Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao prepares to formally accept Xia Wanyun and Leng Lingyi as disciples at a banquet hosted by the Song Household.
• Her existing disciples—Li Mingyu, Zhuang Yiran, and Pang Fei—arrive early to help. They also ask for guidance with their studies, which Song promises to provide after the banquet.
• Sima Yifeng arrives in festive clothes with his disciple, Lu Xuangu Gui, and asks Song to accept him as a disciple. She initially refuses, insisting she is willing to teach him but will not take him on formally.
• Sima explains that he wants their teacher-student relationship to have proper standing, then tries to persuade her with offers: access to the Divine Healer Valley’s resources and medicinal ingredients, its manpower, and the promise that its disciples will help with her planned medical academy.
• Song is tempted by the resources and workforce, and, after Guagua encourages her, agrees to accept Sima. She asks her mother to prepare for an additional disciple and says she will soon seek imperial approval for the academy, which will need the Valley’s support.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shifts from awkwardly rejecting Sima because of his age to accepting him when she recognizes the practical benefits of his offer.
• Sima Yifeng reveals that his request is sincere and long considered, though he uses increasingly extravagant promises to win Song over.
• Guagua reinforces Song’s interest in the academy and persuades her that Sima’s resources make him worth accepting.
• The disciples show respect and eagerness to learn. They are surprised to discover that the Divine Healer Valley’s master is joining their ranks; they regard Sima as their eldest fellow disciple because of his age and skill.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and formal recognition: Sima wants an official bond to acknowledge what he has learned from Song.
• Practical ambition: The prospect of building a medical academy makes resources and manpower decisive.
• Hierarchy and humor: Sima’s attempt to become Song’s disciple disrupts expectations, especially given his age and status.

Key plot points and events

• At Song Yaoyao’s apprenticeship banquet, Sima Yifeng is revealed as one of her new disciples. The guests are stunned to learn he is the renowned master of the Divine Healer Valley.
• Sima publicly declares that the valley will follow Song Yaoyao’s lead, raising her standing among the guests.
• After the banquet, Su Yu stays behind to plead with Song Yaoyao to perform sex-reassignment surgery on him. She refuses, as she has before.
• Su Yu drops to his knees and clings to someone’s leg, begging. Sima pulls Song Yaoyao out of reach, so Su Yu unknowingly embraces his leg instead. Song Yaoyao slips away.
• Sima restrains Su Yu when he tries to chase after her. Song Qingyu then defeats him, orders the guards to escort him out, and bars him from returning.
• Later, Sima asks Song Yaoyao what Su Yu meant. She explains that he wants her to turn him into a woman and confirms that such surgery is possible, though she will not perform it for him.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao remains firm about her refusal, while avoiding Su Yu’s emotional pressure. Her authority is reinforced by Sima’s public allegiance.
• Sima Yifeng accepts Song Yaoyao as his master without embarrassment, publicly places the Divine Healer Valley under her leadership, and protects her from Su Yu’s unwanted advances.
• Su Yu is portrayed as desperate and persistent, pleading dramatically and trying to force a meeting despite Song Yaoyao’s clear refusal.
• Song Qingyu steps in to stop Su Yu and enforces the household’s boundary by having him removed.
• The encounter is comic in tone: Su Yu’s tearful plea is directed at Sima after Song Yaoyao escapes, and he only realizes his mistake when Sima points it out.

Significant themes

• Authority and loyalty: Sima’s declaration signals Song Yaoyao’s growing influence.
• Boundaries and consent: Song Yaoyao’s refusal is explicit, and her family and disciple help uphold it.
• Persistence versus respect: Su Yu’s desperation does not override her decision, highlighting the conflict between his wishes and her autonomy.

Key events

• Song Yaoyao explains sex-reassignment surgery to her disciple, Sima Yifeng. She agrees to teach him, but warns that the procedure carries serious medical and political consequences—especially if performed on Su Yu, a healthy young man from a powerful family.
• Song Yu returns to Song Yaoyao’s residence and refuses to leave until she sees him. When her staff cannot approach without his accusing them of molesting him, she asks the Grand Tutor’s Residence to take him home. He leaves, promising to return.
• Song Qingyu proposes asking their father to give Su Yu work to keep him occupied. He also invites Song Yaoyao and Qingling to help choose custom jewelry for his bride-to-be, Min Yue, whose wedding is three months away; they agree to go the next day.
• Song Yaoyao meets with her shopkeepers to review the businesses and accounts. The barbecue restaurant is thriving, and Shopkeeper Qian reports that the hot-pot business is doing so well he has opened three additional, busy branches. Song Yaoyao approves his arrangement and receives the accounts. Ying Mingkang says his business is steady and mentions customer interest in buying the pickup truck and off-road vehicle Song Yaoyao drove into the city.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao balances medical ambition with caution, refusing to let personal requests or curiosity override the risks of surgery. She is also practical about Su Yu, choosing to avoid him and rely on his family rather than engage directly.
• Sima Yifeng is fascinated by the surgery and eager to learn, while accepting his master’s warning to use it responsibly.
• Su Yu remains determined to pursue surgery despite Song Yaoyao’s refusal, creating an ongoing source of trouble.
• Song Qingyu supports his sister, offers a plan to manage Su Yu, and includes her in preparations for his marriage.
• The shopkeepers show loyalty and respect, while their reports confirm Song Yaoyao’s businesses are prospering.

Significant themes

• Medical ethics and social consequences: A procedure may be medically possible yet carry lasting health needs and serious family or political repercussions.
• Boundaries and persistence: Song Yaoyao’s refusal clashes with Su Yu’s insistence, and she seeks support rather than yielding.
• Family and responsibility: Song Qingyu helps protect his sister and involves her in his upcoming marriage.
• Enterprise and trust: Song Yaoyao’s businesses grow under delegated management, supported by transparent accounts and mutual confidence.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao tells Ying Mingkang that fuel shortages prevent her from selling off-road vehicles and pickup trucks, but offers Baga Cars instead. She expects to deliver them in two or three days and allocates three vehicles to Ying Mingkang, Shopkeeper Niu, and Shopkeeper Qian.
• She spends the afternoon reviewing accounts, then learns from Guagua that Bai Yucheng has been stripped of his examination title and sentenced to death after autumn. His parents are imprisoned and exiled. Lu Ning, devastated by what she discovers, shares the Bai family assets equally with Chang Yuhe, who was also a victim.
• On the last day of her vacation, Song Yaoyao tries to sleep in but gets up after Bi Tao reminds her she promised to accompany her eldest brother to the Jewelry Shop.
• During breakfast, Niuniu exposes Song Yaoyao’s pretense of having just been woken. An infuriated Song Yaoyao chases the parrot, which escapes while teasing her about being single. Niuniu then flies off to visit its mate at the Eighth Prince’s residence.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows her practical business sense by finding an alternative product to sell, and her fondness for rest—and reluctance to be embarrassed—comes through in her morning antics.
• Lu Ning responds to betrayal with fairness and generosity, ensuring Chang Yuhe receives her share of the family assets.
• Niuniu is increasingly bold and irreverent, openly contradicting Song Yaoyao and turning their chase into a comic exchange. Song Qingyu and Song Qingling quietly enjoy the spectacle, while Bi Tao explains where Niuniu may have learned its slang.

Significant themes

• Justice and accountability: Bai Yucheng and his parents face consequences for their crimes.
• Compassion and fairness: Lu Ning recognizes Chang Yuhe’s victimhood and shares the inheritance with her.
• Humor and family familiarity: Niuniu’s cheeky teasing punctures Song Yaoyao’s attempts to save face.
• Romance and loneliness: Niuniu’s mate—and its taunts—leave Song Yaoyao feeling like the only single one.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao recovers her composure after being embarrassed by a bird, with Song Qingling helping her save face. She learns that her second brother has joined the Forbidden Army.
• Yaoyao, Qingyu, and Qingling shop for jewelry and commission a one-of-a-kind piece, then stroll through Crimson Feather City. The city is thriving after the Four Kingdoms’ unification, though demand for housing has also encouraged exploitation.
• They encounter Lu Ning, Chang Yuhe, and their children arguing with a landlady who took Lu Ning’s payment for a rental but now denies receiving it. The landlady uses the family’s association with the imprisoned top scholar Bai Yucheng to discredit and intimidate them.
• Guagua confirms the landlady is lying and deliberately targeting the family. When someone throws a stone at them, Song Qingyu knocks it aside with a coin, and Yaoyao’s guard slaps the landlady.
• The crowd recognizes Yaoyao as the First Rank Princess Who Protects the Nation. She challenges the landlady, who begs for forgiveness, then asks what caused the dispute. Lu Ning reacts grimly, remembering that Bai Yucheng was exposed after drugging Yaoyao.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao moves from embarrassment to confident intervention, using her authority to confront a public injustice.
• Song Qingyu acts quickly to protect Lu Ning’s family; Song Qingling is supportive of Yaoyao.
• Lu Ning and Chang Yuhe are vulnerable to public prejudice because of their family’s association with Bai Yucheng. Lu Ning’s recognition of Yaoyao introduces personal tension into their encounter.
• The landlady exploits the family’s tarnished reputation and the crowd’s hostility, but becomes submissive once Yaoyao’s rank is revealed.

Significant themes

• Justice versus abuse of power: the landlady uses her position and the family’s lack of social standing to deny wrongdoing.
• Prejudice and guilt by association: the crowd assumes Lu Ning’s family is culpable because Bai Yucheng is a criminal.
• Status and public authority: Yaoyao’s title immediately changes how the crowd treats her—and the dispute.
• Social change: unification brings new goods and prosperity, but also competition and opportunism.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao questions Lu Ning about a dispute over five taels of rent. Lu Ning identifies herself as Bai Yucheng’s wife and explains that the landlady took the money, promised a lease, then refused both the rental and a refund.
• When the landlady insults Lu Ning, a guard slaps her. Song Yaoyao gives Lu Ning the floor and promises to seek justice if her account is true.
• The landlady’s husband realizes the princess may know the truth. He admits fault on the couple’s behalf and returns the five taels.
• Song Yaoyao refuses to let the matter end there. She says their conduct deserves punishment and orders them to pay another five taels in compensation. After the landlady objects, Songyaoyao threatens to send the couple to the Capital Prefecture, and the husband quickly produces the money.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ning is anxious but chooses honesty, clearly explaining her family’s hardship and pressing for justice. She remains uncertain whether to accept the compensation.
• Song Yaoyao is firm and impartial: she controls who may speak, protects Lu Ning from insults, and insists that returning stolen money does not erase wrongdoing.
• The landlady is belligerent and defensive, but becomes subdued under the princess’s authority.
• The husband tries to contain the scandal by confessing and blaming his wife, though Song Yaoyao recognizes his role in the scheme. He ultimately yields to her demands.
• Chang Yuhe and the children support Lu Ning by joining her appeal for justice.

Significant themes

• Justice and accountability: Restitution alone is not enough; misconduct must carry consequences to deter others.
• Power and protection: Song Yaoyao uses her authority to ensure vulnerable people can speak and be heard.
• Greed and blame-shifting: The husband first makes his wife take the blame, exposing the couple’s self-interest and the unequal way they handle responsibility.

Key events

• After Song Yaoyao defends Lu Ning and the other women from a couple who mistreated them, the women thank her, surprised she does not blame them for Bai Yucheng’s actions.
• Song Yaoyao urges Lu Ning and her sister-in-law to leave the past behind and build new lives. They explain that returning home would expose them and their children to cruel gossip, so they plan to settle in the Capital and find work.
• Song Yaoyao recommends them for jobs at her barbecue restaurant, Everything Can Be Grilled, and gives Lu Ning a jade pendant for the manager. The restaurant’s pay and benefits could support both women and their children.
• Song Yaoyao then goes with her sisters Song Qingyu and Song Qingling toward a newly opened sweet-soup shop. Familiar gossip-loving acquaintances begin trailing them.
• Their outing is interrupted by a runaway carriage carrying a woman who is eight months pregnant. Song Qingyu tells his sisters to get to safety and leaps onto the horse to stop it. The horse bucks violently, and the woman cries out in pain.

Character development and relationships

• Song Yaoyao shows compassion and practical generosity: she reassures the women, respects their determination, and offers them a realistic path to independence rather than merely expressing sympathy.
• Lu Ning and her sister-in-law are presented as resilient and determined to protect their children from social stigma by starting over in the Capital. They accept Song Yaoyao’s help and promise to earn their positions.
• Song Qingyu acts protectively, taking immediate responsibility for the runaway horse. His sisters worry about his safety.
• Song Qingling and Song Qingyu support Song Yaoyao’s plans and share a warm, familiar rapport with her.
• The acquaintances’ eagerness to follow Song Yaoyao for gossip adds a light comic note, while Song Qingyu chooses to ignore them.

Themes

• Compassion and justice toward people harmed by others’ wrongdoing.
• Resilience, fresh starts, and looking forward rather than being defined by the past.
• Women’s independence through meaningful work and financial security.
• Family care and courage in the face of sudden danger.

Key plot points and events

• Song Qingyu reins in the runaway carriage and discovers its passenger, a badly injured pregnant woman, bleeding heavily. Before fainting, she begs them to save her child.
• Song Yaoyao warns the woman’s maid that the birth may be dangerous and identifies herself as the Princess Who Protects the Nation and an imperial physician. The maid agrees to follow her to the Marquis’s Residence.
• At the residence, Song Yaoyao examines the woman and learns that the baby is breech, the mother’s waters have broken, and the child is weak. A natural delivery is no longer viable, so Song Yaoyao decides to perform a cesarean section.
• The patient, Kang Yueling, readily agrees to the operation if it will save her child. Song Yaoyao then explains the procedure to Kang Yueling’s grandmother, Old Madam Kang, who is frightened but ultimately trusts her.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao acts decisively as a physician, reassuring the patient and taking responsibility for a dangerous, unfamiliar operation. She also treats Old Madam Kang with respect and explains the risks rather than dismissing her fears.
• Song Qingyu helps stop the carriage and supports his sister when the maid doubts her credentials.
• Kang Yueling is desperate to save her baby and shows immediate trust in Song Yaoyao.
• Old Madam Kang is terrified by the prospect of abdominal surgery, but accepts Song Yaoyao’s assurance and gives her consent.
• The maid moves from skepticism to trust after learning Song Yaoyao’s identity.

Significant themes

• Duty and compassion: Song Yaoyao acts to save strangers, while the Kang family’s remaining members carry the weight of their family’s legacy.
• Trust amid uncertainty: The patient and her grandmother must place their faith in a procedure they have never encountered.
• Survival and legacy: Kang Yueling and her unborn child are described as the last bloodline of the fallen Duke Kangnan household, raising the stakes of the operation.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao has Old Madam Kang sign consent for emergency surgery on Kang Yueling. Despite her anxiety, the old madam agrees and asks Song to save both mother and child.
• Song performs a cesarean delivery. A healthy boy is born, and apprentice Leng Lingyi takes him out to meet Old Madam Kang while Song stitches up Kang Yueling.
• The old madam is overjoyed that her family finally has an heir. After washing her hands, she holds the baby and learns that Kang Yueling is also safe.
• Once the operation is complete, Kang Yueling is wheeled out awake. Song explains that the anesthetic is still working and instructs the family to remain at her residence for seven days so she can monitor the incision.
• Later, while Song rests in the bath, her system companion Guagua begins sharing gossip about Kang Yueling. Old Madam Kang unexpectedly hears Song’s voice in her mind, though no one else can hear it, and listens in.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao remains calm and decisive during a high-risk operation, reassuring the family and giving clear aftercare instructions. She also praises Old Madam Kang’s determination to raise Kang Yueling to be self-reliant.
• Old Madam Kang moves from anxious resignation to relief and joy. Her deep trust in Song’s medical skill is evident, and her surprise at hearing Song’s voice leaves her wondering if she imagined it.
• Kang Yueling survives the operation and remains conscious afterward, reassuring her grandmother.
• Leng Lingyi competently assists with the baby and follows Song’s directions. Xia Wanyun, though frightened by her first sight of surgery, continues helping.
• The old madam’s loving but disciplined relationship with Kang Yueling is revealed through Guagua’s account.

Significant themes

• Medical skill and trust: The successful emergency operation depends on Song’s competence and the family’s confidence in her.
• Women’s strength and independence: Old Madam Kang educated Kang Yueling in both scholarship and martial arts so she could stand on her own; Song strongly endorses this approach.
• Family legacy and continuity: The birth of a boy brings the old madam comfort that the family will have an heir.
• Hidden knowledge and comic misunderstanding: Old Madam Kang hears the private, supernatural conversation but assumes it may be a trick of age when her attendant hears nothing.

Key plot points and events

• At fifteen, Kang Yueling tells Old Madam Kang she wants a husband who will marry into the Kang family, with their children taking the Kang surname to preserve Duke Kangnan’s line. Though worried this would limit the choice of suitable men, Old Madam Kang agrees because Yueling is determined.
• The Qin family, a declining noble household at risk of losing its title, hears that the Kang estate may ultimately pass to Yueling. Madam Qin proposes marrying her son Qin Zhize to Yueling so the family can gain her estate and military connections.
• Zhize initially objects because he loves Shi Yun and resents being treated as a bargaining chip. His parents pressure him by describing the family’s worsening finances and the hardship Shi Yun and their future children might face.
• Madam Qin suggests Zhize marry Yueling first, keep Shi Yun outside the household, and later bring her in as a concubine. She even implies Yueling—and possibly Old Madam Kang—might die before they can interfere. Convinced he could eventually gain wealth and freedom, Zhize agrees.
• Song Yaoyao watches the account and condemns the Qin family’s scheme as predatory, recognizing Madam Qin’s plan as an attempt to eliminate Yueling and seize the Kang estate.

Character developments

• Kang Yueling is resolute and untroubled by a husband’s lower status, prioritizing his character and his family’s future.
• Old Madam Kang balances concern for Yueling with her desire to secure an heir, ultimately respecting her granddaughter’s wishes.
• Qin Zhize shifts from protesting the arranged match to accepting it once his parents frame it as a route to wealth and security.
• Madam Qin emerges as calculating and ruthless, manipulating her son and contemplating murder to secure the Kang estate.
• Song Yaoyao responds with moral outrage and quickly identifies the danger facing Yueling.

Significant themes

• Greed and exploitation of a family without a male heir.
• Marriage as a tool for wealth, status, and political advantage.
• The contrast between Yueling’s sincere priorities and the Qin family’s opportunism.
• Family duty used to pressure individuals into serving household interests.

Character interactions

• Yueling and Old Madam Kang discuss the costs and purpose of a husband marrying into the family; Yueling’s certainty persuades her grandmother.
• Count Qin and Madam Qin pressure Zhize, with Madam Qin using concern for the family’s future—and Shi Yun’s welfare—to win his consent.
• Zhize’s parents’ scheming contrasts with his stated love for Shi Yun, which he ultimately subordinates to the promise of comfort and wealth.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua review the events, with Guagua confirming that the Qin family intends to plunder the Kang estate.

Key plot points and events

• Guagua reveals how the Qin Family arranged for Qin Zhize to marry Kang Yueling and ultimately seize Duke Kangnan’s estate.
• Qin Zhize staged a rescue from hired thugs, knowing Kang Yueling was capable of defending herself. The performance nevertheless made her think well of him.
• After their meeting, Qin Zhize pretended to be surprised when his family proposed the marriage. Kang Yueling agreed, and he married into her family.
• In private, Qin Zhize explained the plan to his lover, Qi Shiyun, promising that their marriage was only temporary and that he would later marry her properly.
• The plan stalled when Qin Zhize discovered Kang Yueling was intelligent, skilled in both scholarly and martial arts, and not easy to control.
• Two years later, when Kang Yueling became pregnant, Qin Zhize saw his chance. While appearing to care for her, he secretly gave her a slow-acting drug intended to make childbirth fatal to both mother and child. The Qin Family hoped Old Madam Kang would then die of grief, leaving the estate to Qin Zhize.
• Old Madam Kang hears the revelations, recognizes details that could only be known to the families involved, and becomes convinced the plot is real. She suppresses her anger and prevents Nanny Yang from summoning Song Yaoyao.

Character developments and interactions

• Qin Zhize is exposed as calculating and duplicitous: he feigns heroism and devotion while pursuing the estate and maintaining a secret relationship with Qi Shiyun.
• Kang Yueling initially trusts Qin Zhize after his staged rescue and accepts the marriage, but proves far more capable and independent than he expected.
• Qi Shiyun is distressed by Qin Zhize’s marriage but accepts his explanation and promises.
• Old Madam Kang shifts from uncertainty to certainty and fierce resolve, determined to protect her family’s estate.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua discuss and condemn the scheme, while their conversation provides the audience with the hidden history.

Significant themes

• Deception and manipulation disguised as kindness and devotion.
• Greed, inheritance, and the danger of trusting an apparent ally.
• Women’s strength and capability, especially Kang Yueling’s refusal to fit Qin Zhize’s assumptions.
• Loyalty and family protection, reflected in Old Madam Kang’s determination to act.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao learns that the horse that nearly killed pregnant Kang Yueling was deliberately drugged. Qi Shiyun arranged the attack after discovering Yueling’s regular porridge-distribution visits.
• Qin Zhize, Yueling’s husband, is secretly having an affair with Qi Shiyun. He leaves Yueling under the pretense of visiting his sick mother and reassures Qi that he is only pretending to love Yueling to gain the wealth of the Duke Kangnan’s household.
• Old Madam Kang realizes the danger to her granddaughter and quickly dispatches a maid with her waist token to report the attempted murder to the Capital Prefecture, naming Qi Shiyun’s residence as the culprit’s location.
• Song Yaoyao examines Old Madam Kang and discovers old internal injuries that cause her ongoing pain and sleeplessness. She arranges for her disciple, Sima Yifeng—the master of Divine Healer Valley—to treat her.

Character developments

• Old Madam Kang proves perceptive and decisive: though shaken by the attack, she takes immediate action rather than waiting for Song Yaoyao to explain what she knows.
• Song Yaoyao wants to expose Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun but worries the Kang family will not believe her without proof. She also shows concern for Old Madam Kang’s health.
• Qin Zhize is revealed as calculating and deceitful, maintaining a devoted-husband image while plotting to profit from Yueling’s death.
• Qi Shiyun grows jealous and impatient with Qin Zhize’s public devotion to Yueling, and turns that frustration into a murderous scheme.
• Sima Yifeng remains eager to learn, especially after hearing about Song Yaoyao’s successful surgical delivery.

Significant themes

• Betrayal hidden behind respectability: Qin Zhizhe’s loving-husband performance conceals adultery and murder.
• Jealousy and greed: Qi Shiyun’s resentment and the pair’s desire for the Kang family’s wealth drive the attempted killing.
• Quick thinking and justice: Old Madam Kang’s swift use of her authority helps bring the plot into the open.
• Healing and care: Song Yaoyao’s medical skill benefits not only the immediate victim but also reveals a path to ease Old Madam Kang’s chronic suffering.

Character interactions

• Qin Zhize persuades Qi Shiyun that his distance is only to avoid suspicion, and promises they will be together once Yueling is gone.
• Qi Shiyun manipulates Qin into leaving Yueling by threatening to expose their affair.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua discuss how to alert Old Madam Kang, but Old Madam acts before they need to intervene.
• Song Yaoyao offers Old Madam Kang medical help, and Sima Yifeng examines her and prescribes treatment.

Plot points and events

• After Song Yaoyao successfully saves Kang Yueling and her newborn son, Old Madam Kang thanks her and resolves to deal with Qin Zhize, Qi Shiyun, and the Qin family.
• Song Yaoyao leaves, while Guagua reports that Prefect Yang has acted on a maid’s testimony and taken constables to a house in Autumn Silk Alley.
• Old Madam Kang accompanies Nanny Yang to visit Madam Song, using the courtesy call as an excuse to see the “footage” Song Yaoyao mentioned.
• During the visit, Song Yaoyao watches the recorded raid. Prefect Yang and his men quietly enter the house, where Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun are caught together.
• The footage reveals their plan: Qin intends to let Kang Yueling die in childbirth, poison Old Madam Kang if necessary, and seize Duke Kangnan’s wealth. They also plan to pass off another newborn as Kang Yueling’s second twin to conceal the scheme.

Character developments and interactions

• Old Madam Kang shifts from gratitude to determined action, showing that she is far more formidable than her quiet public image suggests. Her curiosity about Song Yaoyao’s ability leads her to seek out the footage.
• Song Yaoyao is delighted by the prospect of the adulterous couple being caught red-handed and eagerly watches the footage, unaware that Old Madam Kang can hear her inner thoughts.
• Madam Song notices Old Madam Kang’s surprise at the magical screen and discreetly signals that she understands what is happening.
• Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun reveal their affair and their mutual confidence in a murderous plan. Qin flatters Qi while denigrating his pregnant wife; Qi presses him to make their relationship public.

Significant themes

• Justice and exposure: The authorities’ raid turns a secret conspiracy into evidence witnessed by officials and onlookers.
• Deception and betrayal: Qin presents himself as a devoted husband while plotting to kill his wife and her family for their fortune.
• Family protection and resolve: Old Madam Kang’s love for her granddaughter and new great-grandson fuels her determination to defend the household.
• Public image versus hidden truth: The apparently respectable Qin household conceals adultery, greed, and plans for murder.

Key plot points and events

• Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun’s private conversation is overheard on video. They reveal a plan to produce a child they can pass off as the Kang family’s heir, enlist the Kang family’s former retainers, and ultimately secure the Qin family’s noble title and the Kang family’s property.
• Old Madam Kang is furious that the couple would exploit both her family and its loyal retainers. The townspeople, Lord Yang, and the constables also hear the plot.
• Lord Yang orders a constable to break into the room. Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun are caught in bed, then told to come outside for questioning.
• As the couple emerges, the townspeople openly mock them. One bystander finally confronts Qin Zhize, accusing him of plotting against the Kang family and warning that the authorities heard everything.
• Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun realize their scheme has been exposed and turn pale.

Character developments and interactions

• Old Madam Kang shifts from suspicion to open resolve: she will not forgive those who threaten her family.
• Lord Yang treats the Qin household with contempt and acts decisively, showing his loyalty to the Kang family and his readiness to enforce the law.
• Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun are exposed as calculating and callous. Their private confidence collapses into fear once they discover they were overheard.
• The townspeople move from gossip and crude jokes to direct condemnation, publicly defending the Kang family’s reputation.
• Qi Shiyun hides behind Qin Zhize, while he initially shields her; their display of intimacy and loyalty does little to win sympathy.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and exploitation: The couple intends to use a child, the Kang family’s retainers, and the family’s vulnerable survivors for their own gain.
• Public accountability: A private conspiracy becomes a public scandal, and the authorities and community witness the evidence.
• Loyalty and justice: The contrast between the Kang family’s patriotic sacrifice and the Qins’ selfish ambition fuels the townspeople’s outrage.
• Hypocrisy and reputation: Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun’s shameless behavior is condemned not only for adultery but for their broader scheme against a respected household.

Plot points and events

• Lord Yang confronts Qin Zhize over remarks he made about taking the Kang family’s fortune and killing Kang Yueling. Qin insists he was only flattering a woman, then tries unsuccessfully to bribe and threaten the official.
• Lord Yang reveals that Old Madam Kang reported the attempted harm and identified the location. He orders Qin and Qi Shiyun arrested.
• At the Capital Prefecture, Old Madam Kang explains that a drugged horse caused an accident that nearly killed Kang Yueling and her unborn child. Princess Jiahe rescued her, and Yueling later gave birth prematurely; mother and son survived.
• Old Madam Kang says an investigation uncovered the groom who drugged the horse. Under questioning, he admits a woman offered him money to give the horse medicine. He accepted after losing heavily in gambling, taking two hundred taels.

Character developments

• Qin Zhize shifts from denial to attempted bribery and intimidation, then falls silent under Lord Yang’s authority. On seeing Old Madam Kang, he begs forgiveness and invokes Yueling, but his earlier statements expose his self-interest.
• Lord Yang proves firm and incorruptible, relying on evidence and refusing to be intimidated.
• Old Madam Kang acts decisively to protect her granddaughter, reporting the plot and pursuing the investigation. The groom’s betrayal leaves her deeply disappointed.
• The groom confesses that gambling losses and greed led him to betray the household.

Character interactions

• Lord Yang rejects Qin’s excuses, bribe, and threats, then arrests him and Qi Shiyun.
• Qin pleads with Old Madam Kang, who remains focused on recounting the attempted attack and securing accountability.
• Lord Yang controls the courtroom, warning Qin not to interrupt and questioning the groom.
• The groom admits his role before Lord Yang and Old Madam Kang; Old Madam Kang condemns the betrayal.

Significant themes

• Justice versus privilege: Qin’s connections and threats cannot stop the arrest.
• Greed and betrayal: Gambling losses make the groom vulnerable to a bribe, endangering Yueling and her child.
• Family protection and accountability: Old Madam Kang uses her influence to safeguard her granddaughter and bring the suspects before the law.
• Truth and self-interest: Qin’s attempts to dismiss his words reveal how much he fears losing the Kang family’s wealth and status.

Plot and key events

• The groom explains that Qi Shiyun paid him 200 taels to tamper with Kang Yueling’s horse. He followed her afterward and traced her to Autumn Silk Alley.
• The groom identifies Qi Shiyun in front of Lord Yang. Several residents of the alley confirm that he had asked about her, and Lord Yang warns that records of her drug purchases can also be checked.
• Faced with the evidence, Qi Shiyun confesses. She says she acted out of jealousy, believing Qin Zhize loved her and that Kang Yueling had forced her into becoming his mistress.
• Lord Yang questions Qin Zhize about his relationship with Qi Shiyun and his part in the plot against the Kang family. Qin admits they had a past relationship but denies any recent involvement and claims he loves Kang Yueling.
• The crowd rejects Qin’s denial, citing his affair, the couple’s schemes to seize the Kang family’s wealth, and the Qin household’s apparent plan to use a fake child to preserve its title. Lord Yang promises to investigate and let the Emperor decide.

Character developments and interactions

• Qi Shiyun is exposed as the person behind the attack and confesses, revealing that jealousy and greed motivated her.
• Qin Zhize blames Qi Shiyun for bringing their schemes to light, then tries to distance himself from her and present himself as devoted to Kang Yueling. His denial fuels public anger.
• Lord Yang methodically gathers testimony and evidence, while restraining the crowd and reserving judgment for the Emperor.
• The crowd acts as a forceful public witness, backing the groom’s account and defending the Kang family’s legacy.
• Song Yaoyao sharply condemns Qin, while his private contempt for her status and role in government shows his arrogance and prejudice.

Significant themes

• Public accountability: Witnesses and evidence expose wrongdoing that powerful families might otherwise conceal.
• Greed and betrayal: The plot targets the Kang family’s remaining heirs and wealth.
• Reputation and justice: The crowd’s reverence for the Kang family shapes its response, while Lord Yang insists on formal investigation.
• Hypocrisy and misogyny: Qin’s self-serving claims and dismissive attitude toward Song Yaoyao contrast with the authority she holds.

Key plot points

• Song Yaoyao’s inner thoughts reveal that Qin Zhize blames her for saving Kang Yueling, whose survival has exposed his schemes. Song and Guagua conclude that Yueling was deceived because she had little experience judging people.
• Old Madam Kang regrets trusting Yueling’s assessment of Qin Zhize and not ordering a thorough investigation before agreeing to the marriage.
• The Qin Family is brought before Lord Yang. They act entitled at first, invoking their ties to the Qin Count’s Residence and Duke Kangnan’s household, but fall silent when they see Old Madam Kang and the kneeling Qin Zhize and Qi Shiyun.
• The family initially denies wrongdoing. Lord Yang threatens them with twenty strokes each, prompting Qin Zhizhi to confess rather than be punished.
• Qin Zhizhi exposes the Qin Family’s schemes against Duke Kangnan’s Residence, including Qin Zhize’s relationship with Qi Shiyun. Her account confirms what Song Yaoyao had already revealed.
• Old Madam Kang condemns the family—and rejects Qin Zhizhi’s claim that she was uninvolved, since she knew about the wrongdoing and concealed it.

Character developments and interactions

• Old Madam Kang shifts from trusting her granddaughter’s judgment to regretting her own lack of caution. Her anger hardens as the Qin Family’s collusion becomes clear.
• Song Yaoyao remains openly contemptuous of Qin Zhize, criticizing his hypocrisy and cowardice.
• Qin Zhizhi abandons her family to save herself, revealing everything once threatened with punishment. Old Madam Kang sees her self-preservation and prior silence as culpable.
• The Qin Family, previously arrogant, become frightened and divided when faced with Lord Yang’s authority; Madam Qin tries to silence her daughter, but Lord Yang has her gagged.
• Lord Yang conducts the interrogation forcefully, using the threat of corporal punishment to break the family’s denials.

Significant themes

• Deception and poor judgment: Yueling’s trust in Qin Zhize helped the family’s scheme go unchecked.
• Accountability and complicity: Knowing about wrongdoing and concealing it is treated as guilt, even without direct participation.
• Hypocrisy and gendered exploitation: Song condemns Qin Zhize for despising women while relying on them for advantage.
• Self-interest versus loyalty: Qin Zhizhi saves herself by betraying her family, while Old Madam Kang judges her silence as well as her betrayal.

Plot points and events

• Qin Zhizhi and the rest of the Qin family confess to plotting against Kang Yueling and her family. Lord Yang sends the case to the emperor for judgment.
• Kang Yueling wakes at the Marquis’s residence, where she must remain for seven days while her wound is monitored. Old Madam Kang tells her what Qin Zhize and his mistress did.
• Yueling decides to repudiate Qin Zhize, who had married into her family, and says she will raise their child herself.
• The emperor, remembering the Kang family’s sacrifices and his debt to them, orders the Qin family executed. The mastermind is sentenced to death by a thousand cuts; the punishments are set for half a month later.
• Song Yaoyao learns of the verdict, then struggles to sleep before returning to morning court. Guagua gives her a novel to read; its heroine’s refusal to leave an abusive partner provokes Yaoyao into an indignant rant, which eventually lulls her to sleep. She is still exhausted when her father wakes her for court.

Character developments and interactions

• Kang Yueling responds to betrayal with composure rather than despair. She recognizes that learning Qin Zhize’s true character is ultimately a good thing and chooses independence and motherhood over another relationship.
• Old Madam Kang supports Yueling’s decision, though she quietly hopes to find her granddaughter a new husband someday. She also feels deep gratitude to Song Yaoyao for exposing the plot and saving Yueling and her child.
• The emperor reveals how strongly he feels indebted to the Kang family; his anger at the attack reflects both personal loyalty and a sense that the Qin family challenged his authority.
• Song Yaoyao and Guagua retain their playful, familiar rapport, while Lord and Madam Song’s efforts to get Yaoyao out of bed provide a comic contrast to the chapter’s grim justice.

Significant themes

• Justice and loyalty: The emperor’s harsh verdict is driven by the Qin family’s betrayal of the Kang family and the crown.
• Betrayal and self-respect: Yueling rejects a husband who conspired against her and chooses to shape her own future.
• Protection and gratitude: The Kang family’s survival depends on Song Yaoyao’s intervention, reinforcing the importance of loyalty and timely help.
• Humor amid tension: Yaoyao’s late-night literary outrage and reluctance to wake lighten the chapter’s otherwise serious events.

Key plot points and events

• Lord Song drives Song Yaoyao to court in her off-road vehicle. She tells curious officials that her shop will soon sell other vehicles.
• The emperor gives Song Yaoyao a new role at court: she no longer needs to keep records and may stand with the princes and participate in discussions.
• Ministers propose expanding and decentralizing the imperial examinations to recruit more talent, and gradually strengthening the army across the newly unified Four Kingdoms. The emperor asks both to be submitted as memorials.
• Song Yaoyao recommends rebuilding official roads with cement, arguing that better transport will help the government respond to problems across the distant kingdoms. The emperor also requests a memorial on this proposal.
• She then presents a plan to establish a medical college. She explains Western medicine through the example of a Caesarean delivery and says she recently used the operation to save Miss Kang.
• Song Yaoyao proposes training practitioners in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine, as well as female physicians. She plans to recruit teachers from Divine Healer Valley for traditional medicine and personally teach Western medicine and the women’s program.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao moves from a record-keeping role into active participation in state affairs. She listens to the ministers, identifies the shared problem of distance, and offers practical proposals on infrastructure and healthcare.
• Lord Song is proud and possessive of his daughter’s vehicle, refusing to let anyone else ride in it; he also credits it with giving him more rest and energy.
• The emperor listens seriously to proposals from his officials and Song Yaoyao, treating her ideas as worthy of formal consideration.
• The ministers discuss the challenges of governing a unified realm, and react with surprise to Song Yaoyao’s description of surgery. Her account of saving Miss Kang reassures them.

Significant themes

• Unifying and governing a vast empire: talent recruitment, military loyalty, and improved roads are presented as interconnected needs.
• Innovation and practical reform: Song Yaoyao advocates using cement and Western medical techniques to address concrete problems.
• Access to education and healthcare: her medical college plan aims to train more physicians and make care available to women who might otherwise avoid treatment.
• Recognition of expertise: Song Yaoyao’s new place at court signals growing trust in her knowledge and ability.

Key plot points

• After reviewing Song Yaoyao’s memorial, the emperor asks officials to submit their proposals formally so he can prioritize them and assess the funding required.
• Song returns to the Imperial Medical Academy. Though colleagues treat her with extra deference because of her new title, she insists they regard her simply as a physician while she is working.
• Her disciple Li Mingyu asks about her successful Caesarean section. Song confirms that both mother and baby survived and promises to teach the operation to her disciples. She spends more than two hours answering their surgical questions.
• Director Li then summons Song to the Imperial Study. The emperor’s niece, Princess Fu’an, is there in tears because her children are seriously ill.
• Fu’an initially doubts that someone so young can help. Song defends her abilities, noting that even the master of Divine Healer Valley is her disciple. The emperor confirms this and says she may be the children’s best hope.
• Fu’an apologizes for her earlier disrespect, and she and Song hurry to Fu’an’s residence. As they travel, Guagua explains Fu’an’s family history: her father, Prince Chen Muli, was the emperor’s beloved half-brother and died saving him from an assassination attempt.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao remains confident in her medical expertise, generous as a teacher, and clear that her professional work matters more than her royal rank.
• Li Mingyu and Song’s other disciples show their eagerness to learn, listening as Song explains surgical questions.
• Princess Fu’an shifts from grief and distrust to belief in Song and apologizes once she understands the emperor’s confidence in her.
• The emperor demonstrates both his affection for Fu’an and his strong trust in Song’s medical skill.
• Song and Fu’an begin with a tense exchange but quickly reach an understanding, united by the urgent need to help Fu’an’s children.

Significant themes

• Skill over appearances: Song’s youth and title initially obscure her competence, but her reputation and record establish her authority.
• Teaching and medical progress: Song’s willingness to train her disciples suggests that her knowledge can benefit others beyond her own patients.
• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Guagua’s account of Chen Muli’s death explains the deep bond between him and the emperor, and the emperor’s devotion to Fu’an.
• Urgency and hope: Fu’an’s distress contrasts with the emperor’s faith that Song can save her children.