Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan’s overheard thoughts reveal that Marquis Wuyang’s heir has bizarrely made dried cucumbers, carrots, and grapes. The crowd is horrified and amused, briefly mourning the foods they may never enjoy again.
• As everyone heads to watch the famed Sunflower Troupe, someone remembers that the Marquise still has not explained why she switched the drugged wine and gave it to Marquis Wuyang and Gao Shan. The crowd immediately returns, choosing gossip over opera.
• Dantai Mo questions the Marquise. Marquis Wuyang portrays himself as the wronged husband, but she exposes a long history of abuse.
• Jian Ruonan’s thoughts recount that, after the Marquise rejected Marquis Wuyang’s proposal, he allegedly arranged false criminal charges against her father and brother and had her childhood sweetheart, Zhong Ruifan, killed by bandits. The Marquise accepted the marriage to secure her family’s release, but her brother and father were left ill and damaged by imprisonment.
• The Marquise formally accuses Marquis Wuyang of orchestrating the false charges and colluding with bandits to murder Zhong Ruifan. Marquis Wuyang denies everything and demands justice, arguing that there is no evidence.

Character developments

• The Marquise shifts from a seemingly mysterious participant in the drugged-wine incident to a woman revealing years of coercion and grief. She openly challenges her husband despite the danger.
• Marquis Wuyang is shown as manipulative and cruel: he allegedly destroyed the Marquise’s family and love life to force her into marriage, then plays the victim when confronted.
• Jian Ruonan continues to provide crucial background through her inner thoughts, though her fixation on gossip—and the heir’s strange food experiments—repeatedly distracts the crowd.
• Dantai Mo recognizes that the Marquise is central to the case and questions her, but Marquis Wuyang stresses that accusations require proof.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power: Marquis Wuyang allegedly uses his rank and influence to punish rejection and control the Marquise.
• Coercion and injustice: The Marquise’s marriage was secured through threats against her family, while those harmed had little recourse.
• Truth versus evidence: The crowd learns the alleged history, but the lack of surviving proof may make justice difficult.
• Public gossip and spectacle: The crowd’s appetite for scandal shapes events, even overpowering an exclusive opera performance.

Character interactions

• The crowd reacts collectively to Jian Ruonan’s thoughts, first condemning the heir’s food experiments and then rallying around the Marquise’s story.
• The Marquise directly rebukes Marquis Wuyang’s claim that he treated her well and confronts him with the past.
• Marquis Wuyang denies her accusations and appeals to Dantai Mo to support him, turning the confrontation into a public contest over credibility and justice.

Chapter summary

• Marquis Wuyang tries to turn the accusation around. After the Marquise admits she has no physical proof of his past crimes, he pretends to be the victim, calls her marriage over, and demands that Prince Rui punish her for slander. Dantai Mo believes the Marquise, but recognizes that her account alone cannot establish guilt under the law.
• Jian Ruonan’s inner thoughts reveal the trail of evidence. While Dantai Mo and the spectators hope to find proof, Ruonan mentally traces the conspiracy through a chain of intermediaries: estate steward Li Zhun paid his godson Li Heng, who hired thug Yang Ming, who connected the plot to mountain bandits. Dantai Mo waits for her to finish before acting, then has the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest Li Heng and Yang Ming. Li Heng confesses, giving the authorities enough evidence to send Marquis Wuyang to the Ministry of Justice for trial.
• The Marquise delivers a final blow. Before Wuyang is taken away, she privately tells him that none of their three sons are his. He erupts and accuses her of corrupting the family line and fraudulently claiming a noble title, but offers no proof. The chapter leaves the truth unresolved.
• Ruonan identifies the hidden system’s purpose. Two days later, she asks her own system what the other system’s mission is. Big System evasively reveals that it is meant to help its host recover physically. Ruonan immediately deduces that the “trash system” is bound to Dantai Mo, and declares that the countdown to catching it has begun.

Character developments and interactions

• Dantai Mo shows restraint and a growing ability to follow the evidence rather than make an unsupported accusation. In practice, however, he solves the case by listening to Ruonan’s thoughts; his pride at the result is gently mocked by Black Tortoise System.
• Jian Ruonan remains sharp and irreverent, supplying the crucial investigative leads while also noticing that the Marquise’s apparent victory has left her emotionally adrift.
• The Marquise gets revenge for the destruction of her family, but the chapter suggests that revenge cannot restore what she has lost. Her taunt about the sons’ parentage may be another calculated act—or may conceal a painful truth.
• Marquis Wuyang shifts from self-pitying performance to panic and rage once the evidence emerges, then tries to bring the Marquise down with him.
• Big System and Black Tortoise System continue their playful, secretive relationship with their hosts: Black Tortoise teases Dantai Mo about his excitement, while Big System attempts to honor its promise not to reveal the turtle’s identity.

Significant themes

• Justice versus proof: Belief and gossip can point toward guilt, but formal punishment requires evidence.
• Revenge and its aftermath: The Marquise wins her case, yet her losses leave her without clear purpose or happiness.
• Deception and hypocrisy: Wuyang’s shameless performance contrasts with the concealed chain of bribery behind his crimes.
• Secrets and deduction: Ruonan’s inner thoughts, the systems’ guarded disclosures, and the unresolved claim about the sons keep the truth only partly visible.

Plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan realizes that someone has been stealing energy from her and Big System. She suspects the Fourth Prince because he needs his body repaired, but Big System reveals the culprit is actually Black Tortoise, a system it idolizes.
• Ruonan refuses to excuse Black Tortoise’s theft, insists Big System remain loyal to her, and plans to question Black Tortoise herself the next time it appears. She also learns that touching the Fourth Prince earns points, though the reason is unclear.
• At the Third Prince’s residence, the Third Prince remains confined and is copying the Classic of Filial Piety after his mother’s funeral. He suspects her sudden death was not natural, despite an imperial physician’s claim that she died of a stroke. The Empress Dowager’s evasiveness and Auntie Yishuang’s warning deepen his doubts.
• His adviser, Mr. Snow—actually Jian Chuxue, the Fourth Miss of the Jinyang Marquis’s Residence—urges him to rest. He briefly mistakes her for the Fifth Miss, whom he recalls outsmarting him in his failed scheme involving a young eunuch and the emperor. He dismisses everyone for the night, while Chuxue remains visibly troubled.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan is suspicious, assertive, and determined to protect her interests; she treats the systems’ energy theft as a serious betrayal and intends to uncover the truth.
• Big System admires Black Tortoise and seems eager to excuse it, but reassures Ruonan that it will not betray her.
• The Third Prince is increasingly troubled by his mother’s death and frustrated by his confinement and recent failures.
• Jian Chuxue appears capable and influential as the Third Prince’s adviser, but her lowered gaze suggests private worries. The Third Prince’s confusion between her and the Fifth Miss reveals how strongly the latter occupies his thoughts.

Significant themes

• Trust and betrayal: Ruonan tests Big System’s loyalty after learning that its idol stole their energy.
• Appearances and mistaken assumptions: Ruonan’s confident accusation about the Fourth Prince is wrong; the Third Prince also mistakes Chuxue for the Fifth Miss.
• Grief and political manipulation: The Third Prince’s mourning is shaped by confinement and advisers’ plans to use the anniversary of his mother’s death to regain the emperor’s favor.
• Unresolved suspicion: The circumstances of Consort Xian’s death remain uncertain, hinting at deeper palace intrigue.

Character interactions

• Ruonan confronts Big System over its loyalty to Black Tortoise, questions it about the Fourth Prince, and arranges to speak directly with Black Tortoise.
• Chuxue comforts and advises the Third Prince, whose trust in her makes her unusually effective within the residence.
• The Third Prince’s recollection of the Fifth Miss contrasts with his present interaction with Chuxue, highlighting both his past defeat and Chuxue’s quiet role beside him.

Plot points and events

• On the second day of the second month, Jian Ruonan surprises the household by getting up early to join the Elder Branch’s customary calligraphy practice before Wenchang Bodhisattva’s birthday.
• She writes Teng the character “misery,” then replaces it with “auspicious.” Teng treasures both sheets, despite Min’s attempt to dispose of the unlucky one.
• Ruonan shows Teng a memorial proposing more generous public holidays, including extended festival breaks, marriage leave, paid maternity leave for women officials, parental leave for men, and family-visit leave. Though written in simplified characters, it is legible enough for Teng to understand. Ruonan sends it to her father to submit to the emperor.
• Elsewhere, while the Third Prince’s Residence remains in mourning, two disguised short men arrive posing as flatbread sellers. They bribe the gatekeeper and leave a rosewood box for the Third Prince, claiming he will understand its significance.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is eager to challenge the limited holiday schedule and uses humor and confidence to promote her proposal. Her calligraphy skills are modest, but she turns the practice into an affectionate, playful exchange with Teng.
• Teng is devoted to Ruonan and enthusiastically praises her, even when her writing is flawed. His flattery amuses her, and he shows a scheming streak by keeping both calligraphy sheets.
• Min guides the children’s writing tradition and feels sadness that this is Ruonan’s first such occasion at the residence, hinting that Ruonan may have lacked this kind of family ritual before.
• The gatekeeper initially dismisses the two visitors, then changes course after seeing their unusually generous bribe and accepts their mysterious package.

Significant themes

• Family belonging and affection: A familiar household tradition gives Ruonan a place among the Elder Branch, while Min’s concern suggests awareness of her past.
• Rest and social welfare: Ruonan’s memorial humorously argues that officials and families deserve more time off, framing rest and caregiving as valuable to society.
• Appearances and hidden motives: The supposed flatbread sellers are clearly more than they seem, and their secretive delivery introduces political intrigue.

Key plot points

• While Emperor Deyuan takes the royal family to watch the dragon boats, the Third Prince remains in mourning. The Emperor responds coolly to his attempt to get noticed, leaving him to fear he has fallen out of favor.
• Mister Ouyang reports that he has located the Previous Dynasty Treasure. He urges the Third Prince to build up his own strength rather than wait for the Emperor’s favor. With Mr. Snow’s profitable soap business and other inventions, the prince hopes to secure funds and eventually raise troops.
• Two flatbread peddlers deliver the Third Prince his late mother Consort Xian’s luan-bird hairpin and a message about her death. One of them then presents a Golden Chrysanthemum, claiming the prince is descended from Wa royalty. The revelation enrages or shocks him; he shuts himself away afterward.
• In Jinyang Prefecture, Teng proudly gives Jian Ruonan a bar of soap he bought for three taels of silver. She is unimpressed by the price and effort behind the gift.

Character developments and interactions

• The Third Prince shifts from hoping to regain his father’s attention toward preparing for an independent rise to power. The news about his mother’s death and his alleged ancestry threatens to unsettle that plan.
• Mister Ouyang serves as the prince’s strategic adviser, while Mr. Snow is presented as a resourceful ally whose inventions and business are strengthening the prince’s position. The prince’s concern for her is also evident when he notices her worry.
• The peddlers exploit the prince’s grief and curiosity to gain a private audience, then make the startling claim about his lineage.
• Teng tries to impress Jian Ruonan with a costly gift; her dry response punctures his pride.

Significant themes

• Favor versus self-reliance: The Third Prince sees that imperial approval is uncertain and turns toward wealth, military power, and political preparation.
• Secrets and identity: The hairpin, the mystery surrounding Consort Xian’s death, and the claim of Wa ancestry introduce questions about the prince’s past and legitimacy.
• Commerce and innovation: Soap’s popularity shows how practical inventions can generate wealth and influence.
• Comic contrast: The prince’s grave political crisis is set against the lighthearted soap-gift exchange.

Key plot points and events

• Teng proudly shows Jian Ruonan his expensive soap, but she is unimpressed. She demonstrates her scented soap instead, then gives him a shampoo and hair-drying treatment using a handled ceramic jar she designed.
• Excited by the products’ commercial potential, Teng urges Jian Ruonan to sell them. She explains that the shampoo is a rare prize-draw item with ingredients unavailable in their era, so it cannot be reproduced. The scented soap, made by Zang Chun from Jian Ruonan’s recipe, can be sold.
• Jian Ruonan brings in her brother-in-law, Hou Lixie, to handle the venture. To avoid directly competing with soap—made by Jian Chuxue—he suggests selling the scented soap as an expensive luxury. They name it Warm Jade, offer artistic and auspicious designs, and use limited editions and advance reservations.
• Warm Jade becomes an immediate hit among officials and nobles, while Jian Chuxue’s soap sales collapse. Having overproduced, she suffers heavy losses and blames Jian Ruonan, vowing to target her once she invents a gunpowder weapon.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan reveals practical ingenuity, combining household inventions with shrewd business strategy. Though she initially forgets the market value of her soap, she is willing to share the profits and delegates the enterprise.
• Teng is playful and entrepreneurial: his delight in the hair treatment quickly turns into excitement about making money, and he negotiates for a share.
• Hou Lixie proves commercially astute, shaping the product’s luxury branding and helping turn Jian Ruonan’s idea into a successful business.
• Jian Chuxue shifts from confident expansion to financial embarrassment and resentment, interpreting Warm Jade’s success as a deliberate challenge.

Significant themes

• Innovation and adaptation: Jian Ruonan applies modern ideas—hair care, product design, branding, and marketing—to her new setting.
• Status and luxury: Warm Jade’s craftsmanship, symbolism, and exclusivity make it a prestige gift rather than merely a practical washing product.
• Competition and unintended consequences: Jian Ruonan tries to keep her product distinct from Jian Chuxue’s soap, but Warm Jade’s success nevertheless devastates the rival business.
• Family, loyalty, and ambition: Jian Ruonan shares profits with Teng and entrusts the venture to Hou Lixie, while Jian Chuxue’s rivalry turns increasingly hostile.

Character interactions

• Teng’s comic enthusiasm contrasts with Jian Ruonan’s calm skepticism as she demonstrates the products.
• Jian Ruonan and Hou Lixie collaborate on positioning Warm Jade as a premium alternative; Teng contributes ideas for child-friendly shapes and the product name.
• Jian Chuxue’s business troubles lead her to blame Jian Ruonan and make a direct threat, setting up a more dangerous conflict.

Plot points

• Jian Ruonan’s warm jade becomes a fashionable luxury. Her mother, Min, promotes it among relatives, while the household’s maids gain status because they can use it. The Old Madam resents having to pay for it, but stays quiet after Ruonan confronts her.
• Commandery Princess Jiarou orders a hundred custom sets—including a pig-shaped piece mocking Princess Funing—and pays lavishly to jump the queue. Ruonan agrees to make the first ten quickly, beginning with “Funing Piggy.”
• Warm jade’s success drives soap prices down. Min buys soap for everyday use and realizes it may be the work of Jian Chuxue, who had previously left the family after cutting ties with the residence.
• Ruonan counts her growing fortune and gives Teng some money, which Min promptly takes to keep safe. Teng proposes that they open a money house; Ruonan likes the idea and plans to seek her brother-in-law’s advice.
• Teng asks about preparations to excavate the Previous Dynasty Treasure. Ruonan checks her system’s gossip and discovers that the Third Prince is already preparing to dig it up—meaning his rebellion may begin earlier than expected.

Character developments and interactions

• Ruonan proves shrewd in business, balancing scarcity and production while readily changing her schedule for Jiarou’s enormous payment. She is confident in her own honesty but also recognizes the limits of her knowledge and values advice from others.
• Jiarou is revealed to be extraordinarily wealthy, with an inheritance that includes valuable mines. She enjoys spending freely and trusts Ruonan; her rivalry with Funing motivates the pig-shaped order.
• Min is proud of Ruonan and practical about money, though her attempt to safeguard Teng’s gift frustrates him.
• Teng shows initiative by proposing a money house and remains eager to help with the treasure expedition, but is bewildered by Ruonan’s modern thoughts and the sudden news of rebellion.
• Chuxue’s soap-making suggests she has found a way to support herself after leaving the family, while Min’s recollection highlights their strained parting.

Significant themes

The chapter contrasts luxury, scarcity, and mass-market goods; shows how wealth and patronage shape social standing; and emphasizes family tensions alongside Ruonan’s growing entrepreneurial ambitions. Its comic tone abruptly gives way to political danger as the treasure hunt appears connected to an impending rebellion.

Key plot points

• Jian Ruonan realizes the Third Prince’s rebellion and the search for the Previous Dynasty’s treasure have been brought forward by years, throwing the original story off course.
• She learns that Mister Ouyang, an adviser to the Third Prince, is a skilled mechanist and a surviving member of the Previous Dynasty’s royal house. He is using the prince to locate the treasure, with plans for a bloody betrayal once it is found.
• Teng, who had been eager to join the expedition, backs out when he hears how dangerous it may be, claiming he should focus on his studies. Ruonan warns that the March expedition could last several days, and Xilu teases Teng for valuing his life.
• After an evening of counting money, Ruonan reads a popular, sensational novel and considers recruiting its author, Flying Immortal, to write gossip. She postpones visiting the Fourth Prince, partly because she expects the Black Tortoise System to prepare for her.
• At the Fourth Prince’s residence, the Black Tortoise System persuades Dantai Mo to sneak into the Jinyang Marquis’s residence and ask Big System what kind of man Ruonan likes. Big System panics when it detects them and calls Ruonan.
• Ruonan confronts the intruders. The Black Tortoise System recognizes her and tries to flee, but she gives chase.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is alert to the changing political plot and cautious about her enemies. Her plan to catch the Black Tortoise System off guard succeeds when it approaches her home at night.
• Teng reveals that, beneath his appetite for gossip and adventure, he is frightened by real danger; he chooses safety while insisting he will still support Ruonan with logistics.
• Jian Xilu playfully exposes Teng’s fear, while Ruonan treats his withdrawal with amused surprise.
• Dantai Mo agrees to the Black Tortoise System’s nighttime plan, suggesting his curiosity about Ruonan’s preferences.
• Big System, caught between its previous slip about Dantai Mo and the Black Tortoise System’s demands, avoids answering and urgently summons Ruonan.
• Tangyuan and Plum Blossom remain comic, affectionate presences; Tangyuan blames Dantai Mo for Ruonan’s absence, with Plum Blossom backing him up.

Significant themes

• A story diverging from its expected plot: political events are accelerating, and the characters must adapt to a future no longer governed by the original novel.
• Danger beneath comedy: treasure hunting and rebellion promise serious violence, even as the systems’ schemes and Teng’s cowardice provide humor.
• Trust, secrets, and pursuit: the systems conceal information, Dantai Mo seeks insight into Ruonan, and Ruonan turns the tables by waiting to catch her rival system unprepared.

Plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan catches the Black Tortoise System in a private conversation and threatens to expose the Fourth Prince’s secret, stopping it from disconnecting.
• She admits she was bluffing about the Big System having told her, but her guess proves accurate: Black Tortoise is frightened of the Fourth Prince and implicated in the energy theft.
• Under questioning, Black Tortoise claims the Fourth Prince forced him to steal energy. He then tries flattery and insults about the prince to persuade Jian Ruonan that he is innocent.
• Jian sees through the evasions and threatens to confront the Fourth Prince. To prevent that, Black Tortoise admits partial responsibility and agrees to report the prince’s activities to her.
• The Big System suggests making Black Tortoise swear to keep his promise, leaving him realizing he has been maneuvered into a trap.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan shows herself to be sharp, confident, and skilled at bluffing and negotiation. Though tired and eager to sleep, she uses the threat of informing the Fourth Prince to gain leverage.
• Black Tortoise System shifts from panicked flight to self-serving excuses, flattery, and blame-shifting. He ultimately yields when Jian threatens to involve the prince.
• The Big System watches the exchange and becomes increasingly disillusioned with Black Tortoise, whose cowardice and lack of principles undermine its earlier favorable impression.

Significant themes

• Deception and leverage: Jian’s successful bluff gives her control of the conversation.
• Accountability and self-preservation: Black Tortoise tries to minimize his role, but is forced to acknowledge complicity.
• Trust and betrayal: The systems’ shifting loyalties and suspicions make cooperation precarious.
• Comedy through contrast: Jian’s sleepy, childlike behavior contrasts with her forceful bargaining, while Black Tortoise’s grand status clashes with his anxious excuses.

Character interactions

• Jian dominates the exchange with Black Tortoise, alternating threats, skepticism, and a negotiated deal.
• Black Tortoise flatters Jian while disparaging the Fourth Prince, then compromises to keep her from confronting him.
• The Big System comments from the sidelines, silently “playing dead” during Jian’s interrogation, then advises her to secure Black Tortoise’s promise.

Plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan makes Black Tortoise swear that it will tell her everything about its and the Fourth Prince’s activities whenever she asks. Black Tortoise tries to word the oath narrowly, but Ruonan insists it be explicit.
• She questions why an advanced system needs to steal energy. Black Tortoise explains that, while crossing into this world, it struck something hard, damaging its power supply and leaving it constantly short of energy.
• Ruonan realizes Big System may have been the object that hit it. Big System confirms the possibility and asks her not to reveal this. Black Tortoise overhears and vows revenge on Big System.
• Ruonan asks where Black Tortoise and the Fourth Prince are at that late hour. Hoping to stir her sympathy, Black Tortoise theatrically describes the prince waiting outside the Marquis’s residence, alone and cold in his wheelchair.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan remains sharp, skeptical, and in control. She makes Black Tortoise spell out its oath and cuts through its rambling explanations and boasts.
• Black Tortoise System is shown as devious and vain: it tries to exploit loopholes, boasts about its status, and plots to manipulate Ruonan into feeling romantic sympathy for the Fourth Prince. Its damaged power supply also makes it dependent on stolen energy.
• Big System reveals that systems are bound by oaths, but it is not entirely candid with Black Tortoise. Its accidental collision may be the source of Black Tortoise’s damage.
• The Fourth Prince does not appear directly, but Black Tortoise portrays him as lonely, cold, and physically vulnerable to influence Ruonan.

Significant themes

• Trust and loopholes: Ruonan knows that promises can be twisted, so she demands precise terms.
• Power and dependence: Black Tortoise’s status as an advanced system contrasts with its damaged, energy-starved condition.
• Manipulation versus skepticism: Black Tortoise tries to manufacture a romantic scene, while Ruonan questions its motives and takes its dramatic claims with suspicion.
• Comic rivalry: The systems’ secret grievances and competing schemes turn the supernatural conflict into farce.

Character interactions

• Ruonan interrogates both systems, using Big System’s explanation of oaths to pressure Black Tortoise into a binding promise.
• Big System and Ruonan privately mock Black Tortoise, while Black Tortoise secretly resents Big System for betraying it—and then discovers Big System may have caused its damage.
• Black Tortoise attempts to draw Ruonan toward the Fourth Prince through an improvised poem, but its clumsy performance only leaves her baffled.

Key plot points and events

• The Black Tortoise System tries to persuade Jian Ruonan to visit the freezing Fourth Prince, Dantai Mo, but she refuses to leave her warm bed. It also keeps breaking into terrible poetry, which irritates her.
• While talking with Big System, Black Tortoise accidentally reveals that it can hear their conversations. Jian Ruonan catches it pretending otherwise and is ready to punish it.
• To distract her, Black Tortoise claims Dantai Mo wants to marry her, has prepared iron for her, and secured two pandas from the emperor to make her happy. It insists these are signs that she has already won him over, though Jian Ruonan remains suspicious.
• Jian Ruonan makes Black Tortoise promise not to tell Dantai Mo that she knows its secrets. She also treats its stolen energy as a debt it can work off by acting as her spy.
• Curious about “Skin Hunger Syndrome,” Jian asks for a related novel. Big System supplies energy so Black Tortoise can send one over. The title—How to Make an Imperial Prince Dote on You for a Lifetime—makes Jian realize the system has sent her romance fiction rather than useful information, and she angrily tells Black Tortoise to leave.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains practical, skeptical, and blunt: she prioritizes staying warm, sees through Black Tortoise’s flattery, and turns its energy debt into leverage.
• Black Tortoise System is revealed as a desperate, unreliable schemer. It tries to shield Dantai Mo’s feelings with exaggerated claims and poetry, then shifts to teasing Jian with its private novel collection.
• Big System is anxious about Black Tortoise but gets drawn into its antics. It helps provide energy, then reluctantly reads the embarrassing novel title aloud.
• Dantai Mo waits outside in the cold while Black Tortoise talks with Jian. The chapter suggests he is secretly devoted to her, but his supposed marriage plans are presented through Black Tortoise’s potentially untrustworthy claims.

Significant themes

• Comedy through secrecy and misunderstanding: Systems overhear, conceal information, and scramble to control what their hosts learn.
• Affection versus skepticism: Black Tortoise frames Dantai Mo’s actions as romantic devotion, while Jian refuses to accept its claims without evidence.
• Transactional loyalty: Jian turns the system’s energy theft into a debt and expects it to repay her through useful intelligence.

• Big System dismisses the turtle’s book: Jian Ruonan is disgusted when Big System reads from a ridiculously long, apparently worthless romance manual. She goes to sleep, hoping not to dream about it.
• Black Tortoise gives Dantai Mo advice: Once Ruonan is asleep, Black Tortoise tells the Fourth Prince that she likes an “ATM Slave”—a man who eagerly lets her spend his money. He produces a manual titled One Sentence to Make a Woman Fall for Me. Dantai Mo reads its absurd opening line and decides he might try the approach.
• Ruonan’s memorial wins the emperor’s approval: Emperor Deyuan admires the lotus-scented Warm Jade Ruonan has made and is impressed that she has submitted a memorial despite her poor handwriting. Her proposal is to promote Great Xia culture by extending the traditional holiday break. The ministers struggle to decipher it but praise her; the emperor approves her request for 208 days off out of the year, leaving the court astonished.
• Ruonan and Dantai Mo exchange glances: At afternoon court, Ruonan notices the wheelchair-bound Fourth Prince and wonders what is wrong with his turtle system. Dantai Mo catches her looking and grows slightly flustered, while considering how to act like an “ATM Slave.”
• A new political crisis begins: The emperor proposes a gambling ban and announces another Anti-Gambling Imperial Commissioner. Since the previous two commissioners died, the officials dread the appointment and begin scheming to pass the dangerous job to a rival. Ruonan, eager to follow the political maneuvering, activates her Enhanced Gossip Button.
  Character developments and themes: Ruonan’s commercial ingenuity and influence with the emperor are reinforced, while her laziness remains a comic contrast to her growing official role. Dantai Mo shows tentative interest in winning her affection, though his romantic strategy is comically transactional. The chapter satirizes court politics, bureaucratic self-preservation, and the emperor’s favoritism, while setting up intrigue over who will take the deadly anti-gambling post.

Plot and events

• Emperor Deyuan revives the stalled campaign against gambling dens, hoping to expose the powerful Princes of Fiefs behind them. Two previous commissioners investigating the gambling network died under suspicious circumstances, and their inquiries implicated three princes. The emperor has been reluctant to act for fear of provoking rebellion.
• He asks the assembled officials to volunteer or recommend someone for the dangerous assignment. None dares, despite his offer to protect their families with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
• As the officials and emperor trade silent looks, Jian Ruonan grows bored and nearly falls asleep. The emperor has a eunuch rearrange her writing materials to wake her and get her attention.
• Jian opens a roster that now includes physical descriptions beside officials’ names, letting her match people to the gossip she reads. She recognizes Minister of War Pei Junfei, a frequent subject of scandal—and her relative by marriage—but decides to postpone gossiping about him. The excerpt ends when she notices his description says he has sagging buttocks.

Character developments

• Emperor Deyuan is determined to restart the gambling crackdown, but uses Jian’s presence and reputation to pressure his officials into action. He is also playful and manipulative, engineering distractions to keep Jian engaged.
• Jian Ruonan remains an irreverent, gossip-loving observer. Her thoughts misinterpret the officials’ tense silent exchanges as flirtation, and she finds court politics dull until the prospect of juicy gossip revives her interest.
• The officials are fearful of retaliation and household destruction, not simply unwilling to serve. They privately resent being pushed toward a lethal assignment.
• Pei Junfei is introduced as a veteran source of scandals and tries to feel relieved when Jian says she will spare him—only for her attention to turn to his physical description.

Themes and interactions

• Political danger and self-preservation: The officials weigh duty against the real threat posed by powerful princes.
• Power, coercion, and comic manipulation: The emperor’s polite invitation is effectively a trap, while Jian’s presence adds pressure without her realizing it.
• Gossip as political entertainment: Jian’s inner commentary punctures the court’s solemn atmosphere and turns officials’ reputations into public spectacle.
• Silent communication and comic misunderstanding: The emperor and officials exchange tense looks, but Jian interprets them as romantic “flirting,” highlighting the gap between her view and the political reality.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan inspects the officials’ appearance and attire, but her private thoughts turn the court session into a spectacle of gossip.
• She notices Minister of War Pei Junfei’s backside. Emperor Deyuan admits he wrote the note criticizing it, and the officials gleefully join in staring and teasing Pei.
• Jian wonders whether the emperor has touched Pei; her speculation sparks increasingly outrageous jokes among the ministers. She eventually drops the subject and turns to Censor An.
• Jian’s thoughts reveal that An is wearing a menstrual belt to prevent himself from wetting his clothes during court. An is embarrassed, while the officials find the discovery irresistible.
• The emperor struggles to remember the agenda after the gossip derails the meeting. He finally recalls that the court is discussing a gambling ban and choosing an imperial commissioner to enforce it.
• When no one volunteers, the emperor prepares to select someone. Pei secretly grips a Concealment Talisman to avoid being chosen, but Jian exposes his tactic—and it appears to have no effect.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan remains an involuntary source of scandal: she thinks privately, but her observations captivate the court and repeatedly disrupt official business.
• Pei Junfei shifts from indignation over his appearance to embarrassed resignation, then tries an occult trick to escape an assignment.
• Emperor Deyuan shows affection for Jian and indulges her insults, while also joining the gossip before attempting to restore order.
• Censor An is exposed as having devised a practical way to avoid an embarrassing accident, but feels Jian’s scrutiny has gone too far.
• The ministers become increasingly absorbed in gossip, even as some protest that the court should be discussing state affairs.

Significant themes

• Gossip as political warfare: Personal observations and teasing dominate the court more effectively than formal maneuvering.
• Public image and embarrassment: The officials’ dignity is repeatedly undermined by the exposure of private habits and physical traits.
• The gap between duty and distraction: A serious policy discussion keeps collapsing under the court’s appetite for scandal.
• Power and favoritism: The emperor can both provoke his ministers and shield Jian from consequences.

Character interactions

• Pei and the other ministers trade insults, while the emperor claims responsibility for the note about Pei’s backside.
• Jian’s thoughts draw the officials into collective speculation, and the ministers redirect her gossip toward one another.
• An’s embarrassment prompts the court to turn his private precaution into another round of jokes.
• When Pei tries to evade the emperor’s attention, Jian reveals his plan to the entire court, leaving him exposed once again.

• Key events: During court, Jian Ruonan’s gossip exposes Minister Pei’s history of using a dog as a substitute during an illness—and later arranging a spirit-money substitute when the dog fell sick. Minister Pei retaliates by drawing attention to Minister Pang, whose family relies on folk remedies and superstitions. Jian reveals that Pang once had his grandson’s mouth smacked shut with a shoe insole while the boy slept; the child woke, kicked Pang badly, and now sleeps facedown. The revelation explains Pang’s past injury and sparks a brief feud between the two ministers. After they stop speaking, the court falls silent. Jian runs out of tea and snacks, so Emperor Deyuan signals a newly promoted eunuch to serve her.
• Character developments: Jian remains entertained by exposing private absurdities and treats the ministers’ secrets as a source of amusement. Pei, initially embarrassed, turns on Pang once his own secrets are revealed. Pang quickly backs down when the emperor invites him to speak. Emperor Deyuan indulges Jian by ensuring she has refreshments, even as her private thoughts insult him. The young eunuch, who has never witnessed Jian’s gift before, becomes frightened when she immediately turns her attention to him—and is identified as a likely new target for gossip.
• Character interactions: Pei and Pang trade barbs and expose each other’s vulnerabilities; their quarrel also revives resentment over a possible marriage between their grandchildren. The assembled officials learn to stay quiet, having seen that speaking up can invite Jian’s revelations. The emperor manages the court’s silence while discreetly keeping Jian supplied with tea and snacks.
• Themes: The chapter uses gossip and comic embarrassment to puncture the dignity of powerful officials. It contrasts the court’s formal authority with its members’ private superstitions, family mishaps, and petty rivalries. Jian’s unusual insight shifts the balance of power: the officials’ safest strategy becomes silence.

Plot points and events

• During court gossip, the ministers recall a palace scandal: Emperor Deyuan was repeatedly given aphrodisiacs, but the culprit remained unknown despite a sweeping investigation.
• Jian Zhang eventually found the drugs hidden on a young eunuch. The emperor rewarded Jian, earning him the nickname “Detective Jian”—though the ministers now credit the estate-raiding “Little Treasure” with the real investigative talent.
• Jian Ruonan’s inner thoughts reveal the eunuch acted out of devotion: he had drugged the emperor in hopes of being taken to bed. He was spared and promoted to serve in the Golden Hall.
• The ministers trade increasingly reckless guesses about the emperor’s tastes, embarrassing both him and Minister of War. The eunuch withdraws, but Jian Ruonan keeps uncovering the emperor’s past drug-induced episodes.
• One episode involved the emperor summoning Consort Yi after reacting to a white deer; another involved him reacting to a newly made dragon throne. The court is left eager to hear what happened next, while the emperor tries to restore order by calling on Minister Su.
• The chapter ends with a brief author’s note lamenting that readers disliked the previous political-intrigue installment.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan remains an unstoppable source of scandal, casually exposing private imperial history through her inner monologue.
• Emperor Deyuan shifts from enjoying the ministers’ gossip about others to becoming its unwilling target. He grows increasingly mortified and attempts to regain control of court.
• The ministers prove far more interested in salacious gossip than official business, eagerly speculating and egging one another on.
• The young eunuch is revealed as a devoted admirer of the emperor whose desperate plan succeeded without costing him his life or position.
• Jian Zhang gains renewed respect as a relative of the supposedly gifted Little Treasure, though the ministers want to recruit him for investigations.

Significant themes

• Gossip as power and entertainment: Information spreads through court faster than formal reports, and even the emperor cannot control what becomes public.
• Hypocrisy and role reversal: The emperor enjoys hearing others exposed, then objects when the gossip turns toward him.
• Comic contrast between decorum and scandal: The solemn setting of the imperial court is repeatedly undermined by crude speculation.
• Devotion taken to absurd extremes: The eunuch’s affection leads him to risk a grave punishment for a bizarre attempt to attract the emperor.

Character interactions

• The ministers question Jian Zhang about the old palace case, then use Jian Ruonan’s revelations to piece together the eunuch’s motive.
• Ministers Pang and Pei spar over whether the drugging was revenge or a favor, while the emperor threatens them for their speculation.
• The courtiers scrutinize the eunuch and tease the emperor about his preferences, dragging Minister of War into the jokes as well.
• The emperor tries to silence the gossip and redirect attention to Minister Su, but the court remains fixated on the dragon-throne story.

Summary

Key events and plot points

• During court, Emperor Deyuan tries to steer attention toward government business, but Jian Ruonan’s inner monologue exposes gossip about Consort Yi. The officials first assume the emperor is endangering his pregnant consort, then learn that Consort Yi’s behavior is driven by normal late-pregnancy hormonal changes.
• The court eventually turns to a proposal to ban gambling. Chief Minister Su Xuelin volunteers to take responsibility, surprising the officials—and the emperor, who praises him.
• Jian Ruonan’s thoughts reveal that Su is usually extremely timid, including a past panic over what turned out to be dye rubbing off his underwear. The officials fixate on this embarrassing revelation.
• Su then claims he is too ill and busy to handle the task, and recommends Minister of War Pei Junfei instead. Jian’s inner voice predicts Su will shift the burden onto a political rival, and the officials realize he may be acting deceptively.
• The chapter ends as Jian begins investigating why Su and Pei—previously allies—are now at odds.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan remains an irreverent source of gossip and unexpected insight. Her modern medical knowledge explains Consort Yi’s behavior, while her predictions expose Su’s evasions.
• Emperor Deyuan is increasingly exasperated that court gossip keeps derailing business, though he appreciates Su’s apparent willingness to help.
• Su Xuelin appears to volunteer out of duty, but quickly reveals his familiar self-preserving nature by citing illness and passing the task to Pei.
• Pei Junfei becomes the target of Su’s recommendation and reacts with visible displeasure.
• Jian Zhang, Ruonan’s father, is amused and proud of her, even when her thoughts turn bawdy.

Character interactions

• The emperor repeatedly tries to redirect the court, while the officials eagerly follow Ruonan’s inner monologue instead.
• The officials collectively react to Su’s embarrassing underwear story, then anticipate and condemn his attempt to avoid responsibility.
• Su’s recommendation puts Pei on the spot, prompting suspicion that their political relationship has changed.

Significant themes

• Gossip versus governance: Court business repeatedly loses out to scandal and amusement.
• Public duty versus self-preservation: Su’s apparent service masks an effort to avoid a dangerous assignment.
• Hidden knowledge and exposure: Ruonan’s private thoughts reveal both medical facts and political motives that others would otherwise miss.
• Humor through embarrassment: Bodily mishaps and bawdy misunderstandings puncture the court’s solemnity.

Key plot points and events

• During court, Chief Minister Su and Minister Pei of War try to force each other to lead a dangerous crackdown on gambling. Pei turns Su’s own offer into a counterattack, while Jian Zhang’s inner thoughts reveal Su’s plan to have Pei’s first wife fake her death so he can pursue her.
• Su protests that he is unwell, but Pei proposes that Su direct the operation while the other ministries support him. Emperor Deyuan then calls on Minister Hou of Revenue, catching the ministers who had been enjoying the spectacle.
• Hou redirects responsibility to Minister Wu of Justice, who tries to pass it to Minister Shi of Rites. Jian’s thoughts expose that Shi’s five sons are not his, his family has left him, and his wife wants a divorce. With little left to lose, Shi volunteers to lead the crackdown, and the Emperor appoints him imperial commissioner.
• During a recess, the Emperor says he is old and unsteady. Su suggests replacing the dragon throne; Jian’s thoughts reveal the throne is actually a “Consort Chair,” and imply the Emperor remains vigorous. The court is left eager for an explanation.

Character developments and interactions

• Minister Pei shifts from target of Su’s scheming to an effective political opponent, rallying other ministers to put Su on the spot.
• Chief Minister Su tries to evade the assignment with an excuse about his health, while the court’s gossip exposes his private intentions toward Pei’s wife.
• Minister Shi goes from being maneuvered into the discussion to volunteering for a risky assignment that might restore his standing.
• Emperor Deyuan uses the ministers’ gossip and rivalries to draw them into the dispute, and privately decides Shi’s scandal will be addressed later.
• Jian Zhang’s inner thoughts repeatedly reshape the court’s understanding of events, exposing secrets and turning political maneuvering into public embarrassment. The ministers both dread and rely on these revelations.

Significant themes

• Gossip as political power: private secrets become tools that redirect official decisions.
• Rivalry and retaliation: officials’ schemes against one another reflect the idea that people reap what they sow.
• Duty versus self-preservation: the ministers try to pass off dangerous work until Shi sees an opportunity in taking it on.
• Public dignity versus private life: the formal court proceedings are repeatedly undercut by intimate revelations and bawdy humor.

Key plot points and events

• During court, ministers trade scandalous gossip about Emperor Deyuan, Censor An, and Minister Yan, repeatedly derailing the discussion of state affairs.
• After court recess, the Black Tortoise System pressures Fourth Prince Dantai Mo to give Jian Ruonan iron, but he refuses to do so without a credible excuse. Its suggestions—such as asking her to touch him or compose a poem—only make him more uncomfortable.
• Dantai approaches Jian and asks for her advice on curtailing the vassal domains. Drawing on her historical knowledge, she proposes an adaptation of the Han dynasty’s Order of Favorable Succession: allow every son to inherit a share of a vassal kingdom’s land, gradually dividing and weakening the domains without warfare.
• Impressed, Dantai offers her a reward. Jian asks for iron, and he grants it. The system detects an emotional reaction from Dantai and awards Jian 50 points.

Character developments

• Dantai Mo is shown to be cautious and image-conscious, but he genuinely values Jian’s judgment. He uses a serious policy question as a face-saving reason to reward her.
• Jian Ruonan proves more capable than the system assumes: although she calls herself unfamiliar with the issue, her historical knowledge lets her offer a practical strategy. She also quickly turns Dantai’s offer into the iron she wants.
• The Black Tortoise System remains an overbearing, comic adviser, pushing Dantai toward awkward attempts at intimacy and insulting both his reluctance and Jian’s supposed laziness.

Significant themes

• Political power through inheritance: Dividing a vassal domain among multiple heirs could weaken regional rulers and strengthen the central government.
• Saving face and indirect courtship: Dantai needs a respectable pretext to give Jian iron, while the system interprets every exchange through its “ATM slave” agenda.
• History applied to politics: Jian adapts a historical policy to Great Xia, though the chapter notes that success is not guaranteed.
• Gossip as court entertainment: The ministers’ scandalous banter contrasts with the serious business of governing.

Character interactions

• The ministers’ teasing exposes old scandals and draws in their embarrassed subjects, especially Censor An and Minister Yan.
• The Black Tortoise System privately nags Dantai and Jian, creating a comic divide between its crude matchmaking advice and their more practical concerns.
• Jian and Dantai interact formally: he seeks her political counsel, she supplies a proposal, and he rewards her with iron.

Key plot points

• Minister Shi proposes appointing Jian Ruonan as Anti-Gambling Imperial Commissioner, but Emperor Deyuan rejects the idea as unsuitable for a relatively new, low-ranking official. Instead, he promises she will assist Shi and offers protection for Shi’s family.
• Shi objects that his sister, the Old Madam of the Jinyang Marquis’s Residence, has a grudge against Jian. The emperor dismisses the concern, and Shi reluctantly accepts the assignment.
• The court turns to the difficult problem of abolishing the princes’ fiefs. Dantai Mo presents Jian’s plan: the Order of Favorable Succession, giving every son of a fief-holding prince inheritance rights and a share of land. The fiefs would fragment over generations, while disputes among heirs could weaken the princes further.
• The court approves the plan. Once its authorship is revealed, officials are astonished that Jian devised it, and Emperor Deyuan promotes her to Grand Council Secretary and Attendant at the Imperial Court.
• Jian is horrified by the promotion because it will require frequent early-morning court attendance. The emperor mistakes her stunned dismay for joy and praises her as a selfless, devoted official.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan gains recognition for a shrewd political strategy, despite her reputation for enjoying gossip and sleep. Her success brings a promotion she emphatically does not want.
• Emperor Deyuan is eager to reward and protect Jian, but his fondness makes him misread her reaction. The ministers privately understand that she fears the early mornings, not the responsibilities.
• Shi Fan is assigned a risky task despite his family conflict with Jian; he submits after the emperor and ministers press him.
• Dantai Mo publicly credits Jian with the fief-abolition plan and defends her when the Black Tortoise System teases him about being a henpecked future husband. Their exchange hints at his affection for her.
• Jian Zhang takes pride in his daughter’s achievement but shares her alarm at the consequences of her new post.

Significant themes

• Political reform through patience and internal pressures: the succession order offers a way to weaken powerful fiefs without war or immediate expense.
• Merit and reputation: Jian’s practical intelligence overturns officials’ assumptions that she is merely lazy or well-connected.
• Comic contrast between public acclaim and private motives: the court celebrates Jian’s promotion as an honor, while she sees it mainly as a threat to her sleep.
• Power, family, and succession: the plan exploits rivalries among heirs, drawing on the court’s own history of succession struggles.