Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Madam Zhang visits the old madam at Jinyang Marquis’s Residence, ostensibly to deliver Jian Chuyun an invitation to the Eldest Princess’s flower-viewing banquet. She also proposes a match between her grandson, Shi Li, and Jian Xilu, whose engagement has recently fallen through.
• The old madam initially hesitates, but Madam Zhang argues that marrying Xilu into the Shi household would give their family power over her and leverage over her father, Jian Zhang. The old madam agrees.
• Meanwhile, Jian Ruonan’s inner thoughts reveal a shocking secret: Minister Shi Fan’s five legitimate sons were not fathered by him. Unable to have children, Shi Fan arranged for an older male cousin to impersonate him and sleep with his wife, Madam Zhang, without her knowledge. The children still carry Shi family blood.
• Min and Xilu learn this through Ruonan’s thoughts and realize Xilu must not marry Shi Li. Min worries that no one will believe her if she tries to explain.
• Young Teng suggests letting their grandfather decide, knowing he can hear Ruonan’s thoughts too.

Character developments and interactions

• Min is distracted by the revelation and becomes alarmed when the old madam recommends Shi Li for Xilu. She is caught between wanting to protect her daughter and having no credible way to expose the secret.
• Jian Xilu is stunned by the revelation and now faces the danger of being matched into the Shi family.
• Jian Ruonan continues to serve as the family’s source of hidden information through her inner thoughts, while her excitement over gossip contrasts with the serious consequences it brings.
• Teng shows sharp perception: he notices who can hear Ruonan’s thoughts and proposes involving their grandfather. He also tries to spare Ruonan a long walk by asking to be carried.
• The old madam and Madam Zhang discuss the proposed marriage. Madam Zhang is unaware of her husband’s deception and believes she is negotiating a promising match for her grandson.
• Jian Chuxue appears at the gathering and reacts resentfully to Min’s closeness with Ruonan.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The respected Minister of Rites’s household hides a deeply scandalous secret.
• Women’s vulnerability and family power: The old madam views marriage as a way to control Xilu and pressure her father, while Madam Zhang herself is unknowingly deceived.
• Knowledge as protection: Ruonan’s hidden gossip gives the family vital information, but Min must find a believable way to act on it.
• Irony and absurdity: A family known for propriety is implicated in deception, and the revelation leaves even the children struggling to make sense of it.

Plot points and events

• The old madam expects Marquis Jian Zeyang to approve Jian Xilu’s marriage to Fifth Young Master Shi, believing an engagement would give the family leverage over Jian Zhang.
• Jian Zeyang, usually indifferent to household affairs and absorbed in Daoist cultivation, meets his granddaughter Jian Ruonan for the first time. At the banquet, he discovers he can hear her unspoken thoughts.
• Ruonan’s thoughts reveal that Jian Zeyang’s elixirs may contain deadly heavy metals and that he has been swindled by fake Daoist priests. Alarmed, he orders his servant to seize the coachman for questioning.
• Jian Zeyang invites Ruonan to move into Pine and Crane Hall and study Daoist arts with him. She refuses inwardly, thinking his practices are dangerous and that she does not want to die young.
• When the old madam raises the proposed match between Jian Xilu and Fifth Young Master Shi, Ruonan’s thoughts reveal that Shi Fan’s sons—and their descendants—are allegedly illegitimate. Jian Zeyang immediately rejects the match.

Character developments

• Jian Zeyang shifts from detached, self-absorbed patriarch to an attentive and protective grandfather. Ruonan’s thoughts make him question both his Daoist practices and the old madam’s influence.
• Jian Ruonan remains outwardly polite and compliant, while her blunt inner commentary exposes her skepticism of the family’s schemes and her priority of staying alive.
• Dantai Mo realizes that several members of Ruonan’s family can hear her thoughts. He also learns from the Black Tortoise System that his moods affect Ruonan’s points, which can be exchanged for rewards. He suspects he is effectively funding her “gambling.”
• The old madam remains focused on arranging Jian Xilu’s marriage, unaware that Jian Zeyang’s attitude is changing.

Character interactions

• Jian Zeyang repeatedly tries to speak with Ruonan, but his questions are mysteriously censored whenever he attempts to mention her thought-reading ability. Ruonan mistakes his interruptions for signs that his elixirs have muddled his speech.
• The system explains its point mechanics to Dantai Mo, who connects them to Ruonan’s past medical rewards and is left unimpressed by his role as her source of points.
• Ruonan’s thoughts prompt Jian Zeyang first to investigate the coachman and then to block Jian Xilu’s proposed marriage.

Significant themes

• Hidden thoughts and forbidden knowledge: Ruonan’s private judgments reshape events, while those who hear them cannot openly disclose the ability.
• Family power and protection: Jian Zeyang’s sudden involvement disrupts the old madam’s plans and may protect Xilu from a harmful marriage.
• False authority and dangerous belief: Jian Zeyang’s pursuit of immortality appears built on fraud and potentially lethal practices.
• Comedy through contrast: Ruonan’s sweet, obedient exterior clashes with her irreverent inner monologue, while the supernatural system turns Dantai Mo into an unwilling contributor to her rewards.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan’s inner thoughts reveal Minister Shi Fan’s ruthless rise: unable to have children himself, he arranged for his wife to bear sons by five male cousins, securing his clan’s support and eventually reaching the Grand Secretariat. The family is horrified; Jian Zeyang remains skeptical, though the others largely believe the gossip.
• Old Madam tries to arrange a marriage between Jian Xilu and Shi Fan’s Fifth Young Master, arguing that Xilu’s broken engagement has damaged her reputation. Ruonan’s thoughts expose Old Madam’s own affair with a groom, while Prince Rui publicly clears Xilu’s name by confirming that Gao Yang’s misconduct—not Xilu—caused the broken engagement.
• Marquis Jian secretly investigates the groom. Under threat, the man admits to the affair and gives details that confirm Ruonan’s suspicions. Marquis Jian returns determined not to let Xilu marry into the Shi family.
• Marquis Jian confronts Old Madam, accuses her of harming his sons, and takes household management away from her, giving it to Eldest’s wife. He also reveals that he has discovered the truth about a maid who was once pushed into the water and the son she bore him.
• Old Madam drops her pretence of innocence and plots against Ruonan, calling on Daoist Li to subdue her. She also vows to force Xilu into the Shi marriage in disgrace.

Character developments and interactions

• Marquis Jian shifts from shock to action: he verifies Ruonan’s revelations, protects Xilu from the proposed match, and asserts authority over Old Madam. His new discoveries about his family deepen his anger.
• Jian Ruonan continues to expose hidden scandals through her inner thoughts, indirectly protecting her sister and earning Prince Rui’s admiration—and points.
• Jian Xilu receives public support from Prince Rui, who rejects the idea that she is responsible for her broken engagement.
• Prince Rui acts decisively to defend Xilu, prompting Ruonan’s enthusiastic praise and an increase in her points.
• Old Madam moves from trying to control the marriage arrangement to openly plotting against Ruonan and Xilu after losing household authority.
• The family and guests react with disbelief and comic horror to the Shi family scandal; Dantai Mo and the others listen intently, while Jian Zeyang becomes increasingly curious about Ruonan’s apparent ability to know hidden truths.

Significant themes

• Ambition and moral compromise: Shi Fan’s ascent rests on extreme personal and familial sacrifice.
• Truth and exposure: Ruonan’s private thoughts uncover secrets that reshape family decisions.
• Women’s reputation and agency: Xilu is unfairly pressured over a broken engagement, while Old Madam tries to control her future.
• Power and family loyalty: Marquis Jian’s household reforms and Old Madam’s retaliation show how authority within the family can be contested—and weaponized.

Plot points and events

• Min tells Jian Zhang that the Old Madam tried to arrange Xilu’s marriage into the Shi Family. The Marquis refused, and Jian Ruonan’s warning helped prevent the match. Min reveals the family’s damaging secret about the Shi Family; Jian Zhang agrees they must keep it confidential until they can act against Shi Fan decisively.
• The Marquis has given Min the authority to manage the household. Jian Zhang supports her and regrets having neglected her in favor of his concubines.
• Jian Zhang wants to bring Nannan to his office, where he hopes her insight can help resolve old cases. Min points out that Nannan is still asleep—she has moved into her own courtyard, Deer Song, so she can sleep until nearly noon.
• Wen Xue, a maid secretly planted by the Old Madam, remains assigned to Nannan. Nannan knows Wen Xue’s role through her gossip system and chooses to keep her under observation rather than expose her.
• Teng visits Nannan but, finding her asleep, goes to Jian Chuxue’s pavilion. Chuxue probes him about Nannan, but he admits he was wrong to quarrel with her and accepts that she was right to discipline him.
• When Chuxue learns Teng later went to Nannan’s courtyard, she feels displaced and decides to ask the Old Madam to let her attend the Eldest Princess’s flower-viewing banquet, determined to regain favor.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Zhang grows more appreciative of Min and increasingly relies on Nannan’s judgment. His success in a case involving prohibited drugs has also boosted his standing with the emperor and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
• Min takes charge of the household and calmly manages both family tensions and Nannan’s servants.
• Nannan gains her own courtyard and considerable freedom, while using her unusual access to gossip strategically. Her sleep-loving nature remains a comic contrast to her growing influence.
• Teng shows loyalty to Nannan and maturity by admitting his past mistake. He tries to spare Chuxue’s feelings without joining her resentment.
• Chuxue feels jealous as the family’s attention shifts to Nannan. Though still treated publicly as a legitimate daughter, she knows the household understands her birth and fears losing her place.

Significant themes

• Family stability and trust: Jian Zhang’s claim that the family would fall apart without Nannan reflects how her warnings now shape major decisions.
• Hidden knowledge and political caution: The Shi Family’s secret could bring danger if revealed prematurely, so the household must wait for a chance to act effectively.
• Favoritism, belonging, and insecurity: Nannan’s return changes family relationships, especially Chuxue’s sense of status.
• Surveillance and strategy: Nannan keeps Wen Xue close as an informant rather than confronting the Old Madam’s network openly.

• Jian Chuxue’s changing family position: Jian Chuxue learns that Concubine Zhou switched her and Jian Ruonan as infants, making Ruonan Min’s biological daughter and Chuxue a concubine’s child. Though Chuxue was innocent, she feels Min and Xilu now favor Ruonan, and she resents being excluded from the family’s property division. Worried about her marriage prospects, she hopes to impress at the Eldest Princess’s banquet and dreams of marrying a prince.
• Ruonan’s preparations: Ruonan continues her famously lazy routine in Deer Song Courtyard, where she sleeps late and eats breakfast in bed. She has chosen paper-window cutting—using a snowflake design—for her required banquet performance, but her attempt is so poor that even young Teng can tell it is not a snowflake. Teng teases her and worries that her lack of effort will hurt her chances of a good marriage.
• Dantai Mo’s hopes: Dantai Mo arrives at the banquet early. After spending time with Ruonan, he once briefly regained movement in his big toe, giving him hope that he might walk again. He also knows she has a mission to win him over, though she has not started pursuing it in earnest.
• The scandal dilemma: At the Princess’s residence, Ruonan arrives looking elegant, and Dantai Mo approaches her. Through her system, she learns of a scandalous encounter between the Eldest Princess’s husband and another person in a rockery. Just as she prepares to investigate, she discovers the male and female leads are about to meet nearby—and that the Fourth Prince is also close. Torn between competing attractions, Ruonan chooses the gossip over greeting the prince.
  Character dynamics and themes: Chuxue’s sense of rejection contrasts with Ruonan’s carefree self-absorption. Teng is affectionate toward Ruonan but increasingly exasperated by her laziness; Dantai Mo watches her with interest while she remains distracted by entertainment. The chapter blends identity and family favoritism with comic irreverence, using Ruonan’s appetite for gossip and idleness to undercut the formal expectations placed on young women at the marriage-focused banquet.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan weighs two scandals at the Eldest Princess’s flower-viewing banquet: rumors about the Princess’s husband having a secret affair with men, and the forbidden romance between Third Prince Dantai Huai and Jian Chuxue. She decides the rockery scandal sounds more exciting.
• She slips away toward Jingxiang Garden, where the imperial son-in-law and two other prominent men are supposedly meeting in secret. A servant blocks her, claiming the garden is full of venomous creatures.
• Jian Ruonan refuses to be frightened off, but still cannot get past the guard. She learns from her system that the men inside include the famous Northern Kingdom Hostage and Prince Kang’s second son.
• Prince Rui, Dantai Mo, arrives in his wheelchair. Jian Ruonan greets him, then eagerly accepts when he asks her to accompany him for a stroll. She pushes him toward the rockery, using his status to get around the servant’s refusal.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan is shown as bold, opportunistic, and intensely curious about gossip. She puts excitement ahead of caution and quickly spots how Prince Rui can help her reach the forbidden garden.
• Dantai Mo remains outwardly composed but repeatedly seems irritated by Jian Ruonan, especially when she ignores him for the gossip. He asks her to accompany him, while his Black Tortoise System privately encourages him to take advantage of the chance to see the scandal.
• The systems provide comic commentary and reveal the characters’ private thoughts. Jian Ruonan’s system urges her to act frightened; Dantai Mo’s system is eager to join the gossip.
• Jian Ruonan and Dantai Mo’s interaction is marked by a mismatch: she interprets his moods as inexplicable, while he notices her priorities and hidden enthusiasm.

Significant themes

• Gossip as irresistible entertainment: Jian Ruonan treats scandal as worth taking risks for, and the systems share her curiosity.
• Public respectability versus private behavior: The chapter contrasts the Eldest Princess’s celebrated marriage with rumors of her husband’s secret life, and recounts the leads’ socially forbidden romance.
• Status and access: Jian Ruonan is blocked as an ordinary guest but can proceed when accompanied by a prince, highlighting how rank governs movement and authority.
• Comic irony: The characters’ dignified public appearances contrast with their private motives, especially Jian Ruonan’s pursuit of gossip and Dantai Mo’s concealed interest in it.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan pushes Dantai Mo through the Princess’s Residence gardens, hoping to use their time alone to win his favor. Her system, meanwhile, eagerly imagines them having children.
• Dantai asks to buy Jian’s pain-relief pills, offering ten taels of gold per pill. He wants the medicine for his elite soldiers and because he suffers recurring hip pain from an old riding accident.
• Jian has forty-five capsules left but claims she has only ten, reasoning that making the medicine seem scarce may let her charge more later. She sells Dantai ten for one hundred taels of gold and carefully explains how to take them, especially warning him not to drink alcohol.
• Dantai’s mood repeatedly shifts, causing Jian’s system points to rise and fall. Jian mistakenly suspects he is being stingy and nearly refuses the sale, but his promise to pay immediately restores her enthusiasm.
• Jian hopes to reach a rockery to hear gossip, but the narrow, uneven path is impassable for the wheelchair. She remarks that an iron wheelchair would be lighter and easier to maneuver, intriguing Dantai and earning her five points.

Character developments

• Jian Ruonan appears reserved but is inwardly preoccupied with money, food, gossip, and gaming-system rewards. She is shrewd about pricing, yet genuinely attentive when explaining the medicine.
• Dantai Mo shows unusual patience with Jian and takes a clear interest in her unusual medicine and ideas. Despite his pain and irritation, he restrains himself to secure the pills; his changing moods remain mysterious to Jian.
• The system enthusiastically encourages Jian to win Dantai’s favor, while also exposing her lies and reacting to her schemes.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus inner thoughts: Jian’s demure exterior contrasts sharply with her candid, often comic inner monologue.
• Money and self-interest: Jian treats the medicine as a valuable commodity and carefully considers scarcity and future prices.
• Unexpected ingenuity: Her casual suggestion of an iron wheelchair hints at practical innovation and surprises Dantai.
• Emotional uncertainty: Dantai’s abrupt mood shifts—and Jian’s inability to understand them—underscore the distance between what people feel and what others perceive.

Character interactions

Jian and Dantai negotiate the medicine sale while she pushes him through the garden. Dantai listens to her instructions and tolerates her irreverent thoughts, while his attendants quietly observe his unusual attention toward her. Their growing curiosity is mutual in an uneven way: Jian sees Dantai largely as a source of money and system points, while Dantai is increasingly intrigued by her skills and ideas.

Plot and key events

• Jian Ruonan discovers five unexplained points in her account, then spots a venomous banded krait near a covered walkway. The snake confirms that the prince consort has stocked the secluded garden with snakes to keep people away.
• Chen Pozi, Jian’s fiercely loyal attendant, carries her to safety. In the commotion, Jian sees Prince Consort Xue Yuanyu, hostage prince Su Haoyan, and Prince Kang’s Second Son Dantai Wuyang flee the garden with their clothes disheveled.
• Jian privately imagines a dramatic romance behind the men’s encounter and, pretending to be a physician, examines them. Wuyang finds red marks on Haoyan’s chest and worries about snakebites, but Jian’s thoughts reveal they are not bites. She also thinks Wuyang mistook real snakes for props and handled them before the group heard the alarm.
• Xue claims the three were sparring and undressing only to escape snakes and insects. Dantai Mo recommends they be checked by an Imperial Physician, then leaves with his guard.
• As Mo departs, Jian’s thoughts reveal a much larger political scandal: Haoyan has had a relationship with the Third Prince, who later helps him return to the Northern Kingdom. Haoyan will also aid the Third Prince in a palace coup and the murder of his father.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains bold, observant, and more interested in gossip than in the danger surrounding her. She uses her medical role as cover to scrutinize the men, unaware that witnessing their secret could make her a target.
• Chen Pozi demonstrates unwavering devotion by rushing Jian away from the snake.
• Dantai Mo stays outwardly composed but repeatedly hears Jian’s unfiltered thoughts through the story’s system. He is baffled by her assumptions and by the political revelations she casually uncovers.
• Wuyang shields Haoyan from Jian’s stare and checks him for injuries, showing protectiveness and intimacy. Haoyan appears delicate but is inwardly ruthless, and briefly regards the witnesses as potential threats. Xue Yuanyu tries to conceal the true nature of the gathering with a plausible-sounding lie.
• The men’s awkward reactions, Wuyang’s jealousy or protectiveness, and Xue’s displeasure at their closeness hint at a tangled relationship. Jian interprets it as an elaborate, tragic romance.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Haoyan’s frail appearance masks ambition and ruthlessness; the men’s respectable public roles hide private entanglements.
• Gossip versus danger: Jian treats a potentially lethal political secret as entertaining gossip, while the others recognize the risk of exposure.
• Comic contrast: Jian’s modern, irreverent inner commentary clashes with the court’s serious power struggles and the peril of the situation.

Key plot points and events

• Dantai Mo reflects on the political revelations he has overheard: the Third Prince is secretly preparing a palace coup, while the hostage prince Su Haoyan may be deeply involved in court intrigues. Dantai Mo resolves to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard watch the Third Prince and monitor the Golden Guards and the Five City Garrison Command.
• As a court eunuch wheels him away, Dantai Mo unexpectedly rises from his wheelchair. The Black Tortoise System claims it was responsible, having stolen a large amount of something while Dantai Mo was distracted by gossip.
• Jian Ruonan returns to the Flower Hall, eager for more stories about Su Haoyan. Her system says that contact with the Fourth Prince drains its energy, but that the weakness ends when Jian leaves him. It cannot probe him because he is protected by some kind of barrier.
• The system persuades Jian to work toward earning 100 points so it can level up and improve the Good Luck Mall, possibly adding visual scenes to its gossip. Jian discovers she has only 10 points left, after spending points on card draws and losing some through the Fourth Prince’s unpredictable moods.
• Min worries about Jian’s upcoming talent performance at the Eldest Princess’s flower-viewing banquet. Jian plans to make paper cutting look impressive with the dry ice she obtained from a card draw.
• Just before the performance, the system warns Jian that someone intends to harm her and embarrass her: her scissors and red paper have been stolen.

Character developments and interactions

• Dantai Mo shifts from shock at the palace intrigue to taking practical precautions. His sudden ability to stand introduces a mystery, with the system taking credit.
• Jian Ruonan remains playful and unmotivated, but the prospect of better gossip visuals tempts her to pursue points. She jokes and argues with her system, which is both needy and evasive.
• The system reveals that the Fourth Prince somehow disrupts its abilities, raising questions about him. It also tries to motivate Jian by promising an upgraded mall.
• Min is anxious about Jian’s public performance and the risk of social embarrassment; Jian’s confidence in using dry ice does little to reassure her.
• The chapter also emphasizes the contrast between the Third Prince’s mild public persona and his concealed ambition, while Su Haoyan’s frail appearance belies his political connections and scheming.

Significant themes

• Hidden motives and deceptive appearances: Several figures—including the Third Prince, Su Haoyan, and possibly the Fourth Prince—are more complicated than they appear.
• Power and political danger: The potential coup makes military and palace security central concerns.
• Comedy amid suspense: Jian’s banter with her system and her unconventional performance plan offset the growing political and personal threats.
• Gossip as both entertainment and intelligence: What Jian treats as dramatic entertainment gives Dantai Mo information that could affect the empire’s future.

Plot and key events

• At the Eldest Princess’s Residence, Xue Yuanyu, Dantai Wuyang, and Su Haoyan worry that their secret encounter with a woman in the rockery—interrupted by snakes—might be exposed. The woman was Jian Ruonan, the Jinyang Marquis’s Fifth Miss.
• To protect Su Haoyan and discredit Jian Ruonan, Dantai Wuyang proposes making a show of courting her at the banquet. The Eldest Princess’s jealousy should then make her distrust Jian Ruonan. Dantai Wuyang warns Su Haoyan not to target the dangerous, calculating Fourth Prince, Dantai Mo.
• Dantai Mo unexpectedly manages to stand briefly, though pain forces him back into his wheelchair and the sensation in his legs fades. He believes Jian Ruonan’s treatment caused the improvement, orders the moment kept secret, and sends her five hundred taels of gold.
• At the Flower-Viewing Banquet, Jian Ruonan draws an early pear-blossom lot for her performance. She discovers that her scissors and red paper—the supplies for her window decoration—have been stolen and heads to the lakeside weeds where they were discarded.
• Third Prince Dantai Huai approaches and offers help. Jian Ruonan initially admires his looks, but the system identifies him as the original story’s male lead. She immediately dismisses him as over-groomed and lecherous, while Dantai Mo’s mood shifts sharply with her changing thoughts.

Character developments and interactions

• Dantai Mo gains a hopeful sign of recovery and remains protective of the secrecy surrounding his progress. His jealousy is evident when Jian Ruonan praises Dantai Huai.
• Jian Ruonan appears timid to her mother, Min, but inwardly remains confident and irreverent. She quickly turns cold toward Dantai Huai once she learns who he is.
• Min comforts Jian Ruonan, believing she is frightened by being targeted, but the girl’s thoughts reveal she is far less distressed than she appears.
• Dantai Wuyang and Su Haoyan conspire to use the Eldest Princess’s possessiveness against Jian Ruonan; Su Haoyan’s outward vulnerability contrasts with a glimpse of hidden malice.
• Dantai Huai makes a courteous first approach, though Jian Ruonan interprets his manner as flirtatious and unwelcome.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Jian Ruonan’s timid exterior hides confidence, while Su Haoyan’s pitiful appearance conceals vicious intent.
• Jealousy and manipulation: The men plan to exploit the Eldest Princess’s possessiveness to turn her against Jian Ruonan.
• Power and vulnerability: Dantai Mo’s disability contrasts with his influence and strategic nature, while his brief ability to stand offers a rare moment of hope.
• Romantic comedy and dramatic irony: Jian Ruonan’s private thoughts and the system’s mood alerts expose the contrast between her feelings and Dantai Mo’s reactions.

Plot points and events

• The Third Prince retrieves Jian Ruonan’s cloth bag and tries to charm her, but she bluntly criticizes him for holding on to her property instead of returning it. He gives it back, mistaking her irritation for shyness.
• The Third Prince recalls that he first fell for Jian Chuxue, but abandoned plans to marry her because she was politically disadvantageous. He instead intends to court Jian Ruonan to gain the support of her family, while hoping to pursue Chuxue later if he becomes emperor.
• Dantai Mo hears Jian Ruonan’s thoughts and learns of a possible future coup: the Third Prince may seize the throne, and Dantai Mo may later overthrow him. Jian Ruonan also wonders whether she should let Dantai Mo turn evil to preserve that outcome.
• Jian Ruonan discovers that her performance props were stolen by a maid sent by Jian Chuxue. The bag is wet and the red paper inside ruined, so she quietly arranges for a replacement rather than worrying Min.
• At the flower-viewing banquet, Jian Chuxue performs the Flying Apsara Dance. The Princess Royal praises and rewards her, and the Third Prince gives her his jade ring. Jian Ruonan privately reacts with disgust at their mutual attraction.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains irreverent and unbothered by the princes’ status, openly mocking the Third Prince in her thoughts and to his face. She is also considerate toward Min, hiding the damaged props to spare her worry.
• The Third Prince is shown to be calculating: he suppresses his love for Chuxue for political advantage and courts Ruonan as a strategic match. Despite his scheming, he misreads Ruonan’s contempt as shyness.
• Dantai Mo becomes increasingly alarmed by the future political turmoil revealed through Ruonan’s thoughts, while his concern that the Third Prince might charm her proves misplaced.
• Jian Chuxue appears jealous of Ruonan and has her belongings stolen, yet wins public acclaim through her dance and rekindles the Third Prince’s admiration.
• Min notices Chuxue’s growing association with the second branch and remains troubled by the family revelations surrounding her.

Significant themes

• Romance versus political ambition: The Third Prince sacrifices his preferred match for political gain, while treating courtship as a tool of power.
• Appearance and misinterpretation: The Third Prince mistakes Ruonan’s hostility for coyness, exposing how poorly he understands her.
• Hidden thoughts and future consequences: Ruonan’s candid inner monologue gives Dantai Mo disturbing glimpses of a possible coup and shifting power.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Chuxue’s covert interference and Ruonan’s blunt reactions heighten tension between the women, even as Chuxue’s public performance earns admiration.

Key plot points and events

• After Jian Chuxue’s dance, Min worries that Chuxue may be drawn into marriage with the Third Prince. She believes a prince’s household would leave Chuxue vulnerable, especially given her uncertain birth, and intends to ask what Chuxue wants.
• Min spots a possible match for Jian Ruonan in Wang Enze, the fifteen-year-old son of Madam Wang. She and Madam Wang discover a family connection, while Ruonan and Wang Enze’s younger sister, Wang Yuan, quickly bond over food. Min is pleased with the families’ compatibility—but feels reluctant to part with Ruonan so soon.
• Jian Xilu performs a polished piece on the guqin. The Eldest Princess asks about the family’s other daughters and learns that Ruonan plans to perform paper cutting.
• The prince consort, Xue Yuanyu, praises Ruonan’s medical skill and hints that many families would seek her hand. The Eldest Princess notices his interest and reacts with concealed anger.
• Ruonan is called to perform before her red paper is returned. Forced to improvise, she takes a handful of toilet paper to the pavilion.
• The system warns her that the Eldest Princess has ordered a maid to push her into the water, manipulated by the prince consort to punish Ruonan for what she witnessed. The Third Prince is ready to rescue her, apparently hoping to use the rescue to force a marriage.

Character developments and interactions

• Min shows care for both Chuxue and Ruonan: she worries about Chuxue’s future despite their lack of closeness, and considers a promising match for Ruonan while dreading the prospect of her leaving home.
• Chuxue is proud and self-assured after her performance, believing her talents will secure a good marriage without Min’s help.
• Ruonan remains cheerful and focused on food and companionship, unaware of Min’s matchmaking plans. When threatened, she quickly recognizes the scheme and resents the Third Prince’s opportunism.
• Xilu performs confidently and helps direct the Eldest Princess’s attention toward Ruonan.
• Wang Yuan and Ruonan form an easy friendship over shared enthusiasm for food; Yuan gives Ruonan candied fruit and pastry recipes.
• The Eldest Princess and Xue Yuanyu share a tense, unspoken conflict: his conspicuous praise of Ruonan provokes the princess’s jealousy and suspicion. The Third Prince’s plan exploits that tension.

Significant themes

• Marriage as both security and constraint: Min sees royal marriage as dangerous, while the prospect of an ordinary household offers greater autonomy.
• Women’s talents and marriage prospects: The girls’ performances, skills, and reputations shape how families assess them as potential brides.
• Manipulation and political scheming: The prince consort and Third Prince use jealousy, danger, and social custom to control Ruonan.
• Family affection and independence: Min wants to protect her daughters but must balance their futures with her wish to keep them close.

• Jian Ruonan’s staged entrance: Dressed in shimmering gauze and surrounded by dry-ice mist, Ruonan enters the Lake Pavilion like a fairy. The Princess’s Consort is captivated, while the Eldest Princess assumes the spectacle is an act and plans to have Ruonan pushed into the lake. She has secretly arranged for a waiting attendant to “rescue” Ruonan and force her into marriage.
• Ruonan turns the trap around: When two maids approach, Ruonan’s nurse, Chen Pozi, throws them into the lake first. Ruonan claims she foresaw their plan through divination and acted in self-defense. The Eldest Princess is caught off guard but orders her to proceed.
• A divination demonstration: Ruonan presents herself as a master of several forms of divination, asking guests to pose questions and make cuts in paper. The Ninth Prince asks her to locate his missing Nine Linked Rings. Ruonan privately consults her gossip system, which reveals that the Eldest Princess’s son, Xue Yingxuan, hid the rings in a fish-filled lotus vat at the Fragrance Pavilion. Ruonan announces the location, and an attendant soon confirms the rings are there. The guests hail her as a living immortal.
• A startling revelation: Before Ruonan answers the Ninth Prince, the gossip system reveals that Xue Yingxuan is not the Eldest Princess’s biological son. Ruonan, Dantai Mo, and the Black Tortoise System are all shocked. Ruonan wants to hear more, but the system insists she first answer the prince’s question.
• The Eldest Princess’s next challenge: Impressed, she asks Ruonan to locate a piece of jade she has lost. Ruonan privately complains that the princess keeps interrupting her gossip and wonders when Dantai Mo will deal with her.
  Character developments and interactions: Ruonan proves quick-witted and shamelessly adaptable, using the system’s gossip as the basis for convincing “divinations.” Chen Pozi actively protects and supports her. The Eldest Princess shifts from smugly plotting Ruonan’s humiliation to testing her apparent powers. Dantai Mo, who can hear Ruonan’s private exchanges with the system, remains amused and increasingly baffled by her priorities; the system cheerfully joins in her gossip-seeking.
  Themes: The chapter plays with the contrast between appearance and truth: Ruonan’s mystical performance is theatrical, but her information is accurate. It also features deception, power games, and the comic tension between public ceremony and private gossip.

Plot points and events

• During a divination ritual, Jian Ruonan learns that the missing heart-shaped jade is hanging around hostage prince Su Haoyan’s neck.
• The jade was originally chosen by Su and carved by the eldest princess’s consort, Xue Yuanyu. When the princess discovered him making it, Xue claimed it was for her. She treasured it, so he distracted her with handmade dolls, stole the jade back, and eventually gave it to Su.
• Dantai Mo prevents Xue from being alone with Su and encourages the princess and her consort to hear the revelation together. When Jian Ruonan announces where the jade is, Su tries to destroy it, but a guard restrains him. Dantai Mo retrieves the jade.
• The princess recognizes the jade and suspects Su and Xue of having a secret relationship. Dantai Wuyang protects Su, while Xue is caught off guard.
• The princess threatens Su, but Xue deflects her anger with a hastily invented story: he claims he lost the jade to Su in a card game, wagering his “true heart” for the princess. She accepts the explanation, leaving the others stunned.

Character developments

• The eldest princess shifts from fury and suspicion to reassurance when Xue claims the jade was merely lost in a wager. Her devotion to him makes her readily believe his story.
• Xue Yuanyu is exposed as deceptive and quick-thinking: he secretly gave Su the jade, then improvises a romantic explanation to placate his wife.
• Su Haoyan goes from relaxed amusement to alarm when the jade is revealed, and attempts to destroy the evidence before being restrained.
• Dantai Mo stays composed, steers events so the princess and Xue confront the revelation together, and quietly ensures Jian Ruonan is protected.
• Jian Ruonan, Min, and Jian Xilu treat the unfolding scandal as entertaining gossip, with Ruonan’s inner commentary urging the princess to retaliate.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus truth: The jade’s ordinary quality hides an emotionally charged history, while Xue’s polished explanation conceals the real one.
• Jealousy and mistaken conclusions: The jade’s presence on Su suggests an affair, inflaming the princess’s suspicions.
• Power, loyalty, and diplomacy: Su’s status as a foreign crown prince complicates the princess’s threat to punish him.
• Gossip as spectacle: The characters’ private thoughts turn a potentially dangerous confrontation into comic entertainment.

Character interactions

• Dantai Mo blocks Xue’s glances toward Su and later helps expose the jade, while Dantai Wuyang takes Su’s side and shields him.
• The princess confronts Xue and Su; Xue calms her with a sentimental lie.
• Min and Jian Xilu react to Jian Ruonan’s revelations, while Ruonan’s enthusiastic commentary—and the guests’ eager attention—heighten the scene’s comic, theatrical tension.

Key plot points and events

• Jian Ruonan’s attempt to expose the Eldest Princess’s consort as a womanizer fails: the Princess accepts his elaborate apology, and the pair launch into a melodramatic declaration of their love. Ruonan is left exasperated while the banquet guests enjoy the spectacle.
• The Princess then asks Ruonan to use her final divination to find proof that her consort does not love her.
• Ruonan uncovers a shocking secret through the system: the Princess’s eleven-year-old son, Xue Yingxuan, is not her biological child. The consort’s former mistress gave birth at the same time as the Princess, and he arranged for their babies to be switched.
• Ruonan realizes that telling the Princess may be futile and dangerous: she is unlikely to believe the accusation, and the consort could retaliate.
• Dantai Mo offers to help Ruonan, and she eagerly accepts the possibility of assistance.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan grows weary of the Princess’s relationship drama but remains determined to find decisive evidence. Her internal commentary adds comic bite to the scene.
• The Eldest Princess is intensely devoted to her consort and interprets suspicion as proof of love. Her final request puts Ruonan in an awkward position.
• Dantai Mo calmly plays along with the romantic performance, then finds pleasure in Ruonan’s discomfort; he ultimately offers her help.
• The Princess’s Consort skillfully manipulates the Princess with theatrical apologies and affection, while concealing his past betrayal.
• Jian Xilu and Min follow Ruonan’s discovery and recognize the danger of revealing it openly.

Significant themes

• Love and self-deception: The Princess’s devotion makes her blind to evidence that her consort has betrayed her.
• Manipulation and hidden truths: The consort’s public show of affection contrasts with his secret past and calculated deception.
• Gossip as power—and risk: Ruonan’s supernatural access to secrets gives her leverage, but sharing what she learns may expose her to retaliation.
• Comedy through contrast: The scene pairs exaggerated romantic theatrics with a grim revelation about the children’s swapped identities.

Plot

• During a gathering at the Eldest Princess’s residence, Jian Ruonan claims her “toilet-paper divination” shows that the princess’s child, Xue Yingxuan, was switched at birth.
• She gives Prince Rui, Dantai Mo, detailed clues: the prince consort, Xue Yuanyu, allegedly exchanged the princess’s daughter for his mistress’s son; the biological daughter lives near the capital and is mistreated. She also identifies witnesses and their whereabouts.
• Dantai Mo believes her and dispatches guards to investigate, promising results within four hours and planning to report the truth to the Emperor. The revelation could bring severe punishment for Xue Yuanyu.
• The guests doubt Jian Ruonan’s claim, but her apparent accuracy makes her the center of attention. While she waits for the investigation, Xue Rubo—Xue Yuanyu’s niece and a proposed match for Dantai Mo—arrives and has Jian Ruonan’s seat carried away to make room for herself.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains outwardly cautious about being believed, while privately relishing her gossip system’s revelations and the attention they bring.
• Dantai Mo responds decisively to the accusation. His affection points increase, apparently because he enjoys Jian Ruonan’s flattery and has reason to target the prince consort.
• Xue Yuanyu tries to protect himself by secretly replacing the toilet paper, then maintains a show of confidence with the Eldest Princess. He appears unaware that Jian Ruonan has already supplied Dantai Mo with substantial leads.
• The Eldest Princess assumes Jian Ruonan has failed and teases her; the prince consort backs her up. Their confidence contrasts with the investigation now underway.
• Xue Rubo’s entitled treatment of Jian Ruonan creates immediate friction, while Jian Ruonan’s inner commentary mocks her. Dantai Mo hears the commentary, including the revelation that the Eldest Princess hopes to marry Rubo to him.

Themes

• Gossip as power: Jian Ruonan’s private knowledge can expose hidden crimes and influence political events.
• Appearance versus truth: The Eldest Princess and Xue Yuanyu present a loving, confident front while a grave family secret threatens them.
• Irony and comedy: The chapter’s absurd “toilet-paper divination,” Jian Ruonan’s irreverent thoughts, and the contrast between her nonsense-sounding method and its precise claims drive the humor.

Plot and key events

• The Princess Royal introduces Xue Rubo and tries to arrange her marriage to the disabled Fourth Prince, Dantai Mo. She also suggests they adopt an imperial-clan child.
• Jian Ruonan’s private thoughts mock the scheme and reveal that a favored clan family hopes to use an adopted son to gain influence and resources through Dantai Mo.
• Pressed to judge the match, Jian cuts a piece of toilet paper for a divination and declares that the pair are incompatible and the marriage would bring ruin. Dantai Mo also participates, apparently curious about her verdict; the reading earns Jian 50 system points.
• Prince Consort Xue Yuanyu denounces Jian as a fraud, citing the State Preceptor’s supposedly favorable match reading for Dantai Mo and Rubo, and orders her thrown out.
• Dantai Mo’s Embroidered Uniform Guards arrive with Prince Kang. On Dantai Mo’s command, they bring in a woman and a scarred young girl, then arrest Xue Yuanyu.
• Dantai Mo accuses the Prince Consort of having secretly exchanged children, violating the imperial bloodline. He reveals that the girl is the Princess Royal’s biological daughter, switched at birth with the son of Xue Yuanyu’s mistress.
• The discovery shocks the assembled guests, who assume Jian’s divination somehow foretold the revelation. Jian tells the Princess Royal that her husband’s betrayal proves he does not love her.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains irreverent and sharp-tongued, using her inner commentary to expose the political motives behind the matchmaking. She is pleased by the system points Dantai Mo’s emotional reaction earns her, but her apparent “prophecy” becomes linked in the guests’ minds to the real scandal.
• Dantai Mo refuses the proposed match politely at first, citing his disability, but later takes decisive action to expose Xue Yuanyu and protect Jian. His request for Prince Kang’s help and command over the guards show his resolve and influence.
• The Princess Royal is bluntly determined to arrange Dantai Mo’s marriage, then loses control when she suspects the woman and girl concern her husband. Her shock at learning the girl is her daughter transforms the scene from matchmaking comedy into family scandal.
• Xue Rubo plays the role of a decorous prospective bride and welcomes Jian’s reading, but the match is overshadowed by the revelation.
• Xue Yuanyu shifts from accusing Jian of fraud to being exposed and arrested for a grave crime against the imperial family.
• Jian and Dantai Mo’s interaction remains indirect but significant: he watches her divination, reacts strongly enough to generate system points, and later intervenes when she is threatened.

Significant themes

• Schemes disguised as benevolence: The Princess Royal’s matchmaking and adoption plan conceal self-serving or exploitative motives.
• Truth and appearances: A supposedly auspicious State Preceptor reading contrasts with the hidden crime of exchanging children.
• Justice and power: Dantai Mo uses lawful authority and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to confront a powerful relative.
• Betrayal and family: The child-switching exposes the devastating consequences of Xue Yuanyu’s deception and the Princess Royal’s broken marriage.

Key plot points and events

• The Embroidered Uniform Guard presents evidence against Princess Min’s consort, Xue Yuanyu, for secretly switching the princess’s baby. The midwife and two former Xue household stewards are also taken into custody.
• When Prince Kang orders Xue Yuanyu arrested, Min tearfully tries to protect him. Xue claims he switched the children because he feared he would favor their daughter over Min, and insists the act came from love. Min believes him and begs for his release, but Prince Kang sends the case to the emperor.
• Min tells Jian Ruonan that the arrest does not prove her consort lacks love for her, declaring that Ruonan has lost their earlier argument. The banquet ends amid Ruonan’s disbelief and mockery.
• Elsewhere, Jian Chuxue is initially treated coldly by the Shi family, but their attitude changes once they learn she is Ruonan’s sister. They then court Ruonan’s attention, while Chuxue seethes at her sister’s growing popularity.
• Min receives many invitations from influential women. The Wang and Jian families also discuss arranging a meeting between Wang Defa and Ruonan.
• Wang Yuan asks Ruonan to divine the location of the Previous Dynasty Treasure. Realizing she can use the names of former nobles to locate their tomb entrances, Ruonan plans to find the treasure before the Third Prince, who may use it to fund a palace coup.

Character developments and interactions

• Princess Min remains so devoted to Xue Yuanyu that she excuses his serious betrayal and places blame on herself. Her behavior reinforces how vulnerable and emotionally dependent she is.
• Xue Yuanyu reveals a calculating, self-serving side: he offers a melodramatic justification for his crime, and Min accepts it. His arrest nevertheless proceeds.
• Jian Ruonan watches the scandal as comic entertainment, but her attention turns quickly to the treasure and the political danger surrounding it. She trades sarcastic thoughts with the system, which tries to entice her with the prospect of joining the imperial family.
• Jian Chuxue grows resentful as Ruonan’s reputation rises and the Shi family’s interest shifts toward her.
• The Shi sisters and other elite guests seek Ruonan’s company, illustrating how rapidly her standing has improved.

Significant themes

• Blind devotion and enabling: Min’s unquestioning defense of her consort helps explain his audacity and leaves their daughter’s suffering unaddressed.
• Reputation and social status: Ruonan’s popularity brings invitations and powerful connections, while Chuxue’s jealousy highlights the rivalry fostered by social attention.
• Comedy amid serious wrongdoing: Ruonan’s irreverent commentary contrasts with the grave child-switching case.
• Ambition and political intrigue: The treasure may finance a coup, turning Ruonan’s discovery into a race against the Third Prince.

Plot points and events

• After the Eldest Princess’s husband is exposed for switching their child, the princess continues defending him, claiming he acted out of love. Emperor Deyuan calls her foolish, has her taken away, and decides the recovered child will remain in Consort De’s care.
• Dantai Mo confirms that Jian Ruonan solved the child-switching case and exposed other crimes, including bribery and concealed drugs. Impressed by his son’s unusually strong praise, the emperor orders Ruonan to come to the palace.
• At home, little Teng jokingly suggests Ruonan join the Embroidered Uniform Guard. She rejects the idea because the early mornings would be too difficult, then turns her attention to the rumored treasure of the previous dynasty—though its traps will require careful planning.
• After gaining twenty affection points and reaching a hundred, Ruonan spends them upgrading her system, expecting it to show visual scenes and help investigate secrets. The upgrade takes all day, but its only confirmed change is that the system now calls itself the “big system.” Ruonan is furious about wasting her points.
• The next morning, Ruonan is summoned for an audience with the emperor. As her maid tries to wake her, the maid suddenly hears Ruonan’s angry thoughts about the useless system.

Character developments and interactions

• Emperor Deyuan is protective of the recovered child and increasingly curious about Ruonan, especially after Dantai Mo’s high praise.
• Dantai Mo openly endorses Ruonan’s abilities, saying she could help prevent wrongful convictions, corruption, and rebellion.
• Jian Ruonan remains sharp and ambitious but avoids official service because she dislikes the early schedule. She is also impulsive about spending her points and deeply frustrated when the upgrade disappoints.
• Little Teng flatters Ruonan and admires her talents, while Min suspects he may grow into a scheming courtier.
• Min and Jian Zhang are amused and accustomed to Ruonan’s eccentric thoughts.
• The system claims to have upgraded but fails to deliver the promised visuals, leaving Ruonan distrustful and angry.

Significant themes

• Justice and corruption: Ruonan’s talent for uncovering wrongdoing attracts the emperor’s attention.
• Family loyalty and folly: The Eldest Princess’s devotion to her husband blinds her to his betrayal.
• Ambition versus comfort: Ruonan imagines wealth and power but resists the routine demands of official life.
• Comic frustration and unreliable promises: The system’s underwhelming upgrade turns an exciting prospect into a running joke.

Key plot points and events

• The maids in Deer Song Courtyard unexpectedly begin hearing Jian Ruonan’s unfiltered thoughts. Min learns of the change and panics, since Ruonan is about to meet Emperor Deyuan.
• Ruonan is summoned to the palace, likely because of her involvement with the Eldest Princess. Min prepares her carefully, coaching her on etiquette and warning her to control her thoughts.
• Ruonan finds the palace rules exhausting and would rather avoid the audience. Her younger brother Teng tries to comfort and flatter her, while Min indulges her more than she does him.
• Min accompanies Ruonan, her elder sister Jian Xilu, and Teng to the palace. She gives Eunuch Cao a red envelope, which Ruonan’s thoughts promptly condemn as bribery. Her curiosity about eunuchs also provokes him, and the siblings realize he can hear her thoughts too.
• At the Imperial Study, Emperor Deyuan and his ministers debate how to address disasters, border threats, and an empty treasury. When Ruonan hears that the court has no money, she casually suggests confiscating the estates of corrupt officials.

Character developments and interactions

• Jian Ruonan remains irreverent and impulsive in her private thoughts, even while trying to appear quiet and dignified. Her blunt observations repeatedly unsettle those around her.
• Min is a protective, anxious mother who tries to prepare Ruonan for the dangers of court, but knows she cannot control what her daughter thinks.
• Teng acts like an affectionate, strategic younger brother, massaging Ruonan and offering her tea to win her favor. He also panics when he realizes others can hear her thoughts.
• Jian Xilu is the composed, dependable sibling, though she recognizes that the family’s situation at court may already be beyond saving.
• Eunuch Cao starts out courteous but is offended by Ruonan’s mental accusations and questions.
• Emperor Deyuan and the ministers are preoccupied with a mounting fiscal and political crisis when Ruonan’s unexpected proposal cuts into their debate.

Significant themes

• Thoughts versus outward behavior: Ruonan’s polished appearance contrasts sharply with her irreverent inner monologue.
• Unintended consequences: The expanding circle of people who can hear her thoughts turns private commentary into a public hazard.
• Courtly power and danger: The family’s anxiety reflects the risks of speaking—or even thinking—carelessly around the emperor and his court.
• Corruption and practical solutions: Ruonan’s blunt suggestion challenges the ministers’ prolonged debate over how to raise funds.