Chapter Summaries

Ruyun tried to drug Xia Siheng with a dish she believed Liu Wan had cooked, but the original food went to Big Yellow, whose antics frightened Ruyun into fleeing. After learning the truth, Xia Siheng discovered that the soy-braised chicken drumsticks he had sent away were the dish Liu Wan had made for him.

• Ruyun piled the supposed drugged dish into Xia Siheng's bowl, but he and Liu Wan ate it without any effect.
• A kitchen hand revealed that a male dog had eaten Liu Wan's original dish and that the food on the table was a replacement.
• Ruyun ordered the dog killed, but Big Yellow charged into the courtyard, and she fled through the back gate.
• Liu Wan and Xia Siheng learned that Qing Da had staged the incident to fool Ruyun, while Wang Xia went to spread word that East Lin's spies had been captured and ransom money was required.
• Xia Siheng ordered Big Yellow to receive the soy-braised chicken drumsticks, then learned from Liu Wan that they were the dish she had cooked for him.

Xia Wanwan and Xia Siheng both craved Liu Wan’s drumsticks, while Big Yellow lost his to a thief and then nearly lost the last one to Xia Wanwan. Liu Wan discovered her husband and daughter’s snacking and made them eat a whole plate, then sent more drumsticks to Qing Da and Big Yellow.

• Qing Da found Big Yellow’s drumstick stolen, but Xia Wanwan took the dog’s remaining drumstick and returned it after learning Big Yellow had no others.
• A hidden figure tossed a picked-clean drumstick bone at Xia Wanwan before vanishing.
• Liu Wan found Xia Siheng with sauce around his mouth after he had eaten drumsticks in the Small Kitchen.
• Xia Wanwan told Liu Wan she wanted to catch the thief who had stolen Big Yellow’s drumstick, and Liu Wan realized Xia Siheng and his daughter had both been sneaking food.
• Liu Wan made Xia Siheng and Xia Wanwan finish six drumsticks, then prepared more to share between Qing Da and Big Yellow.
• Wang Xia delivered the drumsticks to Qing Da’s courtyard, where Qing Sheng handed them to her father.

Chunhua confronted the jailed East Lin spy Wu Bi with evidence about his past and demanded the names of Great Xia officials working with East Lin. When he refused to talk, Ruyun arrived at the jail and was thrown into his cell.

• Qing Da ate both chicken drumsticks instead of sharing them with the dog, while Wang Xia and Qing Sheng also secretly shared their portions.
• Wu Bi told his follower that Chief Aye would likely rescue them before dawn and worried that Ruyun might have been caught.
• Chunhua confronted Wu Bi with his history and revealed that Ruyun was his friend’s younger sister and an East Lin spy.
• Wu Bi refused to give Chunhua a list of Great Xia officials who dealt with East Lin, even after she told him Chief Aye had been killed and Ruyun’s mission had failed.
• Ruyun came to the jail claiming she had brought money for the detained merchants, and Wu Bi shouted for her to run before she was thrown into his cell.

Ruyun and Wu Bi realized that Liu Wan and Xia Siheng had exposed their spy network after replacing Lingling with an impostor and killing their allies. Wu Bi accepted that they would have to die, but Ruyun refused to submit to her fate.

• Ruyun questioned how Liu Wan had learned of her plan to drug the Prince, and Wu Bi pointed out that she had missed the news of the raid on their allies.
• Ruyun discovered that the Lingling beside her was an impostor because the real Lingling had been killed the previous night.
• Wu Bi deduced that Xia Siheng and Liu Wan had uncovered their plot, while Xia Siheng killed Commander Aye and Liu Wan eliminated their contacts in the Prince's Manor.
• Wu Bi said their mission had failed and urged Ruyun to take her own life before East Lin's agents arrived.
• Ruyun pleaded that she had sacrificed much for East Lin and declared that she would not accept death.

Ruyun manipulated Wu Bi into taking a drugged drink and sleeping with her, hoping to become pregnant and secure her survival. After Wu Bi killed himself, an envoy arrived and demanded to know whether her claimed child was truly Xia Siheng’s.

• Ruyun decided that bearing a child she could pass off as Xia Siheng’s would give her a chance to escape and survive.
• Wu Bi and the spies in the neighboring cell chose to kill themselves rather than be captured or betray East Lin, and Chunhua left the jail.
• Ruyun secretly drugged Wu Bi’s wine, slept with him, and persuaded him that the child might help her return to her brother.
• Wu Bi killed himself, and Ruyun concealed the truth from the arriving envoy by claiming she had conceived Xia Siheng’s child.
• The envoy warned that their lord could verify the divine fetus and asked Ruyun whether the child was truly Xia Siheng’s.

Ruyun escaped the Jail by claiming she carried a divine fetus and was taken to a hidden estate, where Consort Jing planned to steal the fetus for herself. The Empress Dowager learned of the rescue and revealed she had already sent an undetectable expert to follow the East Lin group.

• Ruyun convinced the envoy she was pregnant with a divine fetus, and he used the Illusory Mystery Art to carry her out of the Jail through a fog that trapped their pursuers.
• The envoy brought Ruyun to a lavish estate in Hezhou, where Consort Jing questioned her about conceiving with the Ninth Prince and ordered her to rest until an imperial physician checked her in two months.
• Consort Jing revealed she was also two months pregnant and planned to take the divine fetus from Ruyun and place it in her own womb, ordering the envoy to find a powerful practitioner.
• The envoy kicked a rabbit into Consort Jing's room, and she eagerly held it while the Palace Maid watched.
• Chunhua reported Ruyun's rescue to the Empress Dowager, who said she had sent an expert to follow the East Lin group undetected and confirmed Chunhua was partly right about the expert's identity.

The Empress Dowager revealed that her spy was Extremely, a rabbit raised by Master Youzheng. At the Ninth Prince’s Manor, the children played in the mud, and Liu Wan and Xia Zhao settled on how they would address each other.

• The Empress Dowager told Chunhua that Extremely, Master Youzheng’s rabbit, had been spying for her and had reported back through the bronze mirror.
• Xia Siheng returned to the Ninth Prince’s Manor after agreeing to the Empress Dowager’s plan, then watched Xia Wanwan dig holes and play in the mud with the others.
• Xia Zhao scolded Liu Zi Xing for burying Liu Qingqing, but Qingqing insisted she had asked him to do it and enjoyed the game.
• Xia Siheng pointed out that Liu Qingqing seemed to be developing unusually early, like Xia Wanwan had as a baby.
• Liu Wan arranged for the muddy children to wash up, while Xia Siheng asked how Liu Wan and Xia Zhao addressed their overlapping family relationship.
• Xia Zhao said she called Liu Wan Imperial Aunt, while Liu Wan called Xia Zhao Eldest Sister-in-Law.

Liu Wan promoted Chen Huan to steward of the Back Kitchen, while Xia Zhao teased her and Xia Siheng about romantic matters. At dinner, Yuanbao announced that her confession had succeeded, only to reveal she was dating the young woman’s cat.

• Chen Huan explained his background, and Liu Wan recommended him for the vacant Back Kitchen steward position; Xia Siheng left the decision to her.
• Xia Zhao teased Liu Wan and Xia Siheng about the intimate gifts she had sent Liu Wan, leaving them flustered and curious.
• At dinner, Liu Wan encouraged Xia Wanwan and Liu Qingqing to behave, while the children shared their mischievous thoughts.
• Jing Wu complained that Yuanbao had taken his grilled fish to court a woman, and Yuanbao asked Liu Wan to defend her.
• Yuanbao said the young woman had accepted her confession, but revealed she was now together with the woman’s cat.

Yuanbao revealed that he had courted a tomcat, then left angrily after hinting that a “damned old bastard” had harmed him. Later, Xia Siheng explained the plan to remove Duke Yan, but when Xia Wanwan threatened to kill him with lightning, Heavenly Secrets answered with thunder.

• Yuanbao told Liu Wan and the others that he had pursued a tomcat, and stormed off after vowing to find the old bastard who had wronged him.
• Xia Zhao left with Liu Qingqing, who kissed Liu Zi Xing goodbye and promised to visit him again.
• Xia Siheng told Xia Wanwan that Duke Yan was an East Lin spy and that removing him would clear opposition to her new law.
• Xia Wanwan threatened to strike Duke Yan down with lightning, and thunder rumbled in the clear sky as Heavenly Secrets warned her again.

Xia Wanwan took the demon-filled gourd from Liu Wan and went back to her courtyard, while Xia Siheng arranged for her to stay away from the Main Courtyard. After sending their daughter away, Xia Siheng urged Liu Wan to try on the outfit Zhao'er had given her, and he approached her behind the screen.

• Xia Siheng warned Xia Wanwan not to summon lightning again and gave her the demon in Liu Wan's gourd to handle.
• Xia Wanwan checked Liu Wan for harm from the gourd's baleful aura, then promised to teach the demon a lesson.
• At night, Xia Siheng sent Pan Chun to take Xia Wanwan to her courtyard and ordered Jing Wu and Yuanbao to protect her.
• Pan Chun promised Xia Wanwan a secret snack, and Xia Wanwan agreed to stay away from the Main Courtyard.
• Xia Siheng asked Liu Wan about Zhao'er's gift and persuaded her to put on the outfit.
• After Liu Wan changed behind a screen, Xia Siheng rose and walked toward her.

Liu Wan and Xia Siheng grew intimate after he saw her revealing outfit, while Xia Wanwan waited for food and questioned the Demon God's Left Guardian trapped in the Gourd. The Guardian threatened to escape within three days, but Xia Wanwan silenced him with a slap.

• Xia Siheng saw Liu Wan in her new outfit, carried her to bed, and they became intimate after he stopped a nosebleed.
• Xia Wanwan waited with Yuanbao and Jing Wu for Pan Chun to bring roasted pig's trotters.
• Xia Wanwan threatened the bouncing Gourd, and it immediately went still.
• Xia Wanwan asked the Gourd about its captive, and the Demon God's Left Guardian threatened to break free in three days and slaughter humans.
• Xia Wanwan struck the Gourd to silence the Guardian, who demanded to know their names.

Xia Wanwan trapped Gu Ming in a Gourd and threatened him until he revealed why he had targeted infants chosen by the Five Elements Spirit Pearl. After he tried to escape, she plunged the Gourd into a Night Soil Bucket, and the chapter ended with Jing Wu agreeing to fish it out.

• Xia Wanwan shook the Gourd until Gu Ming gave his name and denied killing children indiscriminately.
• Xia Wanwan accused Gu Ming of targeting Li Shuqi and her Crown Prince brother, and he admitted the Five Elements Spirit Pearl was connected to their deaths.
• Gu Ming tried to break free, but Xia Wanwan threw the Gourd into a Night Soil Bucket and threatened him with maggots.
• Gu Ming confessed that the Demon God had given him a compass to locate infants chosen by the Five Elements Spirit Pearl and said it was in the Abandoned Infant Pagoda.
• Xia Wanwan asked Jing Wu to retrieve the Gourd, and Yuanbao's praise persuaded Jing Wu to roll up his sleeves and do it.

Yuanbao pursued Gu Ming to the Abandoned Infant Pagoda outside Hezhou, where he discovered the spirits of baby girls trapped in resentment. He restrained Gu Ming and demanded the Compass, while the Infant Souls watched helplessly.

• Gu Ming escaped the courtyard, but Xia Wanwan sent Yuanbao after him and kept Jing Wu behind to scrub the Night Soil Buckets.
• Yuanbao followed Gu Ming south to the Abandoned Infant Pagoda and heard the trapped baby girls crying about their deaths.
• Gu Ming returned to the pagoda, where Xiao Jue and the other Infant Souls urged him to absorb their resentment and help a newly arrived spirit.
• Yuanbao entered the pagoda and struck Gu Ming, then formed a barrier to keep the Infant Souls from getting caught in their fight.
• Yuanbao beat Gu Ming and demanded that he hand over the Compass.

Yuanbao demanded the Demon God’s Compass from Gu Ming, but learned that its yin qi protected the trapped spirits of the Abandoned Infant Pagoda. He agreed to bring someone to reincarnate them the next day, while Gu Ming privately doubted that Yuanbao could deliver on the promise.

• Gu Ming explained that taking the Compass would expose the spirits to sunlight and destroy their souls, while he absorbed their resentment to keep them from becoming evil spirits.
• Xiao Jue pleaded with Yuanbao to spare Gu Ming and described how the Compass had protected the spirits for ten years.
• Yuanbao refused to give up the Compass but offered to have the spirits reincarnated, threatening to crush Gu Ming if they resisted.
• The spirits agreed to reincarnate, and Yuanbao said he would take Gu Ming with him to prevent him from escaping with the Compass.
• Gu Ming absorbed resentment from the baby spirit in Xiao Jue’s hands, restored her ability to float, and promised to return the next day.
• After Yuanbao left with Gu Ming, Gu Ming told Xiao Jue that he doubted anyone Yuanbao brought could reincarnate the spirits.

Yuanbao encountered Ruyun fleeing Consort Jing’s assassins and learned that she was carrying the prophesied divine fetus, whose marrow they intended to extract. Ruyun’s brother Ru Bin was held at knifepoint, and she chose to keep fleeing rather than surrender.

• Yuanbao left the tower with Gu Ming and threatened the spirits to stay inside.
• Ruyun ran into Yuanbao and begged him to protect her from her pursuers.
• Yuanbao recognized Ruyun but stepped aside when the assassins ordered him not to interfere.
• The assassins brought Ru Bin forward and threatened to kill him if Ruyun did not return with them.
• Ruyun told Ru Bin that she carried East Lin’s divine fetus and that Consort Jing’s people planned to cut it from her womb.
• Ruyun decided to flee, pleading with Ru Bin to save her as she said Wu Bi was dead.

Yuanbao watched Ruyun flee while Ru Bin died trying to hold back the Envoy, then drove off the East Lin assassins and ordered the city soldiers to report the spy base. After returning with Gu Ming, Yuanbao found Xia Wanwan awake and calling him “Kitty,” leaving Gu Ming stunned.

• Ruyun ran toward the city wall to escape, while Ru Bin grabbed the Envoy’s legs and was killed; Yuanbao helped Ru Bin’s soul depart and burned paper money for him.
• The Envoy caught Ruyun, but Yuanbao challenged him and blew an attacking assassin into the river before city soldiers arrived and forced the assassins to retreat.
• Yuanbao showed the soldiers Jing Wu’s token and ordered them to alert the Hezhou government office about the East Lin spy base; Gu Ming possessed Ru Bin’s corpse and took it away to bury.
• Yuanbao and Gu Ming returned near dawn, where Jing Wu greeted Yuanbao and Xia Wanwan came out and called him “Kitty.”
• Gu Ming stared in shock and asked Yuanbao why Xia Wanwan called him Kitty.

Yuanbao told Xia Wanwan that the Compass could not be obtained soon and asked her to help, while Jing Wu and Gu Ming were sent away to scrub chamber pots. The next morning, Xia Wanwan asked Xia Siheng to let her go to Hezhou, and he agreed, promising the Imperial Family would support her.

• Yuanbao asked Xia Wanwan to help because they could not get the Compass anytime soon, and she agreed despite the effort it would cost.
• Jing Wu and Gu Ming argued over who stood higher with Yuanbao, then both were ordered away by Xia Wanwan and made to scrub chamber pots.
• Wang Xia and Qing Sheng waited for the Princess Consort to wake, while Xia Wanwan arrived and complained that her mother was still in bed.
• Xia Siheng carried Xia Wanwan outside so she would not disturb Wan'er, and she told him she wanted to go to Hezhou.
• Xia Siheng agreed to Xia Wanwan's trip and said he and the Imperial Family would support her, then warned her not to let boys kiss her cheek.

Xia Wanwan set out for Hezhou with Yuanbao and Jing Wu to join Zhong Youyan, leaving Xia Siheng to face her mother's anger for her. In Hezhou, Consort Jing ordered Ruyun killed and her divine marrow extracted, while Ruyun tried to sabotage Consort Jing by claiming she had weakened the fetus's spiritual power.

• Xia Siheng told Xia Wanwan to go to Hezhou with Yuanbao and Jing Wu and seek help from Zhong Youyan if needed.
• Xia Wanwan packed food and left, tricking Xia Siheng into taking responsibility for telling her mother.
• Consort Jing confronted the imprisoned Ruyun, accusing her of trying to flee with the divine fetus.
• Consort Jing revealed she planned to take the fetus's divine marrow for her own child and summoned Daoist Huiyue to extract it.
• Ruyun claimed she had dispersed the fetus's spiritual power, and Consort Jing ordered Daoist Huiyue to kill her and extract the marrow immediately.

Consort Jing chose to use Ruyun’s resentful divine marrow to save the fetus in her womb, despite the risks. Outside Hezhou City, Xia Wanwan tried to persuade people to help her destroy the Abandoned Infant Pagoda and was met with hostility.

• Daoist Huiyue extracted Ruyun’s divine marrow and found that it had no spiritual power, but carried unusually strong resentment.
• Daoist Huiyue explained that the resentment could save Consort Jing’s fetus but might cause a difficult pregnancy and prevent the child from cultivating the Dao.
• Consort Jing decided to use the divine marrow, and Daoist Huiyue began the procedure as the rabbit watched.
• Xia Wanwan arrived at Hezhou City and asked a guard to take her to Lord Qiao so she could have the Abandoned Infant Pagoda destroyed.
• The townspeople mocked Xia Wanwan and defended the pagoda, while a boy’s father grew angry when she asked who had given birth to his mother.

Xia Wanwan was nearly taken to the Qiao Residence as a child bride, but Yuanbao, Gu Ming, and Jing Wu arrived and revealed her status as Princess Ximing. She refused to forgive Steward Qiao and demanded that Lord Qiao come out and be blown up.

• Steward Qiao ordered soldiers to take Xia Wanwan to the Qiao Residence and make her Qiao Tianci’s child bride.
• Yuanbao, Gu Ming, and Jing Wu caught up with Xia Wanwan, and Yuanbao kicked away a soldier who tried to seize her.
• Yuanbao slapped Steward Qiao and Qiao Tianci while Jing Wu showed the soldiers his token from the Ninth Prince’s Residence.
• Steward Qiao and Qiao Tianci realized Xia Wanwan was Princess Ximing and knelt with the surrounding crowd to beg for mercy.
• Xia Wanwan refused to get up and demanded that Lord Qiao come out so she could blow him up.