Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning goes to the Drunken Spring House kitchen to recruit Chef Zhang. When he refuses, she reveals that she knows about his private troubles and offers to help him regain his “manly prowess” and marry the widow he loves. She leaves without waiting for an answer; moments later, Chef Zhang steps away from work, suggesting she has persuaded him.
• Back home, Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong find Chun Tao sorting beans in an absurdly laborious setup. Chun Tao apologizes for failing to care for Jiang Yourning, but Jiang Yourning reassures her and is satisfied that she is working.
• Their mother, Lin Xiangyin, tells them that Jiang Yourning’s third brother has brought people to the residence to discuss a spate of bellyband thefts in the capital, including the theft of a noblewoman’s garment in the palace.
• Jiang Yourning’s private thoughts reveal the thefts are a cover for a plot against the Empress Dowager: the thief intends to expose her bellyband, bearing her maiden name, and damage the imperial family’s standing.
• Zhao Yi overhears these thoughts. He realizes the case is tied to the Zheng Family and that the Empress Dowager may already have been targeted, but decides not to confront Jiang Yourning about his mysterious ability to hear her thoughts.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning shows herself to be shrewd and confidently manipulative, using Chef Zhang’s most private vulnerabilities to recruit him. Her unusual knowledge also makes her seem startlingly well-informed about the theft plot.
• Chef Zhang shifts from dismissive resistance to apparent willingness to leave his post, though his feelings about Jiang Yourning’s offer remain unstated.
• Jiang Wanrong is impressed by her sister’s resourcefulness, while also reacting with embarrassment to the intimate details of Chef Zhang’s situation.
• Chun Tao remains devoted to Jiang Yourning and feels guilty about having failed to protect her. Jiang Yourning’s reassurance restores her confidence.
• Zhao Yi discovers the political stakes of the thefts but restrains his curiosity to protect the secret of his mind-reading ability.

Significant themes

• Leverage and hidden vulnerabilities: Jiang Yourning succeeds where other recruiters have failed by identifying Chef Zhang’s personal weakness.
• Secrets and overheard thoughts: Private knowledge drives both the recruitment and the emerging political intrigue.
• Appearance versus reality: The bellyband thefts look like scandalous petty crimes but conceal an attack on the imperial family.
• Loyalty and care: Chun Tao’s remorse and Jiang Yourning’s reassurance reinforce their bond.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yourning confronts Chef Zhang directly, using knowledge of his love and personal troubles to persuade him.
• Jiang Wanrong admires her sister’s skills and accompanies her to retrieve Chun Tao.
• Jiang Yourning comforts Chun Tao, who responds with an emotional apology.
• Lin Xiangyin shares news of the thefts with her daughters, prompting Jiang Yourning’s revealing reaction.
• Zhao Yi silently listens to Jiang Yourning’s thoughts and chooses not to challenge her, keeping his own ability secret.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Li and Zhao Yi investigate the thefts of women’s bellybands at the Jiang estate. In Lin Xiangyin’s courtyard, Jiang Yourning’s unspoken thoughts reveal that a trained parrot is the culprit, targeting items with the empress dowager’s plum-blossom fragrance.
• Zhao Yi proposes using a baited trap. Though he doesn’t explain how he knows what to try, he adjusts his plan based on Yourning’s thoughts. That night, he and Jiang Li catch the parrot carrying off a bellyband.
• The next morning, Yourning pretends to be surprised that her brothers solved the case so quickly. Her sister, Jiang Wanrong, suspects someone—perhaps Zhao Yi—can hear Yourning’s thoughts too, and considers confronting or even killing him if necessary.
• Later, Lin Xiangyin takes her daughters to visit the duchess, whose bellyband has also been stolen. The duchess assumes the visit is meant to mock her and angrily prepares to receive the guests in style.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Yi grows increasingly reliant on Yourning’s thoughts for clues, while concealing this from Jiang Li. Her comments also reveal his bitterness over his father’s concubines and his changed attitude toward his father.
• Jiang Li remains protective of his sisters and conducts the investigation with Zhao Yi, unaware of the source of Zhao Yi’s insight.
• Jiang Wanrong becomes wary and suspicious, realizing that the case’s swift solution may point to someone else sharing her ability to hear Yourning’s thoughts.
• Jiang Yourning continues to mask her knowledge with feigned surprise; her casual thoughts steer events without her openly directing them.
• Lin Xiangyin visits the duchess out of courtesy, but the duchess receives the gesture as a provocation, setting up a tense social encounter.

Significant themes

• Hidden knowledge and secrecy: Yourning’s thoughts guide the investigation, while Zhao Yi and Wanrong each conceal what they suspect.
• Appearance versus truth: The characters’ outward explanations—especially Zhao Yi’s—mask their real motives and information.
• Family loyalty and rivalry: Jiang Li’s protectiveness contrasts with Wanrong’s growing willingness to act ruthlessly to protect her sister and their secret.

Plot points and events

• Lin Xiangyin arrives at the Duke’s Estate with Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong, pointedly hinting that they know the duchess’s daughter, Miss Zhen, is still unwell.
• The visitors trade barbs with the duchess over her choice to serve chrysanthemum tea instead of fine Longjing. Lin Xiangyin then demands an apology for the duchess’s earlier false accusations, which left Jiang Yourning ill.
• The duchess grudgingly apologizes, and Jiang Yourning insists that she, too, deserves consideration as someone’s beloved daughter.
• A young maid rushes in with urgent news. The duchess lashes out at her, insults her as an orphan, and orders Ninglu to slap her twenty times.
• Jiang Yourning offers an ointment she obtained through the System Shop, saying it might help the maid. The duchess interprets the offer as an insult and angrily knocks the jar to the floor.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning shows herself to be sharp, self-possessed, and quick to retaliate. Though she appears distracted, she uses the System Shop to find a way to help the maid.
• Lin Xiangyin leads the confrontation, calmly pressing the duchess about Miss Zhen’s condition and forcing her to apologize.
• Jiang Wanrong backs her younger sister with superficially polite remarks that make the duchess’s insults difficult to voice.
• The duchess loses control as the visitors undermine her composure; her cruelty toward the maid exposes her abuse of power.
• The three Jiang women work together through pointed questions, teasing, and apparent courtesy, while the duchess’s attempts to maintain dignity repeatedly fail.

Significant themes

• Wit as a weapon: Polite language and insinuation let the Jiang women challenge the duchess without openly abandoning decorum.
• Accountability and dignity: Jiang Yourning insists that her suffering merits an apology, not dismissal.
• Class power and cruelty: The duchess’s treatment of the vulnerable maid contrasts with the Jiang women’s attempt to intervene.
• Revenge and solidarity: Jiang Yourning’s readiness to answer insults—and her offer to help the maid—shows both her vindictiveness and her concern for an ally.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning visits the Duchess with ointment for her facial condition. After the Duchess smashes it, Jiang secretly slips medicine into her tea.
• The Duchess insults Jiang and refuses to apologize. Lin Xiangyin defends her daughter and protests the disrespect shown to the Jiang household.
• Duke Zhen arrives and tries to calm the dispute by offering the Jiangs a favor. Jiang then reminds him that the Duchess previously accused her of poisoning someone, damaging her reputation.
• When the Duchess again refuses to apologize, Duke Zhen slaps her, orders her confined to her quarters for a month, and has servants deal with her foul breath.
• Duke Zhen offers to apologize on his wife’s behalf. Jiang instead calls in the promised favor: she asks for Chef Zhang’s indenture contract from Drunken Spring House.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning appears tearful and mild, but is calculating: she uses the confrontation to secure a favor she wants. Her interactions with the Duchess provoke the conflict, while her exchange with Duke Zhen turns it to her advantage.
• Lin Xiangyin firmly protects her daughter and demands respect from the Duke’s household.
• The Duchess is arrogant and unwilling to yield, even when her husband orders her to apologize. Her defiance leads to public humiliation and confinement.
• Duke Zhen prioritizes containing a political embarrassment. He rebukes and punishes his wife, then honors his offer of a favor to settle matters with the Jiang family.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus intentions: Jiang’s fragile, tearful demeanor conceals a deliberate plan.
• Power and reputation: The dispute is as much about household status and public face as it is about the smashed ointment.
• Consequences of arrogance: The Duchess’s refusal to compromise worsens her position and brings her husband’s punishment.
• Favors as political currency: Duke Zhen’s attempt to make amends becomes an opportunity for Jiang to obtain something valuable.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning persuades Duke Zhen to give her Chef Zhang’s bond of servitude as compensation for the humiliation she suffered at his estate. She frames the request as a fair trade, and her mother, Lin Xiangyin, supports it because the family needs a head chef for their planned tavern.
• Duke Zhen agrees but warns that Chef Zhang may refuse to leave. Jiang Yourning claims she will return the bond if he does—though she privately knows he has already agreed to come.
• After Jiang Yourning and her family depart with the bond, the furious duchess takes out her anger by stripping another tree bare. The maid who came to report a problem is forgotten.
• At the National Preceptor’s Residence, Qian Miao reports the incident and recounts Jiang Yourning’s background to Qing Qianxue. Qing calls her clever and orders that significant developments about her continue to be reported.
• Qian Miao is astonished to see his usually cold master smile. He assumes Qing is interested in Jiang Yourning, offers incense to Qing’s late mother, and quietly hopes their apparent match will work out. Qing’s covert forces soon place Jiang Yourning under high-priority protection without her knowledge.
• When the empress’s birthday arrives, Jiang Yourning—sleepy after being woken very early—tries to persuade her mother to let her stay home. Her elder sister, Jiang Wanrong, teases her about staying up late, which Jiang Yourning denies.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning shows herself to be shrewd and persuasive, turning an apology into a practical gain for her family. Her comic inner monologue contrasts with her composed outward behavior.
• Lin Xiangyin readily recognizes the business advantage of securing Chef Zhang and backs her daughter’s negotiation.
• Duke Zhen maintains a genial manner while bargaining, but realizes Jiang Yourning is difficult to fool.
• Qing Qianxue reveals a rare trace of warmth toward Jiang Yourning, prompting Qian Miao’s excited—and presumptuous—matchmaking schemes.
• Qian Miao becomes an eager supporter of the supposed romance and arranges discreet protection for Jiang Yourning.
• Jiang Wanrong teases her younger sister affectionately, while their mother’s suspicious glance puts Jiang Yourning on the defensive.

Significant themes

• Clever negotiation and leverage: Jiang Yourning turns an insult into compensation that serves her family’s ambitions.
• Appearance versus reality: Polite smiles conceal sharp calculations, while Jiang Yourning’s innocent image masks her scheming.
• Romance and comic misunderstanding: Qing’s small smile sparks exaggerated assumptions among his subordinates.
• Family ambition and support: Jiang Yourning’s plan is embraced because it benefits the family’s future tavern.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning arrives at the palace with her mother, Lin Xiangyin, and sister, Jiang Wanrong, for Empress Cui Zhao’an’s birthday banquet. Their arrival draws the duchess’s and Zhen Yueyao’s contempt because Yourning looks sleepy and unimpressed.
• The women are received at Perching Phoenix Palace and told they will wait for the emperor’s morning court to finish before the celebration moves to the Imperial Garden.
• Yourning privately grumbles about the early start and welcomes the empress’s announcement that a famous variety troupe will perform.
• The empress hears Yourning’s unspoken thoughts. They reveal that the empress’s trusted nanny may have been replaced, that she was poisoned and kept from having more children, and that her daughter, Princess Ge’er, has been spoiled and manipulated.
• Alarmed, Cui Zhao’an sends Nanny Mei to check on the princess, then quietly gives instructions to Fu Shou, a eunuch appointed by the emperor, as she begins to question whom she can trust.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning remains drowsy, blunt, and easily excited by entertainment. Her unguarded inner thoughts inadvertently expose palace secrets.
• Empress Cui Zhao’an shifts from gracious host to suspicious and unsettled mother. She begins reconsidering her trust in Nanny Mei and the causes of her family’s misfortunes.
• Lin Xiangyin and Jiang Wanrong accompany Yourning, while the duchess and Zhen Yueyao continue to look down on them.
• Nanny Mei is presented as the empress’s longtime confidante, but Yourning’s thoughts cast her loyalty into doubt.

Significant themes

• Hidden thoughts and unintended consequences: Yourning’s private comments reach the empress and disrupt the palace’s carefully controlled appearances.
• Trust and betrayal: The empress must reconsider whether a trusted attendant has been working against her.
• Power and vulnerability: Despite her rank, Cui Zhao’an may have been manipulated, poisoned, and deprived of children.
• Appearance versus reality: The demure young ladies conceal private thoughts, while the empress’s seemingly secure household may be compromised.

Character interactions

• The duchess and Zhen Yueyao mock Yourning’s tired appearance; Yourning remains largely unconcerned.
• The empress formally welcomes the women and arranges a performance after sensing someone’s candid thoughts.
• Yourning’s thoughts indirectly alert Cui Zhao’an to possible wrongdoing in her household.
• Cui Zhao’an sends Nanny Mei away and turns to Fu Shou for help, signaling a new, cautious approach to palace intrigues.

Key plot points and events

• Cui Zhao’an briefly leaves the banquet to be examined by Doctor Zhou. He tells her she has been poisoned for a long time, with the poison likely to strike her heart meridians, and that years of cooling medicines have damaged her health and may make pregnancy difficult.
• Realizing Nanny Mei has controlled her food, clothing, and living arrangements, Cui Zhao’an suspects her palace is compromised. She decides to conceal what she knows and investigate quietly.
• Jiang Yourning’s unspoken thoughts predict dramatic events in the Imperial Garden, including fights, a woman throwing herself into a man’s arms, and an affair. Cui Zhao’an nearly collapses on hearing these thoughts.
• To prevent secret encounters, Cui Zhao’an orders most of the garden’s artificial hills and rocks removed. A palace maid and a consort react with alarm, suggesting the order has touched a nerve.
• Princess Yongning, Chu Lange, arrives late with Nanny Mei, who offers an excuse for the delay. Cui Zhao’an, newly suspicious of Nanny Mei, does not respond as she might have before.
• The emperor arrives, followed by Qing Qianxue. The emperor treats Qing with exceptional warmth and seats him beside himself, prompting speculation among the guests about Qing’s standing and the emperor’s feelings.
• The banquet performances begin. Jiang Yourning recognizes the opening dancer as a famous courtesan hired by the crown prince, and suspects the prince intends to present her as a prospective consort at the empress’s birthday celebration.

Character developments and interactions

• Cui Zhao’an shifts from gracious host to wary investigator after learning she is poisoned. She hides her fear, keeps up appearances, and begins acting cautiously toward Nanny Mei.
• Jiang Yourning remains absorbed in the festivities while privately anticipating scandals and plotting to set up a performer with the seventh prince. She shares sunflower seeds with Jiang Wanrong and their mother.
• Jiang Wanrong listens to her sister’s scheme but doubts it can work within the palace.
• Chu Lange arrives reluctantly but behaves obediently before her mother.
• Qing Qianxue receives unusual deference from the emperor; his closeness to him unsettles the court and fuels rumors.
• The emperor is briefly puzzled by Jiang Yourning’s inner voice, then shows clear favor toward Qing Qianxue.

Significant themes

• Hidden danger and distrust: Cui Zhao’an’s poisoning reveals how vulnerable even the empress is within her own household.
• Public appearances versus private knowledge: The banquet remains outwardly festive while suspicion, fear, and scandal simmer beneath its surface.
• Rumor and unintended consequences: Jiang Yourning’s thoughts repeatedly influence events, including Cui Zhao’an’s decision to alter the garden.
• Power and courtly relationships: The emperor’s special treatment of Qing Qianxue—and the crown prince’s apparent attempt to introduce a courtesan—exposes the complicated alliances and ambitions at court.

Key plot points and events

• Just as the consort-selection ceremony is about to continue, Emperor Chu Wenzong abruptly changes the program to an acrobatics performance. The unexplained voice Jiang Yourning hears in her thoughts seems to influence the decision.
• Jiang Yourning notices the seventh prince, Chu Haoze, sitting apart from the others and hints that she has prepared a “grand gift” for him.
• During the performance, she secretly sticks a tiny button to an acrobat and uses a miniature remote. The performer spins past the crown prince and third prince, then crashes into Chu Haoze’s arms.
• The acrobat cannot pull away from Chu Haoze, leaving them entangled in front of the court. The emperor becomes angry at the disruption of the empress’s birthday celebration.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning reveals her playful, vindictive side by engineering the mishap, while keeping her actions hidden.
• Chu Haoze reacts angrily and tries to push the acrobat away, but is unable to free himself.
• Chu Wenzong is unsettled by the strange voice and irritated by the public spectacle.
• The empress grows anxious when the performer appears to approach the crown prince, then watches events take an unexpected turn.
• Chu Wenjing is relieved the original performance has been stopped, fearing its possible consequences.
• Qing Qianxue remains composed and continues observing Jiang Yourning, hoping to learn what she knows.

Significant themes

• Hidden influence and mysterious knowledge: Jiang Yourning’s inner thoughts appear to affect the court, though no one understands why.
• Schemes and consequences: Her covert prank turns a performance into a humiliating public incident.
• Public image and court tension: The mishap threatens the dignity of the emperor, the empress’s celebration, and the princes involved.

Key events

• Chu Haoze’s attempt to throw off a woman at the empress’s birthday banquet backfires, leaving him sprawled over her in front of the court. He apologizes, and the emperor orders him to take her back to his residence, while the empress urges him to keep her company and have children.
• Jiang Yourning privately predicts the woman may be killed once they return and hopes she can make Chu Haoze’s life miserable. Her thoughts about the palace’s security—and Chu Wenzong’s future rebellion—alarm the emperor and other listeners.
• The empress’s response to Chu Haoze convinces Cui Zhao’an that the emperor may be able to hear Jiang Yourning’s thoughts. The empress also finds Jiang Yourning’s inner commentary amusing and warmly protects her.
• Zhen Yueyao calls on Jiang Yourning to perform. Jiang tries to avoid being noticed, then claims she cannot play an instrument, but the empress gives her permission to perform anyway.
• Zhen Yueyao expects Jiang to embarrass herself. Jiang instead chooses the suona, implying she has a plan to turn the attempted humiliation around.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains mischievous and sharp-tongued in her thoughts, but she is also quick to recognize traps and ready to retaliate. She appreciates the empress’s support.
• Chu Haoze is humiliated and outwardly obedient, though inwardly furious and threatening toward the woman.
• Cui Zhao’an becomes more suspicious that the emperor can hear Jiang’s thoughts and shows clear favor toward Jiang.
• Zhen Yueyao presents herself as Jiang’s friend while deliberately setting her up for public embarrassment. Jiang sees through the act.
• Chu Wenzong is shaken by Jiang’s mention of his future rebellion and begins to believe her thoughts may offer supernatural insight.

Significant themes

• Private thoughts versus public conduct: Jiang’s candid inner voice reveals motives and future dangers that courtly appearances conceal.
• Manipulation and reversal: Zhen Yueyao tries to control the performance, but Jiang’s choice of instrument signals that the trap may turn back on her.
• Power, suspicion, and fate: Jiang’s predictions unsettle the emperor and raise questions about whether the future can be changed.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning agrees to perform with Zhen Yueyao, then uses her suona’s startling, piercing blasts to disrupt Yueyao’s dance. Yueyao collapses into a painful split, while the noise throws the accompanying musicians into disarray and leaves one zither player injured.
• The performance takes an unexpected turn when Qing Qianxue joins Yourning on an ancient zither. His refined playing complements her chaotic suona, producing music that unsettles and fascinates the audience. Yourning shifts from an uproarious tune to a gentler melody before ending with another startling blast.
• The emperor praises the performance and offers Yourning a reward. Empress Cui Zhao’an awards her a Jade Ruyi, but the emperor replaces it with the far more generous reward of ten thousand taels of gold.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning presents herself as considerate toward Yueyao while deliberately sabotaging her dance. She is delighted by the gold and briefly resolves to cherish the emperor—then immediately takes the promise back in her thoughts.
• Zhen Yueyao tries to carry on despite her pain and the chaotic accompaniment, but is visibly shaken by Yourning’s performance.
• Qing Qianxue unexpectedly steps in to accompany Yourning, revealing a willingness to perform with her that surprises observers. His quiet action becomes a topic of discussion among his attendants.
• The emperor and empress react with strained composure to the performance. The emperor suspects there is something peculiar about Yourning, while his own thoughts about his wife and the girl’s notion of “cherishing” her create comic confusion.
• Jiang Wanrong listens with indulgent approval, while Lin Xiangyin, Chu Lange, and the others find the music eerie or alarming despite its festive and beautiful passages.

Significant themes

• Comedy through contrast: Yourning’s solemn performance masks deliberate mischief, and the audience’s dignified reactions clash with their private alarm.
• Performance and perception: The same music seems both beautiful and ominous, revealing how differently the characters interpret it.
• Power and reward: Yourning turns a disruptive performance into a major financial gain, while the emperor’s generous reward highlights her knack for benefiting from chaos.

• Jiang Yourning receives a reward: Emperor Chu Wenzong presents Jiang Yourning with a paper certificate promising ten thousand taels of gold. She accepts politely while privately doubting she will ever be able to collect it—and angrily vows to get even with the emperor by making his son call her “Dad” and her sister “Mom.” Her thoughts alarm the people who can hear them, especially when she mentions a son, leaving the emperor confused about which son she means.
• Zhen Yueyao is dismissed: Yourning realizes she missed her chance to mock Zhen Yueyao, who is still kneeling. The emperor praises Yueyao’s performance and rewards her with chicken feathers before sending her back to her seat. Duke Zhen is furious with his daughter, while Yourning speculates that he might be forced into an alliance with Consort Liang to counter a future threat.
• The emperor grows suspicious: Yourning worries that Duke Zhen’s wealth could help Chu Haoze raise troops in the future. Crown Prince Chu Wenjing coughs to interrupt her alarming thoughts, and his brother Chu Yangche teases him about acting strangely. Concerned by the mention of military recruitment, the emperor leaves the banquet to consult the State Preceptor.
• Qing Qianxue reveals a larger mystery: While walking with the emperor, Qing asks him to grant Yourning a token exempting her from kneeling. She explains that she, like the emperor, can hear Yourning’s thoughts—and believes several others at the banquet can as well. Qing also says Yourning’s unreadable fate may be connected to a newly discovered chance of survival for herself and perhaps for the kingdom. The emperor worries that Yourning’s knowledge could be part of a Jiang family scheme, but Qing argues that the family’s character and Yourning’s father’s honored position make that unlikely.
  Character developments and themes: Yourning’s irreverent inner voice continues to disrupt court protocol, turning rewards and ceremony into comedy while inadvertently exposing future dangers. The emperor shifts from amusement to political concern, and Qing emerges as a perceptive ally who sees Yourning as potentially vital to both her own fate and Yu Kingdom’s. Key themes include the gap between public decorum and private thoughts, the uncertainty of fate, and the political consequences of knowing what may happen.

Key plot points

• Empress Cui Zhao’an notices Jiang Yourning and becomes suspicious when a boy in the Jiang family party resembles the emperor as a child. She also recognizes that the palace is troubled and orders Princess Yongning found after the princess disappears.
• A palace maid arrives, and the empress leaves with Nanny Mei and senior attendants. Jiang Yourning assumes she is going to deal with an affair, sneaks away under the pretext of changing, and uses an invisibility cloak to slip out through a window.
• Looking for the empress, Jiang Yourning loses her way and finds Princess Yongning arguing with County Lady Baojin. Baojin says Yongning bullied her; Yongning claims she was defending the newly bestowed woman who is meant to become the seventh prince Chu Haoze’s concubine.
• Baojin insists Chu Haoze is her future husband and is furious that the woman threw herself into his arms. Jiang Yourning realizes Baojin may have been the person who rescued Chu Haoze earlier—and that her marriage to him could have grave consequences for the empire.
• Deciding she cannot readily change Baojin’s feelings, Jiang Yourning resolves to target Chu Haoze or Prince Anhe instead. She buys an Instant Flash Express Delivery to reach the Imperial Garden, where she promptly collides with a man she considers an enemy.

Character developments and interactions

• Cui Zhao’an shows political caution: she notices the boy’s resemblance to the emperor but hides her reaction, while growing uneasy about Nanny Mei’s changed judgment and behavior.
• Jiang Yourning shifts from excited spectator to alarmed strategist when she recognizes Baojin’s connection to Chu Haoze. Her thoughts also provide much of the chapter’s comic tone.
• Princess Yongning and County Lady Baojin clash over the seventh prince and the newly bestowed woman. Their quarrel reveals Baojin’s intense attachment to Chu Haoze and Yongning’s willingness to invoke imperial authority.
• Jiang Yourning and the unidentified man end the chapter in an accidental, awkward collision.

Significant themes

• Hidden identities and political danger: The boy’s resemblance to the emperor hints at a concealed imperial connection.
• Fate, romance, and power: Baojin’s devotion to Chu Haoze may threaten the empire, making personal relationships politically consequential.
• Suspicion and unreliable loyalty: Cui Zhao’an senses that even trusted palace attendants may no longer be dependable.
• Comedy amid intrigue: Jiang Yourning’s irreverent inner commentary contrasts with the serious risks unfolding around her.

Plot points and events

• After Jiang Yourning accidentally knocks Qing Qianxue down, his attendants help him up. He suspects she is nearby despite being invisible, noticing the flattened grass and testing the space around him. He hears her panicked thoughts but pretends not to see her.
• Qing Qianxue deliberately comes close enough to frighten her, then turns away. He asks his attendant to invite Jiang Yourning and her mother back the next day, leaving her convinced he is tormenting her on purpose.
• Yourning returns to the banquet and tells Jiang Wanrong she was delayed admiring the palace grounds. Her thoughts, however, reveal that she had hoped to witness a fight and a caught-in-the-act scandal. The Crown Prince and Xie Ciyan send guards to investigate after hearing her hints.
• Cui Zhao’an returns looking worn out. When the emperor’s chief eunuch delivers a Kneeling Exemption Token for Yourning, the Empress summons her.
• Yourning’s thoughts reveal she secretly went to watch Chu Lange and County Lady Baojin fight. The Empress realizes her daughter changed clothes and kept the incident from her, and is angered that she was left uninformed.
• The Empress gives Yourning the token. Yourning is surprised and politely says she is unworthy of such a valuable gift.

Character developments and interactions

• Qing Qianxue shows unusual playfulness: he tests his suspicion about Yourning’s presence and enjoys provoking her, apparently finding her thoughts amusing.
• Jiang Yourning remains impulsive, food-loving, and anxious around Qing Qianxue, while trying to conceal her mischief with a calm outward manner.
• Jiang Wanrong worries intensely about her younger sister and scrutinizes her for signs of trouble.
• Cui Zhao’an shifts from warm concern toward Yourning to anger at her daughter and the lack of information reaching her.
• Qian Miao notices that Yourning can make Qing Qianxue smile, a rare and welcome change.

Significant themes

• Hidden thoughts versus outward appearances: Yourning’s candid inner monologue contrasts sharply with her polite behavior, while others draw conclusions from what she thinks.
• Power, secrecy, and information: The Empress’s anger reflects how much can be concealed from even the most powerful person.
• Unexpected amusement and connection: Qing Qianxue’s teasing suggests Yourning’s presence affects him more than he lets on.
• Favor and status: The Kneeling Exemption Token marks a significant gesture of imperial favor, though Yourning is unsure she deserves it.

Key events

• Empress Cui Zhao’an gives Jiang Yourning a Kneeling Exemption Token and invites her to visit Perching Phoenix Palace. Yourning accepts, privately declaring the empress her “one and only big sister.”
• The empress also promises to send Yourning food from the palace feast. Yourning eagerly accepts, and the food is later loaded into the Jiang family carriage.
• Yourning shows the token to Lin Xiangyin, who proudly celebrates her. Jiang Wanrong, Xie Ciyan, and Chu Wenjing each react with varying degrees of wounded pride or disbelief at Yourning’s sudden new family-like connections.
• As the family leaves, Yourning invites Little Wukong into her carriage. They share the palace dishes and cola on the ride home, then fall asleep side by side.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains charmingly shameless about food and gifts, but she is also generous: she shares the feast with Little Wukong. Her affectionate, extravagant inner thoughts repeatedly unsettle those around her.
• Cui Zhao’an is initially bewildered by Yourning’s inner remarks but grows fond of her and indulges her with food and attention.
• Jiang Wanrong briefly feels displaced when Yourning calls the empress her only big sister, but Yourning reassures her that she is the one she admires most.
• Xie Ciyan cannot retaliate against Yourning for jokingly making the empress her sister, so he plans to take revenge by getting her brother Jiang San drunk—and also resents Zhao Yi for receiving Yourning’s attention.
• Little Wukong eagerly joins Yourning and shares her food, ending the journey in a matching, contented nap.

Significant themes

• Affection expressed through teasing and food: Gifts, shared meals, and playful declarations become signs of care.
• Jealousy and belonging: Yourning’s casual “adoptions” make family and friends wonder where they stand, though her warmth ultimately reassures them.
• Comic contrast between public decorum and private thoughts: Yourning behaves politely while her candid inner monologue creates much of the humor.

Plot points and events

• Lin Xiangyin jokes about the uncanny resemblance between Jiang Yourning and Jiang Heng. Their synchronized rush for braised pork hocks and teasing banter amuse the family. Jiang Heng’s embarrassing story about mourning his pet caterpillar is exposed by Little Wukong, who innocently promises not to charge him for future Rebirth Mantras.
• Jiang Yourning shares the dishes sent by the empress among her own maids and the other household courtyards.
• That night, Jiang Yourning checks the system and sees several characters’ “persona collapse” progress has risen, especially Jiang Wanrong’s, now at 99%. Pleased by the rewards she previously gained, she uses her Jinx skill on the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze, wishing him a bloody misfortune.
• At Chu Haoze’s residence, he accuses a woman he calls a “little white flower” of scheming against him. He orders her to be abused by other men; she retaliates by stabbing him with a hairpin. Chu Haoze survives, calmly pulls it out, and orders that she not be allowed to die, revealing that his heart is on the right side and making him difficult to kill.
• The next morning, Jiang Li returns after a night of drinking with the crown prince and Young Marquis Xie. Both men praised him for having a wonderful younger sister, leaving him eager to know what his sisters had done to attract their attention. Jiang Yourning is genuinely confused, while Jiang Wanrong suggests her palace-banquet performance may have impressed them.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains playful and oblivious to the social consequences of her actions, while her inner thoughts continue to influence events around her. She is delighted by the system’s progress and casually directs misfortune toward Chu Haoze.
• Jiang Wanrong is composed and perceptive; she understands that people have heard Jiang Yourning’s indiscriminately affectionate inner voice and quietly recognizes why the crown prince and Xie may be interested.
• Jiang Heng is an easy target for family teasing, while Little Wukong’s earnest honesty repeatedly gets him into trouble.
• Chu Haoze is shown as cruel, vengeful, and unnervingly confident in his survival. His victim, despite being physically overpowered, fights back rather than submit.
• Jiang Li is exhausted and bewildered by the attention his sisters have brought him. The family’s teasing and explanations leave the real cause unresolved.

Significant themes

• Comedy and family affection: Synchronized antics, embarrassing secrets, and affectionate teasing define the household’s lively relationships.
• Hidden influence and unintended consequences: Jiang Yourning’s private thoughts and actions affect others, even when she does not realize how widely they are noticed.
• Masks and vulnerability: “Persona collapse” tracks the exposure of characters’ hidden selves, while Chu Haoze’s unusual anatomy conceals his resilience.
• Cruelty and resistance: Chu Haoze’s abuse of the woman contrasts with her desperate act of defiance.

Plot and events

• After hearing her sisters’ account, Jiang Li remains doubtful, but their mother, Lin Xiangyin, ends the discussion and tells him to rest.
• Lin announces that she and her daughters will visit the National Preceptor’s Residence. The National Preceptor has invited them because he forgot to tell Jiang Yourning something; Xie Ciyan has also asked him to divine Jiang Wanrong’s marriage prospects.
• Jiang Li and Yourning object—Jiang Li because Xie broke off Wanrong’s engagement, and Yourning because she wants to avoid the visit. Lin insists: they can repay the National Preceptor for his earlier kindness with gifts, and a divination is a rare opportunity.
• Wanrong agrees after Lin appeals to her care for their mother. Yourning eventually accepts too, reasoning that making both her mother and sister happy is worthwhile. Wanrong promises to roast her rabbit when they return.
• On the carriage ride, Yourning shares sunflower seeds with Wanrong and Lin. She privately hopes they will test a new, very spicy flavor for her.

Character development

• Lin Xiangyin is decisive and attentive to her daughters, though her concern for Wanrong sometimes turns to guilt over her daughter’s difficult time away.
• Jiang Wanrong shows affection for both her mother and sister, and begins recognizing that Yourning may need more emotional care than the family has given her. She resolves to look after her and also wants to prove she can cook.
• Jiang Yourning resists the visit but yields out of love for her family. Her playful inner commentary contrasts with her sincere attachment to them.
• Jiang Li is protective of Wanrong and openly angry at Xie Ciyan for pursuing her marriage prospects after ending their engagement.

Themes and interactions

• The chapter emphasizes family affection expressed through small gestures: Wanrong comforts Yourning, Lin worries over Wanrong, and Yourning ultimately agrees for their sake.
• Care can be uneven or misunderstood: Wanrong suspects the family has provided for Yourning materially while overlooking her emotional needs.
• Duty, favors, and family influence shape the visit: Lin frames the divination as both repayment and a practical opportunity for Wanrong.
• Sisterly warmth is mixed with teasing humor, especially in Yourning’s exaggerated thoughts and Wanrong’s gentle attempts to indulge her.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning tries to avoid entering the National Preceptor’s Residence by getting her mother, Lin Xiangyin, and sister, Jiang Wanrong, to eat so many sunflower seeds that their lips swell. The two discover the trick but wear veils and go inside anyway.
• Qian Yan leads them to the reception hall. After he privately judges Jiang Yourning’s appearance, Qian Miao tells him that the National Preceptor has ordered him to scrub every chamber pot—a punishment whose reason remains unexplained.
• Qing Qianxue gives Jiang Yourning an envelope containing detailed secrets about the people safeguarding her ten thousand taels of gold. A final cryptic sentence—“When heart and tongue agree, calamity may be averted and blessings prolonged”—makes her suspect he has seen through her.
• Qing Qianxue serves pastries, including Jiang Yourning’s favorite, Peach Blossom Pastry. She takes this as proof of his insight and decides their friendship can continue.
• Qing Qianxue divines Jiang Wanrong’s marriage fate and discovers it has changed: the previously foreseen abyss is gone, but her future is now impossible to read. He suspects Jiang Yourning is responsible and identifies her as the unpredictable variable in his own destiny.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains playful and irreverent, but begins to view Qing Qianxue as a potential friend—until his cryptic message unsettles her. Her thoughts and behavior repeatedly amuse or intrigue those around her.
• Lin Xiangyin and Jiang Wanrong share a comic moment with Yourning over their swollen lips. Wanrong also grows suspicious that Qing Qianxue might somehow hear her sister’s thoughts.
• Qing Qianxue appears composed but responds to Yourning’s reactions with quiet amusement. His discovery about Wanrong’s altered fate makes him newly wary of Yourning’s influence.
• Qian Yan and Qian Miao provide a humorous side exchange: Qian Yan’s private assessment of Yourning is overheard in her thoughts, and Qian Miao relays his brother’s punishment.

Significant themes

• Thoughts versus appearances: Characters’ inward thoughts often contradict their outward manners, especially Yourning’s polite behavior and irreverent inner commentary.
• Fate and unpredictability: Wanrong’s altered destiny challenges Qing Qianxue’s ability to foresee the future.
• Friendship and trust: Yourning repeatedly changes her mind about Qing Qianxue based on his gifts and apparent insight.
• Comedy and family affection: The swollen-lips scheme and the family’s teasing give the chapter a light, affectionate tone.

Key plot points

• At the National Preceptor’s Residence, Qing Qianxue tells Jiang Wanrong that her original fate has been broken and that her marriage can now follow her own wishes.
• The prediction confirms what Jiang Yourning had already told her. Yourning jokingly decides Qing must be a fortune-telling charlatan, while privately resolving to be more careful around him.
• Qing Qianxue reflects that Yourning may be able to alter his own doomed fate. He resolves to protect her if she can do so, even though she remains unaware of the full danger.
• After the Jiang family leaves, their carriage is stopped by Princess Yongning, Chu Lange, who wants to speak with Yourning.
• Yourning leaves her mother and sister in the carriage and calmly boards the princess’s carriage. Instead of meeting hostility with fear, she compliments Chu Lange’s fragrance and appearance, winning her over.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains bold, quick-witted, and playful. She wins a silent staring contest with Qing Qianxue, then uses sincere-sounding compliments to defuse Chu Lange’s hostility.
• Qing Qianxue is amused by Yourning and increasingly invested in her. He recognizes the threat she may pose to his fate and considers protecting her.
• Jiang Wanrong is reassured by the prophecy and shows concern for her younger sister when Yourning approaches the princess.
• Chu Lange initially arrives confrontationally, but Yourning’s unexpected warmth softens her opinion; she admits Yourning is better than the rumors suggest.
• Lin Xiangyin gives Qing Qianxue a gift in gratitude for the favorable divination.

Significant themes

• Fate and agency: Wanrong’s future has changed, leaving her free to choose her marriage.
• Hidden thoughts and appearances: Yourning’s private thoughts contrast with her composed, charming behavior, while Qing Qianxue sees more than she lets on.
• Influence through kindness and wit: Yourning turns a potentially hostile encounter into a friendly one through direct, sincere-seeming praise.

Key plot points and events

• After an initial clash, Jiang Yourning teases Princess Chu Lange by calling her adorable and saying she likes her. Chu Lange acts offended, but blushes.
• Jiang pours them tea and declares they should be friends. Chu Lange denies wanting friendship, yet quickly drinks her tea to stop Jiang from taking it.
• Jiang offers sunflower seeds as a return gift. Chu Lange scoffs at the humble snack compared with her prized tea, but the seeds’ spicy, numbing flavor wins her over. Once they are gone, she quietly asks for more.
• Jiang says she would rather find food first, so Chu Lange invites Jiang and her companions to the Princess’s Residence and takes them to its kitchens.
• At the residence, Jiang is dazzled by the opulence and orders plenty of food. When Chu Lange holds out her hand, Jiang mistakenly thinks she wants to hold hands and clasps it—only to learn Chu Lange was asking for more sunflower seeds.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning remains playful, generous, and socially bold. She treats the princess as a potential friend rather than being intimidated by her rank, though her eagerness leads to an embarrassing misunderstanding.
• Chu Lange begins hostile and imperious but is easily flustered by Jiang’s teasing and gradually warms to her. Her appetite for the sunflower seeds—and her invitation to the residence—show her growing interest and hospitality, even as she insists she dislikes Jiang.
• Jiang Wanrong feels both wistful and proud that her affectionate younger sister has managed to charm the notoriously unruly princess.

Significant themes

• Friendship across differences: Jiang’s open, informal approach softens the divide between a commoner and a princess.
• Pride versus affection: Chu Lange’s haughty declarations contrast with her blushes, curiosity, and eagerness for more seeds.
• Humor through misunderstanding: Jiang’s playful assumptions repeatedly clash with Chu Lange’s literal intentions.

Character interactions

• Jiang and Chu Lange trade mock insults and teasing, with Jiang pushing for friendship and Chu Lange resisting verbally while responding warmly in practice.
• Sharing tea and sunflower seeds becomes a playful exchange that helps them bond.
• Chu Lange invites Jiang to her residence for food, and their new familiarity culminates in Jiang misreading her request for seeds as a request for hand-holding.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning gives Princess Chu Lange a bag of caramel sunflower seeds after the princess complains that the spicy ones might irritate her lips. They share the snack and become friends, though Chu Lange later regrets not saving any when she learns nobody else sells them.
• On the way home, Jiang Yourning looks forward to another meal—roast rabbit—at the Jiang Residence.
• A delivery of custom chairs arrives. Jiang Yourning reveals that she designed a sturdy, barred chair for her sister Jiang Wanrong to prevent her from falling while eating. Though initially puzzled by its unusual appearance, Jiang Wanrong tries it, likes it, and appreciates the thought behind it.
• Jiang Yourning notices that the flowers have been removed from Wanrong’s courtyard. A servant says Wanrong plans to grow something herself.
• After reviewing IOUs, Jiang Yourning chooses several wealthy, living officials as targets for debt collection. The next morning, she disguises herself and Little Wukong with coarse clothes and soot, sneaks them out of the residence, and waits beside a road for their first target, Lord Wang. The chapter ends as they approach him.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning is playful and resourceful: she befriends Chu Lange with snacks, shows care for Wanrong through a practical custom chair, and turns to disguises and stealth to pursue unpaid debts.
• Chu Lange enjoys Jiang Yourning’s company and considers her a friend, but her enthusiasm for the sunflower seeds leaves her frustrated when she realizes they are hard to obtain.
• Jiang Wanrong is touched by her younger sister’s attentiveness. Despite her initial embarrassment about the chair, she accepts it and recognizes its usefulness.
• Little Wukong joins Jiang Yourning in her debt-collecting scheme, helping disguise themselves and approach the official together.
• The family’s interactions are warm and affectionate, while Jiang Yourning’s dealings with Lord Wang begin under the pretense of a polite public encounter.

Significant themes

• Family care expressed through practical gestures: Jiang Yourning’s chair design shows her concern for her sister’s safety.
• Friendship and generosity: Sharing the sunflower seeds helps forge a bond between Jiang Yourning and Chu Lange.
• Resourcefulness and comic mischief: Jiang Yourning uses disguises and careful planning to collect debts, setting up a humorous confrontation with Lord Wang.