Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Wan Zunrui confirms with a maid that Wan Xiwen has been eating excessive amounts of food and has forbidden the household staff from telling the family.
• On New Year’s Eve, he watches Zu Yaoming repeatedly encourage Xiwen to eat. She consumes several bowls at dinner, then continues eating snacks.
• Zunrui keeps watch outside her courtyard. After midnight, he sees Zu prepare an enormous bowl of noodles and secretly mix in powder from a packet.
• Zu pressures Xiwen to eat by pretending to blame himself and threatening to hurt himself. Though Xiwen says she is full, she agrees to eat so he will stop.
• Just as she is about to take a bite, Zunrui rushes in and knocks the chopsticks away. He confronts Xiwen about the danger of her eating habits and exposes Zu’s manipulation.
• Zu claims he did not know overeating could harm her and promises it will stop, but the chapter reveals he is only trying to escape suspicion and intends to resume his control later.

Character developments

• Wan Zunrui moves from suspicion to direct intervention. He patiently gathers evidence, then acts decisively to protect his sister.
• Wan Xiwen is shown as devoted to her husband and increasingly vulnerable to his emotional coercion. She hides the extent of her eating from her family and puts his feelings ahead of her own health.
• Zu Yaoming appears caring in public—serving Xiwen food and preparing her favorite snacks—but privately manipulates her into eating. His guilt when Zunrui arrives and his evasive explanation expose his deceit.

Significant themes

• Manipulation disguised as affection: Zu uses self-pity and apparent devotion to make Xiwen comply.
• The danger of secrecy and denial: Xiwen’s concealment prevents her family from intervening sooner.
• Family protection and trust: Zunrui risks acting on his suspicions to safeguard his sister.
• Appearance versus reality: Zu’s tender behavior at dinner contrasts sharply with his secretive actions after midnight.

Character interactions

• The maid confirms Xiwen’s secrecy to Zunrui but says the household staff feared being sold if they spoke.
• Zu’s attentive feeding at dinner reinforces the impression that he is a loving husband, while his later emotional blackmail reveals another side.
• Xiwen comforts Zu when he pretends to blame himself, showing how deeply his manipulation shapes her responses.
• Zunrui interrupts the meal and challenges both of them, while Zu attempts to placate him with a false promise.

• Zu Yaoming’s scheme is exposed: Wan Zunrui catches Zu Yaoming adding powder to Wan Xiwen’s noodles. When Zu tries to destroy the basin before it can be examined, Zunrui stops him. Zu then drops his pretence, insults Xiwen, and attempts to grab her as a hostage. Zunrui restrains him, dislocates his arms, and has him tied up and guarded in the woodshed.
• Zu admits his motives and abuse: He says he resented being made to marry into the Wan family and believed they looked down on him. In revenge, he deliberately made Xiwen gain weight by secretly adding medicinal powder to her food, hoping she would become despised, fall ill, or die. He also pressured her to eat and discouraged her from telling her family about her worsening health.
• Xiwen confronts the truth: She is devastated to learn that her husband’s affection was false and that he had been deliberately harming her. She also fears that her weight and the drugs have seriously damaged her health. She admits she has become breathless even after walking a short distance, but had trusted Zu’s reassurances.
• Zunrui supports and protects his sister: He tells Xiwen not to blame herself for being deceived, comforts her, and assures her that the family will help her recover. Though he briefly scolds her for trusting Zu and hiding her symptoms, he urges her to confide in her family in the future. He plans to take Zu to the Government Office at daybreak and inform their grandmother and mother himself. After the New Year, he will seek help from Princess Jiahe.
• Character developments and themes: Xiwen moves from disbelief to painful recognition of Zu’s betrayal, while also beginning to accept the need for help. Zunrui is protective and decisive, balancing anger at Zu with compassion for his sister. The chapter highlights deception and betrayal, revenge born of resentment, the danger of isolation and misplaced trust, and family loyalty as a source of protection and hope.

Key plot points and events

• Old Madam Wan learns that Zu Yaoming tried to kill Wan Zunrui. Thanks to Wan Zunrui’s newly bestowed imperial reward, Zu is sentenced to exile—effectively a death sentence for someone so physically weak.
• Liu Zheheng questions his father, General Liu, about the strange inner thoughts and images they heard and saw around Princess Jiahe. General Liu explains that he has known about the phenomenon for months, that Jiahe’s revelations have proved true, and that the emperor has forbidden anyone to discuss it. He stopped Liu Zheheng from confronting her at the banquet to protect the family.
• After the banquet, the Sixth Prince, Chen Yixiao, is unhappy about his newly arranged marriage to Zhang Zhixi. She declares that their marriage bows at the mountain stronghold already made them husband and wife, and insists on accompanying him to his manor.
• Zhang Zhixi gets into Chen Yixiao’s carriage and pressures him to accept her as his wife. When he closes his eyes to avoid speaking with her, she immobilizes him with a pressure-point strike and makes an unwanted advance. His guard tells the coachman to hurry back to the manor.

Character developments

• Liu Zheheng is curious and alarmed by the supernatural revelations, but learns that the emperor’s secrecy makes open questioning dangerous.
• General Liu is cautious and protective, having quietly investigated Jiahe’s claims and shielded his family from political risk.
• Chen Yixiao resents the marriage and tries to resist Zhang Zhixi, but is increasingly overwhelmed by her forceful behavior.
• Zhang Zhixi is confident, domineering, and unapologetic: she treats the marriage as settled and pursues Chen Yixiao with brazen persistence.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and power: The emperor controls information about Jiahe’s unusual ability, making knowledge itself politically dangerous.
• Fate versus personal choice: Chen Yixiao’s marriage is imposed by imperial decree, while Zhang Zhixi asserts her own interpretation of their earlier vows.
• Comic role reversal: Chen Yixiao expects to avoid his forward bride, but Zhang Zhixi takes charge and leaves him flustered.

Character interactions

• Father and son discuss what they can hear and see around Princess Jiahe, with General Liu warning Liu Zheheng not to expose the secret.
• Zhang Zhixi and Chen Yixiao trade sharp arguments over whether they are already husband and wife; she insists they are, while he rejects the claim.
• The coachman and Lightning witness the tense, increasingly intimate confrontation and respond by rushing Chen Yixiao back to his manor.

Chapter summary: Zhang Zhixi goes to the Sixth Prince’s Manor

Key events

• After witnessing Zhang Zhixi and Chen Yixiao leave together, Song Yaoyao and Guagua eagerly speculate about the couple’s private “drama,” while the officials and their families nearby watch the carriage depart.
• Inside the carriage, Zhang Zhixi takes advantage of Chen Yixiao’s immobilized state: she kisses him, teases him, and threatens to go further if he keeps resisting. Chen Yixiao protests and calls for his guards, Lightning and Listening Thunder, but they refuse to intervene, pointing out that he and Zhang are already married.
• Chen Yixiao reluctantly agrees to let Zhang Zhixi kiss him. By the time the carriage reaches the manor, he is disheveled and his lips are bleeding.
• Zhang Zhixi carries him bridal-style into his courtyard. The guards and servants avert their eyes, while her suggestive remarks leave them convinced the couple has already consummated their marriage.
• In the bedroom, Chen demands that she release his pressure points. Zhang Zhixi pretends to misunderstand, jokes that he wants to consummate their marriage, and begins undressing. He insists that she wait for their wedding night, but she calls this their overdue wedding night. The chapter ends with Chen noticing her figure and then looking away in embarrassment.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Zhixi is bold, teasing, and physically assertive, treating Chen’s protests as part of their flirtation. She openly claims the role of his wife and takes charge throughout the journey and arrival.
• Chen Yixiao is furious and embarrassed by his helplessness, but his resistance softens into reluctant compliance when he agrees to the kiss. His involuntary reaction to Zhang’s appearance hints at attraction beneath his indignation.
• Lightning and Listening Thunder side with Zhang Zhixi rather than rescuing their master, adding to Chen’s humiliation. They later hurry her to his courtyard and then withdraw.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua provide comic, gossiping commentary, while the crowd’s fascination makes the couple’s private antics a public spectacle.

Significant themes

• Comic reversal of power: The prince is powerless and carried by his wife, overturning conventional gender and status expectations.
• Marriage, intimacy, and consent: Zhang treats their existing marriage as grounds for intimacy, while Chen repeatedly objects and asks her to wait. The scene plays their conflict for comedy, but the contrast between her forcefulness and his protests remains central.
• Public image versus private life: The couple’s intimate encounter is hidden inside the carriage, yet their appearance and Zhang’s suggestive comments prompt the household to imagine what happened.
• Teasing and attraction: Their antagonistic banter mixes anger, embarrassment, and signs of mutual physical attraction.

Key plot points and events

• On Lunar New Year’s Eve, Zhang Zhixi and Chen Yixiao spend the night together. Chen initially resists, but ultimately gives in; they wake the next afternoon sore and covered in scratches and bite marks.
• Zhang Zhixi persuades Chen to stay in bed with her, and they remain shut away together throughout the New Year celebrations.
• Chen’s two concubines, Liu and Duan, hear that Zhang has moved into his courtyard. They condemn her as shameless and decide to confront him.
• Lightning blocks their way, explaining that Chen cannot receive them. Liu insults Zhang and threatens that a woman like her deserves to be put in a pig cage.
• Zhang throws a knife that grazes Liu’s cheek, then confronts her. When Liu continues to taunt her, Zhang grabs her by the throat and reveals that she and Chen already performed the wedding rites months earlier; the upcoming ceremony is only formalizing the marriage.
• Zhang releases Liu, who is left shocked and skeptical, insisting that she would have known if the marriage had already taken place.

Character developments

• Zhang Zhixi is passionate, confident, and fiercely protective of her relationship with Chen. She responds to gossip with intimidation and bluntly asserts her status as his wife.
• Chen Yixiao is initially reluctant but grows comfortable with Zhang’s forceful affection. He does not intervene when she confronts the concubines.
• Concubine Liu is outspoken and contemptuous of Zhang, but her bravado falters when Zhang attacks her. She remains unwilling to accept Zhang’s account.
• Concubine Duan acts more cautiously, trying to smooth things over and gain access to Chen.
• Lightning follows orders and tries to keep the concubines away, while recognizing how dangerous their insults may be.

Significant themes

• Reputation and propriety: Liu uses social conventions about premarital intimacy to attack Zhang, while Zhang counters that their marriage has already been sealed.
• Power and status: The conflict highlights the precarious position of concubines and Zhang’s confidence in her claim as Chen’s wife.
• Rumor and ignorance: The concubines judge Zhang without knowing the full story, and their assumptions spark the confrontation.
• Intimacy and control: Zhang’s assertive behavior shapes both her private relationship with Chen and her public clashes with the household.

Character interactions

• Zhang and Chen’s relationship shifts from resistance to mutual intimacy, with Zhang taking the lead and Chen eventually accepting it.
• Liu and Duan approach Chen’s courtyard together, but their different temperaments emerge: Liu provokes, while Duan attempts diplomacy.
• Zhang confronts Liu directly, turning a dispute over propriety into a physical show of authority and revealing the hidden history of her marriage to Chen.

Key plot points and events

• Concubine Liu challenges Zhang Zhixi, but learns that Zhang and Prince Chen Yixiao secretly married months earlier. Chen’s silence confirms it.
• Zhang declares that, as his wife, she will be his only woman and demands that he remove the concubines from the manor.
• Chen decides not to cast Concubines Liu and Duan out entirely; instead, he orders them sent to a separate estate with their basic needs provided for.
• Both concubines plead with Chen and then Zhang, but Zhang refuses to keep them nearby. Chen ends the argument and has them taken away.
• As she is removed, Liu calls Zhang a jealous wife. Zhang dismisses the importance of public opinion, insisting she will not share her husband.
• Afterward, Zhang again tells Chen to honor his duties as a husband. He reassures her that he will not take another woman.

Character developments

• Zhang Zhixi is assertive and unapologetic about setting the terms of her marriage. She values her own comfort over conventional expectations of female virtue and rejects the idea that a wife should accept or arrange concubines.
• Chen Yixiao accepts Zhang’s authority in the household and acts to prevent further conflict, though he chooses a comparatively humane solution for the concubines.
• Concubine Liu moves from disbelief to open resentment after her attempt to confront Zhang backfires.
• Concubine Duan proves more cautious and perceptive than Liu, recognizing the danger of provoking Zhang, but her pleas fail.

Significant themes

• Female agency versus social convention: Zhang refuses the expectation that women should tolerate sharing their husbands for the sake of a good reputation.
• Power and status in marriage: Zhang insists that marriage comes with obligations for both partners, not just the wife.
• Public reputation versus personal happiness: She dismisses social judgment in favor of living on her own terms.
• Consequences of rivalry: Liu and Duan’s attempt to challenge Zhang instead leads to their removal from the prince’s household.

Character interactions

• Zhang confronts Chen directly and makes her expectations clear.
• The two concubines appeal first to Chen’s past affection, then to Zhang’s supposed shared love for him; neither argument persuades them.
• Duan’s caution contrasts with Liu’s impulsiveness, while Zhang sees through Duan’s maneuvering.
• Chen intervenes when the concubines’ pleas threaten to anger Zhang further, then reassures Zhang privately that he will remain faithful.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Yixiao explains that he and Princess Jiahe called each other brother and sister while traveling, then shares what he knows about her without revealing her inner voice or Guagua.
• Alarmed by Jiahe’s warning about the risks of marriage between close relatives, the emperor orders teams to investigate before making any decisions.
• At the Song residence, Madam Song distributes New Year bonuses based on each servant’s contributions. The household celebrates with hot pot and barbecue, followed by poker.
• Song Yaoyao loses repeatedly and leaves the game, claiming she is yielding her seat to her eldest brother, Song Qingyu. Their teasing exchange with Guagua entertains everyone.
• Song Yaoyao asks Guagua whether it has had other hosts. Guagua hides the truth—that a previous host rejected it—and insists she is its “one and only.”
• After being reminded to wash her hands, Song Yaoyao requests an immortal-cultivation drama. The household watches the screen in amazement, mistaking its flying figures and miraculous medicine for real wonders until Guagua explains that it is acting. The chapter ends as a couple kiss onscreen.

Character developments and interactions

• The emperor takes Jiahe’s warning seriously but responds cautiously, seeking evidence through an investigation.
• Song Yaoyao remains playful, shameless about losing, curious about Guagua’s past, and eager to enjoy modern entertainment. She readily banters with Guagua and brushes off its overly sentimental reassurance.
• Guagua teases Yaoyao about her poor poker skills and covers up its past with a conspicuously affectionate claim.
• Song Qingyu quietly takes Yaoyao’s place at the poker table and shows indulgent fondness toward her.
• Bi Tao joins Guagua in reminding Yaoyao to wash her hands; despite her protests, she complies.
• The Song household shares the holiday festivities and reacts with collective wonder to the drama.

Significant themes

• Family and community: New Year bonuses, shared meals, and games emphasize the household’s bonds.
• Trust and responsibility: The emperor investigates a serious warning rather than acting on it blindly.
• Secrecy and attachment: Guagua conceals its history while trying to reassure its host.
• Wonder and misunderstanding: The household interprets filmed special effects as supernatural reality, highlighting the gap between their world and modern entertainment.

Key plot points and events

• During a family drama night, Song Yaoyao criticizes a cultivation show’s kiss as a fake camera trick. Her relatives are embarrassed by the scene, while Yaoyao calmly asks to switch to a story with more fighting and adventure.
• The household stays up late watching shows and oversleeps. Yaoyao then hopes to spend New Year’s resting, but her family’s high ranks bring a stream of guests. Greeting them all leaves her exhausted and hoarse.
• Guagua offers gossip about Wen Zhenghua, a Ministry of Revenue official whose younger brother, Wen Zhaohua, has an intellectual disability. A childhood fever went untreated because the family was too poor to afford a physician.
• The account explains Wen Zhenghua’s guilt: the family’s money went toward his education, and he believes his brother’s condition might have been prevented otherwise. Their parents share that guilt, so the family decides to find Wen Zhaohua a wife to help care for him.
• The Wen family chooses Zhang Fangfang, whose family is also poor and vulnerable. Her father, Zhang Wenchang, was disabled in a hunting accident; afterward, his relatives cast him, his wife, and their young daughter out with nothing.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao remains outspoken and playful, but the holiday crowds show how draining her public role can be.
• Song Qingyu and the other relatives are easily embarrassed by romantic scenes and become eager listeners once gossip begins.
• Wen Zhenghua is presented as a successful scholar burdened by lasting guilt over his brother’s disability.
• Wen Zhaohua appears physically like an ordinary adult, but his speech and behavior reveal his childlike understanding.
• Zhang Wenchang is shown as a capable hunter reduced to dependence after an injury, while his family is left exposed to rejection.

Significant themes

• Guilt and family obligation: Wen Zhenghua and his parents feel responsible for Wen Zhaohua’s condition and seek a long-term solution.
• Poverty and its consequences: Lack of medical care harms Wen Zhaohua, while poverty and disability leave Zhang’s family without support.
• Social vulnerability: Both Wen Zhaohua and Zhang Fangfang’s family depend on the decisions of relatives and prospective marriage arrangements.
• Public status versus private burdens: The New Year visitors honor the Song family’s rank, but the chapter also reveals hardships hidden behind other families’ reputations.

Character interactions

• Yaoyao’s frank commentary about the drama’s kiss embarrasses her relatives and prompts a change of show.
• Guagua supplies the gossip while Yaoyao questions and reacts to it; the surrounding guests quietly listen in.
• The Wen parents and Wen Zhenghua discuss how to care for Wen Zhaohua, ultimately deciding to arrange a marriage for him.
• Zhang Wenchang’s relatives reject his family after his injury, despite the clan chief’s attempt to intervene.

Plot points

• After Zhang Wenchang leaves the family home with nothing, the clan leader lets him, his wife, and daughter stay in a thatched hut. Villagers help them with basic household goods.
• Zhang Wenchang reveals that he secretly learned carpentry. His well-made, affordable furniture becomes popular, allowing him to build a new house.
• His parents then demand to move in with him, despite having previously declared they would not depend on him in old age. Zhang Wenchang refuses, and his mother threatens suicide and tries to shame him as an unfilial son.
• The clan leader intervenes, threatening to remove Zhang Father’s household from the clan genealogy unless Zhang Mother stops harassing Zhang Wenchang.
• Years later, Zhang Wenchang is prosperous and has two apprentices. Bandits attack him while he is returning from town, intending to kidnap him for ransom. They kill him accidentally; his apprentices survive, identify the attackers, and the bandits are arrested and sentenced to immediate beheading.
• Zhang Wenchang’s grief-stricken wife, Madam Xue, soon dies as well, leaving their five-year-old daughter, Zhang Fangfang. Zhang Mingchang offers to raise her, and Zhang’s parents promise to care for her. The clan leader eventually agrees, though Song Yaoyao suspects the family really wants Zhang Wenchang’s house and money.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Wenchang is resourceful and self-reliant, but remains deeply hurt by his parents’ lifelong rejection. He confronts his mother over her hypocrisy and appeals to her as a son who had hoped to earn her affection.
• Zhang Mother continues to use emotional blackmail, demanding support after previously disowning him. Her harsh treatment began because she blamed his birth for a disastrous year and her difficult labor.
• The clan leader acts as a fair-minded protector, first giving the family shelter and later defending Zhang Wenchang from reputational and financial harm.
• The Zhang family is not involved in Zhang Wenchang’s murder, but its sudden eagerness to take in Zhang Fangfang raises suspicions about its motives.
• Song Yaoyao and the observers condemn the Zhang parents’ cruelty and question whether the custody offer is truly benevolent.

Significant themes

• Parental favoritism and abuse: Zhang Wenchang is rejected over superstition and then exploited once he becomes successful.
• Self-reliance and perseverance: His hidden carpentry skill lets him build a life for his wife and daughter despite being cast out.
• Reputation as a weapon: His mother threatens to label him unfilial, a charge that could destroy his livelihood.
• Justice and protection: The clan leader’s intervention and the arrest of the killers offer some accountability, even as Zhang’s family tragedy remains unresolved.

Plot points and events

• After Zhang Wenchang dies, his parents and Zhang Mingchang’s family move into the house he left behind. They seize Zhang Fangfang’s room and force the five-year-old into the woodshed.
• Zhang Mother beats Fangfang, denies her food, and makes her do all the household chores. The family hides the injuries beneath her clothes and threatens her to keep her silent.
• Fangfang appeals to the clan head, but Zhang Mother presents the abuse as ordinary discipline. The clan head tells Fangfang to understand her grandparents’ “care.” When Fangfang is punished even more severely afterward, she stops seeking help.
• Fangfang grows into a beautiful but thin, frightened, and submissive young woman. The Zhang Family then arranges her marriage for a large bride price, ignoring the prospective groom’s circumstances. When Fangfang tries to escape, they capture and bind her before taking her to the Wen household.
• The Wen Family resents that Fangfang resisted the match. On the wedding night, Wen Zhaohua—described as a fool—has been coached by his parents on consummating the marriage, but forgets what to do and falls asleep. The next night, after another lesson, he again becomes confused.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Fangfang shifts from a small child who protests the loss of her room and asks the clan head for help to someone too frightened to complain. As a young woman, she tries to flee the marriage but is overpowered.
• Zhang Mother is openly cruel to Fangfang, beating and exploiting her while pretending to outsiders that she acts out of love and concern.
• The clan head offers only mild rebuke and accepts Zhang Mother’s explanation, leaving Fangfang unprotected.
• The Wen parents treat the marriage as a family arrangement and coach their son while spying on the newlyweds through the window.
• Song Yaoyao reacts with anger and horror at Fangfang’s abuse; Guagua narrates how the Zhang Family’s greed leads to her forced marriage.

Significant themes

• Abuse concealed by family authority: The Zhangs use the language of discipline and care to excuse cruelty.
• Powerlessness and failed protection: Fangfang’s plea is dismissed, and the community’s intervention does not shield her from retaliation.
• Greed and exploitation: Her family treats her as a source of labor and, later, bride-price money.
• Compounded oppression: Fangfang escapes one abusive household only to enter another, where her consent and wellbeing are disregarded.

Key plot points and events

• Zhang Fangfang and Wen Zhaohua do not consummate their marriage. Wen Zhaohua’s parents beat and blame Zhang, then intrude on the couple’s room to instruct their son.
• After half a month, Wen Father and Wen Mother decide Wen Father will take Wen Zhaohua’s place. They drug Zhang so she cannot resist, and Wen Father repeatedly assaults her.
• When Zhang becomes pregnant, Wen Father stops visiting temporarily. She gives birth to a son, Wen Baowang, but Wen Father continues abusing her afterward.
• Wen Mother catches her husband and, rather than hold him responsible, accuses Zhang of seducing him and attacks her.
• Guagua reveals that Wen Zhenghua, Wen Zhaohua’s older brother, genuinely knows nothing of what happened. His parents concealed Zhang from him whenever he came home, and later moved away to hide Wen Zhaohua’s disability and protect Wen Zhenghua’s reputation.

Character developments

• Zhang Fangfang is trapped, drugged, and repeatedly abused; after giving birth, she eventually gives up hope of seeking help.
• Wen Zhaohua is unable to consummate the marriage and refuses when pressured, but remains unaware of his father’s actions.
• Wen Father and Wen Mother are revealed as cruel and exploitative: the father abuses Zhang, while the mother enables the deception and blames the victim.
• Wen Zhenghua is initially viewed with suspicion but is revealed to be unaware of his parents’ crimes.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power and bodily autonomy; coercion and sexual violence.
• Victim-blaming and the hypocrisy of people who conceal their own wrongdoing.
• Family secrecy, stigma around disability, and the damage caused by protecting reputation over people.
• The danger of judging someone by their family, as Wen Zhenghua is initially condemned for his parents’ actions.

Character interactions

• Wen Zhaohua’s parents control and humiliate Zhang while pressuring their son to consummate the marriage.
• Wen Father exploits Zhang and later falsely accuses her of seducing him; Wen Mother accepts his lie and turns on Zhang.
• Zhang’s attempts to resist and seek help are thwarted by drugs, confinement, and her in-laws’ deception.
• Song Yaoyao questions Guagua’s revelations and condemns the Wen parents, while the onlookers’ disgust initially spills over onto the innocent Wen Zhenghua.

Key plot points and events

• Guagua reveals the full extent of Zhang Fangfang’s situation: Wen Father has sexually exploited her for years, and she has borne him two children, now five and one years old. Wen Mother blames Zhang, viewing her as a rival for her husband.
• Song Yaoyao confirms that Zhang wants to escape the Wen Family, despite her children, and considers how to help without causing a public scandal or making it harder for her to leave.
• Song suggests involving Wen Zhenghua, reasoning that Wen Father may yield if his son’s career is at stake. Guagua worries Wen Zhenghua may protect his parents rather than hold them accountable.
• The emperor has already learned the truth through his Shadow Guards. He orders Wen Zhenghua to handle the matter and warns that he will lose his position if he fails to do so properly.
• Wen Zhenghua, initially thrilled to receive the emperor’s attention, learns the facts and is horrified. He returns to confront his parents, then goes to his younger brother’s courtyard—where he hears Wen Father speaking obscenely to Zhang. He forces his way in and sees the disturbing scene firsthand.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao is careful to center Zhang Fangfang’s wishes and worries that she may feel unable to leave her children behind. She seeks a solution that will free Zhang while also holding Wen Father and Mother responsible.
• Wen Zhenghua shifts from an unsuspecting official to a shocked and furious son confronted with his parents’ hidden crimes. The emperor’s warning places his career and loyalty to family in direct conflict.
• Wen Father and Wen Mother are portrayed as deeply abusive and shameless: Wen Father exploits Zhang, while Wen Mother blames the victim and treats her as a romantic rival.
• The emperor acts decisively, entrusting the case to Wen Zhenghua while making clear that protecting the family’s reputation cannot mean excusing their conduct.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power and exploitation: Zhang is trapped in a household where the people responsible for her safety have abused her.
• Victim-blaming and hypocrisy: Wen Mother condemns Zhang rather than Wen Father, exposing the injustice of blaming women for men’s misconduct.
• Family loyalty versus justice: Wen Zhenghua must decide whether filial ties outweigh the responsibility to protect Zhang and obey the emperor.
• Agency and consent: Song insists that Zhang’s own wishes matter; help must support her desire to leave rather than assume what is best for her.

Key plot points and events

• Wen Zhenghua discovers his father, Wen Father, in an illicit relationship with Zhang Fangfang, his own daughter-in-law. The shock and rage make him faint.
• After a physician confirms he is physically stable but must avoid further shocks, Zhenghua wakes and demands answers.
• Wen Father denies responsibility and blames Zhang, but Zhenghua reveals that the Imperial Shadow Guards exposed the affair and that the emperor has ordered him to discipline his household—or lose his official position.
• The parents realize the scandal has reached the emperor. Zhenghua condemns them for violating family and moral bonds, especially since his father could have taken a concubine instead of pursuing his son’s wife.
• Zhang reveals that she has long sought revenge against the Wen family and considers their ruin—and her own possible death—an acceptable price.
• Wen Mother tries to have Zhang beaten, but Zhenghua dismisses the servants and warns that further violence could bring ruin on the entire family.

Character developments

• Wen Zhenghua shifts from shock to stern resolve. Despite his physical weakness, he confronts his parents, refuses to accept his father’s excuses, and takes control of the household.
• Wen Father is exposed as morally compromised and evasive, first blaming Zhang, then panicking when he learns the emperor knows.
• Wen Mother moves from guilt and concern for her son to fear and anger, ultimately trying to silence Zhang through violence.
• Zhang Fangfang is revealed as a long-suffering, vengeance-driven figure who welcomes the family’s downfall and sees it as a path to freedom.

Significant themes

• Betrayal of family and moral duty: The affair violates both the marriage bond and the family hierarchy.
• Accountability and consequences: The emperor’s intervention makes private wrongdoing a public threat to the Wen family’s status.
• Truth versus denial: Wen Father’s excuses fail as Zhenghua insists on confronting what happened.
• Revenge and liberation: Zhang regards the Wen family’s destruction as justice and a means of escape.

Character interactions

• Zhenghua challenges his father’s excuses and demands that both parents admit the truth.
• Wen Mother expresses concern for Zhenghua, but he rejects her attempts to keep him quiet and later stops her from attacking Zhang.
• Zhang openly mocks the parents and declares her desire for revenge, while Wen Mother threatens her.
• The servants obey Zhenghua rather than Wen Mother, showing his authority over the household and their hostility toward the older couple.

Plot points and events

• Wen Zhenghua confronts his parents about their wrongdoing against Zhang Fangfang and demands the full truth. Father Wen recounts what happened, confirming the Imperial Shadow Guards’ account.
• Zhenghua explains that the emperor already knows and has ordered him to handle the matter. He fears the Wen family will be punished and offers to sacrifice his official position—or even die with his parents—to save them.
• His parents realize their actions could destroy their son’s future. They decide that the only way to protect him is to take their own lives.
• The family shares an unusually lavish meal and reminisces together. Zhenghua senses that something is wrong but accepts his parents’ affection and promises to live well.
• After he leaves, the parents prepare poison. Mother Wen makes Father Wen drink first, mistrusting him and fearing he might survive and cause further trouble for Zhenghua.

Character developments

• Wen Zhenghua is torn between filial loyalty and the gravity of his parents’ actions. He is prepared to give up everything for them, though he sees little hope of escaping the emperor’s judgment.
• Father and Mother Wen move from fear of punishment to a determination to protect their son at any cost. Their guilt and regret are evident, but Mother Wen’s deep suspicion of her husband persists.
• Father Wen regrets the choices that led to the crisis; Mother Wen remains focused on ensuring he cannot outlive her and endanger their son.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Zhenghua offers his life for his parents, while they plan to die to spare him.
• Consequences and moral accountability: Their past treatment of Zhang Fangfang has brought the family to the brink of ruin.
• Regret and irreversible choices: The parents recognize too late that their actions cannot be undone.
• Distrust within marriage: Even in their final moments, the parents’ relationship is marked by suspicion.

Character interactions

• Zhenghua presses his parents for the truth and tries to reassure them that he will protect them.
• His parents conceal their decision from him, spending the evening showing affection and urging him to live on.
• At the end, Mother Wen insists Father Wen drink the poisoned tea first, revealing that her distrust of him remains stronger than their shared crisis.

Plot and key events

• Unable to face the consequences of his actions, Wen Father drinks poison; Wen Mother drinks it too. They die during the night.
• Their son, Wen Zhenghua, finds them the next morning and realizes they had acted to protect him and avoid putting him in a difficult position.
• After their funeral, Wen Zhenghua finds Zhang Fangfang preparing to leave. She refuses to stay, saying the place is filled with painful memories, and chooses to leave the Wen family behind. She also decides not to take her two children, whom she associates with her suffering and the Wen family.
• Wen Zhenghua offers to care for the children and arrange an escort, but Zhang Fangfang rejects further ties and leaves alone.
• Outside the Capital, robbers try to take her money. A group of skilled women drive them off. Though they reveal they are bandits, Zhang Fangfang asks to join them, and they accept her.
• The women belong to Zhang Zhixi’s mountain stronghold. There, Zhang Fangfang finds belonging, learns martial arts, and eventually becomes highly skilled. Later, she confronts her grandparents and eldest uncle’s family, then travels to rescue other suffering women.

Character developments and interactions

• Wen Zhenghua is devastated by his parents’ deaths and recognizes their sacrifice. He treats Zhang Fangfang with sympathy, accepts her decision about the children, and promises to raise them.
• Zhang Fangfang insists on severing ties with the Wen family and seeks a fresh start. After being rescued, she admires the women’s strength and loyalty; her hardships give way to a new life of independence and purpose.
• Wen Father and Wen Mother die together, with their actions framed as an attempt to shield their son.
• The Fourth-in-Command and her companions protect Zhang Fangfang, then welcome her into a community that does not judge women for their pasts.

Significant themes

• Trauma and starting over: Zhang Fangfang leaves a painful life behind and gradually builds a new one.
• Solidarity among women: The stronghold offers safety, acceptance, and practical support to women who have suffered.
• Agency and empowerment: Zhang Fangfang chooses her own path, trains to defend herself, and later helps others.
• Family, guilt, and separation: Wen Zhenghua grieves and accepts responsibility for the children, while Zhang Fangfang draws a firm boundary between herself and the Wen family.

Plot points

• Song Yaoyao learns that Wen Father and Mother died by suicide, taking poison to avoid putting their son Wen Zhenghua in a difficult position.
• Yin Xiwang and Yin Luoning visit the Song household. Yin Xiwang uses gratitude for Yaoyao’s supposed role in saving Yin Luoning to build ties with the Song family. Yin Luoning privately asks Yaoyao to help him become a woman.
• Yaoyao pretends to lack the medical skill to help. She fears that intervening would entangle her and the Song family in conflict with the Yin family.
• During the New Year festivities, Yaoyao joins Madam Song and Song Qingyu in visiting the Ji household, home of Qingyu’s fiancée, Ji Minyue. They arrive as Ji Zhiheng’s mother pressures him to choose a bride.

Character developments and interactions

• Yaoyao stays cautious and politically aware: she recognizes the Yin family’s motives, declines Yin Luoning’s request without revealing her abilities, and agrees to make a formal visit to Qingyu’s future in-laws.
• Yin Luoning remains determined to change his sex, despite his prior operation and doctors’ refusal; Yaoyao’s rejection leaves him disappointed.
• Yin Xiwang treats the visit as an opportunity to form an alliance with the Song household.
• Ji Zhiheng resists marriage, joking that he can rely on an “Underground Bank” and his deceased grandfather rather than having children to care for his afterlife.
• Madam Ji insists Zhiheng marry and have descendants, using family duty, ancestor veneration, and afterlife beliefs to persuade him. Their exchange is comic and affectionate, though her frustration grows.

Significant themes

• Family duty and lineage: Madam Ji frames marriage and children as obligations to the family and ancestors.
• Personal autonomy: Yin Luoning seeks control over his identity, while Zhiheng resists being hurried into marriage.
• Political caution and self-preservation: Yaoyao avoids a potentially dangerous medical intervention and protects her household’s interests.
• Humor amid social pressure: Zhiheng’s irreverent afterlife jokes undercut his mother’s earnest marriage arguments.

Key plot points and events

• Ji Zhiheng storms out after arguing with his mother, Madam Ji, who is furious that he refuses to meet potential brides despite being twenty.
• Song Yaoyao and her companions arrive just after the argument and are welcomed inside. Madam Ji apologizes for the scene and complains that her son has become adept at answering her marriage pressure with nonsense.
• Madam Song tries to reassure Madam Ji that Ji Zhiheng may simply be waiting to meet someone he likes, then admits she also worries about her own “troublesome” child.
• Song Yaoyao and her system, Guagua, privately bicker over whether she is troublesome and whether she wants to marry. Song insists she could marry if she wanted to; she simply does not want to.
• Ji Minyue and Ji Linlang arrive. Linlang immediately links arms with Song Yaoyao, repeating a habit that apparently exasperates those around her.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Zhiheng reveals a rebellious, quick-witted side that clashes with his public reputation as a gentle young gentleman. He is embarrassed that Song Yaoyao witnessed his argument, but hearing that she also prefers not to marry makes him feel they are kindred spirits.
• Song Yaoyao remains outwardly sweet and composed, while her inner monologue is playful, sharp, and stubborn. She refuses to accept Guagua’s claim that she influenced Ji Zhiheng’s change in behavior.
• Guagua teases Song Yaoyao relentlessly, especially about her being “troublesome” and unmarried; their mock arguments end in another pretend falling-out.
• Madam Ji and Madam Song bond over their worries about their unmarried children, exchanging a knowing, sympathetic look.
• Ji Linlang shows her familiar affection for Song Yaoyao by linking arms with her as soon as she arrives.

Significant themes

• Marriage pressure: Both mothers worry about their children’s refusal to pursue marriage, reflecting the social expectation that young adults should marry.
• Public image versus private personality: Ji Zhiheng’s home behavior differs sharply from his reputation, while Song Yaoyao’s outward sweetness conceals a mischievous inner voice.
• Friendship and shared understanding: Ji Zhiheng feels closer to Song Yaoyao after discovering they share the same wish to remain unmarried, while the mothers find solidarity in their mutual worries.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao visits the Ji Residence, where Ji Linlang welcomes her and shows her around. Linlang’s enthusiasm for her dress and the household’s pastries sets a warm, playful tone.
• In the garden, they find a young boy confronting Honey, Linlang’s small dog. The boy claims to be the “future God of War,” and, after trading insults with the barking dog, attacks it—hitting it and biting its head.
• The group struggles to make him let go. Song Yaoyao finally frees Honey by tickling the boy, then moves him away from the dog.
• The boy has been bitten on the hand, while Honey has a bleeding but superficial wound. Song Yaoyao examines the dog and asks for medicine; Ji Zhiheng sends someone to fetch it.
• A person arrives in the back courtyard, apparently searching for someone.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao is tactful with Linlang, then decisive when the boy endangers Honey. Though she is an Imperial Physician rather than a veterinarian, she agrees to examine the dog out of concern for Linlang.
• Ji Linlang is affectionate and energetic, bonding with Song Yaoyao over food and the residence. Her playful mood turns to distress when Honey is hurt, and she sharply confronts the boy.
• The boy is boastful, combative, and stubborn, treating the dog’s barking as a challenge. He interprets Song Yaoyao’s help for Honey as proof that she is against him. His joke that the dog “isn’t sweet” because it is not actually honey adds absurdity to the scene.
• Honey ignores Linlang’s calls to focus on the boy, then bites him while being attacked. Linlang comforts the injured dog, and Ji Zhiheng helps arrange treatment.

Significant themes

• Comic reversal: Rather than a dog attacking a child, the child attacks the dog, turning the expected “human versus dog” encounter upside down.
• Pride and childish bravado: The boy’s grand claims contrast humorously with his impulsive behavior.
• Compassion and responsibility: Song Yaoyao intervenes to protect both the child and the dog, while Linlang’s distress shows her attachment to Honey.

Key plot points and events

• Jin Ye, an officer serving under General Ji, finds his runaway young son, Jin Lin, after the boy fights Ji Linlang’s dog, Honey. Jin Lin has a small bite on his hand, while Honey is more badly hurt.
• Song Yaoyao warns Jin Ye that dog bites can cause rabies and offers to vaccinate Jin Lin. She also agrees to vaccinate Honey at Ji Linlang’s request.
• Song treats Honey’s wounds and later gives it a rabies shot at the marquis’s residence. Madam Ji agrees that Honey should receive training after hearing how easily Jin Lin overpowered it.
• Ji Linlang and Ji Zhiheng accompany Song’s family home. Though Ji Linlang considers staying overnight, Madam Ji insists she return that evening.
• Jin Ye brings Jin Lin to Song’s residence for the vaccine. Jin Lin wrongly assumes Song is taking revenge for Honey and resists, but Jin Ye holds him still so she can administer the shot. A bunny-shaped lollipop distracts him afterward.

Character developments

• Song Yaoyao acts calmly and compassionately, treating both the dog and the child without taking sides.
• Jin Lin is mischievous, combative, and suspicious, but his tough protests give way to tears and then to being enticed by candy.
• Jin Ye is a concerned father who initially underestimates the bite’s risk, then accepts Song’s advice. His embarrassment grows when Jin Lin exposes that his wife sometimes sends him to sleep in the study.
• Ji Linlang is devoted to Honey and protective of it, while also showing a playful, impulsive streak.
• Madam Ji is caring but firm, ensuring Ji Linlang returns home safely.

Significant themes

• Care and prevention: Song prioritizes health and explains the danger of rabies, treating both Jin Lin and Honey.
• Misunderstanding and trust: Jin Lin interprets medical treatment as revenge until the adults insist it is for his safety.
• Family and humor: Jin Lin’s blunt revelations about his parents’ domestic life provide a comic contrast to the medical scene.

Character interactions

• Song reassures Jin Ye and explains the vaccine; Jin Ye moves from skepticism to cooperation.
• Ji Linlang presses Song to protect Honey as well as Jin Lin, then worries about the dog’s weakness and asks for training.
• Madam Ji gently but decisively overrules Ji Linlang’s plan to stay overnight.
• Jin Lin clashes with Song over the injection and threatens his father, who restrains him; Song ultimately calms him with a lollipop.

Key events

• Jin Lin leaves Song Yaoyao’s care with several lollipops to take home to his mother. He now trusts her, though Guagua teases that he is really looking back for more candy. Ji Linlang also asks Yaoyao for lollipops, and she gives her some.
• At home, Yaoyao and Guagua joke about the day’s strange incident: a person biting a dog. Their banter continues until Yaoyao falls asleep.
• The Lantern Festival approaches. Madam Song plans a family trip to Baiyun Temple, including a temple fair and prayers, followed by time for the children to enjoy the festival.
• Because the weather is unusually cold, Yaoyao introduces warming patches from her storage space. She gives them to her father, brothers, mother, and sister, demonstrating how they warm up and stay effective for hours. The family is impressed, and their carriage journey becomes comfortable despite the cold.

Character developments and interactions

• Jin Lin’s suspicion of Yaoyao turns into trust after she treats him kindly and offers him sweets.
• Ji Linlang playfully asks Yaoyao for candy, showing her own fondness for Yaoyao’s treats.
• Yaoyao and Guagua maintain their teasing, argumentative rapport, trading jokes and complaints.
• The Song family readily trusts Yaoyao’s unusual inventions. Her warmth and practical generosity bring the family closer and make the trip more pleasant.

Significant themes

• Kindness and trust: Small gestures can quickly soften a child’s doubts.
• Family affection: Yaoyao looks after her relatives, who appreciate and trust her.
• Humor and everyday wonder: The chapter balances playful banter with the family’s curiosity about Yaoyao’s inventions.
• Tradition and novelty: The family prepares for a traditional Lantern Festival pilgrimage while Yaoyao introduces a modern convenience.