Ye Tangtang

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Before becoming Northern Li’s Ninth Princess, Tangtang had already lived in a cultivation world and worked with a system. After reaching the Nascent Soul stage, she was struck by heavenly lightning and transmigrated into a novel as a doomed twelve-year-old princess 1 17.

The original princess had lived in the Cold Palace since birth with Shen Qingqing. They received only one inadequate meal a day, leaving the girl severely malnourished. She was quiet and withdrawn, resisted bathing, and remained so obscure that palace servants did not know a Ninth Princess existed 3 7 10.

The transmigrated Tangtang is markedly more affectionate and outspoken than her predecessor. Her knowledge of the novel, surviving spiritual power, and system rewards give her ways to challenge the circumstances that originally condemned the princess 1 2 4.

Her interventions eventually alter the expected course of the story. Rather than simply awaiting Northern Li’s predicted destruction three years later, she becomes involved in refugee relief, exposes concealed political dangers, and helps defeat Prince Yue’s earlier rebellion. The system attributes the plot’s divergence to her presence 119 120 129 137 140 141.

During the rebellion, Tangtang reflects that she had never previously had a mother or father and does not want to lose the family she has now gained. This attachment becomes a direct reason for her resistance to separation and flight 141.

After Jun Yuyuan returns to Qin Ye, the two remain separated for three years. Tangtang keeps his daily letters, which eventually fill an entire room, and chooses him over the other prospective husbands proposed for her. He returns for her fifteenth-birthday coming-of-age ceremony and publicly asks to become her Princess Consort. Their marriage is subsequently arranged, and the extras show them raising two sons and eventually traveling together 143 144 146 147 150.

Appearance

• Build: Small, frail, and underdeveloped for her age; initially resembles a ten-year-old despite being twelve 3 7.
• Face: Delicate and fair, with moist almond-shaped eyes, a dainty nose, cherry-like lips, and two dimples when she smiles 7.
• Family resemblance: Looks closely enough like Shen Qingqing that their resemblance is evident when they sit together 11.
• Transformation: Bathing and new clothes reveal her beauty beneath her formerly dirty, neglected appearance. She recognizes her face as matching her previous-life appearance 7.
• School clothing: Initially wears a white-and-pink padded jacket and skirt, a fluffy scarf, and a white cloth bag; later favors a bunny-shaped bag 28 35.
• Dinosaur costume: Her hooded green pajamas have horns and a tail. Their unfamiliar silhouette leads palace residents to mistake her for a monster 42 43.
• Cat-eared hood: Wears thick winter clothing with a fluffy, cat-eared hood, making her look like a round dumpling from a distance 101.
• Farewell clothing: Chooses a particularly pretty blue dress and several hairpins when seeing Jun Yuyuan off 143.
• At fifteen: Has grown into a graceful young woman with creamy-jade skin and clear almond-shaped eyes, described as Northern Li’s greatest beauty. At her coming-of-age ceremony, she wears sumptuous pink robes, a flowing-cloud bun, and a Golden-thread Phoebe Hairpin 144.

Personality

Tangtang’s soft voice and innocent expression conceal a sharp-tongued, irreverent inner monologue. She readily uses flattery, tears, and exaggerated helplessness to influence others, sometimes pinching herself to make her crying convincing. These performances are often undermined because their targets can hear her actual thoughts 19 22 48.

She wants a comfortable life centered on food, sleep, gossip, and money. Ice cream is a particularly effective incentive, while schoolwork prompts increasingly reckless avoidance schemes. Despite her bold behavior, she experiences severe social anxiety around crowds and would rather get lost than ask for directions 5 10 13 26 30.

Her devotion to Shen Qingqing consistently overrides her laziness and fear. When she dismisses the possibility of her own death, the system persuades her to act by reminding her that her mother would remain in danger. She also shows genuine tenderness toward bullied siblings and sympathy for lovers facing execution 9 25 47.

Her vindictiveness grows more dangerous once she acquires explosives. She personally attacks the Empress’s residence and the Lu estate, treating explosive packs as an effective answer to people who threaten or anger her. Her reckless confidence contrasts with her genuine helplessness when confronted by trained assassins 54 87 90 101.

Her appetite for handsome men produces extravagant fantasies about thirty or even 365 prince consorts. She admires Xie Jingqian especially strongly and publicly collects prospective husbands’ names. By fifteen, however, she rejects the Young Marquis and declares that she wants only Jun Yuyuan 14 25 59 111 114 144.

Although she habitually prizes money, she spends everything in her purse to feed hungry refugees and insists that their immediate suffering matters despite the limits of individual charity. She then seeks imperial assistance and monitors the relief stalls, displaying compassion and a developing sense of public responsibility 119 120 125 129.

Tangtang initially explains her attachment to Jun in terms of points, protection, and repayment, but becomes increasingly trusting and protective of him. She defends him against her father’s suspicion, worries about his injuries, struggles with his departure, and preserves his letters throughout their separation 97 98 132 143 144.

Her playful, food-loving nature persists into adulthood. Even after years in the palace and becoming a mother, she remains eager for sweets, outings, beautiful scenery, and the freedom to travel 147 150.

Abilities & Skills

Residual Spiritual Power

Tangtang retains a fraction of her previous cultivation power despite the seal placed on it 2.

• Summons a storm and purple lightning that strikes dangerously close to Ye Yubei, frightening him into retreat 2.
• Remains confident that her surviving power can help her resist abusive servants 4.
• Cannot reproduce Jun Yuyuan’s lightness skills; the system attributes this to her physically weak body, regardless of her soul’s strength 45.
• Still requires Jun to carry her into the air when escaping Phoenix Hall and explicitly recognizes that she does not possess his lightness skills 54.
• During the first assassination attempt, she desperately wonders where her spiritual power is but demonstrates no successful supernatural defense before Jun rescues her 90.

Foreknowledge and Photographic Memory

Tangtang has read numerous scripts thoroughly and possesses a photographic memory. She recognizes characters and remembers their expected roles, betrayals, and deaths 29.

• Predicts Northern Li’s fall in three years and considers escaping with her mother 11.
• Identifies dangerous futures for her siblings, including battlefield death, a brief reign as crown prince, wrongful execution, and a disastrous marriage 13 14 29 30.
• Recognizes Grand Secretary Lu as a future traitor allied with aristocratic families and Prince of Yan Ye Yulin 47.
• Does not know every character equally well: the novel gives her little information about the Empress Dowager, leaving her frightened of what the woman might do 49.
• Knows that the abused Ye Linmo is destined to become one of Jun Yuyuan’s great generals and assist in overthrowing Northern Li 9.
• Recalls the Empress’s expected break with the Lu family, deposition, and death in the Cold Palace 42.
• Recognizes Xie Jingqian’s predicted battlefield death and the danger associated with his intended match, Lu Qinghuan. Hearing her thoughts leads Xie to avoid Lu and her family 59.
• Knows Jun Yuyuan’s birthday and brings him a present, outwardly claiming that she heard the date mentioned in the palace 73.
• Connects the refugees’ arrival to the plague in Qi Prefecture and Grand Secretary Lu’s concealment of the crisis, including the original plot’s loss of public support for her father 119 120.
• Her knowledge becomes less reliable as events diverge: Prince Yue’s political activity and rebellion were not part of the script she expected, which instead placed Prince Yan’s rebellion three years later 129 137.

Audible Inner Thoughts

Selected people can hear Tangtang’s thoughts without her speaking. She generally does not realize this, so her private commentary repeatedly exposes secrets and defeats her own lies 1 19 22.

• Known listeners include Ye Yubei, Shen Qingqing, Jun Yuyuan, several imperial siblings, Lu Wuyou, Song Jinshi, Yun Qi, and the Empress Dowager 1 6 13 14 29 49.
• Her warnings lead listeners to reconsider military service, succession ambitions, romantic attachments, and loyalty to the Third Princess 29 30 33 38.
• No deliberate control over who hears her thoughts is demonstrated in the supplied chapters 1 29 49.
• Princess Consort of Yue and Xie Jingqian also hear her thoughts at the Plum Blossom Banquet 59.
• Briefly wonders whether Jun can hear her thoughts, but does not establish or act on that possibility 68.
• Shen discovers her responsibility for the Phoenix Hall explosion through her thoughts despite Tangtang’s claim that she slept all night 55.
• Her unspoken accusation that the Lu family suppressed the plague reports alerts Ye Yubei to official corruption and helps prompt broader relief measures 120.
• Jun still reflects in the final extra on the contrast between her spoken words and thoughts; the supplied passage does not establish that he has yet disclosed his ability to her 150.

System Missions and Lottery Rewards

Her system provides missions, gossip, points, and randomized prize draws. Tangtang treats it as both a source of conveniences and an unreliable bargaining partner 2 7 9.

• The gossip interface reveals Lady Liu’s affair, which Ye Yubei subsequently confirms 8 9.
• Tangtang repeatedly seeks a Return Soul Pill, but her hundred-draw attempt fails to produce one 27.
• Spending all her points leaves her unable to draw a rescue item when accused of being a demon; the system also refuses her request for further credit 49.
• By the later academy episodes, she has saved 2,000 points and continues using contact with Jun to seek cakes and other desired prizes 69 72.
• The system provides no effective rescue during the first assassination attempt, merely urging her to run 90.
• Her gossip knowledge also includes Prince Yue’s affair with Consort Shu and their child 130.
• Even as her affection for Jun deepens, she continues celebrating the points gained from spending time with him and initially worries that his departure will remove her principal source of rewards 98 143.

Academic Knowledge

Tangtang can recognize many written characters despite differences between modern and ancient writing 22.

• Uses knowledge from earlier schooling to explain “Goose Goose Goose” in enough detail to astonish Grand Tutor Yun 31.
• Earns a Gold Medal despite sleeping through the lesson; her mastery comes from having previously spent three days memorizing the poem’s meaning as punishment 31.
• Receives a silver medal after photographing academy rooms so they can be labeled 38.
• Recites Liu Changqing’s poem about a traveler returning through wind and snow when asked to compose on snow. Yun admits that he cannot match her apparent talent, and her explanation earns another Gold Medal 68 69.
• Attributes her extensive classical-poetry knowledge privately to elementary-school learning, while publicly claiming to be self-taught 69.
• Produces Wang Anshi’s “Plum Blossoms” under the Empress’s banquet challenge, again using remembered poetry rather than original composition 110.
• Her brush handwriting is initially nearly illegible. She abandons a calligraphy lesson when Jun estimates that improvement would require three years, though he later patiently guides her hand through individual characters 85 105.
• Reads romance storybooks with remarkable speed, surprising Ye Mushuang during their bookshop outing 119.

Performance and Self-Defense

Tangtang combines physical retaliation with convincing displays of innocence 7 46.

• Drenches Consort Shu and Lady Liu, then drives them away with a hoe and a kick 7.
• Kicks three servants into a lake after they threaten to throw her in 10.
• Headbutts Consort Li after her barbecue is destroyed, then retreats to seek her father’s protection 46.
• Uses her princess title to stop eunuchs bullying Jun Yuyuan 19.
• Her acting has a major weakness: Ye Yubei can hear the motives behind her feigned illness and tearful appeals 22 48.
• Uses staged tears to appeal against the demon accusation while privately admitting that she is pretending to cry 51.
• Climbs trees and walls to infiltrate Phoenix Hall with an explosive pack, then photographs the Empress and Third Princess amid the resulting panic 54.
• Blows up part of the Lu residence to discourage Grand Secretary Lu’s renewed marriage plans, then denies responsibility by invoking tectonic plates 86 87 90.
• Calls her headbutting an “Iron Head Technique,” but hurts herself when using it against Jun during their carriage banter; it is not established as a supernatural technique 125.
• Demonstrates only novice handgun ability. Her first shot has uncertain placement, and she admits that her aim is poor; her knowledge of firearms comes from television 140 141.

Photography and Commerce

Tangtang quickly turns unfamiliar modern goods into income 37 50.

• Sells camera portraits to relatives and classmates, including charging Ye Linze a gold ingot for a photograph with a second included free 37.
• Advertises portraits publicly by beating a borrowed drum 39.
• Considers selling Jun Yuyuan’s photograph because of his popularity among palace maids 37.
• Establishes her barbecue stall at the Crossroads, choosing a spacious location with heavy foot traffic 46.
• Converts her demon hearing into a sales opportunity by demonstrating gadgets to the Empress Dowager 50.
• Reopens her lamb-skewer stall after its restoration and employs Ye Linmo as effectively unpaid help. He handles customers and earnings capably, and she later gives him only one copper coin as payment 55 101.
• Persuades Ye Yubei to let Linmo stay with her, outwardly promising protection while privately valuing his free labor 57.
• Becomes obligated to provide her father with thirty lamb skewers daily after negotiating permission connected to the banquet outing 58.

Music, Painting, and Singing

Tangtang possesses genuine artistic skills in addition to her camera-based portrait business. She privately credits having attended eight different tutoring classes for her ability to meet the Empress’s challenges 111.

• Plays the guqin while Xie Jingqian accompanies her on flute at the Plum Blossom Banquet 59.
• Gives a musical performance at the later palace gathering that wins widespread praise and eclipses Ye Muxue’s display 109 110.
• Paints a lifelike brush portrait of Ye Yubei, demonstrating that her portrait ability is not limited to using a camera 111.
• Receives further praise from Yun for capturing a portrait subject’s spirit and paints his likeness at the academy 118.
• Is tone-deaf despite her other accomplishments. When challenged to sing, she considers using her MP3 player to lip-sync; afterward she tells Shen that the device played the song and demonstrates it 111 114.

Cooking and Practical Aid

• Operates a lamb-skewer business and prepares hot-pot meals with a secret-recipe sauce, including a divided pot of spicy broth and mild mushroom broth 46 55 115.
• Uses food to build relationships with her father, the Empress Dowager, Jun, and her siblings 57 73 115 132.
• Offers the sick Empress Dowager a modern medicinal capsule during the demon-accusation dispute. The Dowager subsequently recovers and rewards Tangtang for the cure 51 55 57.
• Feeds refugees directly, alerts the emperor to the concealed plague, and inspects porridge distribution to ensure generous portions 119 120 125 129.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Lollipops and snacks — Lottery prizes and treasured food; she gives lollipops to Jun Yuyuan and Ye Linmo as gestures of friendship 2 6 10. Later gives three lollipops to a refugee child, provoking Jun’s jealousy 129.
• Stale flatbread — Secretly keeps a rock-hard piece as an improvised self-defense weapon 3.
• Bunny-shaped bag — A lottery prize she adopts as her school bag 30 35.
• “Ice Skates” / “Fire Wheels” — Four-wheeled shoes used for high-speed skating. After she crashes into Ye Yubei, he forbids her from wearing them again but agrees not to discard them; she later lends them to her brothers 31 32 33 50.
• Sony camera — A lottery prize used for family photographs, portrait sales, and academy work 35 37 38. Also uses it to record the Empress and Ye Muxue’s humiliation after the Phoenix Hall explosion 54.
• Gold and silver medals — Academy rewards that she values primarily for their monetary worth 31 38. Earns another Gold Medal for explaining the snow poem 69.
• Green dinosaur pajamas — Warm hooded clothing whose horns and tail trigger monster rumors and the demon accusation 42 43 48.
• Robot vacuum / mopping robot — Demonstrates automated floor cleaning to her household and the Empress Dowager 45 50.
• Modern supplies — Draws a flashlight, sanitary pads, amoxicillin capsules, floral water, a lighter, glowing fairy wands, and liquid foundation 30 35 45.
• Seasoning pack and barbecue grill — Supplies for her cooking business; Ye Yubei promises to restore the stall after Consort Li’s attendants destroy it 45 46 47.
• Explosive packs — Uses them to damage Phoenix Hall and the Lu residence, then carries further packs for self-defense. During the siege, Jun accepts one of the two she offers and tells her to keep the other 54 86 87 139.
• Map — Consults it to locate Phoenix Hall during her nighttime revenge expedition 54.
• Imperial jade heirloom bracelet — A treasured gift from the Empress Dowager in gratitude for treating her illness 57.
• Palace Exit Token — Allows her to pass the palace gates officially. Uses it for outings with her brothers and for the bookshop visit with Ye Mushuang 65 76 119.
• Hundred Poisons Pill — A mystery-box prize described as capable of curing a hundred poisons; she saves it for later use 72.
• Scented cream and oxygen canister — Draws the cream for winter skincare, considering it suitable for Shen, and saves the oxygen canister for an emergency 72.
• MP3 player — Drawn with limited battery power. Uses its music as the explanation for her apparent singing performance and demonstrates it to Shen 72 111 114.
• Cake — A highly desired collector-grade lottery prize; shares cake with her parents and later eats leftovers before school 72 76 83.
• Romance storybooks — Reads one supplied by Ye Mushuang in class, then buys dozens more at Yihong Bookshop and attempts to hide them under her bed 85 119 120 121.
• Handgun / pistol — Acquired through emergency draws during Prince Yue’s assault. Tangtang fires the initial shot and teaches Jun the basic firing method; he uses it to kill Prince Yue. She later gives it to Jun for protection on his return to Qin Ye 140 141 143.
• Jun Yuyuan’s letters — Receives letters every day during their three-year separation. Keeps all of them until they fill an entire room 144.
• Golden-thread Phoebe Hairpin — Wears it in her flowing-cloud bun at her coming-of-age ceremony 144.

Relationships

• Shen Qingqing — Mother and chief emotional attachment. Tangtang seeks her affection, defends her against palace abuse, and shares her earnings so Shen can buy whatever she wants 7 9 41. Her seizure during the demon accusation prompts Shen to resolve to gain harem influence 49. Tangtang later teases her parents about their renewed closeness, supports their shared meals, and acts against threats to Shen 76 115 132. By Tangtang’s coming-of-age ceremony, Shen is Empress; she warns her daughter against trusting the now-powerful Jun but subsequently helps settle their wedding arrangements 144 146.
• Ye Yubei — Father. Initially orders her death, then becomes increasingly indulgent and protective. Tangtang continues privately calling him “scumbag dad,” but also praises his mercy and relies on his authority 1 25 46 48. He orders the Imperial Preceptor executed and curtails Empress Lu’s authority over the demon accusation 51. Their bond grows through her cooking, refugee advocacy, and loyalty during the siege; he comes to regard her as Heaven’s gift to save him 115 120 139 141. He remains jealous of Jun’s closeness to her and initially resists the proposed marriage 143 144.
• The system — Longstanding companion and frequent target of her insults. Entices her with snacks and points, conceals information about her old points, and charges her for an unnecessary search 2 6 10. Its practical unreliability persists during the assassination attempt, but its lottery eventually supplies the handgun that helps reverse the siege 90 140.
• Jun Yuyuan — Feared future conqueror whom she befriends for points and survival. He can hear her motives, yet escorts her home, stops her entering freezing water, prevents Jin Yun from killing her, and secretly brings help during the demon accusation 6 19 27 35 50. He helps her escape Phoenix Hall, buys her treats, patiently teaches her writing, and repeatedly rescues her from assassins 54 65 90 105 130. Their days stranded together strengthen her trust, and she openly defends him against Ye Yubei’s suspicions 96 97 98. He promises to protect her during the rebellion and asks her to wait for him to return as her consort 139 143. After three years of correspondence, she chooses him alone; he returns as Qin Ye’s emperor, and they marry and have two sons 144 146 147 150.
• Ye Linmo — Sixth Brother. Cherishes her lollipop and helps her escape pursuers; she comforts him afterward and arranges treatment for his injuries 10 46 47. Later becomes her devoted skewer-stall helper. Tangtang obtains permission for him to stay with her and promises to prevent bullying, though she also shamelessly exploits his labor and pays him a single copper coin 55 57 101.
• Ye Mushuang — Seventh Sister. Welcomes and helps Tangtang at school. Tangtang’s thoughts expose He Wei’s future betrayal and present deception 29 31 38. Supplies her with a romance storybook and accompanies her on the illicit bookshop outing, where she witnesses Tangtang’s generosity toward refugees 85 119 120.
• Ye Linxuan — Fifth Brother. Her prediction of his battlefield death prompts him to reject military glory and the succession struggle 13 29. Joins her nighttime outing outside the palace 76.
• Ye Linze — Eighth Brother and enthusiastic photography customer. Reconsiders seeking the crown after hearing that his future tenure would be extremely brief 14 29 37. Generously insists on paying full price at her reopened stall and accompanies her street outing 55 76.
• Ye Linxun — Second Brother. Initially considers using her favor politically, but her prediction of his execution changes his priorities; later abandons pursuit of the throne 29 30 33. Joins Tangtang and their other brothers outside the palace using her exit token 76.
• Ye Muxue — Third Sister and rival. Accuses Tangtang of pushing her into water, resents her growing favor, and attempts to strike her over jealousy of her belongings 1 36. Is caught in the Phoenix Hall explosion, contests Tangtang’s precedence during their carriage encounter, and again tries to slap her at the Lu residence 54 86 90. Tangtang’s academic and artistic successes intensify Muxue’s jealousy 69 110 111.
• Lu Wuyou — Former follower of Ye Muxue. Drawn to Tangtang after hearing his predicted fate, protects her from Muxue, and declares that he wants to become her prince consort. Tangtang has no real interest in him 29 36. After her poetry defeats undermine his confidence, she feels responsible and visits to encourage him to pursue the Top Scholar distinction. He mistakes this kindness for romantic interest and renews his marriage ambition 84 85 86. He again protects her from Muxue and arranges her departure from the Lu estate 90.
• Song Jinshi — Former follower of Ye Muxue. Seeks further information from Tangtang’s thoughts and distances himself from Muxue after hearing his predicted fate 29 30.
• Yun Qi / Grand Tutor Yun — Strict teacher who is impressed by her poetry knowledge and camera. Rewards her academic explanation and practical help to the academy 29 31 37 38. Later praises her snow poem and painting, while attempting to keep her focused on lessons rather than romance books 68 69 85 118.
• Empress Lu — Political enemy who exploits rumors about Tangtang’s possessions and dinosaur pajamas to accuse her of being a demon 39 48 49. Temporarily loses her governing authority after the accusation, suffers Tangtang’s explosive revenge, and later tries unsuccessfully to embarrass her through public talent challenges 51 54 110 111. Following the rebellion, she is deposed and sent to a temple 143.
• Empress Dowager Lu — Initially frightened by Tangtang’s costume, then won over by her explanations and gadget demonstrations. Rejects the Imperial Preceptor’s accusation and purchases several items 49 50. Tangtang treats her illness, visits with lamb skewers, receives an imperial jade heirloom bracelet, and accompanies her to the Plum Blossom Banquet 51 57 58.
• Grand Secretary Lu — Tangtang recognizes him as a future traitor and repeatedly resists his attempts to arrange her marriage to his grandson. His renewed pressure prompts her explosive attack on the Lu residence 47 48 86 87. She exposes his concealment of the plague crisis; he later joins Prince Yue’s rebellion, and his family is exiled after its defeat 120 137 143.
• Xie Jingqian — Young Marquis and Tangtang’s early “moonlight darling.” She wants to avert his tragic future, performs a guqin-and-flute duet with him, and asks her father to make him her future consort 59 114. Ye Yubei postpones the question because of her age. At fifteen, she rejects Xie as a proposed match in favor of Jun 114 144.
• Princess Consort of Yue — Hears Tangtang’s thoughts at the banquet and encourages her acquaintance and musical performance with Xie Jingqian 59. Her honors are preserved after her husband’s rebellion 143.
• Prince Yue / King of Yue — Tangtang becomes suspicious of his politically useful relief work and knows of his affair and child with Consort Shu. His rebellion threatens her family; she obtains the handgun that Jun uses to kill him 129 130 140 141.
• Refugees from Qi Prefecture — Recipients of her food and advocacy. Recognize her at the relief stalls and praise her as a “living bodhisattva” 119 120 125.
• Little Yuanxiao and Little Tangyuan — Her two sons with Jun Yuyuan. Yuanxiao is the older, aloof child, while Tangyuan is the younger and more lively one. The extras show Tangtang taking both boys out, while the final chapter humorously notes that their parents’ affection often leaves the children on the sidelines 147 150.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Escaping Execution and the Cold Palace

Tangtang enters the story under a death sentence for allegedly pushing Ye Muxue into water. Ye Yubei hears her insist internally that Muxue jumped in herself, along with predictions of his own downfall, and suspends the punishment for an investigation. Her thoughts subsequently help Shen discover servants’ theft, while her lightning frightens the emperor 1 2 4.

Mother and daughter leave the Cold Palace for the Palace of Gathered Elegance. On the journey, Tangtang intervenes when Eunuch Wang threatens Jun Yuyuan and gives the future conqueror a lollipop 5 6.

Recognition as Princess Chaoyang

Tangtang fights back against palace women who insult Shen and seize her gifts. Her gossip system exposes Lady Liu’s affair, and her commentary makes Ye Yubei increasingly attentive to both her family and palace scandals 7 8 9.

Ye Yubei publicly recognizes her as his Ninth Princess and grants the title Princess Chaoyang—an honor neither the favored Third nor Seventh Princess possesses. Her elevation provokes resentment from Ye Muxue and the Empress 13 14.

School Avoidance and Encounters with Jun

Ye Yubei orders Tangtang to attend the Royal Academy. Failed attempts to escape through flattery and feigned illness lead her to plan a freezing bath so she can catch a cold 15 22 23 26.

During the nighttime excursion, she witnesses Jun kill two eunuchs. Her panicked embrace earns system points rather than the death she expects, and Jun later prevents her from bathing in the frozen lake and takes her home 26 27 28.

Changing Fates at the Royal Academy

Tangtang’s thoughts turn introductions into warnings about future deaths and betrayals. Her brothers reconsider dangerous ambitions, Lu Wuyou and Song Jinshi abandon their attachment to the Third Princess, and Mushuang begins questioning He Wei 29 30 38.

She unexpectedly wins a Gold Medal for explaining a familiar poem. Outside class, sharing snacks and lending her skates helps bring previously divided princes together 31 33.

Later, her use of Liu Changqing’s snow poem wins another Gold Medal and convinces Yun that her apparent poetic talent surpasses his own. Her weak calligraphy and tendency to read romance novels during lessons contrast with this reputation for brilliance 68 69 85.

Photography and Barbecue Businesses

After drawing a camera, Tangtang begins selling photographs and brings home enough money to astonish Shen. Her ambition expands to becoming Northern Li’s richest little lady 35 37 38 41.

Her barbecue venture is interrupted when Consort Li’s attendants destroy the grill. Tangtang retaliates and seeks Ye Yubei’s help; he punishes the attackers, demotes Consort Li, and promises to repair the stall. The incident also draws his attention to Linmo’s mistreatment 46 47.

The stall reopens, with Linmo serving as her enthusiastic helper. Tangtang gains imperial permission for him to stay with her, enjoys hot pot with her mother and brother, and supplies skewers to her increasingly appreciative father and grandmother 55 57 58 101.

Marriage Proposal and Demon Accusation

Grand Secretary Lu proposes marrying Tangtang to Lu Wuyou in two years. Tangtang’s tearful resistance helps secure Ye Yubei’s refusal and his promise to support her even if she never marries 48.

Empress Lu then weaponizes the dinosaur-pajama rumors. Tangtang is seized and brought before the Empress Dowager while Shen is confined. With no points available for a rescue item, she explains her costume and demonstrates her gadgets, winning the Dowager’s support and earning gold from sales. Jun secretly alerts Ye Yubei, who arrives and directs his anger toward the Empress 48 49 50.

The Empress and Imperial Preceptor renew the accusation by blaming Tangtang for the Dowager’s illness. Tangtang’s feigned tears help provoke Ye Yubei to order the Preceptor beheaded, remove the Empress’s governing authority and seal, and confine her. When the Dowager collapses, Tangtang offers modern medicine and proposes leaving the palace if it fails, privately treating the offer as another escape opportunity. The Dowager later recovers and rewards her 51 55 57.

Explosive Revenge and the Lu Residence

Tangtang infiltrates Phoenix Hall at night with an explosive pack. Jun catches her, but she ignites it and pulls him away before the blast. The palace household mistakes the explosion for an earthquake, and the Empress and Muxue are knocked down and trampled in the panic. Tangtang photographs their humiliation before Jun carries her away from pursuit 54.

Although Tangtang claims to have slept through the night, Shen hears her thoughts and learns the truth. Rumors interpret the palace damage as Heaven’s displeasure with the Empress, while the recovered Dowager and Tangtang’s growing reputation produce the opposite public judgment of the princess 55.

After Lu Wuyou loses confidence following his poetry defeats, Tangtang visits him out of concern and encourages him to study for the Top Scholar distinction. He mistakes this for romantic encouragement, and Grand Secretary Lu renews the proposed marriage. Tangtang responds by sneaking out with two explosive packs and damaging the Lu residence, later denying responsibility to Muxue 84 85 86 87 90.

Banquets, Talent Displays, and Prospective Consorts

At the Plum Blossom Banquet, Tangtang meets Xie Jingqian, recognizes his expected tragic fate, and performs on guqin with his flute accompaniment. Her attention to him provokes Jun’s jealousy, while her thoughts lead Xie to reject Lu Qinghuan’s approach 58 59.

At a later palace gathering, Empress Lu repeatedly tests Tangtang’s accomplishments. Tangtang succeeds through music, remembered classical poetry, and a lifelike portrait of Ye Yubei. She privately delights in undermining the Empress’s attempt to promote Muxue’s superiority 109 110 111.

Tangtang also gathers dozens of young men’s names as prospective consorts. Ye Yubei defends her right to choose, while Jun watches jealously. Her lack of singing ability leads her to rely on an MP3 player as a workaround for the final challenge 111 112 114.

Afterward, she asks to marry Xie. Ye Yubei refuses to settle the matter while she is twelve, promises to reconsider when she is fifteen, and insists that she must never become anyone’s concubine 114.

Assassination Attempts and Growing Trust in Jun

On her carriage journey back from the Lu residence, Tangtang is ambushed by black-clad attackers. Unable to defend herself effectively, she is saved by Jun, who defeats most of them and questions the survivors about their employer 90.

The ensuing ordeal leaves them stranded in the snow and sheltering in a cave. Jun protects her against wolves, suffers a bitten arm, gives her his outer clothes, and carries her when she becomes too exhausted to continue. Tangtang shows sincere gratitude and increasingly relies on him for safety 93 96 98.

Upon returning to her anxious parents, she repeatedly insists that Jun saved rather than harmed her. She secures permission for him to dine with the family and challenges Ye Yubei’s order that he keep his distance 97 98.

A second ambush injures even her assigned shadow guards, and Jun again protects her. Tangtang reports both attacks to her father, who assigns Bai Yu to investigate. She treats Jun to hot pot, worries about his injured arm, and explains their closeness to Shen as repayment for his rescues 130 131 132.

Refugee Relief and Political Awareness

An outing with Ye Mushuang to buy romance novels exposes Tangtang to hungry refugees from plague-stricken Qi Prefecture. She distributes food and spends all the money in her purse buying buns, despite Mushuang’s warning that they cannot help everyone individually 119 120.

Tangtang tells Ye Yubei about the crisis, while her thoughts expose Grand Secretary Lu’s bribery and suppression of reports. The emperor orders the granaries opened, turning her immediate charity into institutional relief 120.

She subsequently inspects the porridge stalls and urges generous servings, especially for vulnerable families. The refugees recognize and praise her. Jun accompanies her for protection, and the crowd mistakes their hand-holding for romance, which she denies 125 129.

Prince Yue’s competing relief operation alerts Tangtang to a political development absent from her expected script. Jun explains that Yue is cultivating public support while the emperor remains unseen, helping her recognize the struggle over reputation behind the charitable display 129.

Incense Scheme and the Palace Rebellion

When Shen notices an unusually pungent incense scent, Tangtang suspects a connection to Consort Shu and the Empress. She whispers a plan to her mother, after which news spreads that Consort Chen has fainted. Tangtang’s tearful performance draws Ye Yubei to the residence and helps focus an investigation on the threat to Shen 132 133.

Prince Yue and Grand Secretary Lu then surround the imperial city with a force vastly larger than the palace guards. Tangtang is bewildered that rebellion has arrived so early, and the system tells her that her interventions have changed the plot 137.

Despite Ye Yubei’s efforts to evacuate her, Tangtang initially refuses to leave her parents and offers her explosive packs as protection. Jun stays beside her and promises that he will always protect her 139.

When Yue launches the full assault, Ye Yubei entrusts Tangtang’s escape to Jun. Before leaving, she spends all 30,000 points on emergency draws and obtains a handgun. Her first shot knocks Yue from his wheelchair; after she explains the firing mechanism, Jun takes the weapon and kills him 140 141.

Yue’s death and the arrival of reinforcements reverse the crisis. Tangtang is relieved that her family will not have to separate. After the rebellion is crushed, Empress Lu is deposed and sent to a temple, the Lu family is exiled, and the eldest prince is imprisoned. Tangtang becomes celebrated throughout Northern Li as its little lucky star 141 143.

Separation, Reunion, and Marriage

Jun is summoned back to Qin Ye after the rebellion. Tangtang first protests that he is her bodyguard and privately worries about losing her source of points, but her frequent visits reveal a reluctance to part that she cannot readily explain 143.

At his departure, she gives him her pistol for protection and embraces him. Jun asks her not to choose another consort, especially Xie Jingqian, because he intends to return and take that role himself 143.

Three years later, Tangtang treasures a roomful of his letters and rejects Shen’s suggestion of the still-unmarried Young Marquis. She declares that she wants only Jun and trusts his promise never to attack Northern Li, despite her mother’s concern about his power and conquests 144.

Jun arrives as Qin Ye’s emperor at her lavish coming-of-age ceremony and publicly invokes their promise. The prospect of the match astonishes the court, while Ye Yubei remains unwilling to make the marriage easy 144.

With Shen’s assistance, the wedding is arranged for six months later. During the interval, Jun repeatedly visits Northern Li’s palace, sometimes disguised as a guard and sometimes using state business as an excuse to see Tangtang. Palace residents come to accept him as her consort 146.

Motherhood and Traveling the World

The first extra, set five years later, shows Tangtang taking her two young sons, Little Yuanxiao and Little Tangyuan, through the snowy imperial city. Their contrasting reserved and lively personalities distinguish them despite their strong resemblance 147.

In the final extra, Jun promises that once Ze inherits the throne, he will finally take Tangtang traveling. Yunnan is initially proposed, while Tangtang later requests Hangzhou for its food and scenery. After nearly twenty years spent in the palace, she is eager to explore, and their journey preserves the playful affection that began with their childhood encounters 150.

Notable Quotes

“I'm the Ninth Princess, Ye Tangtang.” 10

“Mommy, we have money now. You can eat anything you want and buy anything you want.” 41

“Portraits! Get your cheap portraits here!” 39

“Lu Wuyou ended up like that because of me. Whatever else, I ought to go see him. Today, I'll explain the reason to Father. What if Lu Wuyou does something desperate? I don't want to cause an innocent person to lose his life.” 85

“He's my friend. Don't get any ideas. We're just very, very ordinary friends.” 125

“Papa Emperor, I can protect you. These explosive packs are really powerful. I can protect Mother too.” 139

“Emperor Father, Daddy, Prince Yue is dead now. We won't have to be separated anymore, will we?” 141

“He won't. Jun Yuyuan promised me he would never attack our Northern Li.” 144

“Jun Yuyuan, let's go to Hangzhou first. I hear there's so much delicious food there, and beautiful scenery too. I've spent nearly twenty years in the palace. I've practically grown mold.” 150