Recaps

Jiang Yingcheng, Jiang Yanchuan, and Guan Zhili explored Jiayu City and stopped at a candy shop, where Jiang Yingcheng coaxed Guan Zhili into choosing sweets. The chapter ended with her paying a Gold Bean for the candy after Jiang Yanchuan counted their selections.

• Jiang Yanchuan and Jiang Yingcheng walked through Jiayu City with Guan Zhili as Great Rui's soldiers searched the city.
• Jiang Yingcheng bargained with Jiang Yanchuan for candy and revealed that Liaochen had given her four pieces a day.
• Jiang Yanchuan agreed to buy Jiang Yingcheng sixty pieces and Guan Zhili one hundred pieces of candy.
• Jiang Yingcheng led Guan Zhili around the shop and filled his tray with candy, though he had chosen only two pieces himself.
• After Jiang Yanchuan counted their candy, Jiang Yingcheng defended Guan Zhili's seventy-nine pieces and paid a Gold Bean into the cash box.

Jiang Yingcheng won over Jiayu City's abandoned commoners by helping them and arranging searches for wealthy families’ hidden treasure vaults. Their fear of Emperor Mingze turned into cheers for him, leaving Chengcheng proudly convinced she had conquered the empire for her Imperial Father.

• A commoner told Emperor Mingze’s group that the Wang Family had an underground treasure store, and Jiang Yingcheng eagerly asked whether the family was wealthy.
• Jiang Yingcheng helped the man to his feet, and Jiang Yanchuan sent guards with him to search the vault.
• More commoners volunteered the locations of hidden stores belonging to wealthy households, and Jiang Yanchuan dispatched men to investigate them.
• Jiang Yingcheng helped the remaining commoners up and reassured them that her Imperial Father would treat Great Rui’s people well.
• The Beiming commoners cheered, “Long live Emperor Mingze,” while Jiang Yingcheng proudly imagined she had conquered the empire for her father.

Jiang Yanchuan, Jiang Yingcheng, and Guan Zhili entered Beiming Palace after Great Rui captured Jiayu City, and Jiang Yingcheng tried to comfort the abandoned prince. As they headed for the King of Beiming’s quarters, Jiang Yingcheng revealed in her thoughts that Guan Zhili was not the King’s biological son but the child of Prince Xin.

• Kan Ruifeng settled the people, prisoners, and remaining dangers in Jiayu City before Jiang Yanchuan led Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili toward Beiming Palace.
• Jiang Yingcheng talked with Guan Zhili about candies in front of Jiang Yanchuan, while Guan Zhili admitted he had never visited his Imperial Father’s sleeping quarters.
• Jiang Yingcheng stopped to swing with Guan Zhili in a shabby courtyard, and Jiang Yanchuan summoned a Shadow Guard to guide them onward.
• Jiang Yingcheng worried that Guan Zhili knew nothing about the palace and regretted not preparing information about its secret passages, traps, and treasures.
• Jiang Yingcheng thought that Guan Zhili was not the King of Beiming’s biological son but Prince Xin’s child, and Jiang Yanchuan reacted with a deep, unreadable gaze.

Jiang Yingcheng learned that Guan Zhili was Emperor Mingze’s son and resolved to protect and comfort him. She turned a visit to Beiming Palace into a playful court session, where Great Rui’s forces began exposing the people who had mistreated him.

• Jiang Yingcheng sympathized with Guan Zhili’s lonely childhood and promised herself she would treat him well.
• Jiang Yingcheng urged Guan Zhili to play on the Dragon Throne, and Emperor Mingze changed course to join them in the hall.
• Jiang Yingcheng gathered captured palace servants and others to pretend to be ministers, then played at ruling as a regent.
• Jiang Yingcheng’s thoughts identified an eunuch who had abused Guan Zhili, and Wei Jiany un accused him of bullying others and selling state secrets.

Jiang Yingcheng held a mock court to punish the Beiming servants who had bullied Guan Zhili, giving him a glimpse of kindness and camaraderie he had never known. As she shared candy with her new companions, someone arrived calling Guan Zhili “Imperial Brother,” and Jiang Yingcheng insisted he was her big brother instead.

• Guan Zhili recognized Gao Yi, remembered how he had bullied him, and held back his anger as Gao Yi begged the mock emperor for mercy.
• Jiang Yingcheng sentenced Gao Yi to thirty strokes, and Guan Zhili watched him lose consciousness before the guards dragged him back into the hall.
• Using information from System Bro, Jiang Yingcheng punished the other Beiming servants who had bullied Guan Zhili, assigning harsher or lighter strokes according to their actions.
• Jiang Yingcheng praised the adults who had joined the court performance and offered them candy, while Guan Zhili watched their affectionate teasing with envy.
• When a voice at the doorway called Guan Zhili “Imperial Brother,” Jiang Yingcheng said he was her big brother, leaving Guan Zhili bewildered.

Jiang Yingcheng intervened when Beiming princes and princesses crowded around Guan Zhili, demanding that he save them from prison. As she confronted Guan Zhixin and recognized Guan Xiqiao through her secret thoughts, Guan Zhili realized she knew things she could not have learned from palace records.

• Beiming princes and princesses rushed to Guan Zhili and begged him to save their siblings from prison.
• Jiang Yingcheng forced her way to Guan Zhili, smacked Guan Zhixin's hand for squeezing him, and argued with him after he called her a stray.
• Soldiers tried to take the children away, but one prince broke free and begged Guan Zhili to help them.
• Jiang Yingcheng accused the crowd of secretly pinching her, then reassured Guan Zhili that she was only tricking them.
• Guan Zhili heard Jiang Yingcheng privately name Guan Xiqiao and expose his deceitful treatment of Guan Zhili, leaving him stunned by her secret knowledge.

Jiang Yingcheng accused Guan Xiqiao of pinching and pushing her, using her tears to sway Guan Zhili while Guan Xiqiao struggled to defend himself. Fu Gui then revealed that Guan Xiqiao had ordered him to drug Guan Zhili’s food.

• Jiang Yingcheng accused Guan Xiqiao of pinching her, and Guan Xiqiao tried to gain Guan Zhili’s sympathy by crying.
• Jiang Yingcheng mocked Guan Xiqiao for crying and then pretended to fall, prompting Guan Zhili to catch her.
• Jiang Yingcheng told Guan Zhili that Guan Xiqiao had pushed her, while Guan Xiqiao denied it and accused her of grabbing his hand.
• Guan Xiqiao noticed Fu Gui among the fallen palace servants and grew alarmed.
• Fu Gui pointed at Guan Xiqiao and declared that he had ordered him to drug Guan Zhili’s food.

Jiang Yingcheng exposed Guan Xiqiao’s bribery and rallied the eunuchs to testify against him. When Guan Xiqiao attacked her, Xu Jiu revealed she was a princess of Great Rui, leaving Guan Xiqiao stunned.

• Jiang Yingcheng comforted Guan Zhili and promised to retaliate against those who had bullied him.
• Jiang Yingcheng urged Fu Gui to provide evidence, and Fu Gui revealed he had kept official silver Guan Xiqiao used to bribe him.
• Fu Gui and the other eunuchs accused Guan Xiqiao of bribery and other wrongdoing.
• Jiang Yingcheng questioned Fu Gui’s claims while encouraging the eunuchs to speak, and Guan Xiqiao lost control and charged at her.
• Xu Jiu kicked Guan Xiqiao back and warned the Beiming princes after identifying Jiang Yingcheng as a princess of Great Rui.

Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili recovered hidden money and valuables from the courtyards, and she gave the proceeds to him as a gift. Jiang Yanchuan arrived and asked Guan Zhili whether he had any luggage to pack before they returned.

• Jiang Yingcheng used her notebook and System Bro's directions to lead Guan Zhili to the buried boxes while Jiang Yanchuan watched unseen.
• Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili dug up an iron box filled with silver, jewels, and ornaments, then placed the contents in a sack.
• Jiang Yingcheng found the final hiding place beneath a swing, and she and Guan Zhili dug up another box.
• Jiang Yingcheng gave the heavy sack to Guan Zhili for his own treasury, and he was moved to tears before giving her a radiant smile.
• Jiang Yanchuan approached and said they were preparing to return, then asked Guan Zhili whether he had luggage to pack.

Jiang Yanchuan decided to take Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili back to the capital, while Jiang Yingcheng worked to draw Guan Zhili closer. After a candle set part of Jiang Yingcheng’s sleeve alight during her attempted birthday surprise, Jiang Yanchuan returned to find her preparing to cry her way out of trouble.

• Jiang Yanchuan agreed to take Guan Zhili home, delighting Jiang Yingcheng, who had feared her Imperial Father would leave him behind.
• Jiang Yanchuan settled Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili in a courtyard residence while he handled military reports and Jiang Yingcheng tried to open Guan Zhili’s heart.
• Jiang Yingcheng sent the attendants away to prepare a birthday surprise for her purse, but a candle caught her cuff on fire and frightened her.
• Xu Jiu told Jiang Yanchuan that Jiang Yingcheng was unharmed and explained the reason for the fire as Jiang Yanchuan hurried to her room.
• Jiang Yingcheng heard Jiang Yanchuan return and began crying louder as he opened her door.

Jiang Yanchuan comforted Jiang Yingcheng after she burned her arm, but she accidentally admitted she had lit a candle to celebrate her purse’s birthday and was punished for lying about the injury. The next morning, Guan Zhili arrived and found her swollen-eyed and indignant after Plan One failed.

• Jiang Yanchuan examined Jiang Yingcheng’s burn and blamed himself for not spending enough time with her.
• Jiang Yingcheng tried to claim the burn came from a candle, then revealed she had lit it to celebrate her purse’s birthday.
• Jiang Yingcheng falsely insisted her arm did not hurt, then admitted she had lied and cried as Jiang Yanchuan punished her.
• Soldiers brought Guan Zhili to the courtyard the next morning, where he asked Jiang Yingcheng what had happened.
• Jiang Yingcheng said Plan One had failed and resolved to find another way to buy candy.

Jiang Yingcheng tried several schemes to get more candy before the journey to Great Rui, but Liaochen and the others refused to help her deceive Emperor Mingze. The chapter ended with her planning to search the courtyard for hidden treasure to use as a reward for asking her Imperial Father for candy.

• Jiang Yingcheng explained that she wanted more candy because her supply was too small for the journey, but her companions refused to take her back to the shop over fears of poisoned candy.
• Jiang Yingcheng proposed pretending to fall from a tree so Emperor Mingze would buy her candy as compensation, but Liaochen firmly rejected the plan.
• Jiang Yingcheng suggested claiming that Bodhisattva Jiayue had asked them to buy candy, but Liaochen and the others refused to lie for her.
• Jiang Yingcheng began to wilt after her first three plans failed, and Liaochen and the others felt sorry for her and considered buying candy.
• Jiang Yingcheng announced a fourth plan: she would search the courtyard for hidden valuables and ask Emperor Mingze for candy as a reward.

Jiang Yingcheng persuaded her uncles to explore a hidden passage beneath a secluded courtyard, where they found a treasure chamber and learned the passage led under the shopping street. The group realized they had failed to memorize the winding route back, leaving Jiang Yingcheng to guide them farther into the passage.

• Jiang Yingcheng guilted Liaochen, Yu Xingmian, and Wu Leyong into accompanying her to a secluded courtyard.
• Jiang Yingcheng guided the group to a concealed door behind an artificial hill, and Wu Leyong broke it open.
• The group entered the winding passage, with Jiang Yingcheng directing them while Liaochen and Yu Xingmian carried her and Guan Zhili.
• Jiang Yingcheng discovered a side chamber filled with porcelain and metal treasures and learned the passage ran beneath the shopping street.
• Liaochen suggested returning so they could have His Majesty send people to investigate, but the group realized they could not remember the route.
• Jiang Yingcheng offered to guide the group onward and pointed them in a direction.

Jiang Yingcheng discovered that criminals in Jiayu City were exploiting homeless children to infiltrate the Great Rui army, and her companions burst out of the underground vault to intervene. Liaochen tried to steer her away from approaching danger, but two boys confronted the group and claimed the children belonged to their director.

• Jiang Yingcheng revealed that a group was posing as benefactors while abusing more than a dozen homeless children and using them to lower soldiers’ guard.
• Enraged by her warning, Wu Leyong blasted open the tunnel wall, and the group emerged into a deserted alley.
• Liaochen realized they should have reported the scheme to the authorities and tried to lead Jiang Yingcheng into a candy shop as two boys approached.
• Jiang Yingcheng shouted that Liaochen was a child trafficker, drawing the boys out from behind the corner.
• The boys accused Liaochen and his companions of being human traffickers and demanded that the children be returned to their director.

Jiang Yingcheng persuaded Liaochen and the others to leave her and Guan Zhili with two orphan boys so she could expose the orphanage’s villains. The supposed orphanage director arrived, and Jiang Yingcheng and the man each mistook the other for an easy target.

• Jiang Yingcheng realized the two boys thought she and Guan Zhili were trafficked children, then pretended to beg them for help.
• Jiang Yingcheng urged Liaochen to let her and Guan Zhili go, hoping to capture villains and earn candy, while Liaochen hesitated to leave them with the boys.
• When the supposed orphanage director appeared, Liaochen and the others set the children down and ran away pretending to be traffickers.
• The director stopped chasing Liaochen’s group and asked Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili their names.
• Jiang Yingcheng introduced herself as Chengcheng and Guan Zhili as Big Brother Xiao Li, while she and the director each smiled and prepared to take advantage of the other.

Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili were taken to a suspicious orphanage, where they learned the boys there suspected its staff of human trafficking. As the boys planned an escape and revenge, Jiang Yingcheng hoped the uncles hidden nearby would intervene.

• The orphanage director questioned Jiang Yingcheng about her family and brought her and Guan Zhili to the orphanage.
• Jiang Yingcheng noticed Uncle Liaochen and several other uncles hiding nearby, while the boys who had rescued the children regretted bringing them into danger.
• Kui Chao introduced himself and the other boys as a family they had chosen for themselves, and Jiang Yingcheng declared that she and Guan Zhili were family too.
• Kui Yang told Guan Zhili that the boys planned to escape because something was wrong with the orphanage.
• Kui Yi said he suspected the orphanage operators were trafficking people, and Kui Wen insisted the boys would take revenge before escaping.

Kui Wen and the other children planned to drug their captors’ dinner and escape, while Jiang Yingcheng arrived at the orphanage with Guan Zhili and pretended to join their scheme. Jiang Yingcheng secretly drugged one of the traffickers and persuaded him to bring dinner early, leaving the group poised to act.

• Kui Wen gave Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili Coarse-Grain Cakes and explained that the children would drug dinner and flee after their captors fell asleep.
• Jiang Yingcheng excitedly supported the plan and signaled Liaochen and the others not to interfere while she stirred up trouble with the older boys.
• The orphanage’s homeless children returned, and the traffickers welcomed Jiang Yingcheng and Guan Zhili, whom they believed they had rescued from human traffickers.
• Jiang Yingcheng introduced herself as Kui Cheng and Guan Zhili as Kui Li, borrowing names from the children in the courtyard.
• Jiang Yingcheng climbed into a trafficker’s arms and slipped medicinal powder into his clothes, then asked when dinner would be served.
• The trafficker ordered Kui Wen and the other children to prepare dinner early because Kui Cheng was hungry.

Jiang Yingcheng tricked the men at the Orphanage into eating the coarse-grain cakes containing a knockout drug. After they finished the cakes, one man noticed her watching and angrily confronted her.

• Kui Yang worried that the men might notice the drug in the food if only some of them ate the cakes.
• Jiang Yingcheng ran to the "Director" and asked him to help her eat the cake she was holding.
• The "Director" took a bite, then the men at his table each ate a cake until the plate was empty.
• A man turned around, spotted Jiang Yingcheng watching, and angrily asked what she was looking at.

Jiang Yingcheng tried to keep Jiang San from realizing the Coarse-Grain Cakes were drugged while the children waited for the Sleep-Inducing Drug to take effect. After Jiang Yingcheng ate a leaf of greens to satisfy his demand, the “Orphanage Director” suddenly succumbed to the drug and collapsed.

• Jiang San suspected the children were watching the food and ordered Jiang Yingcheng to eat the greens he had been offered.
• Kui Yi comforted a frightened boy while believing Jiang Yingcheng was buying time for the Sleep-Inducing Drug to take effect.
• Jiang Yingcheng ate a leaf of greens and acted offended, making the men laugh and dismiss Jiang San’s suspicion.
• The “Orphanage Director” began to lose consciousness while telling Jiang San to apologize, then pitched forward with a loud crash.

Jiang Yingcheng and the other children knocked out most of the villains with drugged cakes, but Jiang San and another accomplice remained conscious. As the children charged with improvised weapons, Jiang Yingcheng rushed Jiang San with a staff, only for him to slice it in two.

• Jiang Yingcheng laughed after the drugged cakes caused the villains to collapse, drawing Jiang San's attention.
• Jiang San and another accomplice surrounded Jiang Yingcheng, who reached into her purse for a hidden weapon.
• Kui Wen and Guan Zhili tackled the two men while Kui Yang pulled Jiang Yingcheng aside, and the children gathered their concealed weapons.
• Jiang Yingcheng ignored System Bro's warning and charged Jiang San with a long staff as the children rushed the remaining villains.
• Jiang San drew a short blade and cut Jiang Yingcheng's staff in two, leaving her stunned.

Jiang Yingcheng tried to fight Jiang San while he and his accomplices terrorized the children, and Guan Zhili was badly injured when another man struck him. Just as Jiang San threatened the little girl, Liaochen appeared, severed Jiang San’s index finger, and declared that he had come to kill him.

• Jiang San cut through Jiang Yingcheng’s stick with his dagger, while she fixed her attention on the weapon instead of fearing him.
• Guan Zhili tried to get up, but an accomplice struck him across the chest and sent him crashing to the ground.
• Jiang Yingcheng and Kui Chao’s group rushed toward the injured Guan Zhili, but Jiang San blocked the little girl and threatened the children.
• Jiang San kicked away Jiang Yingcheng’s remaining stick and advanced with his dagger, mocking her weakness.
• Liaochen suddenly appeared before Jiang Yingcheng, and Jiang San realized the dagger had taken part of his index finger with it.
• Liaochen faced Jiang San and announced that he had come to take his life.

Liaochen protected the children and struck He Si down while Jiang Yingcheng tried to heal Guan Zhili by feeding him Medicine Balls. The chapter left He Si spotting someone rushing toward a round table and making a desperate move to distract Liaochen.

• Liaochen blocked He Si from stopping Jiang Yingcheng as she ran to Guan Zhili.
• Liaochen struck He Si with a palm and sent him crashing to the ground, badly injured.
• Jiang Yingcheng fed Guan Zhili Medicine Balls until he reluctantly accepted another one.
• He Si spotted a figure rushing toward the round table and spat at Liaochen in a desperate attempt to distract him.

Jiang Yingcheng used her Hidden Weapon Case to incapacitate the attackers who had injured Guan Zhili, while Liaochen and the children dealt with the remaining men. The “Orphanage Director” hinted that more enemies waited next door, and Liaochen revealed he already knew about them.

• Jiang San woke He Si’s unconscious accomplices, hoping they could help him escape Liaochen.
• Liaochen asked Jiang Yingcheng for her Hidden Weapon Case, and she fired a torrent of poisoned silver needles at the attackers.
• Liaochen knocked down anyone trying to flee, and the attackers collapsed from the poison.
• The children surrounded He Si with their own Hidden Weapon Cases and fired at him while Jiang Yingcheng handed out more cases.
• The “Orphanage Director” threatened that they still had people in the next courtyard, and Liaochen calmly finished his sentence.

Jiang Yanchuan arrived at the courtyard to find Jiang Yingcheng and the other children beating the men who had abducted her. After seeing her injuries, he tried to make her admit she was wrong, but her answer revealed she would do it again.

• Jiang Yanchuan found Jiang Yingcheng and the children attacking the men while Liaochen and the others kept the prisoners down with pebbles.
• Liaochen handed out dry rations after the children tired, and Jiang Yingcheng began crying when she spotted Jiang Yanchuan.
• Jiang Yingcheng ran to Jiang Yanchuan and accused the “Orphanage Director” of bullying her.
• Jiang Yanchuan noticed Jiang Yingcheng’s torn clothes and other signs of her ordeal, then asked whether she knew she was wrong and would dare do it again.
• Jiang Yingcheng nodded, thinking she would repeat her actions because the men were worth a lot, and Jiang Yanchuan froze.

Jiang Yanchuan recognized the political value of the intelligence about Yanchu's Third Prince, while Jiang Yingcheng's friends discovered she was a princess. As Jiang Yanchuan prepared to leave Beiming, Jiang Yingcheng invited the rescued children to explore the courtyard's underground treasure vault.

• Jiang Yanchuan considered using the Third Prince's secret plan to profit from Yanchu's succession struggles and weaken the kingdom.
• Xu Jiu apologized to Emperor Mingze for failing to keep Jiang Yingcheng out of danger, and Kui Wen and the Orphanage Director learned her and the emperor's identities.
• The poisoned Orphanage Director offered to trade important intelligence for an antidote, and Jiang Yanchuan assigned Xu Jiu and three others to handle him.
• Jiang Yanchuan left the courtyard and brought the rescued children along in the carriage as he prepared to return to Great Rui.
• Jiang Yingcheng shared pastries with her friends and invited them to search the underground treasure vault the next day, while Jiang Yanchuan decided to let her enjoy herself as long as she stayed inside.