Chapter Summaries

Hu Xiaotian, a former doctor reborn in the body of the Minister of Revenue’s son, wanted a carefree life but learned that his father had arranged a political marriage for him. Troubled by his upcoming wedding to Li Tianheng’s paralyzed and reportedly ugly daughter, Hu Xiaotian went out with his attendant Liang Dazhuang to clear his mind.

• Hu Xiaotian recalled how Hu Tian’s consciousness had awakened in the body of the formerly mute and mentally disabled sixteen-year-old, leading him to resolve to enjoy a comfortable life.
• Liang Dazhuang congratulated Hu Xiaotian on his arranged marriage, and Hu Xiaotian reacted with dismay.
• Hu Xiaotian’s father, Hu Buwei, had secured a marriage alliance with Li Tianheng after the Li family learned that Hu Xiaotian had regained his senses.
• Hu Xiaotian lamented that he was expected to marry Li Tianheng’s paralyzed and reportedly ugly daughter, with the wedding set for the sixth day of the tenth month.
• Liang Dazhuang suggested an outing, and Hu Xiaotian went out with him and three other servants.

After recovering his health, Hu Xiaotian went to Emerald Cloud Lake, where a confrontation with a red-clad girl ended with her flying toward the water. The chapter left her fate unresolved and Hu Xiaotian at the lakeside.

• Hu Xiaotian restored his strength through exercise and healthy food after spending sixteen years indoors.
• Hu Xiaotian walked to Emerald Cloud Lake with his servants and thought unhappily about his betrothal to the paralyzed daughter of the Li Family.
• A red-clad girl charged through the crowd on a crimson horse, narrowly stopping before Hu Xiaotian.
• The girl struck Hu Xiaotian with her whip, and his servants rushed to defend him.
• Hu Fo jabbed the crimson horse with his staff, making it buck and throw the girl toward Emerald Cloud Lake.

Hu Xiaotian rescued the girl in red after she fell into Emerald Cloud Lake, then tried to revive her while the crowd accused him of indecency. The chapter ended with him pressing her back to expel the water as onlookers watched and condemned him.

• The girl in red fell into Emerald Cloud Lake and struggled to stay afloat while the onlookers refused to rescue her.
• Hu Xiaotian ordered his servants to save her, then stripped down and swam out when they admitted they could not swim.
• Hu Xiaotian carried the unconscious girl in red to shore and had his servants shield them from the crowd.
• Hu Xiaotian loosened her sash, cleared weeds and snails from her mouth and face, and positioned her over his raised thigh to drain the water as spectators accused him of shameless behavior.

Hu Xiaotian rescued a girl in red from Emerald Cloud Lake, then took her hostage when her brother Tang Tiehan arrived with armed men. He brought her to the minister's residence, where he dismissed Tang Tiehan's threats by comparing their fathers' official ranks.

• Hu Xiaotian finished rescuing the girl in red, but Tang Tiehan arrived with more than twenty warriors and accused him of abducting his sister.
• Tang Tiehan charged at Hu Xiaotian, who threatened the girl's life with a dagger and forced Tang Tiehan and his men to dismount.
• Hu Xiaotian had Liang Dazhuang hold the girl hostage and rode with his servants toward the minister's residence as Tang Tiehan pursued them.
• Hu Xiaotian's party brought the girl into the residence and barred the rear gate against Tang Tiehan and his men.
• Hu Xiaotian learned that Tang Tiehan's father was Principal Sixth Rank while his own father was Principal Third Rank, and believed his family had the advantage.

Hu Xiaotian abducted Tang Qingxuan to sabotage his engagement, while Tang Wenzheng sought Hu Buwei’s help after learning what had happened. Hu Buwei sent his guard ahead to the Hu residence as he and Tang Wenzheng discussed the crisis.

• Hu Xiaotian decided to disgrace himself and the Hu family, then carried the unconscious Tang Qingxuan toward his room.
• Tang Tiehan grew angry outside the Hu residence, while his men urged him to report the abduction through official channels.
• Hu Buwei reflected on his planned marriage alliance with the Li Family and his reasons for securing Li Tianheng’s favor.
• Tang Wenzheng met Hu Buwei and told him that Hu Xiaotian had abducted Tang Qingxuan.
• Hu Buwei composed himself, invited Tang Wenzheng into his carriage, and ordered Hu Tianxiong to ride to the minister’s residence.

Hu Xiaotian abducted Tang Qingxuan, prompting her brothers to storm the Hu residence and demand justice. With the Tang men advancing into the garden, Hu Xiaotian ordered Liang Dazhuang to bring Qingxuan out and use her as a hostage.

• Hu Buwei promised Tang Wenzheng that he would investigate the abduction as their carriage headed back to the residence.
• Tang Tiecheng led more than a hundred men to the Hu residence’s rear gate and ordered them to batter it down, while Tang Tiehan joined the assault.
• The Tang brothers rammed the rear gate open, crushing three Hu servants beneath the fallen doors as their men poured into the residence.
• Hu Xiaotian threatened the bound Tang Qingxuan to keep her quiet, and she warned him that her father would report him to the emperor.
• Liang Dazhuang warned Hu Xiaotian that the Tang men had broken in, and the brothers charged into the garden with their followers.
• Hu Xiaotian ordered Liang Dazhuang to bring Qingxuan out and hold a blade to her neck as a hostage.

Hu Xiaotian used Tang Qingxuan and the threat of legal punishment to keep the Tang brothers at bay, but their torch accidentally set a pavilion ablaze. Murong Feiyan arrived with the Capital Prefecture, rescued Tang Qingxuan, and held Hu Xiaotian at swordpoint.

• Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiecheng confronted Hu Xiaotian, while Liang Dazhuang held Tang Qingxuan hostage to stop them from advancing.
• Hu Xiaotian taunted Tang Tiecheng and warned that burning the Minister's Residence could bring charges of rebellion against the Tang Family.
• A torch slipped from Tang Tiecheng's hand and ignited a thatched pavilion, prompting Tang Tiehan and the household servants to rush to put out the fire.
• After someone announced the Capital Prefecture had arrived, Liang Dazhuang demanded the Tang men surrender but was disarmed by Murong Feiyan.
• Murong Feiyan rescued Tang Qingxuan, kicked Liang Dazhuang aside, and pointed her sword at Hu Xiaotian's throat as he asked who she was.

Murong Feiyan intervened when Tang Qingxuan tried to kill Hu Xiaotian, but Tang Qingxuan broke free and threw her sword at him. Hu Tianxiong knocked the blade aside just in time, leaving Hu Xiaotian alive.

• Murong Feiyan freed Tang Qingxuan, who seized her sword and chased Hu Xiaotian.
• Hu Xiaotian fled through the courtyard, using Liang Dazhuang as a shield when Tang Qingxuan caught up with him.
• Murong Feiyan pulled Hu Xiaotian behind her and tried to stop Tang Qingxuan from attacking him.
• Tang Qingxuan struck Murong Feiyan and hurled her sword at Hu Xiaotian.
• Hu Tianxiong struck the flying sword with an iron ball, knocking it away before it hit Hu Xiaotian.

Tang Qingxuan’s family nearly attacked Hu Xiaotian after his assault on her, but Murong Feiyan and Hu Tianxiong kept the confrontation from turning into a bloodbath. Hu Buwei and Tang Wenzheng arrived, and Hu Buwei began managing the scandal without allowing the facts to be aired publicly.

• Hu Tianxiong intercepted Tang Qingxuan’s thrown sword and shielded Hu Xiaotian, while Murong Feiyan restrained Tang Qingxuan.
• Tang Tiecheng rallied the Tang family’s hundred-odd companions to attack Hu Xiaotian, and Murong Feiyan urged them to let the authorities handle the matter.
• Hu Buwei and Tang Wenzheng arrived at the residence after hearing the crowd’s cries, then ordered the fighting to stop.
• Tang Qingxuan ran to Tang Wenzheng and wept as he promised to obtain justice for her.
• Murong Feiyan formally greeted Hu Buwei, who dismissed her explanation and warned Hu Xiaotian that he would settle accounts with him later.

Hu Xiaotian turned the Tang Family’s accusations around by baiting Tang Tiecheng into appearing to threaten rebellion, sending the crowd fleeing. Hu Buwei then pressed Capital Prefect Hong Baiqi to decide how to handle the dispute.

• Hu Buwei urged Tang Wenzheng and Capital Prefect Hong Baiqi to disperse the Tang Family’s helpers before the affair escalated.
• Tang Tiehan accused Hu Xiaotian of abducting and dishonoring Tang Qingxuan, but Tang Wenzheng slapped him for speaking recklessly.
• Hu Xiaotian accused the Tang Family of trespassing and damaging property, then twisted Tang Tiecheng’s admission that he had burned a grass pavilion into apparent talk of overthrowing the imperial court.
• Tang Tiecheng drew his saber, but Tang Tiehan and Tang Tiexin restrained him as more than a hundred helpers fled to avoid being associated with rebellion.
• Hu Buwei was impressed by his son’s cunning, while Hong Baiqi chose to pretend he had heard nothing and Hu Buwei asked him what he thought.

Hu Xiaotian and the Tang family disputed what had happened at Emerald Cloud Lake as Hu Buwei and Hong Baiqi tried to resolve the matter privately. After Tang Qingxuan and her brothers accused Hu Xiaotian, he challenged their account and requested testimony from his attendants.

• Tang Wenzheng agreed to discuss the incident with Hu Buwei, who invited the parties into the front hall and promised to investigate.
• Hu Buwei asked Hu Xiaotian to explain himself, but Hu Xiaotian stared at Tang Qingxuan and invited her to speak first.
• Tang Qingxuan claimed Hu Xiaotian and his servants had caused her to fall into the lake, while Tang Tiehan accused Hu Xiaotian of abusing her.
• Tang Qingxuan pretended to faint after Tang Tiehan described the alleged abuse, and Tang Wenzheng demanded justice for his daughter.
• Hu Xiaotian asked who had rescued Tang Qingxuan, then requested that his four attendants testify; Hong Baiqi accepted the request and said he could judge the truth.

Hu Xiaotian and Tang Qingxuan gave conflicting accounts of how she fell into Emerald Cloud Lake as Hong Baiqi questioned the Hu servants and both families. Hu Xiaotian challenged Tang Qingxuan’s story and began explaining how he had rescued her, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• The four injured Hu servants told Hong Baiqi that Tang Qingxuan had ridden recklessly, struck Hu Xiaotian with her whip, and then fallen into the lake after Hu Fo stabbed her horse.
• Tang Qingxuan woke and accused the Hu party of tampering with her horse and pushing her into the water, then claimed Hu Xiaotian and his servants had harassed her.
• Hu Fo admitted thrusting his staff into Tang Qingxuan’s horse, while Tang Qingxuan said the frightened animal had thrown her into the lake.
• Liang Dazhuang and Tang Tiehan argued over whether Hu Xiaotian had rescued Tang Qingxuan or taken her hostage, and Hu Xiaotian sent his servants away.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Murong Feiyan whether Tang Qingxuan could have been overpowered by him and his attendants, and she indicated Tang Qingxuan could defend herself.
• Hu Xiaotian said witnesses could confirm that he rescued Tang Qingxuan and explained that he had pressed her abdomen to expel swallowed water.

Hu Xiaotian exposed Tang Tiehan’s accusations as foolishness and forced the Tang Family to accept a settlement before they left the Hu Residence. After Hong Baiqi departed, Hu Buwei affectionately scolded his son over the burned Thatched Pavilion and praised his quick mind.

• Hu Xiaotian baited Tang Tiehan into admitting he had suspected an indecent act, then used Tang Qingxuan’s silence to undermine the Tang Family’s accusations.
• Hu Xiaotian’s taunts enraged Tang Qingxuan until she fainted, and Tang Wenzheng revived her as her brothers prepared to attack.
• Hong Baiqi called the dispute a misunderstanding, and Hu Buwei offered an apology and to cover the losses, bringing the confrontation to an end.
• Tang Wenzheng and his children left the Hu Residence, while Hu Xiaotian called after the brothers about the Thatched Pavilion and sent them fleeing.
• After Hong Baiqi departed, Hu Buwei twisted Hu Xiaotian’s ear over the damage, then praised his cleverness about the Thatched Pavilion.

Hu Xiaotian clashed with Hu Buwei over the Tang Family incident and his arranged marriage to the Li Family’s disabled daughter. Hu Buwei remained determined to preserve the alliance and sent Hu Tianxiong to deliver him a letter to Lord Li in Western Sichuan.

• Hu Buwei warned Hu Xiaotian that his scheme against the Tang brothers could have been turned against the Hu Family, then advised him to anticipate trouble from the resentful Tang Family.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Hu Buwei to break off his engagement to the Li girl, but Hu Buwei refused because the marriage was a public political commitment.
• Hu Xiaotian mocked Hu Buwei’s insistence on the marriage and returned to his room after Hu Buwei furiously called him an unfilial wretch.
• Hu Xiaotian praised Liang Dazhuang for supposedly protecting him from Tang Qingxuan, then punched him for pretending he had volunteered to take the sword attack.
• Hu Buwei learned that Hu Xiaotian had saved Tang Qingxuan but also brought her into the residence, and he ordered Hu Tianxiong to take a letter to Lord Li to protect the marriage alliance from rumors.

Hu Buwei weighed the political risks of his alliance with the Li family while Hu Xiaotian continued adjusting to his new life and studying practical skills. With his parents away, Hu Xiaotian received an unexpected visit from Vice Minister Xu Zhengying.

• Hu Buwei rejected the idea of immediately securing Hu Xiaotian an official post, deciding to let him rest until his recovery was certain.
• Hu Xiaotian accepted that his father would not cancel his engagement and focused on studying Great Kang’s customs, history, riding, and archery.
• Hu Buwei left for the Eastern Capital with the emperor, while Madam Hu visited her family in Jinling, leaving Hu Xiaotian free to explore the capital.
• Hu Xiaotian learned that Xu Zhengying had come to see him and suspected the vice minister wanted a favor, so he invited him to the Lotus-Viewing Pavilion.
• Hu Xiaotian greeted Xu Zhengying politely when the vice minister arrived at the pavilion.

Hu Xiaotian accepted Xu Zhengying’s valuable ginseng and talked his way into joining him at a literary gathering. He left despite his servants’ objections, leaving Liang Dazhuang kicked to the ground and Xu Zhengying uneasy about being blamed by Hu Buwei.

• Xu Zhengying visited Hu Xiaotian and presented him with a thousand-year-old mountain ginseng root.
• Hu Xiaotian accepted the ginseng after Xu Zhengying insisted, then learned that Xu was going to a literary gathering at the Misty Waters Pavilion.
• Hu Xiaotian asked to accompany Xu Zhengying, who agreed despite doubting that Hu could read.
• When Hu Xiaotian’s servants tried to stop him from leaving, he kicked Liang Dazhuang and claimed Xu Zhengying had invited him.
• Hu Xiaotian left with Xu Zhengying while the servants watched, and Liang Dazhuang lamented that he had been wronged.

Hu Xiaotian traveled with Xu Zhengying to a literary gathering at the Misty Waters Pavilion, teasing his host and agreeing to keep his identity quiet. At the pavilion, he admired the calligraphy of Emperor Taizong and declared that he would someday write characters of his own.

• Hu An scolded Liang Dazhuang for letting Hu Xiaotian go out and told him to follow discreetly to the Misty Waters Pavilion in case trouble arose.
• Hu Xiaotian rode in Xu Zhengying’s luxurious carriage and joked about its horses, its expense, and the limits on carriage privileges.
• Xu Zhengying urged Hu Xiaotian not to reveal that he was Lord Hu’s son, and Hu Xiaotian agreed to pretend to be mute at the gathering.
• Hu Xiaotian arrived at the five-story Misty Waters Pavilion, recognized Long Yinkong’s calligraphy on its plaque, and praised it.
• Hu Xiaotian said he would write characters to hang at the pavilion someday, while Xu Zhengying privately dismissed the boast.

Hu Xiaotian attended a literary gathering with Xu Zhengying, where Minister of Rites Wu Jingshan drew the scholars’ attention and reminded Hu of his feud with Hu Buwei. The gathering paused for an expected guest, and Hu eagerly watched the entrance when Miss Huo was announced, just as a dog began barking outside.

• Xu Zhengying introduced Hu Xiaotian to Qiu Zhigao and Qiu Zhitang, who had organized the gathering, while concealing Hu Xiaotian’s identity.
• Wu Jingshan and Su Qingkun arrived, drawing the scholars’ attention away from Xu Zhengying, and Wu took the central seat.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Xu Zhengying about Wu Jingshan’s rank and noted that Wu had recently impeached Hu Buwei.
• Qiu Zhigao asked Wu Jingshan whether the gathering could begin, but Su Qingkun asked everyone to wait for someone.
• A voice announced Miss Huo’s arrival, and Hu Xiaotian craned toward the entrance as dogs barked outside.

At a literary salon, Hu Xiaotian countered Wu Jingshan’s public insult of Xu Zhengying with two clever insults of his own. Huo Xiaoru was impressed and chose to sit beside Hu Xiaotian, leaving Wu Jingshan furious.

• Huo Xiaoru entered the Misty Waters Pavilion with her maid and spitz, captivating the literary guests.
• Wu Jingshan used a pun about the spitz to insult Xu Zhengying, then pressed him to answer whether it was a wolf or a dog.
• Hu Xiaotian said a dog’s raised tail distinguished it from a wolf, turning Wu Jingshan’s insult back on him.
• When Huo Xiaoru asked for his second method, Hu Xiaotian joked that dogs ate meat or shit, insulting Su Qingkun and prompting Xu Zhengying to laugh.
• Huo Xiaoru handed her spitz to her maid and sat beside Hu Xiaotian instead of taking the seat beside Wu Jingshan, who grew livid.

At the Misty Waters Pavilion, Hu Xiaotian flirted with Huo Xiaoru before joining a literary couplet challenge and repeatedly insulting Minister Wu Jingshan through clever wordplay. After learning Hu Xiaotian was Hu Buwei’s son, Wu Jingshan abandoned the contest and left.

• Hu Xiaotian charmed Huo Xiaoru with a compliment while Xu Zhengying watched in disbelief.
• Su Qingkun proposed a literary gathering, and Wu Jingshan began a couplet challenge with an embedded-character opening line.
• Xu Zhengying and Qiu Zhigao offered answers, with Qiu Zhigao using his couplet to insult Hu Xiaotian and urge Huo Xiaoru to leave his side.
• Huo Xiaoru’s maid stunned the gathering with a sharp couplet, and Su Qingkun added another answer.
• Hu Xiaotian answered with a couplet calling someone a petty man, enraging Wu Jingshan while impressing Xu Zhengying.
• Wu Jingshan learned Hu Xiaotian was Hu Buwei’s son, ended the contest, and left the pavilion.