Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• The officials discover that the “imperial fish” delivered as gifts are not free: a palace maid explains that Emperor Chu Wenzong personally fed them, then demands payment—sixteen hundred taels from Jiang Huai’an’s family.
• Jiang Yourning silently denounces the scheme as an outrageous resale of fish originally caught and sold by Chu Lange. Her sister Jiang Wanrong is equally stunned.
• Lin Xiangyin pays, and the other households do likewise. Chu Wenzong has tailored the quantities and prices to each recipient’s rank and wealth; even Xie Ciyan must pay another five thousand taels.
• Meanwhile, Jiang He is kept in the Side Hall with tea, which reassures him that the Emperor may not intend to confiscate his estate.
• Zhao Yi understands the Emperor’s plans but cannot warn Jiang Li, who remains peacefully unaware. Zhao resents being the only one forced to endure the tension.
• In the Imperial Study, Chu Wenzong eagerly awaits the payments. Once the palace servants have counted the money—amounting to hundreds of thousands of taels—he celebrates and credits Princess Yongning, Ge’er, with bringing him good fortune.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Wenzong reveals himself as a calculating, shameless opportunist, disguising a lucrative sales scheme as an imperial blessing. His excitement contrasts with his earlier anger at Ge’er.
• Jiang Yourning reacts with sharp, irreverent internal commentary, while Jiang Wanrong is left speechless by both the scheme and her sister’s thoughts.
• Zhao Yi grows increasingly frustrated at having to keep quiet while Jiang Li remains carefree.
• Fu Kang dutifully manages the Emperor’s collection and records the payments, while privately recalling Chu Wenzong’s earlier fury at Ge’er.

Significant themes

• Power and exploitation: The Emperor uses imperial authority and ceremony to make officials pay for supposedly prestigious gifts.
• Shamelessness and hypocrisy: The chapter’s humor comes from the gap between the grand language of “imperial dragon aura” and the blatant profiteering behind it.
• Unequal knowledge and anxiety: Jiang Li’s ignorance keeps him calm, while Zhao Yi’s understanding makes him suffer in silence.
• Family and favor: Chu Wenzong publicly praises Ge’er as his lucky charm, despite his recent anger toward her.

Key plot points

• After receiving more than 400,000 taels of silver from the officials, Emperor Chu Wenzong happily stores the money in his private treasury.
• He checks the precious medicinal treasures his daughter had given to Sixth Jiang and discovers they have been nearly wiped out: only a tiny ginseng rootlet, one slice of deer antler, and a rotten lingzhi remain. He breaks down in grief.
• His mood swings from joy to fury, and he summons Jiang He.
• Eunuch Fu Kang warns Jiang He that the emperor is in a dangerous mood. Jiang He offers Fu Kang wine as thanks and learns that the empress might help him if matters go badly.
• Before entering the study, Jiang He sees Jiang Li and Zhao Yi enjoying the moonlight. The emperor then reveals that he can hear Jiang Li’s thoughts—and knows Jiang He can hear them too.
• Jiang He immediately kneels and offers to take responsibility for his younger sister.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Wenzong shifts from exuberant triumph to devastation over the ruined treasures, then becomes unnervingly calm. His revelation to Jiang He shows that he understands the siblings’ unusual connection.
• Jiang He moves from assuming the emperor is in a good mood—and that his family is safe—to anxious deference. He quickly tries to protect Jiang Li by accepting blame himself.
• Fu Kang carefully warns Jiang He about the emperor’s temper and suggests the empress as a possible ally. Their exchange also establishes Fu Kang’s fondness for fine wine.
• Jiang Li does not appear directly in the audience, but her earlier thoughts and actions drive the emperor’s losses and the confrontation.

Significant themes

• Comic extremes of fortune: The emperor’s windfall is immediately undercut by the loss of his prized treasures.
• Family loyalty and protection: Jiang He is willing to face punishment in place of his sister.
• Secrets and consequences: The emperor’s awareness of the siblings’ shared ability to hear thoughts turns a private oddity into a political danger.
• Power and emotional volatility: Jiang He and Fu Kang must navigate the emperor’s rapidly changing mood with caution.

Plot points

• Emperor Chu Wenzong questions Jiang He about his younger sister’s claim that she has invented an anesthetic. Jiang He offers his life—and then a share of future trading profits—to protect the Jiang family.
• The emperor reassures him that he never intended to punish the family. Instead, he asks Jiang He to find out whether the anesthetic is real, since it could aid the kingdom’s border defenses. Jiang He promises the Jiang family will share the formula if it exists.
• The emperor then reveals that Princess Yongning took several priceless medicinal treasures from his private treasury and gave them to Jiang Yourning. Jiang He agrees to return them.
• After Jiang He leaves, the emperor goes to Perching Phoenix Palace and punishes Yongning by making her offer incense to every ancestor in the ancestral shrine, reciting an exactly hundred-word blessing for each.
• Jiang Yourning sleeps late. Her second brother visits with an IOU, offering to compensate her for the medicinal tonics so he can return them to the emperor. He explains that they are worth about fifty thousand taels of gold.
• Yourning realizes the emperor must be demanding back the treasures Yongning gave her and privately wonders how Yongning will escape punishment.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Wenzong uses a warm, paternal manner to secure Jiang He’s cooperation, revealing himself as both politically strategic and fiercely protective of his possessions. He punishes Yongning over the theft but avoids confronting Jiang Yourning directly.
• Jiang He is anxious to protect his sister and family. He readily offers compensation for the tonics, trying to keep Yourning from feeling that her gifts are simply being taken away.
• Jiang Yourning remains unaware of the full situation until her brother explains it; her inner thoughts suggest she recognizes the stolen items as rare treasures and expects consequences for Yongning.
• Yongning does not appear in person, but her theft of the emperor’s medicines triggers both Jiang He’s visit and her punishment.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Jiang He is willing to risk himself and negotiate on behalf of his sister and family.
• Political pragmatism: The emperor turns a potentially tense confrontation into an opportunity to secure a valuable invention for the kingdom.
• Power and comedy: The emperor’s benevolent, affectionate presentation contrasts with his self-interested concern over his treasures and Yongning’s exacting punishment.
• Gift-giving and obligation: The tonics are not merely gifts; their enormous value creates a conflict that Jiang He tries to resolve with compensation.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning tears up Second Brother Jiang He’s 50,000-tael IOU and tells him to return the stolen imperial tonics, rather than risk bringing resentment on the Jiang family.
• Touched by her concern, Jiang He ruffles her hair and gets emotional. Jiang Yourning privately jokes about his appearance and imagines making a spectacle of him if he cries, instantly ruining the tender mood.
• Jiang He leaves to return the tonics and meets Third Brother Jiang Li, who has spent the night waiting outside with Zhao Yi after an awkward encounter involving the Emperor. Jiang Li says, “We’re not the same,” and walks off.
• At lunch, Jiang Yourning takes Little Wukong to the Tavern. A household servant reports that the abbot of Huayin Temple has summoned Wukong back; Jiang He has also sent guards to accompany them.
• Jiang Yourning welcomes the guards to eat, grateful because they were involved in killing Chu Haoze. Wukong assumes the temple summons means more money and asks to bring food for his fellow monks. Jiang Yourning offers him a discount, annoyed that he expects financial benefit without sharing any with her.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning shows affection for Jiang He through a practical sacrifice, while her teasing inner thoughts undercut the emotional moment. She is generous to the guards but sharp and transactional with Wukong.
• Jiang He is moved by his sister’s concern, briefly revealing a sentimental side; her mockery quickly restores their usual playful friction.
• Jiang Li is tired and resentful after his night with Zhao Yi, contrasting his experience with Jiang He’s more comfortable palace visit.
• Little Wukong remains self-interested and scheming, eagerly anticipating money and imagining a triumphant return to the temple.

Significant themes

• Family affection and teasing: The siblings care for one another, but express it through banter as much as tenderness.
• Different fortunes and experiences: Jiang Li’s “We’re not the same” highlights the contrast between his miserable night and Jiang He’s comparatively easy one.
• Generosity versus self-interest: Jiang Yourning gives up valuable tonics and treats the guards, while Wukong’s eagerness to profit prompts her irritation.

Plot points

• Jiang Yourning and Little Wukong travel by carriage to Huayin Temple. Wukong nervously asks her to tell the abbot and monks he has behaved well while away; she agrees, but warns him not to cause trouble.
• Wukong arrives enthusiastically, calling out to his master and senior brothers and bringing them food. The abbot gently reminds him not to shout in the temple, while the younger monks hurry out to greet him.
• Jiang Yourning offers incense and a donation. Since the main hall is still in use, she visits the empty Wealth God Hall, donates a thousand taels, and asks for continued good fortune.
• While waiting in a pavilion, Jiang Yourning sees an old woman fall. After bluntly warning her not to attempt an extortion, she helps her up. The woman then claims to feel dizzy and leans against Jiang Yourning.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Wukong is eager, affectionate, and anxious about how the monks will judge his conduct. His playful pleading with Jiang Yourning shows their familiar, teasing bond.
• Jiang Yourning remains practical and sharp-tongued, balancing indulgence toward Wukong with threats to discipline him if he misbehaves. She is also generous at the temple, despite her wary attitude toward strangers.
• The abbot welcomes Wukong kindly, and the younger monks’ excitement suggests how much they missed him.
• The old woman’s thoughts reveal irritation at Jiang Yourning’s bluntness, setting up a potentially comic or suspicious encounter.

Significant themes

• Belonging and reunion: Wukong treats the temple as home and delights in seeing the monks again.
• Playful affection and discipline: Jiang Yourning cares for Wukong while keeping him in check.
• Caution and generosity: Jiang Yourning is willing to help the fallen woman, but first voices her fear of being exploited.
• Faith and fortune: Her donation to the Wealth God reflects her practical, hopeful approach to religious devotion.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning realizes the dizzy old woman is pretending to be unwell to get food—not money—and refuses to hand over her sunflower seeds for free.
• The woman offers a valuable jade-and-ruby earring in exchange. Jiang Yourning negotiates for the matching earring too, then gives her a variety of modern snacks she has hidden in her clothes.
• The old woman is especially impressed by the sunflower seeds and samples the other snacks. Jiang Yourning recommends her tavern, Dare to Come In, as a place to buy more.
• Little Wukong arrives and reveals that the old woman is Granny Sparrow, the “Old Fairy” who regularly brings him treats. Granny Sparrow and Jiang Yourning realize their connection and immediately accuse each other of being a brat or an old fairy.
• Wukong notices that Jiang Yourning has already shared the food he brought. She reminds him that Granny Sparrow scammed her; he protests that he paid with the earrings. Wukong also reminds Jiang Yourning of a promise she made to him.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning is sharp-eyed, practical, and playful: she spots the food-seeking trick, bargains confidently, and turns the encounter into a chance to promote her business.
• Granny Sparrow is revealed as mischievous and fond of food, but also generous enough to trade valuable jewelry rather than simply take what she wants. She is easily delighted by unfamiliar snacks.
• Little Wukong is affectionate toward both women and caught between them. His arrival exposes their relationship, while his protest hints that Jiang Yourning may have overlooked a promise to him.

Significant themes

• Reciprocity and bargaining: The women’s encounter becomes a playful negotiation, with food exchanged for jewelry.
• Deception and shifting perspectives: Granny Sparrow’s “scam” is really a harmless bid for snacks, and the women dispute whether it counts as scamming.
• Generosity, appetite, and commerce: Sharing food creates a connection and gives Jiang Yourning an opportunity to attract a new customer.
• Family-like rivalry: The women’s instant name-calling suggests affectionate competition rather than genuine hostility.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yourning and Granny Sparrow trade teasing accusations while gradually bonding over food.
• Granny Sparrow and Little Wukong share an established bond, with her regular gifts explaining his fondness for her.
• Wukong tries to share his own treats with Jiang Yourning, but finds she has already given away much of the food—setting up a comic disagreement over her promise to him.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning, Little Wukong, and the Old Fairy share food and trade sarcastic jabs. Their mock quarrel escalates when Yourning eats a sausage she had sold to the Old Fairy, who accuses her of cheating.
• The Old Fairy asks Yourning who her father is and quietly remembers the answer, hinting that she may retaliate against Jiang Huai’an.
• A man arrives to escort the Old Fairy away. Though she is reluctant to leave, she hugs Little Wukong and tells him to behave and remember her.
• After the Old Fairy departs, Little Wukong breaks down in tears. He explains that he hid his sadness so she would be able to leave, and refuses Yourning’s offer to help him visit her because he doesn’t want to burden her.
• Yourning comforts him, and the two head home together.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning remains sharp-tongued and mischievous, but shows unexpected tenderness by offering to help Little Wukong see the Old Fairy and accepting his tears without complaint.
• Little Wukong reveals how deeply attached he is to the Old Fairy. His restraint comes from concern for her, and he shows a considerate, selfless side.
• The Old Fairy is playful and combative with Yourning, yet becomes visibly emotional when parting from her grandson. Her inability to adopt him suggests an unresolved obstacle.

Significant themes

• Affection beneath teasing: The lively bickering between Yourning and the Old Fairy masks warmth and growing familiarity.
• Separation and longing: Little Wukong’s tears reveal the pain behind his cheerful farewell.
• Selflessness and care: He hides his grief and declines help rather than make things harder for the Old Fairy.
• Unexpected compassion: Yourning’s blunt manner gives way to quiet empathy.

Character interactions

• Yourning and the Old Fairy spar like equals, with Little Wukong amused by their synchronized pouting and childish rivalry.
• The Old Fairy and Little Wukong share a loving, emotional goodbye.
• Yourning offers Little Wukong practical help, then stays with him as he mourns, deepening their bond.

Key events

• After visiting Huayin Temple, Jiang Yourning returns home with Little Wukong, who offers to share his money with her because she is his sister. She teases him about becoming his father instead, but stops when she notices Jiang Huai’an watching.
• Jiang Yourning gives her mother, Lin Xiangyin, a pair of earrings she received as a gift. Lin is delighted, while Jiang Huai’an and Jiang Li are largely ignored.
• Eunuch Fu Yuan arrives with a summons from the emperor. He says the Empress Dowager recently sent her personal matron to see the emperor, who then seemed excited, though the reason for the summons is unclear. Jiang Huai’an reluctantly heads to the palace, worrying about missing dinner.
• That night, Qian Yan startles Jiang Yourning by dropping into her courtyard from a tree. After she sends away the household staff, he gives her the information she requested about evil incense.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning and Little Wukong share warm, teasing sibling affection. His offer to share his money shows how devoted he is to her, while she playfully tests his loyalty.
• Jiang Yourning and Lin Xiangyin grow closer through the gift; Lin’s joy reflects how much she values her daughter’s affection.
• Jiang Yourning and Jiang Huai’an remain comically wary of one another: she quickly changes her teasing when she realizes he is listening, and he is later inconvenienced by the imperial summons.
• Jiang Yourning and Qian Yan have a practical but irreverent rapport. She scolds him for startling her, then promptly turns to the information he has brought.

Significant themes

• Family affection and belonging: Little Wukong’s loyalty and Lin Xiangyin’s delight in her daughter’s gift emphasize the family bonds forming around Jiang Yourning.
• Comedy in domestic life: The near-confrontation with Jiang Huai’an, the overlooked father and brother, and the abrupt palace summons provide humor.
• An unfolding mystery: The emperor’s unexplained summons and the report on evil incense introduce political and investigative threads that remain unresolved.

• Key events: Jiang Yourning quickly reads a booklet Qian Yan delivers. She sends him home with a lavish meal as thanks. Hungry after being punished without dinner, Qian Yan plans to eat it, but his brother Qian Miao persuades him to give it to their master, Qing Qianxue. The gift pleases Qing Qianxue, who lifts Qian Yan’s punishment. He enjoys the dishes.
• Character developments and interactions: Jiang Wanrong visits her mother, Lin Xiangyin, and gently asks whether she remembers anything about how Wanrong was taken away or how Yourning came to be raised by the family. Wanrong presents her concern as a practical need to protect Yourning if her birth family appears. Lin Xiangyin, initially delighted by the gifts from both daughters, becomes fiercely protective at the thought of anyone claiming Yourning. She then tries to recall the circumstances surrounding Wanrong’s birth.
• Significant themes: The chapter highlights family loyalty and maternal love, especially Lin Xiangyin’s unwavering belief that Yourning is her daughter regardless of her origins. It also introduces the uncertainty surrounding the sisters’ pasts, suggesting that Yourning’s background—and the circumstances of the switch—may become important. Qian Yan’s episode adds a lighter note about hunger, loyalty, and the value of earning a master’s favor.
• New clue: Lin Xiangyin remembers giving birth to Wanrong at Ling Tan Temple during a night of heavy rain. After hearing the newborn cry, she passed out, leaving the events around the birth unclear.

• Plot points and events: Lin Xiangyin tells Jiang Wanrong that, after Ningning’s birth at Ling Tan Temple, the midwives disappeared and the family was questioned by soldiers. The temple later closed amid rumors of scandal—including a noblewoman whose newborn vanished. Wanrong considers whether Ningning might have been switched with an imperial child, but keeps her suspicions to herself. Her mother recalls that Ningning had a plain red-cord bracelet, which she discarded as worthless. Meanwhile, Jiang Yourning reads a report linking the dangerous incense to incidents in both the Yu Kingdom and Jialan, including a temple shut down five years earlier by Chu Wenzong. A note suggests a possible, unconfirmed link between Zheng Wangba and Taoist Master Yuan Hong; Yourning plans to investigate through Zheng’s followers and tell her sister. That night, Yourning sleeps peacefully, while Wanrong and the Empress Dowager lie awake.
• Character developments: Wanrong grows more suspicious and cautious, weighing the possibility that Ningning has hidden imperial origins while choosing not to alarm her mother. Lin Xiangyin remains carefree and fails to recognize the significance of the clues she reveals. Yourning is pleased with her new lead and ready to investigate. The Empress Dowager’s dreams show that her antagonistic, comic rivalry with the girl still troubles her.
• Significant themes: The chapter develops mysteries of identity, baby-swapping, and concealed birth; the danger of incomplete evidence; and the contrast between cautious suspicion and careless certainty. It also uses humor to offset the intrigue, especially through Lin Xiangyin’s discarded keepsake and the Empress Dowager’s dreams.
• Character interactions: Wanrong gently questions her mother about Ningning’s birth and the temple, but conceals her strongest suspicions to prevent a reckless reaction and avoid alerting powerful people. Lin Xiangyin offers what she remembers, then confidently dismisses the possibility of Ningning having important birth parents. Separately, Yourning connects the incense reports to possible suspects and plans to share her findings with Wanrong.

Key plot points and events

• Five years earlier, Empress Dowager Wu Qingyuan confides in her maid Su Xi that a bold young girl she met reminded her of her missing daughter, Yu’er, who would now be around fourteen or fifteen.
• Lique Spring, Wu’s former imperial guard, reports that Lin Xiangyin gave birth on the same day as the Empress Dowager, and that her daughter was switched at Ling Tan Temple. The Jiang family has been investigating the switch without success.
• Despite warnings that the Elder Princess may have misled her before, Wu orders a full investigation, clinging to the possibility that her daughter is alive.
• In the present, Jiang Yourning gives her sister Jiang Wanrong a booklet about evil incense. Wanrong finds that Azure Cloud Temple was destroyed five years ago because evil incense appeared there.
• A-Qi reports that General Zheng has recently visited the temple, despite its reputation as a haunted ruin where people claim to hear women and babies crying and see a woman in white.
• The sisters connect Zheng’s visits to the evil incense and suspect he is hiding something.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Qingyuan remains grief-stricken over her missing daughter but refuses to abandon hope. Su Xi comforts her, while Lique Spring brings news that renews her suspicions.
• Jiang Yourning is resourceful and curious, using information from a friend and A-Qi’s gossip to investigate. She reassures Wanrong that gathering the booklet was safe.
• Jiang Wanrong shows protective concern for her sister and quickly recognizes the significance of the booklet.
• A-Qi eagerly shares his findings about General Zheng, clearly hoping to impress Jiang Yourning.
• The sisters work together to connect the temple’s destruction, the evil incense, and Zheng’s suspicious behavior.

Significant themes

• Hope amid grief: Wu continues searching for her daughter despite repeated disappointments.
• Hidden identities and family secrets: The birth and baby-switching report raises the possibility of a long-buried connection.
• Mystery and suspicion: The haunted temple and General Zheng’s visits suggest a dangerous secret linking him to the evil incense.

Key plot points and events

• After hearing a beggar’s report about suspicious activity at Azure Cloud Temple, Jiang Wanrong and Jiang Yourning decide to investigate. Wanrong suggests going at night to avoid alerting General Zheng, whom they suspect may be involved in making “Evil Incense.”
• Yourning is frightened by the prospect of a nighttime visit but agrees so Wanrong won’t have to go alone. Wanrong promises to prepare poison for her; Yourning privately plans to rely on protective talismans and Buddhist prayers instead.
• Their plans spread through several people, reaching Qing Qianxue and Jiang Li.
• At midnight, the sisters slip out of the Jiang Residence in disguise. Wanrong carries Yourning over rooftops using her martial arts skills. Three groups of Hidden Guards secretly follow them, unaware at first that the others are allies.
• At the temple, Yourning clutches her talismans and quietly taps a wooden fish, trying to remember a Buddhist passage as she prepares for the investigation.

Character developments

• Jiang Wanrong shows initiative and protectiveness, taking charge of the investigation and preparing poison to keep her sister safe. She also considers teaching Yourning lightness skills, though she concludes Yourning would rather avoid the hard work.
• Jiang Yourning is anxious and superstition-prone, but willing to face danger out of loyalty to her sister. Her excitement at being carried over rooftops briefly outweighs her fear.
• The Hidden Guards demonstrate that the sisters’ actions are being monitored, though their presence remains unnoticed by the women.

Significant themes

• Sisterly loyalty and protection: Yourning accompanies Wanrong despite her fear, while Wanrong plans ahead for her safety.
• Secrecy and suspicion: The nighttime approach reflects the danger of investigating a possible conspiracy without alerting those involved.
• Courage mixed with comic fear: Yourning’s brave decision contrasts with her reliance on talismans, prayer, and a wooden fish.
• Dramatic irony: The reader knows the sisters are being followed, but they do not.

Character interactions

• Wanrong tactfully sends A-Qi away before discussing the investigation with Yourning.
• The sisters agree to investigate together, with Wanrong offering practical protection and Yourning responding with anxious determination.
• During the journey, Wanrong carries Yourning across the rooftops; Yourning admires her skill, while Wanrong silently reacts to her thoughts.
• The Hidden Guards follow at a distance, eventually recognizing one another as allies.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Wanrong and Jiang Yourning sneak into the abandoned-looking Azure Cloud Temple at night. Yourning is frightened and insists Wanrong protect her.
• They find what appears to be a dead guard. While Wanrong investigates, someone drops down near Yourning; she panics and punches him, and Wanrong attacks with her sword.
• The intruder is Xie Ciyan, who followed them because he was worried about their safety and hoped to make amends after his recent disgrace at a palace banquet.
• Xie reports that he found a recently killed death warrior and suspects another faction is inside. The group continues together, with Yourning keeping her distance from him.
• Xie detects a strong smell of blood and believes the temple guards have all been killed. Beyond another gateway, they find a clean, illuminated courtyard that seems to be occupied.
• A ghostly woman’s song and lament suddenly sound nearby, frightening all three. Yourning concludes that the temple may really be haunted.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning is comically terrified despite having claimed she would protect her sister. She shuts her eyes, clings to Wanrong, and reacts to Xie’s surprise appearance with a punch. She still resents him for frightening her previously.
• Jiang Wanrong takes charge, reassuring and protecting Yourning, then quickly draws her sword when she believes they are under threat. She accepts Xie’s help once he explains the danger.
• Xie Ciyan tries to show concern and repair his reputation, but his attempt to approach the sisters ends with him injured and treated suspiciously. He remains useful as a skilled fighter and source of information.
• The three form a wary, uneasy party: Wanrong leads, Xie warns them about the danger, and Yourning stays between them—until the eerie voice frightens them all.

Significant themes

• Fear and bravery: Yourning’s bravado contrasts with her panic, while the others also lose composure when the supernatural threat appears.
• Trust and reconciliation: Xie wants to make amends, but the sisters remain wary of him.
• Escalating mystery and danger: The dead guards, signs of another faction, and ghostly singing suggest the temple holds both human threats and something possibly supernatural.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Wanrong, Jiang Yourning, and Xie Ciyan enter a courtyard shrouded in white mist, where eerie crying and a woman’s voice calling for her “darling” unsettle the group.
• Xie Ciyan realizes they are inside a formation. The mist separates him from the sisters, leaving each unable to find the others.
• Jiang Yourning panics, but her thoughts reach Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan, reassuring them that she is still nearby. Both follow the sound of her thoughts.
• A red silhouette appears, and Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan chase it. Meanwhile, Jiang Yourning summons her system, which identifies the trap as a simple Eight Trigrams Formation and guides her toward its Life Gate.
• Lost in the mist, Jiang Wanrong and Xie Ciyan mistake each other for an enemy and fight. Jiang Wanrong knocks Xie Ciyan out with medicinal powder, recognizes him, and gives him an antidote.
• Following the system’s directions, Jiang Yourning exits the mist into the Taoist temple’s main hall. Just as she asks whether anything dangerous is inside, the floor gives way and she falls.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Wanrong takes charge despite being surrounded by two frightened companions. She stays alert, searches for her sister, and quickly restores Xie Ciyan after their mistaken fight.
• Xie Ciyan is badly unnerved by supernatural-looking events, but his instincts and sword skills remain steady. His concern for Jiang Wanrong is clear when he calls out for her after the separation.
• Jiang Yourning is terrified at first, but calms down once the system explains the formation and guides her. Her fear gives way to cheerful gratitude—until the sudden fall.
• The system proves useful as a guide, though its confidence is undercut by Jiang Yourning’s inability to distinguish directions and by the final trap.

Significant themes

• Fear versus reason: The eerie atmosphere makes the characters imagine danger, while the mist and ghostly effects turn out to be tricks of a formation.
• Trust and connection: Even when separated, Jiang Yourning’s thoughts help her companions find their way toward her.
• Comedy amid suspense: Jiang Yourning’s frantic inner monologue, Xie Ciyan’s fear, and the system’s practical frustration balance the chapter’s supernatural tension.
• Safety is uncertain: Escaping one trap does not guarantee security; the temple hall presents a new danger just as Jiang Yourning relaxes.

Plot points and events

• The system admits it led Jiang Yourning through the Gate of Prosperity without checking the surroundings, but reassures her that the gate promises good fortune. It buys her an inflatable cushion before she lands, preventing injury.
• Jiang discovers that her Dog Nose skill can detect gold. Excited by the scent, she overcomes her fear and follows it through the passage, humming a lucky song the system plays for her.
• She reaches a stone door, buys a permanent master key, and opens it. Inside are hundreds of chests: she collects the gold, jewelry, paintings, and silver, but leaves chests containing iron, weapons, and armor.
• Qing Qianxue and his party arrive, having cleared and searched the other passages. Jiang hides behind a statue under her Invisibility Cloak. Qian Yan identifies the remaining supplies as first-rate military equipment.
• Jiang realizes the weapons and iron were likely stockpiled by Zheng Wangba for rebellion. She decides they would be more useful in the Imperial Treasury, where Chu Wenzong could distribute them to border troops—including her eldest brother’s soldiers.

Character developments

• Jiang Yourning shifts rapidly from terrified to delighted once she finds a chance to collect treasure. Her instincts are practical as well as greedy: she leaves weapons she cannot use and considers how they could help the army.
• The system acts as her cautious, teasing companion, providing the cushion and entertainment while encouraging her to rely on her own skill.
• Qing Qianxue remains composed and observant, quickly suspecting Jiang has concealed herself.
• Qian Yan efficiently inspects the remaining chests and reports their contents.

Significant themes

• Fear transformed by opportunity: Jiang’s fear disappears when treasure gives her something to focus on.
• Luck and resourcefulness: The Gate of Prosperity’s promise of fortune is paired with Jiang’s skills and improvised use of the key.
• Private gain versus public good: Jiang collects wealth for herself but recognizes that military supplies could serve a wider purpose.

Character interactions

• Jiang bargains playfully with the system, then asks it to play a good-luck song as she walks.
• Qing Qianxue coordinates the search with his men, while Qian Yan reports the contents of the final chests.
• Hidden nearby, Jiang observes the group and silently considers how the military supplies could benefit the empire and her brother’s troops.

Plot and events

• Qing Qianxue and his guards encounter three arriving groups, including Jiang He, Zhao Yi, and Jiang Li. They recognize the National Preceptor and greet him.
• The group discovers a hidden store of weapons, armor, and unused fine iron belonging to Great General Zheng Wangba. Jiang Li orders it seized and sent to the emperor, while Qing Qianxue calmly directs the search and transport.
• Jiang Yourning remains hidden beneath her cloak, listening to everyone’s thoughts and playing on her phone. Her inner commentary suggests Zheng’s stockpile points to rebellion—and that losing it might provoke him into desperate action.
• While searching, Jiang He finds a chest full of women’s dudou. Zhao Yi explains that these garments were stolen in an unresolved case involving a foul-mouthed parrot. Yourning recognizes the items as connected to a bird that stole them and privately hopes to get the parrot.
• Zhao Yi searches the chest and finds a small box marked with a phoenix-tail pattern and the character “Yuan.” He recognizes its significance and quickly closes it.

Character developments and interactions

• Qing Qianxue stays composed and practical, using the visitors’ presence to ensure the contraband is confiscated and delivered to the emperor.
• Jiang He, Jiang Li, and Zhao Yi cooperate in inspecting and removing the cache, though Jiang He jokes suspiciously about Zhao Yi’s interest in the dudou.
• Zhao Yi realizes Yourning likes the parrot and considers giving it to her as thanks for her previous help.
• Yourning stays concealed but influences events through what she knows and thinks; her suspicions about Zheng and interest in the parrot provide the group with information they do not realize they have.

Themes

• Hidden knowledge and dramatic irony: Yourning’s thoughts reveal context that the others lack, while the group acts without knowing she is present.
• Political danger and consequences: The seized arms expose Zheng’s apparent preparations and may push him toward rebellion.
• Secrets surfacing: The search uncovers not only military contraband but also stolen personal belongings—and a potentially important marked box.

Plot points and events

• After searching the Azure Cloud Temple’s secret chamber, the group finds an intimate garment bearing the Empress Dowager’s phoenix motif. Zhao Yi tries to pass the awkward task of delivering it to the emperor to Jiang He, but Jiang Li volunteers instead and insists Zhao Yi accompany him, since they uncovered the matter together.
• Jiang Yourning privately mocks Zhao Yi for wanting to dodge the duty and recalls his painful discovery that his father had been involved with his younger cousin. She jokes about arranging for him to catch them together, renewing his misery.
• A yamen officer opens a box of unusual, fragrant spices. Jiang Li and Zhao Yi quickly secure it, recognizing it as the “evil incense” linked to the earlier criminal Zhen Wude. They suspect the powerful Zheng Wanba is involved as well.
• Jiang Yourning observes that Zheng’s difficult past and hard-won rise to power help explain his greed and apparent ambition for the throne. The others are struck by her insight, though they recognize that saying so openly could be dangerous.
• After the secret chamber is cleared, the party leaves the temple. Jiang He learns that his sister and Xie Ciyan are still trapped in the Eight Trigrams Formation and hurries onward, anxious about the two being alone together.
• Outside, Qian Miao apologizes to Qing Qianxue for forcibly breaking the formation and losing track of Jiang Yourning.

Character development and interactions

• Zhao Yi shows that he can spot trouble at the temple, but he still tries to avoid an inconvenient responsibility. Jiang Yourning’s teasing exposes his lingering hurt and makes his bravado collapse.
• Jiang Li remains principled and duty-bound, refusing to let Zhao Yi evade the case or its consequences.
• Jiang Yourning continues to observe events from concealment, mixing sharp political insight with mischievous humor.
• Jiang He is protective of his younger sister and becomes alarmed at the thought of her spending the night with Xie Ciyan.
• Qing Qianxue stays composed, while his subordinates Qian Miao and Qian Yan remain attentive to his orders and concerns.

Significant themes

• Duty versus self-preservation: Zhao Yi wants to avoid trouble, while Jiang Li insists that shared responsibility comes with their discovery.
• Corruption and ambition: The incense evidence links influential figures to wrongdoing, and Zheng Wanba’s possible treason suggests how power can breed further ambition.
• Family loyalty and protectiveness: Jiang He’s concern for his sister contrasts with the chapter’s teasing, sometimes uncomfortable romantic and familial entanglements.
• Humor amid danger: Jiang Yourning’s private commentary provides comic relief even as the group uncovers evidence of a serious conspiracy.

Plot points and events

• Qing Qianxue stops Qian Miao from searching further for Jiang Yourning and quietly invents an excuse for why Qian Miao and Xie Ciyan lost track of the sisters. Qian Miao realizes his master is covering for Xie, but stays silent.
• Yourning discovers that Xie had been following her and Jiang Wanrong. Furious at his secrecy, she rejects the idea of accepting him as a future brother-in-law.
• Qing Qianxue’s group finds a secluded pharmacy containing many venomous insects. Jiang Li orders them collected for study and the remaining specimens burned.
• Yourning hurries off to find Wanrong and finds her interrogating a disheveled, ambiguous-looking attacker who claims to have seen Yourning but lost track of her.
• Wanrong knocks the attacker unconscious and cleans the blood from her face before approaching her sister, worried that she might frighten her.

Character developments and interactions

• Qing Qianxue protects Xie Ciyan from blame, apparently hoping to smooth things over by giving him coveted medical texts.
• Qian Miao is distressed at having lost Yourning, but obeys his master’s warning and joins the others.
• Yourning admires Wanrong’s fierce protectiveness and, in her private thoughts, declares that no man is good enough for her sister—she would rather support Wanrong herself.
• Wanrong, though brutal toward the person she suspects knows something about Yourning, is tenderly concerned about how her sister will see her. Yourning’s affection reassures her.

Themes

• Sisterly devotion: Both sisters care deeply for one another, and each is moved by the other’s concern.
• Protectiveness and trust: Wanrong’s willingness to use violence for Yourning contrasts with Yourning’s discomfort at Xie secretly following them.
• Humor and contrast: Yourning’s playful inner commentary contrasts with the danger of the interrogation and Qing Qianxue’s quick, understated cover-up.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yourning removes her Invisibility Cloak, takes a Teary-Eyed Pill, and pretends to have spent the night frantically searching for Jiang Wanrong.
• Wanrong embraces and comforts her, unaware that Ningning has actually been collecting treasures, playing games, and watching events unfold.
• The other Jiang family members arrive, surprising Wanrong. On the journey home, her brother gives her the information she wanted about the Evil Incense and secretly shows her its formula.
• Jiang Li and Zhao Yi go to the palace to report the night’s events to the emperor.
• Emperor Chu Wenzong resists getting up for morning court. Empress Cui Zhao’an finally kicks him out of bed and refuses to help him dress, warning that his laziness could give officials grounds to challenge her position.
• After washing, the emperor learns that two deputy ministers of the Court of Judicial Review are waiting with an urgent matter.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yourning plays on her sister’s affection, enjoying the hug while privately admitting she had left Wanrong worrying. Her mischievousness contrasts with her sincere comfort in her sister’s warmth.
• Jiang Wanrong moves from anxious relief to exasperation when she realizes how much fun Ningning had been having. Despite this, she is simply glad her sister is safe. She also gets the Evil Incense information she sought.
• Jiang He recognizes Ningning’s dramatic performance and privately reflects that Wanrong remains unaware of her sister’s adventures.
• Chu Wenzong and Cui Zhao’an share a familiar, teasing marital dynamic: he wants to linger in bed, while she firmly insists he get up and refuses to indulge him. He still tries to placate her, but her warning silences his protest.

Significant themes

• Sisterly affection and playful deception: Ningning exploits Wanrong’s concern, but the scene also emphasizes their genuine closeness.
• Comic contrast between appearances and reality: Ningning acts terrified despite having enjoyed herself, while the emperor treats early court as an unbearable hardship.
• Family and marital familiarity: Both the sisters’ embrace and the emperor and empress’s bickering show affection expressed through teasing and everyday interaction.
• Duty versus comfort: The emperor’s reluctance to rise contrasts with the urgent business awaiting him.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Li and Zhao Yi report to Emperor Chu Wenzong before dawn after searching the sealed Azure Cloud Temple. They have seized numerous chests from a hidden chamber.
• The chests contain secretly stockpiled refined iron, forged weapons and armor, and women’s belongings—including an item that recalls a scandal involving the Empress Dowager.
• Wenzong realizes the discoveries point to serious treason and summons the matter before the court that morning. Though disappointed that the haul contains little wealth, he recognizes its political importance.
• At court, Wenzong announces the weapons cache and asks the officials to consider who might have dared to assemble it. Zheng Wanba, the General of Agile Cavalry, is visibly shaken but publicly calls for a thorough investigation.
• Wenzong notes that Zheng was seen near the temple and orders him to take several days’ leave at home, effectively isolating him while the investigation proceeds. Zheng’s allies remain silent.
• Jiang Li returns home exhausted and finds his father, Jiang Huai’an, equally tired and bitterly unwilling to speak to him.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Wenzong shifts from sleepy reluctance to eager curiosity when he hears about the chests, then becomes grim as their contents reveal a threat. He uses the court session to put Zheng under suspicion without openly convicting him.
• Jiang Li and Zhao Yi show diligence and urgency by investigating through the night and bringing their evidence directly to the emperor.
• Zheng Wanba struggles to conceal his alarm. Although he agrees that the alleged treason must be investigated, he submits to Wenzong’s order to withdraw from court.
• Jiang Li and Jiang Huai’an share the same exhausted appearance, but their brief exchange ends in estrangement: Huai’an’s cold response suggests unresolved resentment or conflict.

Significant themes

• Power and political maneuvering: Wenzong uses evidence and carefully framed questions to weaken a powerful official while maintaining the appearance of fairness.
• Loyalty, suspicion, and treason: The weapons cache raises fears of a conspiracy within the state’s leadership.
• Duty and exhaustion: Jiang Li and Zhao Yi’s overnight investigation contrasts with the routine, largely trivial reports at court.
• Family tension: The closing exchange hints that Jiang Li’s troubles extend beyond the political investigation into his relationship with his father.