediate ten-draw, 110,000 points, an advanced draw, a System Upgrade Card, and another 100,000 points.
Personal mind-reading demonstrated	348 352	The System activates her ability to hear Qing Qianxue’s thoughts; she later also hears Jiang He and Chu Wenzong. The acquisition chapter is not supplied.

Background / History

Yourning initially awakens as the vicious fake heiress of an angst novel, remembering a fate in which she was sliced apart and her ashes scattered. Jiang Wanrong’s return marks the beginning of the story, giving her an opportunity to intervene before the original hostility between the sisters develops. She resolves to change her fate and stop the dangerous male lead 1 2.

Although Lin Xiangyin wants her to retain the title of Fifth Miss, Yourning persuades her adoptive parents to recognize Wanrong properly and restore the position to their biological daughter. She subsequently becomes the household’s Sixth Miss. Her inherited reputation remains troublesome: vendors fear her, and Zhen Yueyao resents her because Zhen’s former fiancé fell for her and broke their engagement 1 2 6 12.

The System later explains that Yourning truly died in the first novel’s world and has been reborn as a nameless extra in the author’s companion novel. Both stories unfold simultaneously. After purchasing the companion book, she discovers another system-bearing transmigrator whose obsession with Qing Qianxue threatens to set off violence and the eventual destruction of the Yu Kingdom 35.

Her biological identity emerges through a worn red string kept from birth. Its design and embroidered “Yu” match the identifying string used for Little Wukong. Nanny Li confesses that Yourning is the Empress Dowager’s daughter and the emperor’s younger sister. Yourning agrees to approach the palace but insists that recognition must not sever her relationship with the Jiangs 200 201.

Wu Qingyuan allows her to retain her chosen given name while adopting the imperial surname Chu. Her formal investiture grants the title Jia Yu, a princess’s residence, and a South River fief; the accompanying edict also declares a general amnesty throughout the realm 209 221.

Personality

Yourning’s courteous public manner contrasts with a blunt, irreverent inner voice. She can bow impeccably while privately insulting an opponent, admiring someone’s appearance, or complaining about a ceremony. Her acting is deliberate: she stages illness, invents rescue stories, and performs exaggerated gratitude when doing so serves a practical purpose 12 21 39 40.

She is openly motivated by wealth, food, comfort, and gossip. System points quickly become snacks or luxurious meals, while valuable skills inspire plans for treasure hunting and saving money. Her preference for shortcuts is especially clear when she decides that earning a ready-made movement skill sounds easier than learning martial arts 10 23 109 152.

Her self-interest coexists with strong loyalty. She feeds Wanrong during punishment, shares imperial food with servants, employs a homeless boy as an informant, and prioritizes a reliable antidote for Qing over a risky revival option. Leaving the Jiang household exposes an attachment deeper than she had expected 11 55 119 202 231.

She is also vindictive and willing to use deception or violence against perceived threats. After outwardly apologizing for trouble with Sun Changyan, she secretly abducts her; her efforts against Chu Haoze range from Jinx to elaborate schemes intended to destroy his opportunities. When negotiating with Qing, she demands enforceable leverage rather than trusting an oath 15 55 84 133.

Abilities & Skills

Tormented-Novel Character Breakdown System

The System rewards Yourning when characters deviate from their established characterization 5.

• Points: Each 1% of persona breakdown earns corresponding points, with additional rewards at qualifying thresholds 5 171 231.
• Shop and lottery: Provides food, medicine, modern goods, disguises, defensive items, and random prizes 11 26 175.
• Storage: Preserves and conceals possessions; her expanded inventory reaches 200 cubic meters 14 23 40.
• Resource conversion: Loot, purchased supplies, and gold can be exchanged for points 23 40 231.
• Skill upgrades: Two Beginner Skill Books can improve an existing skill; eight create an Intermediate Skill Book, while twenty Intermediate books are required for an Advanced one 250.
• Limits: The System suffers an unexplained anomaly during her stay with Qing and temporarily stops responding. It cannot make cultivation useful in a world without spiritual energy 19 250.

Foreknowledge

Yourning uses her knowledge of the novels to anticipate personal and political disasters 1 12 35.

• Recognizes Xie Ciyan’s original fate: rebellion to rescue Wanrong, followed by a gruesome execution 12.
• Identifies wealthy supporters and romantic attachments that could strengthen Chu Haoze 14 52.
• Recognizes a talented chef’s future death and proposes recruiting him for the sisters’ tavern 40.
• Purchases the companion novel to expand her knowledge beyond the first story 35.
• Her interventions make the future less predictable; Qing confirms that Wanrong’s original fate has been broken 57 58.

Audible Inner Voice

Selected characters can hear Yourning’s thoughts without her speaking. She remains unaware of their access during many early encounters 2 12 39 139.

• Known listeners include: Jiang Wanrong, Xie Ciyan, Qing Qianxue, Cui Zhao’an, Chu Wenzong, Jiang He, Zhao Yi, and Su Fuling 2 12 39 46 51 111 116 272.
• Her thoughts expose palace betrayal, future rebellion, and valuable medical knowledge 46 51 139.
• The effect is selective: Qian Miao cannot hear the remarks Qing hears during her divination visit 38.
• Listeners form their own interpretations. Jiang He concludes that she has returned from the past to protect the family 116 134.
• By later chapters, Chu Wenzong and Wanrong no longer hear her thoughts. Wanrong nevertheless remains unable to explain the phenomenon directly to her 352 359.

Personal Mind-Reading

Yourning later gains access to other people’s internal thoughts, distinct from the earlier exposure of her own 348 352.

• The System unexpectedly activates her ability to hear Qing, revealing that he funded renovations she had credited to the emperor 348.
• She subsequently hears Jiang He’s protective intentions and Chu Wenzong’s delight at no longer hearing her thoughts 352.
• The supplied passages do not establish a range, cooldown, or complete set of activation rules.

Jinx

Jinx makes adverse predictions come true for an individual target 27.

• Can be used once every 24 hours 27.
• Does not support area attacks 27.
• Suits her preference for harming opponents without wielding weapons or risking injury 27.
• She uses it against Chu Haoze while wishing him a bloody misfortune 55.

Dog Nose

Dog Nose grants scent sensitivity greater than a dog’s 109.

• Locks onto one scent per activation 109.
• Range: One kilometer 109.
• Duration: Ten minutes 109.
• Cooldown: Seventy-two hours 109.
• Can locate valuables and roughly estimate their quantity; she later follows the scent of gold to a hidden treasury 109 155.

Light as a Swallow

Light as a Swallow allows her to move extraordinarily quickly while concealing her presence 172.

• Has no cooldown and is permanently available 172.
• Leaves no detectable trace during use, astonishing Qing and Qian Miao 172 175.
• Recommended continuous use is under one hour; longer use causes physical strain and individual side effects 172.
• Her own overuse causes persistent sadness and crying rather than the hair loss described in the skill’s anonymous review 274.
• Concealment and speed do not guarantee victory: Qing can evade her attacks even when she uses the skill 348.

Disguise, Acting, and Social Manipulation

Yourning combines system disguises with theatrical behavior to control how others perceive her 15 21 40.

• Changes her face with pills, supplements disguises with clothing, and conducts medicine sales under another appearance 32 40.
• Coaches Xie through a fabricated rescue account, then uses a sleeping pill to make the scene convincing 21.
• Plants rumors and stages a rescue to turn County Lady Baojin against Chu Haoze 84 86 87.
• Defuses Chu Lange’s initial hostility through compliments and composure 58.
• Uses magical face-changing tricks to cheer Wanrong before leaving for the palace 202.

Culinary and Business Skills

Yourning treats modern food knowledge and system supplies as commercial resources 11 12.

• Plans renovations, menus, profits, and eventual branches with Wanrong 12.
• Produces chili oil that makes ordinary noodles appealing enough for Xie to order several bowls 20.
• Seeks a skilled head chef for the planned tavern 40.
• Her cooking is not consistently successful: Little Wukong becomes sick after eating food she tricks him into trying 81.

Other Acquired Skills

• Suona mastery: Receives direct knowledge of the instrument through a Beginner Skill Book 27.
• Elementary School Drawing: Chooses colored-pen drawing, intending to make Lin Qingrao’s portrait rather than pay for one 109.
• Practical self-defense: Kicks away an attacking maid and dodges Zhen Yueyao’s charge, despite later describing herself as someone without martial-arts knowledge 6 7 27.
• Sword combat: Later spars with Qing using his sword and Light as a Swallow, though his full-strength reflexes surprise her 348.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• System bracelet — An inconspicuous bracelet with a pale blue central bead that displays her system interface 5.
• Invisibility Cloak — Used for covert visits, palace exploration, and prison access. Its duration can expire, and Qing or Zhao Yi can detect her through clues or her thoughts 20 52 53 116.
• Disguise pills — Temporarily alter her face; she takes additional pills to maintain a disguise 15 32 40.
• Compact stun baton — A lottery prize used to incapacitate Sun Changyan and her maid 11 15.
• Truth-Telling Pills — Obtained through the lottery, sold as valuable medicine, and later supplied to Jiang Li for questioning suspects 11 32 204.
• One-Second Sleep Pill — Produces a ten-minute sleep, allowing her to appear unconscious during the staged rescue 21.
• Instant Flash Express Delivery — A system transport item used both to make Sun Changyan disappear and to travel to the Imperial Garden 15 52.
• Inexhaustible seasoning box — A lottery reward supporting her use of modern flavors 11.
• Solar-powered folding phone — Won after repeated draws; lacks internet access but can record audio. She secretly records her investiture edict 72 221.
• Xie Ciyan’s jade pendant — Exchangeable for up to fifty thousand taels at Anping Bank 14.
• Kneeling Exemption Token — An imperial favor freeing her from the requirement to kneel; requested for her by Qing and delivered through the empress 51 53 58.
• Jade sword hairpin — Qing’s marked authority token. His followers must obey her, and she can use his resources while holding it 133.
• Permanent master key — Purchased to open the stone door leading to hidden treasure 155.
• Golden Bell Shield — A single-use defense lasting three minutes; withstands one extremely powerful burst attack and prevents passage in either direction 175.
• Explosive and stink-bomb beads — Used to divert guards and attack Zheng Wanba’s meeting room 175.
• Red String — A keepsake from birth whose design and embroidered “Yu” reveal her imperial identity 200.
• Wu Qingyuan’s phoenix hairpin — Used to replace an uncomfortable elaborate hairstyle before her investiture 221.

Relationships

Jiang Household

• Lin Xiangyin — Adoptive mother and fiercest early defender. Yourning challenges her favoritism toward Wanrong but repeatedly reassures her that imperial recognition will not erase their bond 1 2 200 201 210.
• Jiang Huai’an — Adoptive father. Defends her against the Duchess of Zhen and seeks an imperial investigation when she disappears 14 20.
• Jiang Wanrong — The biological Jiang daughter whose place she occupied, subsequently her beloved Fifth Sister and business partner. Yourning helps free her from the original marriage fate and supports her investigation into Evil Incense 2 12 58 119 194.
• Jiang Yunzhou — Adoptive eldest brother, stationed at West Pass Mountain. After learning her identity, he insists that she remains the little sister who once begged him for sweets 278 280.
• Jiang He — Adoptive second brother. Believes she has been reborn, attempts to eliminate Chu Haoze, and investigates threats while trying to keep her out of danger 116 134.
• Jiang Li — Adoptive third brother and a Court of Judicial Review official. Both disciplines and protects her; she helps advance his courtship of Lin Qingrao 9 76 109 191.
• Jiang Heng — Adoptive younger brother and frequent partner in household comedy. He and Wukong mistakenly stage a funeral for her during her exhaustion-related illness 36 55.
• Chun Tao — Loyal maid who supplies missing social history, assists with errands, and worries over her unusual behavior and disappearances 1 6 22 109.

Imperial Family

• Wu Qingyuan — Biological mother, the Empress Dowager. Accepts her attachment to the Jiangs and proposes a neighboring Princess’s Residence 208 209.
• Chu Wenzong — Biological elder brother and emperor. Her irreverent thoughts unsettle him, but he publicly recognizes her and rewards the family that raised her 51 208 221.
• Cui Zhao’an — Empress and, after the identity revelation, her sister-in-law. Her thoughts alert Cui to palace betrayal; Cui responds with gifts, food, and affection 46 54 200.
• Chu Lange / Princess Yongning — Initially a confrontational acquaintance, then a close friend and debt-collection ally; later recognized as her niece 58 66 208.
• Little Wukong — A novice she brings into the Jiang household and initially treats as a younger brother. His identity as the emperor and empress’s son later makes him her nephew 27 54 184 208.
• Chu Zhaohua — Imperial aunt who entrusts her with a task and praises her contribution to resolving Great Yu’s internal threats. Gives her the Snow Wolf cub Little Yuanbao 231 285.

Allies and Adversaries

• Qing Qianxue / Mo Qianqing — National Preceptor, initially feared and mistrusted, later her close friend and protector. She negotiates tangible safeguards before agreeing to prepare his cure; his gifts, smiles, and private thoughts reveal increasing attachment 19 39 57 133 348.
• Xie Ciyan — Young marquis linked to the Jiang family’s childhood betrothal. After she helps dissolve it, they cooperate on her staged rescue and later schemes; she repeatedly considers him a good match for Wanrong 12 21 84.
• Zhao Yi — Court official who can hear her thoughts. Helps her enter the prison while she promises information about his counterfeit-coin investigation 116.
• A-Qi / Gong Shang — Young beggar hired to gather capital gossip in exchange for food and payment for useful intelligence. She later responds immediately when another beggar reports him missing 119 196.
• Su Fuling — Another transmigrator who becomes convinced Yourning is her younger sister Yu’er. Yourning remains cautious but provides medicine and hopes to secure a favor; her thoughts encourage Su’s interest in becoming a female emperor 272 273.
• Zhen Yueyao — Longstanding rival whose broken engagement fuels her hostility. Attempts public humiliation and physical attacks 6 7 49.
• Sun Changyan — Duchess of Zhen and Yueyao’s mother. Accuses and insults Yourning, who retaliates by secretly abducting her 14 15.
• Chu Haoze — Seventh Prince and principal target of her efforts to prevent the original tragedy. She attacks his opportunities through Jinx, rumor, and staged events, later celebrating his death 52 55 84 87 260.
• Zheng Wanba — Military conspirator whose hidden supplies and coup plans Yourning discovers and disrupts 155 175.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Changing the Fake Heiress’s Fate

• Restores Wanrong’s place in the family rather than repeating the original character’s mistreatment 1 2.
• Challenges inherited enemies while building a protective sisterly relationship 6 7 9.
• Helps dissolve the Jiang–Xie betrothal and begins planning an independent business with Wanrong 11 12.

Palace Secrets and Debt Collection

• Her inner voice exposes suspected poisoning, an exchanged attendant, and manipulation within the empress’s household 46.
• Receives a promised ten thousand taels of gold, then gains compromising information about the people holding it 51 57.
• Uses disguise, public performances, and Chu Lange’s authority to collect debts. Their success prompts other debtors to pay voluntarily 61 63 66.
• Remains unaware that the Duke’s Estate has arranged an assassination attempt against her and that Qing is acting against it 66.

Undermining Chu Haoze and Zheng Wanba

• Tries to prevent Baojin’s wealth from strengthening Chu Haoze by staging an apparent threat and rescuing her under a male disguise 52 84 86 87.
• Visits Chu Haoze in prison and remains dissatisfied with the punishment already inflicted on him 116.
• Finds a hidden treasury, takes portable valuables, and recognizes that the remaining military equipment could support border troops 155.
• Overhears Zheng Wanba’s plans against Azure Cloud Temple, then traps his gathering with bombs and a Golden Bell Shield 175.
• Later hosts a feast partly to celebrate Chu Haoze’s death 260.

Evil Incense Investigation

• Uses Qing’s sword hairpin to commission Shadow Pavilion research into Evil Incense 133 148.
• Experiences hallucinations caused by the substance, including a supposed mountain of gold, and wakes mortified by her behavior around Qing 196.
• Travels toward Jiangnan because her mother and sister are there in connection with the incense crisis 272 273.
• Reaches West Pass Mountain and reunites with her brothers; Chu Zhaohua later credits her with helping defeat the Flourishing Kingdom’s internal destabilization plan 278 280 285.

Imperial Recognition and Continued Family Ties

• The Red String reveals that the supposed fake heiress is the emperor’s long-lost younger sister 200.
• Leaves for the palace only after affirming her intention to remain close to the Jiangs 201 202.
• Gains a neighboring residence arrangement, formal recognition, the title Jia Yu, and a South River fief 208 210 221.
• Continues sharing ordinary family moments with the Jiangs despite the public etiquette required by her rank 210 361.

Securing Qing Qianxue’s Survival

• Insists on authority and leverage before committing to cure Qing’s cold poison 133.
• Chooses to wait for a reliable antidote rather than gamble on a revival card 231.
• Learns that the antidote can be obtained within a month for 900,000 points, reduced from its previous price 250.
• Later discovers through mind-reading that Qing spent the National Preceptor’s Residence’s remaining savings renovating a residence for her 348.

Notable Quotes

“This family would fall apart without me.”
— Her inner assessment of the Jiang household 1.

“What good are oaths? None of that is any use. Why don’t you give me something tangible, National Preceptor?”
— Demanding security before agreeing to cure Qing 133.

“But no matter what happens, I promise you that I’ll still call you Mother, and you’ll see me often. If they won’t agree to that, I won’t acknowledge them.”
— Reassuring Lin Xiangyin before entering the palace 201.

Trivia

• Yourning chose her given name herself, hoping for a peaceful life. She preferred the appearance of the character meaning “bless” over the alternative meaning “protect” 209.
• Jia Yu expresses a wish for a happy, fulfilled life; she appreciates the sentiment but chooses to keep Yourning as her personal name 209.
• Before opening skill books, she washes her hands, prays, strikes a wooden fish, or offers incense in hopes of improving her luck 27 109 250.
• Jiang Li recounts that the childhood Yourning once became drunk, declared herself a flower, and had maids half-bury and water her 191.
• She names her Snow Wolf cub Little Yuanbao after learning it can detect poisonous insects and gu creatures and that its blood can neutralize poison 231.
• Qing cannot discern her fate star: repeated divinations produce an unresolved future rather than an ordinary prediction 39.