Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Guagua explains Princess Fu’an’s tragic past: her father, Chen Muli, died before her birth, and her mother died delivering her. The emperor, mourning Chen Muli, brought the baby into the palace and named her Princess Fu’an; the empress raised her.
• Fu’an’s twins—a boy and a girl—are conjoined. Song Yaoyao agrees to examine them.
• Song takes Fu’an and Director Li to Fu’an’s residence in her horse-free vehicle. Both are amazed by its speed and technology.
• On arrival, they encounter Concubine Lian, who insults Fu’an and calls her children abominations. Song slaps her for her disrespect. Lian attacks, but someone kicks her down before she can reach Song.

Character developments and interactions

• Fu’an’s painful history explains her unusually close, familial relationship with the emperor and the compassion she shows toward her children.
• Song is confident, protective, and quick to confront cruelty; she treats the vehicle as ordinary but eagerly turns the visit toward helping the twins.
• Director Li is delighted and awestruck by the ride, while Fu’an is curious and impressed.
• Concubine Lian openly demeans Fu’an and her children, revealing her contempt and sense of entitlement. Song’s defense of Fu’an turns their verbal clash into a physical confrontation.

Significant themes

• Grief and compassion: The emperor’s loss shapes his care for Fu’an, while Fu’an’s children prompt her desperate search for help.
• Cruelty and dignity: Concubine Lian’s insults contrast with Song’s defense of Fu’an and the twins’ worth.
• Innovation and wonder: Song’s vehicle fascinates those unfamiliar with modern technology, highlighting the gap between her world and theirs.

Chapter summary

• Concubine Lian charges at Song Yaoyao, and Song Yi—Yaoyao’s hidden Shadow Guard—steps in to protect her. Yaoyao stops him and explains that he acted because Lian attacked first.
• Princess Fu’an apologizes for Lian’s behavior, blaming it on the prince consort’s indulgence. Lian threatens Fu’an by invoking the prince consort, but falls silent when she realizes Yaoyao is Princess Jiahe and understands that Yaoyao may punish her again.
• Angered by Lian’s arrogance and Fu’an’s mistreatment, Yaoyao fiercely rebukes Lian and challenges the prince consort’s authority. She tells Fu’an she need not tolerate either of them: she can divorce her husband, punish him, seek help from the imperial court, or even become a widow and remarry.
• Yaoyao urges Fu’an to assert her authority as an imperial princess rather than allowing her household to bully her. Fu’an is initially speechless but agrees to take Yaoyao’s advice. Yaoyao promises to impeach the prince consort’s parents at court, then suggests they go see the children.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shifts from restraint to open anger, defending Fu’an with blunt, forceful advice and showing confidence in her political influence.
• Princess Fu’an appears accustomed to yielding within her household, but Yaoyao’s intervention prompts her to listen and begin reconsidering her position.
• Concubine Lian is bold while relying on the prince consort’s protection, but quickly backs down once faced with Yaoyao’s rank and willingness to act.
• Song Yi demonstrates his loyalty by protecting Yaoyao, then withdraws when she orders him to stop.

Significant themes

• Power and self-respect: Yaoyao insists Fu’an should use her rank and support rather than endure abuse.
• Accountability: The chapter condemns the prince consort and his family for enabling Lian’s disrespect.
• Female agency and solidarity: Yaoyao encourages Fu’an to leave an unhappy marriage and take control of her life, while using her own influence to support her.

Key plot points and events

• Princess Fu’an orders Concubine Lian sold after finally deciding not to tolerate her disruptive behavior. When Lian pleads and threatens that the consort will retaliate, Fu’an has her gagged and removed.
• Song Yaoyao approves of Fu’an’s resolve, then accompanies her and Director Li to examine Fu’an’s conjoined infant twins. The babies are joined from chest to abdomen; their prospects depend on whether they share organs. Yaoyao says further examination requires equipment at the Marquis’s residence, so the children and wet nurse will be brought there.
• Before they can leave, Gao Jun, Fu’an’s consort and Marquis Xuanming’s legitimate son, storms in. He demands that Fu’an buy Concubine Lian back and apologize, threatening to withdraw from her company if she refuses.
• Yaoyao challenges Gao Jun for shouting at Fu’an and using her personal name. She warns that his behavior could be construed as defying imperial authority and threatens to impeach his father for failing to discipline him. Gao Jun objects that a princess should not interfere in family affairs or government matters.

Character developments

• Princess Fu’an shows a new willingness to assert herself, refusing to yield either to Concubine Lian’s pleas or Gao Jun’s intimidation.
• Song Yaoyao acts as Fu’an’s outspoken ally and authority figure, confronting Gao Jun and using the possibility of political consequences to restrain him.
• Gao Jun is revealed as entitled and domineering despite his refined appearance. When challenged, he becomes anxious and defensive, then tries to dismiss Yaoyao’s intervention.
• Concubine Lian appears outwardly submissive while privately expecting Gao Jun to rescue her.

Significant themes

• Standing up to abuse and manipulation: Fu’an begins resisting the pressure that has kept her passive.
• Rank, respect, and accountability: Gao Jun’s treatment of an imperial princess may have serious political consequences.
• Medical uncertainty and hope: The twins may be treatable, but their condition must be carefully examined first.

Character interactions

• Yaoyao encourages Fu’an’s newfound firmness and supports her in confronting the household’s power imbalance.
• Fu’an deals decisively with Lian, then cooperates with Yaoyao and Director Li over the twins’ care.
• Gao Jun attempts to command Fu’an, but she refuses to defend or excuse his behavior. Yaoyao challenges him directly, turning his threat into a confrontation over his conduct and family’s accountability.

Key plot points and events

• Princess Jiahe, Song Yaoyao, confronts Gao Jun after he mistreats Princess Fu’an and blindly sides with his concubine, Concubine Lian. Song threatens to impeach Gao Jun’s father, condemns Gao Jun for forgetting his subordinate status as a princess’s consort, and refuses to let his apology erase his actions.
• Princess Fu’an orders guards to confine Gao Jun to his courtyard, then leaves with Song and Director Li. Gao Jun is shocked that his formerly compliant wife has stood up to him.
• At the Marquis’s Residence, Song examines Fu’an’s conjoined twins and explains that they are joined only by skin and can be separated through surgery. She reassures Fu’an that the children should develop normally afterward, provided their recovery is monitored.
• Song agrees to let her apprentice, Sima Yifeng, assist with the operation once she has prepared for it.
• Fu’an settles in the Plum Garden and visits Old Madam Kang and Kang Yueling. Yueling confirms that Song’s surgery can be performed while the patient is awake under anesthesia, helping Fu’an understand what to expect.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao asserts her authority as Princess Jiahe, defends Fu’an, and demonstrates her medical expertise. She is firm with Gao Jun but reassuring toward Fu’an and the children.
• Princess Fu’an shifts from allowing Gao Jun to dominate her to taking decisive action: she has him confined and prioritizes her children’s treatment. She trusts Song’s judgment.
• Gao Jun moves from arrogance and threats to pleading once he realizes Song’s identity and influence, but remains stunned by Fu’an’s defiance.
• Sima Yifeng shows eagerness to learn by asking to assist in the surgery; Song accepts.
• Kang Yueling offers reassurance through her own experience with Song’s surgery, while Fu’an seeks her perspective.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Gao Jun is reminded that royal status belongs to Fu’an, while his position depends on her; an apology does not cancel wrongdoing.
• Female agency and solidarity: Song supports Fu’an in confronting abuse, and Fu’an begins to reclaim control over her household.
• Medical knowledge and trust: Song’s advanced techniques offer hope for the twins, while Yueling’s testimony helps ease Fu’an’s fears.
• Mentorship and learning: Song gives Sima Yifeng a chance to gain practical experience under her guidance.

Plot points and events

• Princess Fu’an visits Kang Yueling, who is recovering well after childbirth and praises Song Yaoyao’s medical skill.
• At court the next day, Song Yaoyao submits a road-construction memorial, then formally impeaches Marquis Xuanming over his son Gao Jun’s treatment of Princess Fu’an.
• Song recounts witnessing Gao Jun fail to show the princess proper respect, order her to buy back his concubine and apologize to her, and threaten her. Marquis Xuanming denies that his son could behave this way, but Song challenges him to an investigation and accuses him of shielding Gao Jun.
• The emperor orders an inquiry. Until it concludes, Gao Jun is confined to his residence and Marquis Xuanming’s household may receive no visitors.
• After court, Song leaves with her father, insisting her account is true. Officials speculate that Gao Jun’s arrogance may have brought serious consequences upon his father’s family.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao takes an aggressive stand for Princess Fu’an, turning a private incident into a public case at court. Her anger reflects both her protectiveness and her belief that Fu’an should not tolerate abuse.
• Princess Fu’an is portrayed as kind and patient, but too reluctant to seek help or defend herself. Song privately hopes she will eventually leave Gao Jun and experience a wider world.
• Marquis Xuanming is frightened and defensive, insisting he is loyal to the emperor while admitting he failed to discipline his son.
• The emperor takes the accusations seriously and shares Song’s concern for Fu’an, but orders an investigation before deciding on punishment.
• Song’s conversation with her father confirms their closeness; he questions her account, and she explains what she witnessed. At court, her blunt remarks also leave officials bewildered.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power and marital mistreatment: Gao Jun’s treatment of an imperial princess is framed as both personal cruelty and a serious political offense.
• Loyalty, accountability, and family responsibility: Marquis Xuanming’s defense of his son raises questions about whether he is merely a negligent parent or actively covering for him.
• Agency and self-respect: Song argues that Fu’an should not remain silent when mistreated, challenging expectations that a wife must endure her husband’s behavior.
• Justice through investigation: Despite Song’s forceful accusations, the emperor orders evidence to be examined before reaching a verdict.

Key plot points and events

• The emperor learns the full extent of Gao Jun’s abuse of Princess Jiahe and his repeated removal of goods from her residence to Marquis Xuanming’s home. Convinced the marquis knowingly ignored the wrongdoing, he orders both men punished.
• Song Yaoyao hears that everyone in Marquis Xuanming’s residence has been executed and Gao Jun has been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts. She sees the punishment as a consequence of Gao Jun’s attack on imperial authority.
• With potato cultivation spreading successfully, Song Yaoyao decides to introduce sweet potatoes. She buys 100,000 jin and receives illustrated growing guides from Guagua, planning to offer them before planting season.
• Five disciples from Divine Healer Valley arrive, with more expected. Song initially offers them the residence granted to her by the emperor, but Sima Yifeng warns that this could invite gossip. She agrees they can stay at a medicine shop temporarily.
• Song then asks Ying Mingkang to purchase three large neighboring residences: separate homes for male and female disciples, plus a building to turn into a hospital. She also instructs him to arrange necessities, servants, and cooks.

Character developments and interactions

• The emperor reacts fiercely to evidence of his daughter’s mistreatment, viewing Gao Jun and Marquis Xuanming’s conduct as an affront to both family and throne.
• Song Yaoyao remains practical and forward-looking: she expands her agricultural plans and begins organizing lasting housing and medical facilities for Divine Healer Valley’s growing presence.
• Sima Yifeng is cautious about reputation and social propriety, pushing back against Song’s generous but potentially controversial housing idea.
• Guagua playfully tries to sell Song more goods and books; Song recognizes the sales pitch but buys the sweet potatoes anyway.
• Ying Mingkang follows Song’s instructions and helps turn her plans into concrete arrangements.

Significant themes

• Justice and imperial authority: Gao Jun’s fate underscores the severe consequences of abusing a princess and challenging the emperor.
• Social reputation and propriety: Sima’s concern shows how public perception shapes even practical decisions.
• Public welfare and preparation: Song’s sweet-potato initiative and plans for a hospital reflect her commitment to food security and healthcare.
• Pragmatism and generosity: Song acts decisively to support the incoming disciples, while adapting when her first plan proves unsuitable.

Plot points

• Song Yaoyao funds supplies for a planned relief effort, then sends her father information about sweet potatoes and their cultivation books so he can present them to the emperor.
• The next morning, she learns that the emperor has approved her proposal for a medical college and provided a mansion to be converted into one.
• The emperor excuses Song from her official duties so she can operate on Princess Fu’an’s conjoined children, whose condition is suitable for surgery.
• After examining the children and confirming they are fit, Song and her disciples perform the operation. The surgery succeeds, and the children are separated.
• Song explains their care to Princess Fu’an, then returns home exhausted and rests.

Character developments and interactions

• Song is shown as practical and generous, using her own funds to prepare for public needs while advancing agricultural and medical projects.
• She comforts Princess Fu’an, encouraging her to move beyond past sorrow and take joy in the future with her children.
• Princess Fu’an reveals that she refused to meet Gao Jun before his execution, recognizing that he would likely have asked her to intercede for his family. She feels she cannot disappoint the emperor again.
• The emperor’s concern for Princess Fu’an motivates him to prioritize the children’s surgery.
• Song’s disciples Leng Lingyi, Xia Wanyun, and Sima Yifeng assist with examinations and the operation. Sima records questions for later rather than interrupting his exhausted teacher.

Significant themes

• Healing and new beginnings: The successful surgery gives the children the chance to live separately, while Princess Fu’an is encouraged to imagine a fuller future.
• Duty and compassion: Song balances official responsibilities with medical care, and the emperor uses his authority to support both.
• Accountability and moving on: Princess Fu’an accepts the consequences of Gao Jun’s actions rather than trying to rescue his family.
• Public service and progress: Song’s agricultural and educational initiatives reflect her commitment to improving people’s lives.

Key plot points and events

• After recovering, Song Yaoyao checks on the two children in Plum Garden and finds them well.
• Ying Mingkang reports that he has bought three four-courtyard houses near Song Yaoyao’s medical college, arranged furnishings, bedding, servants, and cooks. Song gives him extra funds for further purchases and rewards him with 5,000 taels for his capable management of her shops.
• Ying asks when the new vehicles will arrive, since customers have been asking about them. Song realizes she forgot and consults Guagua. After haggling for a modest discount, she orders 200 Baga Cars, planning to buy more if they sell well.
• Song stores the cars in the rear courtyard of her unused Princess’s Residence.
• The next day, she gives Ying the keys and arranges for someone to teach him to drive. He may keep the car he learns on, and Song instructs him to provide cars and driving lessons to two other shopkeepers as well, so they can demonstrate the vehicles around town.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows herself to be a practical, generous business owner: she rewards reliable work, plans cautiously, and recognizes the value of advertising.
• Ying Mingkang proves dependable and skilled. The generous bonus deepens his loyalty, and he resolves to manage the shops with even greater care.
• Song and Guagua bargain over the cars. Their playful but persistent negotiation highlights Song’s business sense and Guagua’s enthusiasm for making a sale.
• Song Yi responds promptly when Song asks for help arranging a driving instructor.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and fair reward: Song’s generosity motivates Ying and strengthens their working relationship.
• Entrepreneurship and planning: Song invests in a new product, negotiates its cost, and starts with a trial-sized order before expanding.
• Innovation and promotion: Giving shopkeepers cars and teaching them to drive turns practical use into advertising.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao visits the vehicle shop and sees a long queue. Buyers are eager to purchase the new Baga Cars, attracted by Shopkeeper Ying’s demonstration and the shop’s offer to teach customers to drive.
• She asks Lord Song for people to train and send to her fief, where they will work with local officials to develop the economy through agriculture and commerce. He agrees to find staff for her.
• Kang Yueling and her baby are discharged from the Marquis’s Residence. Old Madam Kang later sends generous thank-you gifts to the Song household, including ten thousand taels in silver notes.
• On her day off, Song Yaoyao declines Song Qingling’s invitation to join her and Young General Liu on an outing, partly because she gets seasick and does not want to intrude.
• Song Yaoyao goes out with her second brother, Song Qinghui, and they visit the vehicle shop. Ying Mingkang reports that demand greatly exceeds supply, so he has limited purchases to one vehicle per household. Song Yaoyao’s response to his request for more stock is left unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows initiative and long-term ambition by planning to build up her fief’s economy; she also remains attentive to the practical needs of her business.
• Lord Song supports her plans, agreeing to help recruit people.
• Song Qingling appears cheerful about her growing closeness with Liu Zheheng, who has been giving her gifts and inviting her out. Yaoyao encourages her sister’s romance but gives them space.
• Song Qinghui and Yaoyao spend their day off together, sharing an easy, companionable outing.
• Ying Mingkang treats Yaoyao as the shop’s boss and openly consults her about the supply problem.

Significant themes

• Commerce and prosperity: Yaoyao believes business can improve ordinary people’s lives and intends to promote it in her fief.
• Entrepreneurship and demand: The vehicle launch is a success, but limited production creates pressure on the shop.
• Family support and gratitude: Lord Song backs Yaoyao’s plans, while the Kang family expresses sincere thanks for the care they received.

Key plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao finishes discussing vehicle sales with Ying Mingkang, then notices a crowd rushing across the street. She and Song Qinghui follow them.
• The crowd is heading to rescue Niuniu, a young woman with the mind of a six-year-old, whom her stepmother, Tian Yuezhi, allegedly sold to an abusive elderly widower while her father was away.
• Guagua explains Niuniu’s history: after a childhood fever left her cognitively impaired, her grandmother took her in and protected her from Tian Yuezhi. Niuniu is also exceptionally strong, a secret her grandmother taught her to hide.
• Tian Yuezhi exploited Niuniu’s strength for household labor, then plotted to sell her for fifty taels to fund her son’s marriage. She drugged Granny Wang’s chicken soup and lured Niuniu away.
• The rescuers reach the widower’s home and enter. To their surprise, the widower is nowhere in sight; Niuniu is simply asleep at a table amid a spread of food. She wakes and assures her grandmother she is unharmed.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao responds quickly to the crowd’s concern and learns the full story from Guagua as she and Song Qinghui follow the rescuers.
• Granny Wang leads the rescue and checks Niuniu anxiously. Niuniu greets her warmly and appears unconcerned.
• Tian Yuezhi is revealed as manipulative and cruel, exploiting Niuniu and attempting to trade her safety for money.
• Niuniu is presented as vulnerable because of her impaired mind, yet also strong, kind, and apparently safe—at least for the moment. The unexplained food and absence of the widower hint that something unexpected happened.

Significant themes

• Exploitation and betrayal: Tian Yuezhi disguises abuse as kindness while using Niuniu for labor and profit.
• Family protection and community solidarity: Granny Wang and the townspeople unite to rescue Niuniu.
• Vulnerability and hidden strength: Niuniu’s disability makes her easier to deceive, but her extraordinary physical strength complicates how others perceive her.
• Appearance versus reality: Tian Yuezhi’s respectable public image hides her intentions, while the rescue party’s expectations are unsettled by the scene they find.

Plot points and events

• Granny Wang checks whether Silly Girl was harmed the previous night. Silly Girl says she ate, fell asleep, and nothing happened to her.
• When she reveals that her stepmother, Tian Yuezhi, and “Young Master Yang” are still asleep, the onlookers suspect an affair.
• Pressed for details, Silly Girl explains that Tian brought her to Yang’s house intending to have her sleep with him. Silly Girl refused, locked Tian and Yang in a room together, and ate in another room.
• Silly Girl says Tian resisted Yang, so she knocked Tian unconscious and poured the fruit wine Tian had meant for Silly Girl into Tian’s mouth. She also used Tian’s lock and key to confine the pair.
• Granny Wang and the crowd unlock the room. Tian and Yang are found together in bed. Yang assumes Tian deliberately maneuvered herself into his bed, then strikes and kicks her; Tian denies wanting him.

Character developments and interactions

• Silly Girl appears naïve and food-focused, but her actions reveal strength, resourcefulness, and a straightforward sense of fairness: she turns Tian’s instructions back on her.
• Granny Wang shifts from relief that Silly Girl is unharmed to alarm and urgency as she learns what Tian intended.
• Tian Yuezhi is exposed as having tried to offer her stepdaughter to Yang, only to become trapped in the situation herself.
• Yang the Widower reacts with contempt toward Tian and blames her for their being together, despite his own involvement.
• The crowd moves from confusion to scandalized excitement, while Granny Wang takes charge of finding and confronting the pair.

Significant themes

• Karma and poetic justice: Tian’s plan backfires, and she experiences the situation she meant to impose on Silly Girl.
• Deception and reversal: Silly Girl’s literal, unguarded choices undo Tian’s scheme.
• Exploitation and power: The chapter centers on Tian’s attempt to trade on Silly Girl’s vulnerability, while Silly Girl’s strength disrupts that abuse.

Key plot points and events

• Yang the Widower discovers that Tian Yuezhi, not Silly Girl, is in his bed. He accuses Tian and the Wang family of taking his fifty taels of silver under false pretenses, since he had intended to marry Silly Girl.
• Villagers learn what happened and publicly condemn Tian for trying to sell her stepdaughter. When Tian blames Silly Girl and rushes at her, Silly Girl instinctively kicks her across the courtyard, leaving her injured.
• Yang demands that Granny Wang resolve the matter. Granny argues that the Wang family never received his money and that, once Tian is cast out, she has no authority over Silly Girl’s marriage. She also warns Yang that trying to marry Silly Girl after sleeping with her stepmother could expose him to a serious legal charge.
• Yang backs down but remains angry about losing his fifty taels. Granny declares that the family will repudiate Tian and tells her to live with Yang instead.

Character developments

• Silly Girl reveals unexpected physical strength, though she says she acted only in self-defense and is upset that she exposed it. She seeks comfort from Granny Wang.
• Granny Wang proves decisive and sharp-witted, protecting Silly Girl while using family authority, public witnesses, and the law to counter Yang’s demands.
• Tian Yuezhi is exposed and disgraced, but shows no remorse; she blames Silly Girl and is ultimately rejected by the Wang family.
• Yang the Widower shifts from outrage at being deceived to demanding his money back, but recognizes Granny’s legal argument and cannot force the marriage.

Significant themes

• Abuse of power and exploitation: Tian tries to profit from arranging Silly Girl’s marriage without regard for her safety or wishes.
• Justice and social accountability: The villagers’ presence and the threat of legal consequences limit Yang’s ability to impose his will.
• Self-protection and unexpected strength: Silly Girl’s instinctive response overturns others’ assumptions about her helplessness.
• Family loyalty and reputation: Granny’s priority is protecting Silly Girl and preserving the Wang family’s standing, even if it means casting Tian out.

Character interactions

• Granny comforts Silly Girl after the kick and firmly absolves her of blame.
• The villagers turn against Tian, whose attempt to attack Silly Girl only worsens her standing.
• Granny and Yang argue over the money, the proposed marriage, and the consequences of his encounter with Tian; her reasoning leaves him unable to press his claim.
• Tian pleads with Granny not to expel her, but Granny rejects her and refuses to be called “Mother.”

Plot points and events

• Granny Wang discovers Tian Yuezhi’s children, Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Xiaorong, among the crowd. Xiaorong begs her grandmother not to divorce Tian Yuezhi, but Granny Wang refuses, saying Tian’s attempt to sell her elder daughter was unforgivable and could have cost the girl her life.
• Granny Wang persuades Xiaorong to leave with her by warning that her mother’s ruined reputation could damage Xiaorong’s marriage prospects. Xiaorong abandons her plea and walks away with Granny Wang; Xiaoxian remains silent.
• With the others gone, Yang the Widower accuses Tian Yuezhi of arranging the events so she could marry him. She denies it, but he beats her.
• Yang demands the fifty taels he gave Tian. Under threat, Tian admits she spent thirty taels on Xiaoxian’s betrothal and twenty on wedding expenses.
• Yang mocks her for sacrificing so much for a son who did not defend her. He refuses to support Xiaoxian’s marriage and orders Tian to recover the fifty taels within three days, threatening further violence. Tian agrees out of fear.

Character developments and interactions

• Granny Wang is resolute in protecting her granddaughter and holding Tian accountable, though she still cares for Xiaorong.
• Xiaorong initially appears compassionate, but her concern for her own marriage prospects outweighs loyalty to her mother. Xiaoxian avoids confronting the situation and offers Tian no support.
• Tian Yuezhi loses the support of her children and is left vulnerable to Yang’s abuse. Though she defends Xiaoxian, she cannot deny his failure to help her.
• Yang the Widower is shown as violent, controlling, and financially demanding. He uses Tian’s predicament and her children’s behavior to humiliate and intimidate her.

Significant themes

• Consequences and accountability: Tian faces rejection after attempting to sell her daughter.
• Self-interest and family loyalty: Xiaorong and Xiaoxian fail to stand by their mother when doing so carries a personal cost.
• Abuse and powerlessness: Yang’s violence and threats leave Tian with little choice but to submit.
• Money and exploitation: The fifty taels become both the reason for Tian’s original sacrifice and the means by which Yang now controls her.

Plot points

• Song Yaoyao watches a video showing Tian Yuezhi suffering under Yang the Widower, and she and Guagua agree that Tian deserves her misery and is unlikely to truly repent.
• While out with Song Qinghui, Song Yaoyao runs into Master Liaoran, who has recently left the Imperial Palace. She invites him to the Marquis’s Residence.
• Liaoran admires the popular Baga Cars and asks to buy one directly from Song Yaoyao. She agrees, and he also openly asks her for more snacks—especially potato chips, popcorn, and rice crackers.
• At the residence, Liaoran asks about events since they parted in the Night Central Kingdom. Song Yaoyao gives him a brief account, and they reflect on the challenge of governing the newly unified Four Kingdoms.
• Niuniu arrives and accuses Liaoran of sneaking food, recalling that it saw him eating potato chips during their journey together.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao remains sharp-tongued and amused by Liaoran’s obvious interest in snacks and a vehicle. Despite her influence and prestigious title, she is careful not to interfere in matters she considers the emperor’s responsibility.
• Master Liaoran is relaxed and playful around Song Yaoyao, candidly admitting his fondness for modern treats and vehicles. Their familiar teasing suggests a comfortable friendship.
• Niuniu continues its blunt, mischievous habit of calling people out—including Liaoran—giving Song Yaoyao a welcome target for its teasing.
• Tian Yuezhi appears only in the opening scene, where her forced labor and fear underline the consequences of her past schemes.

Significant themes

• Consequences and justice: Tian Yuezhi’s suffering is presented as the result of her own cruelty, though the characters doubt she will learn from it.
• Restraint and responsibility: Song Yaoyao recognizes the limits of her authority even after helping unify the kingdoms.
• Familiarity and humor: The playful exchanges among Song Yaoyao, Liaoran, and Niuniu bring levity to the chapter, especially through their shared—and disputed—love of snacks.

Key plot points and events

• Master Liaoran visits Song Yaoyao’s residence and is delighted by the Baga Car. Song Qinghui teaches him to drive, while Song Yaoyao prepares two large boxes of snacks for his journey.
• Liaoran hints that he will return after he has eaten the snacks, prompting Song Yaoyao to realize that his promised “visit” is really an excuse to get more treats.
• At court the next morning, Lord Han warns that the rapidly spreading Baga Cars are causing congestion and could endanger pedestrians, especially children. Song Yaoyao accepts responsibility and promises to draft traffic regulations.
• With Guagua’s help, she consults modern rules and spends three evenings adapting them for the era. She submits the finished regulations to the emperor.
• Lord Song introduces Song Yaoyao to ten men with varied skills—including farming, commerce, and negotiation—whom he has recruited to help develop her fief. After interviewing them, she is satisfied and begins assigning them roles.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows practical responsibility by acknowledging that she overlooked road safety and promptly addressing the problem. She also begins organizing capable staff for her fief, with plans to place a business expert with Ying Mingkang, a farming specialist at her manor, and a skilled negotiator under her own guidance.
• Master Liaoran is revealed as less solemn than his reputation suggests: he loves snacks, enjoys his new vehicle, and cheerfully plans to return once his supplies run out. His exchange with the talking bird, Niuniu, also provides comedy when the bird flies off rather than listen to his lengthy explanation.
• Song Qinghui helps Liaoran learn to drive and secures the snacks to the vehicle.
• Lord Song demonstrates support for his daughter by thoughtfully assembling a broad team of specialists. Their affectionate, informal conversation shows their close relationship.

Significant themes

• Innovation requires responsibility: The popularity of the Baga Car creates a need for rules that protect pedestrians and keep streets orderly.
• Practical governance and preparation: Song Yaoyao uses research and careful drafting to address a new public problem, while also building the workforce needed to manage her fief.
• Reputation versus reality: Liaoran’s comic fondness for snacks contrasts with his revered image as a wise, dignified monk.
• Family support and trust: Lord Song backs Song Yaoyao’s ambitions by finding people suited to help her succeed.

Key plot points and events

• Five days after the Marquis’s guests leave, new traffic regulations are introduced in Crimson Feather City, with government troops enforcing order on major roads.
• Half a month later, Song Qinghui brings his colleagues, Gao Wang and Gao Yu, to the Marquis’s Residence. Though Song Yaoyao assumes they need an ordinary consultation, Gao Wang eventually explains that they have come for Gao Yu’s treatment.
• Gao Yu, thirteen, has unusually developed breasts and is deeply embarrassed by the condition, binding his chest when he goes out. Song Yaoyao explains that male breast enlargement may result from obesity or hormonal imbalance, and says she must examine him before determining the cause or promising a cure.
• Song Yaoyao summons Sima Yifeng to assist and teach him about the case. He shares the story of a thin man with a similar condition who was abused and driven from his village; if treatment is possible, Sima hopes to bring him to Crimson Feather City.
• Gao Yu hesitates to undress for the examination, but Song Yaoyao reassures him that she sees him as a patient, not as a man, and urges him to cooperate. He finally begins removing his shirt.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao handles Gao Yu’s vulnerability with honesty and compassion, refusing to guarantee a cure before examining him.
• Gao Yu is initially silent and ashamed, but gradually agrees to seek help.
• Gao Wang speaks on his younger brother’s behalf and explains the condition and its emotional toll.
• Song Qinghui’s awkwardness comes from believing the case would be uncomfortable for his younger sister to treat. Guagua reveals he only agreed to bring the brothers after Gao Wang promised to teach him a sword technique. The Song family overhears this and criticizes Qinghui for choosing the lesson over his sister.
• Song Yaoyao and Sima Yifeng discuss the stigma surrounding the condition, with Sima asking to learn more and hoping to help another man he once met.

Significant themes

• Medical care and dignity: Song Yaoyao treats Gao Yu without judgment and emphasizes that a physician’s priority is the patient.
• Honesty and trust: She explains the possible causes and limits of what she can promise before examining him.
• Stigma and cruelty: Gao Yu’s shame—and Sima’s account of a man persecuted for a similar condition—show how ignorance can turn illness into social exclusion.
• Compassion and learning: The consultation offers Sima a chance to deepen his medical knowledge and potentially help someone else in need.

Plot points and events

• Song Yaoyao examines Gao Yu after he removes the tight chest bindings he has used to conceal his condition. With Gao Yu reluctant to let her touch him, she guides Sima Yifeng through the examination instead.
• The examination reveals chest nodules. Song Yaoyao explains that surgery can cure them, but schedules the operation for her upcoming day off, when she can perform it without being exhausted.
• Song Yaoyao’s second brother, Song Qinghui, is being punished by their family for agreeing to bring Gao Yu to the residence partly so he could learn swordsmanship. His parents insist that he failed to put family first. He admits his mistake and promises not to repeat it.
• Five days later, Song Yaoyao operates successfully on Gao Yu. He weeps with relief at the prospect of living as a normal man.
• Several wider projects advance: the emperor approves a gradual plan to pave major roads and city streets with cement; sweet potatoes begin trial planting on an imperial estate; and more disciples from Divine Healer Valley arrive ahead of the Medical College’s opening.
• With eldest brother Song Qingyu’s wedding approaching, Madam Song arranges new clothes for the household. Song Yaoyao is surprised, since most of her wardrobe is men’s clothing, but gives in when her mother insists.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Yu moves from guarded anxiety to hope and, after the successful operation, overwhelming relief. His discomfort with being examined shows how vulnerable he feels about his condition.
• Song Yaoyao treats Gao Yu with practical compassion, respecting his hesitation and adapting the examination. She also accepts her parents’ discipline of Song Qinghui rather than intervening.
• Song Qinghui is chastened after his family confronts him. He initially defends his decision as convenient for everyone, but ultimately acknowledges that his attitude toward family was wrong.
• Madam Song firmly reinforces the family’s expectations and later shows affection in her own way by arranging clothes for Song Yaoyao, overriding her daughter’s modest request.
• Sima Yifeng assists with Gao Yu’s examination under Song Yaoyao’s direction.

Significant themes

• Healing and dignity: Gao Yu’s surgery offers more than physical treatment; it promises freedom from shame and the chance to live comfortably.
• Family loyalty and responsibility: Song Qinghui’s punishment centers on the belief that family should come first, while Song Yaoyao’s refusal to rescue him reflects her acceptance of that principle.
• Steady progress: Medical education, agricultural trials, and infrastructure improvements all advance gradually, emphasizing practical, sustained development.
• Care expressed through authority: Madam Song’s insistence on new clothes contrasts with Song Yaoyao’s reluctance, presenting maternal care as both affectionate and controlling.

Key plot points and events

• Shopkeeper Yao measures the Song family and shows Madam Song a clothing catalog, but neither Madam Song nor Song Yaoyao finds its designs distinctive.
• Song Yaoyao offers to create her own designs. With help from Guagua, she studies hundreds of ancient-style references and spends three days drawing three outfits for each family member, including her eldest sister-in-law.
• Madam Song admires the designs and agrees to choose the fabrics and visit Shopkeeper Yao to explain the details. Song Yaoyao asks for her own outfits in purple, blue, and pinkish purple.
• When Song Qingling visits to discuss a wedding gift for their eldest brother, Song Yaoyao proposes taking wedding photographs for him and his bride. She also offers to photograph Qingling, even though Qingling’s wedding is years away, and plans to enlist their second brother’s help.

Character development

• Song Yaoyao shows initiative, creativity, and confidence by turning her knowledge of modern fashion into designs suited to the family’s era. She also comes up with a thoughtful, unconventional wedding gift.
• Madam Song grows more openly appreciative of Yaoyao’s lively affection. Yaoyao’s hug and kiss move her deeply, and she no longer sees her daughter’s impulsiveness as a flaw.
• Song Qingling is receptive to new ideas, agreeing that photographs can be taken before marriage.

Significant themes

• Creativity and adaptation: Song Yaoyao reshapes familiar fashion ideas to suit her family’s world.
• Family affection: Yaoyao’s direct expressions of love bring Madam Song happiness and strengthen their closeness.
• Modern customs in a traditional setting: Fashion design and wedding photography introduce new possibilities into the family’s established routines.

Character interactions

• Madam Song supports Yaoyao’s design work, handles fabric choices, and plans to coordinate with Shopkeeper Yao.
• Yaoyao’s playful show of affection surprises and delights her mother.
• Song Yaoyao and Song Qingling discuss gifts and photography; Yaoyao offers Qingling a photo session and suggests asking their second brother to assist, while deciding not to involve Liu Zheheng.

Plot points and events

• Song Qingling visits Song Yaoyao to discuss a wedding gift for their eldest brother, Song Qingyu. Yaoyao suggests arranging wedding photographs and asks Qingling to inform Qingyu and their second brother, Song Qinghui.
• Qingling tells both brothers. Qingyu agrees to the photos, and Qinghui asks to be told the date in advance so he can prepare. The session is scheduled for ten days later.
• Yaoyao decides on a practical wedding gift for Qingyu: a black Off-Road Vehicle. Although Guagua tries to persuade her to buy a newer model, Yaoyao refuses and chooses from the cars she already owns.
• Two days later, Yaoyao takes Qingyu to the Treasure Vault at her Princess’s Residence and reveals the vehicle. He is stunned, then delighted, but initially protests that it is too precious.
• Yaoyao insists he deserves it. Qingyu accepts, and she gives him the key. He already knows how to drive, having learned while their second brother taught their father, and he immediately takes the vehicle for a drive.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows thoughtfulness and generosity toward her family, choosing a useful gift suited to the kingdom’s rough roads. Her playful argument with Guagua also reveals her practical attitude toward spending.
• Song Qingyu is surprised and deeply moved by the gift. Though modest about accepting something so valuable, he ultimately accepts it warmly and confidently drives the car.
• Song Qingling acts as the messenger and helps coordinate the wedding-photo arrangements, though she initially forgets to settle on a gift of her own.
• Song Qinghui is cooperative and ready to help with the photos.
• Guagua teases Yaoyao and humorously encourages her to make another purchase; she sees through the sales pitch.

Significant themes

• Family affection and generosity: Yaoyao’s gift is an expression of love, while Qingyu’s gratitude reflects their close bond.
• Practicality: The Off-Road Vehicle is chosen because it suits the local roads, not merely because it is impressive.
• Modernity and novelty: Cars and wedding photography are unusual, valuable additions to life in the Heavenly Phoenix Kingdom.

Key plot points and events

• Song Qingyu tries out the off-road vehicle and thanks Song Yaoyao, delighted with it.
• On the day of the wedding photos, the Song family turns the shoot into a family outing. Song Yaoyao invites Madam Song and Lord Song, and the group travels outside the city with Ji Minyue.
• Song Yaoyao photographs Qingyu and Minyue, takes portraits of Qingling and other relatives, and uses a tripod for family portraits. The long day leaves her exhausted.
• Twenty days later, the finished albums and framed family pictures arrive. The family is moved by them, and Minyue visits separately to admire her wedding album.
• A few days later, Ji Zhiheng appears at the Marquis’s Residence with Minyue. Song Yaoyao privately wonders whether Baili Ningxia has thrown him out, but Guagua clarifies that he has come to ask Song Yaoyao for something. Ji Zhiheng requests wedding photos for himself and Xiaxia and offers to pay.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Yaoyao shows her affection for her family by including her parents in the outing and creating portraits to preserve their memories. She reassures Madam Song that she is never a burden.
• Madam Song agrees to join the outing and later treasures the pictures. She encourages Lord Song to smile more; he promises to do so.
• Qingyu and Qingling are grateful for their photographs, while Minyue is so pleased with her album that she looks through it repeatedly.
• Ji Zhiheng’s earnest pursuit of Xiaxia is revealed through his thoughts: he dismisses his clinginess as a deliberate strategy to win her over. He is embarrassed by Song Yaoyao’s humorous assumptions, as is Minyue.
• Ji Zhiheng respectfully asks Song Yaoyao to photograph him and Xiaxia, praising the albums she made for his sister.

Significant themes

• Family and shared memories: The outing and portraits bring the family together and preserve a rare moment in their lives.
• Affection and gratitude: The family’s warm responses show how meaningful Song Yaoyao’s gift is.
• Courtship and persistence: Ji Zhiheng’s request—and his unapologetic attitude toward pursuing Xiaxia—introduces a romantic thread.
• Humor and misunderstanding: Song Yaoyao’s imaginative speculation and Ji Zhiheng’s private embarrassment provide comic relief.