Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

• Little Wukong realizes Jiang Yourning tricked him into eating awful food, then gets into a comic chase and spanking match with her.
• Jiang Huai’an and Jiang Li return home after spending the night on duty at the Court of Judicial Review, where they endured noisy prisoners and rats.
• Hearing that Jiang Yourning was summoned to the palace, they had feared the emperor might punish her. She later explains that he simply chatted with her, and that he and the empress liked Little Wukong.
• Jiang Yourning notices a dramatic rise in the system’s “persona collapse” readings: Jiang Huai’an’s climbs to 58%, while Jiang Li’s leaps from 0.01% to 60%.
• She and Jiang Wanrong visit their parents, ostensibly out of concern but chiefly because Jiang Yourning wants to find out what happened. They overhear Jiang Huai’an theatrically complaining to his wife, then see him instantly resume his dignified manner when they enter.
• Jiang Li gives only a terse account of the prison assignment. Jiang Yourning privately suspects that the scandalous stories about Consort Liang and her lovers caused his sudden persona collapse.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains mischievous and gossip-driven, disguising curiosity as concern. She also reassures her family that the palace visit was harmless.
• Little Wukong proudly believes he has outsmarted Jiang Yourning, but she retaliates after he becomes sick from her cooking.
• Jiang Huai’an appears dignified in public but is childish and melodramatic with his wife. Jiang Wanrong’s idealized image of him crumbles when she sees this contrast.
• Jiang Li returns exhausted and withdrawn after the night in prison; the cause of his sharp persona shift is left to Jiang Yourning’s speculation.
• The sisters bond over gossip: Jiang Wanrong has begun to understand Jiang Yourning’s enthusiasm for hearing juicy rumors.

Significant themes

• Public persona versus private behavior: Jiang Huai’an’s formal image contrasts with his exaggerated vulnerability at home, while the system tracks the collapse of the siblings’ personas.
• Family comedy and affection: Teasing, concern, and playful scolding coexist with the family’s genuine protectiveness.
• Gossip and curiosity: Jiang Yourning’s appetite for secrets drives the chapter and frames its unresolved mystery about Jiang Li.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning sets the tavern’s grand opening for two days later, eager to profit from wealthy customers with an unusually expensive menu.
• The tavern opens with an extravagant, theatrical sales pitch: staff shout slogans about making customers spend, while a crowd gathers to inspect the prices.
• Jiang Wanrong worries that the prices will drive people away, but Yourning explains that the tavern is targeting rich patrons. She has invited Chu Lange and Xie Ciyan to attract attention.
• Chun Tao reports that the Duke’s Estate case is resolved. Zhen Wude and the household’s matriarch are implicated in serious crimes, including trafficking, hiring killers, and causing Miss Zhang’s death. The household is to be executed, and the matriarch had also ordered an attempt on Yourning’s life.
• Yourning celebrates the news by ordering extra firecrackers and temporary discounts. Customers begin entering, intrigued by the décor, the food, and Little Wukong’s conspicuous appetite. The first customer tries the tavern’s hot-pot-style dish, served with generous ingredients and complimentary Cola.
• Chu Lange and Xie Ciyan arrive, but Yourning is startled when Qing Qianxue also emerges from their carriage.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains confident, commercially ambitious, and playful. She reassures Wanrong about the pricing, celebrates the downfall of her enemies, and warmly welcomes her invited guests.
• Jiang Wanrong is more cautious and anxious about the tavern’s business prospects, but supports her sister’s venture and reacts protectively to the assassination plot.
• Chun Tao brings the major news about the Duke’s Estate, prompting the sisters’ surprise and celebration.
• The tavern staff enthusiastically perform Yourning’s slogans and serve customers, helping create a lively opening-day spectacle.
• Chu Lange, Xie Ciyan, and Qing Qianxue arrive together; Qing Qianxue’s unexpected presence ends the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Significant themes

• Entrepreneurship and spectacle: Yourning uses dramatic advertising, distinctive dishes, and celebrity guests to draw customers.
• Wealth and ambition: The tavern’s high prices reflect her strategy of targeting affluent patrons rather than ordinary customers.
• Justice and comeuppance: The Duke’s Estate’s crimes are exposed, and its household faces punishment.
• Humor and contrast: Yourning’s irreverent celebration of a mass execution contrasts with the grim news, while the opening’s exaggerated slogans keep the tone comic.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning initially tries to avoid Qing Qianxue at her restaurant’s grand opening, but he tempts her into hosting the group by presenting two enormous Luminous Pearls as a gift.
• Xie Ciyan gives Jiang Wanrong a separate gift, while she considers using strong liquor to coax him into sharing what he knows about Consort Liang and the Third Prince’s executions.
• After escorting the guests upstairs, Jiang Yourning heads downstairs. A rude young man arrives demanding a private room and the restaurant’s signature dishes, threatening to smash the place if he is dissatisfied.
• Qian Miao identifies him as Fifth Prince Chu Yu, who has returned to the capital. He warns Jiang Yourning that Chu Yu is ruthless and has powerful backing.
• Jiang Yourning’s thoughts reveal Chu Yu’s secret origins, Consort Zheng’s unrequited love for the emperor, and Chu Yu’s eventual betrayal of her and his role in her death. She considers provoking a conflict involving Chu Yu to help County Lady Baojin.
• Qing Qianxue, Xie Ciyan, and Jiang Wanrong overhear the revelations. Xie Ciyan reflects on his investigation into Prince Anhe’s fief and Baojin’s possible wealth.
• Jiang Yourning brings complimentary liquor to Chu Yu’s room, presenting it as a rare and exclusive gift. Chu Yu responds with contempt for those who flatter the powerful.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning shifts from avoiding trouble to treating Chu Yu’s arrival as a possible opportunity. She remains practical and strategically alert.
• Qing Qianxue uses an extravagant gift to secure his welcome, while Jiang Yourning’s inner commentary shows she recognizes his ability to manipulate situations.
• Jiang Wanrong is quietly investigating the fate of Consort Liang and the Third Prince and looks for a chance to question Xie Ciyan.
• Xie Ciyan is embarrassed while giving Jiang Wanrong his gift, but his attention turns to the political implications of Baojin’s possible fortune.
• Chu Yu is introduced as domineering, violent, and contemptuous of flattery. His hidden history suggests deep ingratitude toward the woman who raised him.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yourning reluctantly welcomes Qing Qianxue and the others after he offers the pearls.
• Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan exchange gifts and appear to develop a shy, tentative rapport; she also hopes to draw information from him.
• Qian Miao warns Jiang Yourning about Chu Yu’s danger and influence.
• Jiang Yourning approaches Chu Yu under the cover of offering rare liquor, apparently beginning a plan to engage with him.

Significant themes

• Power and manipulation: Gifts, hospitality, and information all serve as tools in navigating court politics.
• Hidden knowledge and overheard secrets: Jiang Yourning’s private thoughts reveal histories that immediately influence the plans of those listening.
• Betrayal and loyalty: Chu Yu’s treatment of Consort Zheng contrasts with the care she gave him.
• Love without reciprocation: Consort Zheng’s devotion to the emperor is portrayed as a source of lasting sorrow.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning provokes Chu Yu by planting gossip that the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze, plans to marry wealthy County Lady Baojin. Chu Yu takes the bait and sets out to interfere.
• Jiang Yourning privately recruits three capable men—Qian Miao, Shuo Feng, and Yuan Ye—to help stage a scheme. Their masters support her, and the men promise to follow her orders and keep quiet.
• Chu Yu leaves the tavern after enjoying its food and wine. The three men follow him, while Jiang Yourning heads to Chu Haoze’s residence to oversee the plan.
• The scheme involves drugging Chu Haoze, luring Baojin to his residence, and arranging supposed assassins along her route afterward.
• Jiang Yourning hides near the residence to watch events unfold, but her older sister Jiang Wanrong unexpectedly appears. Wanrong admits she learned of the plan from Xie Ciyan’s guard and came out of concern for her sister.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning remains playful and manipulative, using gossip and elaborate plotting to control Chu Yu’s actions. She also shows some concern for Baojin, wondering whether the county lady can be rescued from her infatuation.
• Chu Yu is easily provoked by the rumors about Chu Haoze and Baojin, making him a tool in Jiang Yourning’s plan.
• Qing Qianxue and Xie Ciyan recognize Jiang Yourning’s intentions and arrange support for her. Xie Ciyan is amused—and faintly touched—when she promises to fleece her friends less.
• Chu Lange eagerly insists that Yuan Ye join the effort so she can help defend her friend.
• Jiang Wanrong reveals both concern for Jiang Yourning and her own close attention to the situation. Her appearance surprises Jiang Yourning, who remains unsure whether her sister has another motive.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and rumor: Carefully planted gossip steers powerful characters into acting as Jiang Yourning intends.
• Loyalty and friendship: Jiang Yourning’s allies willingly risk trouble to help her, despite her joking habit of treating them as “fat sheep.”
• Family concern and hidden motives: Wanrong’s stated reason for coming is worry for her sister, though Jiang Yourning suspects there may be more behind her visit.
• Comic scheming: The elaborate operation is presented as playful spectacle, with Jiang Yourning treating the unfolding plot like entertainment.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning realizes that Xie Ciyan’s guards have leaked information and resolves to find a more discreet group of her own. Xie apologizes, blaming Shuo Feng, while Qing Qianxue reveals that he overheard the plans and came to watch.
• Jiang Yourning, Jiang Wanrong, Xie Ciyan, and Qing Qianxue settle in to observe the confrontation, trading sarcastic remarks and snacks.
• In a rear courtyard, Chu Yu has his men beat Chu Haoze, then taunts him and threatens to take or kill County Lady Baojin to punish him.
• Baojin rushes in, helps Haoze up, and declares she intends to marry him—not Chu Yu.
• Chu Haoze finally snaps back, saying he will use Prince Anhe’s power to kill Chu Yu.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning is sharp-tongued and resourceful, but her amusement at the spectacle coexists with concern for Baojin’s impulsive devotion. She is already considering how to keep Baojin safe.
• Xie Ciyan accepts blame to smooth things over with Jiang Yourning, while Qing Qianxue shows a quiet interest in joining the drama.
• Chu Haoze, usually subdued, reveals anger and defiance under Chu Yu’s abuse.
• Baojin openly commits herself to Haoze despite Chu Yu’s intimidation.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yourning needles Xie Ciyan about his unreliable guards; he apologizes and promises to discipline Shuo Feng.
• The four spectators share a conspiratorial, entertained camaraderie as they watch from the wall.
• Chu Yu humiliates and threatens Haoze, while Haoze answers with growing resistance. Baojin intervenes between them and openly challenges Chu Yu.

Significant themes

• Fragile trust and secrecy: A leaked confidence makes Jiang Yourning wary of relying on others.
• Power and abuse: Chu Yu uses physical violence, rank, and threats to control Haoze.
• Loyalty and love: Baojin’s willingness to stand by Haoze contrasts with Chu Yu’s possessiveness.
• Defiance: Haoze’s threat marks a shift from passive endurance toward retaliation.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Haoze’s private thoughts are involuntarily revealed during his confrontation with Chu Yu. He admits he knows Prince Anhe’s family controls eight gold mines and seven silver mines, and suggests using their wealth to raise an army.
• Chu Yu threatens to report the supposed rebellion and seize Prince Anhe’s property. When Chu Haoze fights back and has his men surround Chu Yu and his followers, County Lady Baojin realizes that the man she loves may be plotting rebellion.
• Heartbroken and shaken, Baojin flees. Jiang Yourning leaves the spectators to follow her, changing into men’s clothes to disguise herself.
• Qing Qianxue helps Yourning down from a high wall. Meanwhile, he arranges an ambush through his guard, Qian Miao.
• In an alley, Baojin is frightened and alone as Qian Miao’s men pretend they intend to kill her. Yourning rushes in, theatrically drives the men off with a wildly swung whip, and approaches Baojin.

Character developments

• Chu Haoze abandons his timid façade and reveals ambition and possible treasonous intent, assuming Baojin’s devotion means she will remain loyal.
• County Lady Baojin begins to see Chu Haoze as a stranger when she realizes he knows her family’s secret wealth and may exploit it for rebellion. Her trust in him collapses.
• Jiang Yourning takes the role of Baojin’s rescuer, showing resourcefulness and confidence in her improvised disguise and performance, though her inner commentary undercuts her bravado.
• Qing Qianxue quietly assists Yourning and helps stage the rescue.

Significant themes

• Hidden intentions exposed: Chu Haoze’s unfiltered thoughts reveal ambitions that polite appearances conceal.
• Love versus betrayal: Baojin’s devotion is shaken by the discovery that Chu Haoze may be using her family.
• Power and wealth: The mines represent both Prince Anhe’s political leverage and the danger of being drawn into rebellion.
• Performance and appearance: Yourning’s staged heroics contrast with her comical self-awareness and clumsy whip work.

Character interactions

• Chu Haoze and Chu Yu’s confrontation escalates from threats to physical aggression, while Chu Haoze openly challenges Chu Yu’s authority.
• Baojin watches Chu Haoze’s revelations, then flees without confronting him.
• Yourning asks Jiang Wanrong to watch the confrontation, receives help from Qing Qianxue, and later rescues Baojin through a coordinated ruse with Qian Miao’s men.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning rescues County Lady Baojin while disguised as a dashing young man. Baojin becomes smitten with her, and Yourning hopes the new admirer will distract Baojin from marrying the dangerous Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze.
• Returning to her sister Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan, Yourning learns that Chu Haoze brutally tortured Chu Yu and imprisoned him in a secret chamber. Her private thoughts reveal that he inflicted similar injuries and imprisonment on her and her family in a future—or past—timeline.
• Xie Ciyan realizes Chu Haoze may eventually destroy the Jiang family and decides he must act against him before it is too late.
• That night, two groups attack the Seventh Prince’s Residence: one targets Chu Haoze, while the other sets the estate on fire and rescues the badly injured Chu Yu. The residence burns down, and Chu Haoze disappears.
• The next morning, Yourning is disappointed that Chu Haoze’s death has not been confirmed. Unable to reach the system, she discovers that threatening to complain makes it respond. It tells her Chu Haoze can be killed despite enjoying the world’s favor, and she demands to know how.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning uses charm and theatrical heroism to influence Baojin, then reveals her intense hatred of Chu Haoze. She also discovers a way to pressure the system, giving her a possible new means to pursue her goal.
• County Lady Baojin develops an immediate crush on her masked rescuer, unaware that the stranger is Yourning.
• Jiang Wanrong hears disturbing details about Chu Haoze’s cruelty and is affected by what she learns of the sisters’ future.
• Xie Ciyan shifts from alarm at Chu Haoze’s brutality to a personal resolve to protect the Jiang family by striking first.
• Yourning and the system have a comic but revealing exchange: the system turns ingratiating when she threatens a complaint, while Yourning demands a way to kill Chu Haoze.

Significant themes

• Revenge and protection: Yourning’s hatred stems from the harm Chu Haoze has inflicted on her family, while Xie Ciyan is driven to protect them.
• Fate and resistance: Chu Haoze’s apparent protection by the world does not make him invulnerable, suggesting that his future can still be changed.
• Disguise and misdirection: Yourning’s rescue of Baojin shows how identities and appearances can be used to reshape relationships and avert a dangerous marriage.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning learns that Chu Haoze’s “halo”—the protection of the world’s favor—is down to 53%. The system explains that his halo is shrinking quickly because her actions have pushed him off his intended path and exposed his villainous nature too early.
• Jiang Yourning teases the system for slacking off. It admits it spends its free time binge-watching shows, but can’t share them; instead, it exploits a bug to add six simple games to her phone. Delighted, Jiang spends two rainy days playing and lounging.
• When her agent Chun Tao brings news from the capital, Jiang hears that:
  1. Fifth Prince Chu Yu has returned badly injured after apparently being attacked by stray dogs.
  2. County Lady Baojin is offering a huge reward to find the person who saved her, suggesting her romantic attachment may be developing differently than expected.
  3. Seventh Prince Chu Haoze has survived and returned to the palace, where he intends to complain to the emperor.
• Jiang decides to take Little Wukong and find Chu Lange, planning to enter the palace and watch what happens next.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang remains confident and mischievous, pleased that Chu Haoze’s prospects are deteriorating, though she is frustrated that his halo still has more than half its strength. Her playful exchange with the system reveals her demanding, humorous side.
• The system, usually absent, flatters Jiang as so capable that it has little to do. Their banter ends with it giving her games to appease her.
• Chun Tao serves as Jiang’s intelligence source, reporting the capital’s developments.
• Chu Haoze remains resilient despite the setbacks, while Chu Yu’s injured return raises questions about what happened to him. Baojin’s search for her rescuer suggests a possible shift in her storyline.

Significant themes

• Fate versus interference: Jiang’s disruption of Chu Haoze’s intended path weakens the supernatural protection surrounding him.
• Consequences of altered events: The princes’ unexpected survival and return show that the story’s course remains unpredictable.
• Comedy and idleness: System bureaucracy, phone games, and Jiang’s lounging contrast with the political danger unfolding in the capital.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Lange, Jiang Yourning, and Jiang Wanrong visit the palace with Little Wukong to watch the fallout from two princes arriving on the same day: the Fifth Prince, Chu Yu, has been badly beaten, while the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze, has returned to complain to the emperor.
• Jiang Wanrong reveals that County Lady Baojin once overheard Chu Haoze say he planned to use her family’s wealth to rebel. He later sent assassins after her, while Chu Yu had also insulted Jiang Yourning and tried to wreck her tavern.
• Chu Lange recruits a Laundry Bureau maid, Qiu Ying, to spread the story to Consort Zheng, Chu Yu’s mother. She promises the maid a reward and new assignment, but threatens her family if she tells anyone.
• The group sneaks into the side hall beside the Imperial Study. They hear Chu Haoze plead with Emperor Chu Wenzong to investigate the attack on him and the destruction of his residence.
• Jiang Yourning’s unspoken thoughts criticize Chu Haoze for appealing to an emperor who already knows what happened. Chu Wenzong recognizes the familiar voice and secretly summons Fu Kang.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning enjoys setting rival factions against each other and expects the palace to become chaotic. She readily rewards Chu Lange’s help with free food.
• Chu Lange turns Jiang Wanrong’s information into a plan to provoke Consort Zheng, showing cunning beneath her playful, food-loving manner.
• Jiang Wanrong demonstrates strategic awareness and a protective interest in her sister, having joined partly to find Qiu Ying—the maid connected to Chu Haoze’s earlier scheme involving evil incense.
• Chu Wenzong is frustrated by Chu Haoze’s appeal, but Jiang Yourning’s thoughts voice what he is thinking. He recognizes her presence and responds discreetly.
• Qiu Ying is eager for advancement and agrees to carry out Chu Lange’s gossip plan.

Significant themes

• Political manipulation and factional conflict: Rumors become tools for turning powerful families against one another.
• Hidden knowledge and overheard truths: The palace’s public complaints contrast with the private information and inner thoughts that shape events.
• Loyalty and protection: The sisters and Chu Lange cooperate to retaliate against threats to Jiang Yourning, while Chu Lange’s coercive threat to Qiu Ying reveals the harshness of palace power.

Key plot points and events

• Four young women—including Chu Lange, Jiang Yourning, Jiang Wanrong, and Chu Haoze’s sister—try to eavesdrop outside the Imperial Study. Fu Kang catches them and ushers them inside for pastries, on the emperor’s orders.
• Chu Wenzong tells Chu Haoze that the Court of Judicial Review is investigating the fire at his residence and offers him a place to stay in the palace. He proposes Morning Dew Palace, a consort’s residence, provoking Chu Haoze’s alarm.
• Jiang Yourning’s unspoken thoughts mock the emperor’s choice and suggest Chu Haoze is an impostor. The emperor overhears her and grows increasingly suspicious, especially given other evidence of poisoning and intrigue.
• Chu Haoze abandons his request to investigate the attack himself, claims he will wait for the court’s findings, and fakes coughing blood to appear injured. The emperor orders an imperial physician to examine him before he leaves.
• The emperor reflects bitterly on the harem’s hidden rivalries. Before long, the Noble Consort arrives in tears, demanding justice and bringing the seriously injured Fifth Prince on a bed.

Character developments

• Chu Wenzong shifts from trying to manage Chu Haoze’s situation to suspecting he may not be his biological son. Jiang Yourning’s thoughts intensify doubts raised by evidence of poisoning and the Empress’s warning. His frustration with palace politics also grows.
• Chu Haoze remains calculating and ambitious. He is startled by the emperor’s offer and apparent knowledge of his hidden treasure, then feigns injury to avoid further scrutiny. Privately, he even imagines eventually killing the emperor.
• Jiang Yourning remains a sharp-tongued, mischievous observer whose thoughts reveal secrets and provoke the emperor, while she eagerly anticipates the coming confrontation.
• Chu Lange and the other young women are caught eavesdropping but quickly cover for themselves and accept the emperor’s refreshments.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus truth: Chu Haoze performs injury and filial obedience while concealing hostile intentions; palace relationships and loyalties may also be false.
• Suspicion and hidden schemes: Secret treasure, possible poisoning, questions of Chu Haoze’s parentage, and harem rivalries all deepen the political uncertainty.
• Irony and dark humor: The emperor’s courteous gestures contrast with the characters’ private thoughts and murderous intentions.
• Palace intrigue: Even an emperor who tried to limit competition among his consorts discovers that conflict has simply taken other forms.

Character interactions

• Fu Kang gently reprimands the four eavesdroppers and invites them to sit with food.
• Chu Wenzong pressures Chu Haoze with the suggestion that he stay in a consort’s palace; Chu Haoze responds with formal deference while privately panicking.
• Jiang Yourning’s internal commentary repeatedly affects the emperor, though she does not speak aloud.
• The Noble Consort’s tearful entrance interrupts the emperor’s exchange with Chu Haoze and sets up a new dispute over the injured Fifth Prince.

Key plot points and events

• Consort Zheng accuses the Seventh Prince, Chu Haoze, of leaving her son Chu Yu gravely injured and demands justice from the emperor.
• She presents the corpses of Chu Yu’s attendants, who were last seen entering Haoze’s residence, along with a scrap of cloth bearing the residence guards’ emblem. The evidence sharply weakens Haoze’s denial.
• Haoze kneels and claims he has not seen Chu Yu, hoping to rely on County Lady Baojin’s silence.
• Consort Zheng reveals that Baojin is being brought in as a witness. Jiang Yourning anticipates the confrontation and secretly has Yuan Ye give Baojin a pill.
• When Baojin arrives, Haoze tries to prompt her to deny seeing Chu Yu. Instead, she tells the truth, accusing Haoze of plotting rebellion with her father’s influence and arranging an assassination.

Character developments

• Consort Zheng proves more strategic and forceful than Haoze expects, arriving with evidence and arranging for Baojin to testify.
• Chu Haoze shifts from indignant denial to feigned innocence, then grows increasingly anxious as his plans unravel.
• Jiang Yourning actively manipulates events behind the scenes, arranging for Baojin to speak truthfully and eagerly cheering on the confrontation.
• Baojin begins confused and obedient, but ultimately exposes Haoze’s alleged crimes despite his attempts to influence her.
• Emperor Chu Wenzong grows suspicious of Haoze, while also wondering why Jiang Yourning harbors such hostility toward him.

Significant themes

• Justice and evidence: Consort Zheng uses physical evidence and testimony to challenge Haoze’s denial.
• Deception and manipulation: Haoze tries to control the narrative, while Jiang Yourning secretly ensures Baojin tells the truth.
• Power and vulnerability: Haoze assumes Baojin’s loyalty will protect him, but his position becomes precarious once evidence and testimony converge.

Character interactions

• Consort Zheng confronts Haoze before the emperor, directly accusing him and rebutting his excuses.
• Haoze appeals to the emperor’s fairness and silently signals Baojin to support his version.
• Jiang Yourning borrows Chu Lange’s attendant Yuan Ye to secretly intervene in Baojin’s testimony; Chu Lange agrees without looking away from the spectacle.
• Baojin’s testimony turns against Haoze, escalating the confrontation and implicating him in more than Chu Yu’s injury.

Plot points and events

• County Lady Baojin blurts out that Chu Haoze brought the assassin to target Chu Yu. Realizing she has exposed him, she kneels and insists Prince Anhe’s household is loyal.
• With the testimony and evidence against him, Emperor Chu Wenzong sentences the Seventh Prince to thirty strokes and imprisonment for plotting against his elder brother and deceiving the emperor. The Ministry of Justice must investigate within three days, and Chu Haoze’s staff are detained.
• Consort Zheng accepts the ruling as a victory and takes the injured Chu Yu away. Chu Haoze is publicly beaten while Jiang Yourning and others secretly watch; Jiang delights in his punishment and wishes it were harsher.
• The emperor finds Jiang Yourning watching the punishment with Little Wukong, then visits Perching Phoenix Palace. There, Cui Zhao’an asks whether Little Wukong has started studying and arranges a teacher for him and Jiang Yourning’s fourth brother.
• Elsewhere, Chu Lange gathers the palace maids with red moles between their brows at Jiang Wanrong’s request. Jiang Wanrong explains that a State Preceptor’s prophecy identified one as her future benefactor, but she is unsure whether the full group has been assembled.

Character developments and interactions

• County Lady Baojin turns against Chu Haoze when pressed, apparently choosing honesty—or self-preservation—over protecting him. Chu Haoze’s murderous stare leaves her shaken and disillusioned.
• Chu Haoze loses his defense and is publicly disgraced, while Consort Zheng secures a substantial, if incomplete, victory against him.
• Chu Wenzong enforces the evidence-based sentence but orders the punishment made public as a warning. His curiosity about Jiang Yourning’s thoughts continues, and he disapproves of Little Wukong’s apparent enthusiasm for mischief.
• Jiang Yourning is gleefully vindictive toward Chu Haoze, yet deferential when Cui Zhao’an arranges Little Wukong’s education. Little Wukong’s pleading looks do not change the decision.
• Jiang Wanrong enlists Chu Lange to find her prophesied benefactor; Chu Lange accepts her explanation and helps organize the search.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and shifting loyalties: Baojin’s testimony collapses Chu Haoze’s position and strains their relationship.
• Justice as spectacle and warning: The emperor’s public punishment serves both political justice and deterrence.
• Family and education: Cui Zhao’an’s reunion with Little Wukong leads to plans for his formal schooling.
• Prophecy and fate: Jiang Wanrong’s search suggests that a foretold connection may shape future events.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Wanrong searches the palace maids for the woman who once helped her. She carefully questions them and records their details, then recalls that the young maid she saw on entering the palace also had a red mole between her brows. Chu Lange agrees to send the maid to the Jiang residence.
• Jiang Yourning persuades Little Wukong to accept his new tutor by joking that studying will help him come up with more insults. Food soon distracts him from his reluctance.
• Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong receive invitations to a lake outing hosted by the Grand Tutor’s household. Jiang Yourning agrees mainly because she wants to try the lake’s mandarin fish, and plans to bring a large fishing net.
• The sisters go to Shabi Lake, leaving Little Wukong and Jiang Heng behind to study. They lament that girls in their family have more freedom, then Little Wukong seems to hatch a mischievous plan.
• At the outing, Chu Lange welcomes the sisters aboard her pleasure barge. Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong spot their Third Brother, who had claimed the event would be boring, arriving with Zhao Yi.

Character developments

• Jiang Wanrong is methodical and persistent in her search for her benefactor, noting even the absent maid’s distinctive red mole.
• Jiang Yourning remains irreverent and pleasure-seeking, but takes an active interest in her siblings’ lives—while cheerfully manipulating Little Wukong into studying.
• Little Wukong shifts from resisting lessons to accepting them after Jiang Yourning frames learning as a way to insult people more creatively; his appetite helps seal the deal.
• Chu Lange shows her enthusiasm for social outings and takes pride in hosting the sisters aboard her impressive barge.
• Little Wukong and Jiang Heng bond over their envy of girls’ greater freedom, though Little Wukong is the one who acts on the thought.

Significant themes

• Education and gender: Both boys and girls may study, but the girls have more choice, prompting the boys to envy their freedom.
• Family affection and teasing: Jiang Yourning’s blunt humor masks her care for Little Wukong, while the siblings share playful camaraderie.
• Appearances versus reality: The Third Brother’s presence contradicts his earlier claim that the outing was boring, highlighting the gap between what people say and do.
• Memory and recognition: Jiang Wanrong’s search depends on careful observation and recollection of a distinctive mark.

Character interactions

• Jiang Wanrong relies on Chu Lange’s help to identify her benefactor; Chu Lange arranges to have the suspected maid sent to the Jiang residence.
• Jiang Yourning uses humor, persuasion, and food to win Little Wukong over to studying, while Jiang Wanrong watches with amused skepticism.
• Little Wukong and Jiang Heng share their frustration at being left behind for lessons, and Little Wukong pulls Jiang Heng away after apparently devising a scheme.
• Chu Lange greets the sisters warmly and escorts them onto her barge; the sisters then exchange surprised remarks after spotting their Third Brother with Zhao Yi.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Lange’s pleasure boat approaches the men’s gathering so Jiang Yourning can invite her third brother, Jiang Li, aboard. Jiang Li accepts, bringing Zhao Yi with him.
• Jiang Yourning teases Jiang Li for pretending to come only because Zhao Yi wanted an outing; her thoughts reveal that Jiang Li is secretly there to see a young woman he likes. Zhao Yi realizes he was used as cover.
• The boats set out. While other guests compose poetry, Jiang Yourning’s group focuses on eating food from her tavern. Chu Lange asks Jiang Yourning to help her find a way to earn money, as she can barely afford the tavern’s food.
• Two daughters of a Remonstrance Counselor fall into the lake. Though many people are nearby, no one moves to help—until Jiang Li jumps in to rescue them.
• Jiang Yourning’s thoughts reveal that one of the women is the girl Jiang Li loves. She also recalls that the woman will later fall for Jiang Yourning’s second brother after meeting him, and anticipates his return.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Li is shown to be secretly romantic and selfless: he disguises his reason for coming, then risks himself to save the women.
• Jiang Yourning teases her brother while keeping his secret, and her inner commentary hints at future romantic complications.
• Zhao Yi figures out Jiang Li’s excuse and feels sympathy for him, but is also exasperated by Jiang Yourning’s thoughts about his personal life.
• Chu Lange remains lively and generous, but reveals financial worries and seeks Jiang Yourning’s help.
• Jiang Wanrong is attentive to propriety and becomes alarmed when Jiang Li jumps into the lake.

Significant themes

• Romance and misunderstanding: Jiang Li’s feelings are hidden, and his future chances are complicated by the woman’s eventual attraction to his brother.
• Courage and responsibility: Jiang Li acts when others hesitate, putting the women’s safety ahead of his own.
• Social performance versus private motives: His official excuse masks a personal hope, while Jiang Yourning’s inner thoughts expose what the group does not say aloud.
• Comic contrast: The outing’s literary, refined atmosphere is undercut by the group’s enthusiastic eating and Jiang Yourning’s irreverent commentary.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning and her companions spot Jiang Li rescuing Lin Qingrao from Shabi Lake. They bring both aboard their pleasure boat; another boat rescues the second woman who fell in.
• Princess Chu Lange arranges for Lin to change into dry clothes and deliberately seats her alone with Jiang Li, hoping to encourage the shy pair.
• Jiang Yourning and Jiang Wanrong explain that Jiang Li is usually quiet but caring, while Zhao Yi teases him about blushing. Lin thanks Jiang Li, but he struggles to respond and eventually tries to escape by saying he will catch fish.
• Jiang Yourning stops him and insists he stay with Lin to warm up. She then turns the outing toward fishing, planning to catch mandarin fish for the family’s tavern.
• Chu Lange negotiates for half the catch if her attendant Yuan Ye helps cast the net. Jiang Yourning scatters several boxes of fish feed into the lake. The boat begins rocking, leaving everyone alarmed; the chapter ends on a cliffhanger.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning acts as an enthusiastic, meddling matchmaker for Jiang Li and Lin, while also pursuing her practical business interests.
• Jiang Li shows his affection through his impulsive rescue of Lin, but his shyness and inability to speak openly frustrate his sister.
• Lin Qingrao is grateful and bashful around Jiang Li, and appears receptive to the others’ efforts to bring them closer.
• Chu Lange eagerly helps the potential couple and quickly becomes interested in the profit-making opportunity of catching fish.
• Jiang Wanrong and Zhao Yi join in encouraging and teasing Jiang Li.

Significant themes

• Affection can be expressed through quiet actions as well as words.
• Family and friends support romance, sometimes by teasing or arranging opportunities.
• The scene blends romantic matchmaking with humor and Jiang Yourning’s entrepreneurial instincts.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yourning confides Jiang Li’s feelings to Chu Lange, who helps create time alone for him and Lin.
• Jiang Wanrong and Zhao Yi playfully expose Jiang Li’s embarrassment, while Lin responds with shy attention.
• Jiang Yourning keeps Jiang Li from fleeing and turns him back toward Lin; meanwhile, she and Chu Lange form a practical partnership over the planned fishing haul.

Key plot points and events

• A huge school of fish gathers around Jiang Yourning’s pleasure boat after her fish feed proves far more effective than expected. The boat risks being overwhelmed, but the group starts hauling in the catch.
• Lin Qingrao spots an enormous fish. Jiang Yourning recognizes it as a rare Kaluga sturgeon and urges everyone to catch it, offering three days of free meals at the tavern as a reward.
• Nearby spectators marvel at the spectacle. Xie Ciyan spots Jiang Yourning’s group and approaches with Qing Qianxue.
• Jiang Heng and Little Wukong arrive in women’s clothing, having sneaked out of the Jiang residence and secured a ride from Xie Ciyan through a sham accident.
• As the sturgeon threatens to escape, Qing Qianxue sends Qian Miao and Qian Yan to help. Jiang Yourning hears familiar voices calling “Big Sister” and wonders whether her brother and Little Wukong are nearby.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning is thrilled by the extraordinary catch and especially the sturgeon’s supposed value and taste. Her eager, food-focused inner thoughts contrast with the others’ alarm.
• Chu Lange is delighted by the fish as a source of wealth, but quickly realizes Jiang Yourning is prioritizing the sturgeon and backs her decision.
• Xie Ciyan is amused and exasperated by Jiang Heng and Little Wukong’s brazen disguise and staged accident, yet brings them along because of their family connections. He also overhears Jiang Yourning’s thoughts.
• Qing Qianxue, usually reserved, shows interest in the fish and orders his attendants to help catch it, partly trusting Jiang Yourning’s culinary judgment.
• Jiang Heng and Little Wukong appear mischievous and resourceful, disguising themselves to leave home and reunite with Jiang Yourning.
• The group’s shared effort to catch the sturgeon brings the boats and characters together.

Significant themes

• Abundance and comic chaos: Jiang Yourning’s simple act of scattering feed creates an astonishing, nearly uncontrollable fishing frenzy.
• Food, wealth, and appetite: The fish are both a fortune and a feast, especially the rare sturgeon that captivates Jiang Yourning.
• Affection and loyalty: Characters readily help one another, while Jiang Yourning’s promised meals and the others’ quick response show how food and camaraderie bind the group.

Plot points

• Jiang Li, Jiang Yourning, and Jiang Wanrong spot Qing Qianxue’s approaching boat—and realize Jiang Heng and Little Wukong are with him, despite supposedly being at home studying.
• As the boats meet, the two youngsters panic at the sight of Jiang Li and try to persuade Xie Ciyan to take them back to shore. Their excuses grow increasingly muddled, so they give up and pretend to faint.
• Xie Ciyan and Qing Qianxue leap onto the pleasure barge, while Jiang Li carries the “unconscious” boys aboard.
• The others recognize Little Wukong in disguise and joke about how convincing he looks as a girl. The commotion shifts to a huge Kaluga sturgeon being hauled onto the deck.
• At the stern, Jiang Heng and Little Wukong suddenly cling to Jiang Li’s feet and beg forgiveness, afraid he will throw them overboard. Jiang Li is so exasperated that he briefly considers doing exactly that.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Heng and Little Wukong prove mischievous but easily rattled: they try several desperate lies, then abandon the act and plead for mercy. Little Wukong recalls his master’s warning that lies only make trouble worse.
• Jiang Li remains cold and intimidating toward the boys, though his restraint is tested by their antics.
• Xie Ciyan calmly toys with the boys’ excuses, using their own claims about illness and propriety to trap them.
• Jiang Yourning and Chu Lange find the disguise amusing, while Jiang Wanrong expects the two youngsters to face consequences.
• The interactions mix the boys’ comic panic with the adults’ teasing and Jiang Li’s stern frustration.

Significant themes

• Deception backfires: Each invented excuse makes the boys’ situation more complicated.
• Mischief and consequences: The chapter’s humor comes from the gap between the youngsters’ bold schemes and their fear of being caught.
• Family familiarity and affection: The scolding and teasing take place amid an easy, lively family gathering—even as Jiang Li’s glare keeps everyone wary.

Key plot points

• Jiang Heng and Little Wukong stop pretending to be injured after Jiang Li agrees to let them go. Jiang Yourning privately looks forward to their likely punishment at home.
• The group decides to grill the enormous Kaluga sturgeon. Jiang Yourning removes and saves its caviar, promising Chu Lange she will serve it with foie gras.
• Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan take charge of grilling; Chu Lange organizes a card game with Jiang Heng, Little Wukong, and Zhao Yi.
• Jiang Li is left to keep Lin Qingrao company after she falls into the water and may have caught a chill. His awkward, nervous behavior becomes a source of amusement for the others, while Lin quietly smiles at him.
• With the boat’s other passengers occupied, Jiang Yourning reads alone. Qing Qianxue startles her, causing her book to fall into the lake. He offers gold as compensation, and she playfully presses him for more.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Li tries to maintain a stern front but reveals how inexperienced and self-conscious he is around Lin Qingrao. His siblings tease him, while Lin responds with gentle amusement.
• Jiang Yourning is enthusiastic about food and entrepreneurial possibilities: she considers raising sturgeon and selling caviar dishes at the Tavern. She also seizes the chance to negotiate when Qing Qianxue offers compensation.
• Qing Qianxue shows a playful, generous side, responding to Jiang Yourning’s bargaining with humor.
• The siblings and companions trade teasing, practical help, and shared entertainment, creating a lively, affectionate group atmosphere.

Significant themes

• Family affection expressed through teasing: The group mocks Jiang Li and the feigned distress of Jiang Heng and Little Wukong, but their banter reflects familiarity and closeness.
• Romantic awkwardness: Jiang Li’s discomfort around Lin Qingrao contrasts with her quiet, warm response.
• Food, luxury, and commerce: The prized fish and caviar inspire both anticipation and Jiang Yourning’s plans to turn rare ingredients into a business opportunity.
• Playful negotiation: Qing Qianxue’s compensation offer becomes a lighthearted exchange rather than a serious dispute.

Key plot points

• Qing Qianxue says he wants to befriend Jiang Yourning because she reminds him of his younger sister. Suspicious of his intentions, she refuses—until he offers ten thousand taels of gold.
• Jiang Yourning instantly becomes welcoming, hoping the wealthy Qing can help with her money troubles and earn her more points. While trying to massage his back, she presses too hard, making him spill tea on himself.
• She attempts to wipe the tea from his clothes, then worries privately that his mysterious cold ailment may flare up. She recalls that he is destined to die within about a year and considers whether she might find a cure.
• Qing pays her a gold ingot to fetch clean clothes. Jiang leaves delighted, privately resolving to seek a cure—and later take advantage of his wealth.
• Qing’s guards misread the interaction: Qian Miao assumes romance is blossoming, while Qian Yan is devastated at the thought that Qing has lost his “purity.” When Jiang says Qing needs fresh clothes, Qian Miao misunderstands again, and Qian Yan falls into the lake.
• Jiang calls for help, but Xie Ciyan says Qian Yan can swim and will get out himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning shifts rapidly from distrust to flattery when money is offered. Her thoughts reveal that she is ambitious, financially strapped, and more concerned about Qing’s impending death than openly expressing sympathy.
• Qing Qianxue remains composed but is briefly unsettled by Jiang’s forceful massage and candid inner thoughts. Her concern about his illness appears to affect him; after she leaves, he quietly says, “All right.”
• Qian Miao interprets Jiang and Qing’s contact as evidence of a future romance and eagerly imagines preparing clothes for a child.
• Qian Yan reacts melodramatically to the same imagined romance, ending up in the lake.
• Xie Ciyan, Jiang Wanrong, and Zhao Yi witness the guards’ antics; Xie dismisses the need to rescue Qian Yan, confident he can swim.

Significant themes

• Greed and transactional relationships: Jiang’s suspicions vanish when Qing offers a fortune, and she views their connection partly as an opportunity.
• Appearance versus reality: Qing’s calm gestures are repeatedly misunderstood, while Jiang’s outward politeness contrasts with her irreverent inner monologue.
• Fate and mortality: Jiang remembers Qing’s predicted death and considers whether his illness can be cured.
• Comic misunderstanding: The guards’ wildly different interpretations of ordinary events drive the chapter’s humor.

• Qing Qianxue’s condition: After Qian Yan jumps into the lake, Xie Ciyan tells Qian Miao to discipline him, warning that he must learn to protect his master. Jiang Yourning delivers Qing Qianxue a change of clothes after he accidentally spills hot tea. Xie Ciyan checks that he is all right, while Jiang Wanrong offers her help with minor injuries. Jiang Yourning privately reflects that her sister cannot cure Qing Qianxue’s Cold Affliction—and that the one person who can would have to “sell his looks,” a sacrifice she thinks the dignified State Preceptor would never accept. Qing Qianxue is left quietly affected by what he overhears.
• A meal aboard the pleasure boat: Jiang Wanrong grills fish for the group, earning praise from Jiang Yourning and Chu Lange. Yourning savors the food and hopes to take some home for her parents. Her enthusiastic inner thoughts about her sister’s cooking inspire Wanrong to improve her broader cooking skills.
• A setup for Xie Ciyan: Curious about Wanrong’s cooking, Xie Ciyan asks whether she is good at it. Though Wanrong admits she is not, Yourning and Little Wukong jokingly describe her dishes as astonishingly terrible—while Xie Ciyan takes their praise literally. When he says he hopes to try them, Wanrong invites him to the tavern daily for free dishes. He eagerly accepts, delighted at the prospect of spending time with her.
  Character developments and interactions: Wanrong shows care for Qing Qianxue but, persuaded by Yourning’s thoughts, lets the matter go. Yourning continues to tease and manipulate situations for amusement, this time steering Xie Ciyan toward Wanrong despite knowing the likely culinary disaster ahead. Xie Ciyan’s affection for Wanrong grows, while Wanrong’s willingness to cook for him creates a new, comic connection between them.
  Themes: The chapter blends romantic matchmaking and playful deception with sibling affection. It also hints at the cost of curing Qing Qianxue, setting up a tension between preserving his pride and saving him.