Chapter Summaries

Zi Shou returned to Chaoge after Xiao Yin's rebellion was put down, while Chong Houhu reassured the feudal lords that His Majesty had anticipated the unrest. At the palace gate, Chan Sect Daoists led by Randeng arrived, and Zi Shou wondered whether they had been working behind the scenes to aid Zhou.

• Zi Shou headed back to Chaoge, worried that the Chan Sect's arrival might endanger the palace and Daji's pregnancy.
• Chong Houhu told the gathered marquises to remain calm, interpreting Zi Shou's nine yawns as a sign that His Majesty had foreseen the rebellion.
• Chong Houhu's household servant reported that palace female soldiers and the Slave Army had driven back the rebels.
• Randeng arrived at the palace gate with Manjushri, Puxian, Cihang, Xiao Zhen, and Yun Zhongzi, prompting the ministers and court cultivators to grow wary.
• Zi Shou asked Randeng and the other immortals what had brought them to Chaoge.

Randeng and the Chan Sect accused Daji and the women in Zi Shou’s palace of being monsters, and the newborn’s aura appeared to confirm their claim. Zi Shou protected Daji and refused to let the Chan Sect attack, leaving the conflict inside Shouxian Palace unresolved.

• Yuan Hong and his brothers learned that the Chan Sect might be targeting Daji, while Yun Zhongzi and Puxian insisted they would wait for the child’s birth.
• Puxian called the unborn child a monster, and Zhao Gongming ordered the Chan Sect to leave Great Shang.
• Daji gave birth, and a strange aura rose from the Imperial Harem as Xiao Zhen identified it as monstrous.
• Zi Shou rushed to Shouxian Palace and found Daji and the baby safe, then shielded her from the Chan Sect.
• Randeng accused Daji of being a Thousand-Year Fox Spirit and pointed out Hu Ximei and Liu Pipa as other monsters, while Yun Zhongzi asked Zi Shou to step aside so he could slay them.

Xiao Zhen and the Chan Sect pressed King Zhou to let them kill Daji and the other demons, while the Interception Sect debated whether to interfere. King Zhou killed Xiao Zhen for trespassing, and Yun Zhongzi exposed the demons’ true forms before the gathered city, leaving King Zhou facing a choice that could destroy his standing with the people.

• Xiao Zhen accused Daji, Hu Ximei, and Liu Pipa of being demons, while Luo Xuan and Zhao Gongming blocked the Chan Sect from entering the Shouxian Palace.
• The Three Xiao Sisters arrived, and Qiongxiao called for the demons to be killed, prompting the Interception Sect to realize they stood with Great Shang rather than Daji.
• Randeng sent Xiao Zhen toward the palace to expose the demons and force King Zhou to let them be eliminated.
• Zi Shou pulled the Tai'a Sword from his chest and struck Xiao Zhen down with the Kongtong Seal for trespassing in the Shouxian Palace and threatening his consort.
• Yun Zhongzi used the Demon-Revealing Mirror to display the white fox, nine-headed pheasant, and jade pipa in the sky above Chaoge.
• Randeng concluded that King Zhou would lose the people’s trust whether he protected the demons or allowed the Chan Sect to kill them.

King Zhou used the Tai'a Sword’s power to stop the Chan Sect from taking Daji, and the conflict paused when Randeng ordered the Daoists to withdraw. Su Quanzhong then arrived with proof that he had wiped out the Tu Fang remnants and asked whether his sister was safe.

• The ministers reacted with alarm after Yun Zhongzi revealed that Daji was a demon, while Zhao Gongming objected to the Chan Sect’s pressure on King Zhou.
• Puxian tried to bind the demons with the Rainbow Cord, but King Zhou refused to let him act.
• The Tai'a Sword unleashed a tremendous display of power, and King Zhou declared that no one could harm Daji without his permission.
• Randeng called off the demon-slaying and led the Chan Sect Daoists away, but soldiers surrounded Shouxian Palace before they could leave.
• Su Quanzhong presented the dried skull of a Tu Fang remnant and reported that he had completed his mission.
• Su Quanzhong asked King Zhou if his sister was all right, and King Zhou assured him that she was very well.

A mighty man summoned Yu the Great's Rod and the great cauldron, then drew together the Nine Cauldrons' fortune to complete the human race's dragon vein. He asked Zi Shou to lend him the realm, and a golden dragon spread across the land as the chapter ended with Daji's origins soon to be resolved.

• Zi Shou sent Su Quanzhong and the Great Wall Guards away, assuring him that Consort Su was unharmed.
• A mighty man arrived in Chaoge, took Yu the Great's Rod, and demanded that Zi Shou lend him the cauldron.
• Randeng explained that the Nine Cauldrons had once been meant to gather the human race's fortune into a dragon vein.
• The mighty man summoned the Nine Cauldrons from flood sites across the realm and drew their nine rainbows into the great cauldron.
• The mighty man asked Zi Shou to lend him the realm to shape the Human Dao's eternal prosperity, and a golden dragon surged across the land.

Yu the Great's Cauldron formed the Dragon Vein, giving King Zhou and Yin Shang three portions of the Human Race's Fortune. The Dragon Vein subdued several immortals, and Qiongxiao deliberately faced it to undergo Immortal-to-Mortal Transformation.

• Yu the Great's spirit completed the Dragon Vein, and King Zhou summoned the Human Race's Fortune against Randeng and the other immortals.
• The Fortune dragon crushed Puxian's Three Dharma Golden Lotuses, swallowed Cihang's and Manjushri's treasures, and shattered Randeng's Glazed Lamp, stripping Randeng of his Five Qi.
• The dragon pinned Puxian, Cihang, and Manjushri beneath Yu the Great's Rod, while Yun Zhongzi escaped its attack.
• Qiongxiao recalled her past mistakes toward the Human Race and flew into the dragon's path to better understand them.
• The dragon stripped Qiongxiao of her Three Flowers and Five Qi, transforming her from an immortal into a mortal.

After Yu the Great died having shaped the dragon vein, the Human Race’s fortune continued to rise despite Yin Shang’s troubles. Tongtian left Duobao with the bill for his fortune-telling jar, while the Three Sovereigns suspected the Western Teachings were entering the struggle over human fortune; the chapter ended with developments unfolding across the realm.

• Tongtian asked Duobao about the Human Race’s fortunes, then used the winning horse from the chaotic race to explain how resolve could overcome poor odds and left with Duobao’s jar of coins.
• In the Fire Cloud Palace, the Three Sovereigns mourned Yu the Great and Fuxi warned that the Western Teachings had intervened in the Human Race’s affairs.
• Fuxi, Shennong, and Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan discussed Yin Shang’s waning fortune and agreed that human effort, rather than destiny, would determine the dynasty’s future.
• Shennong and Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan sent more things down to the lower realm as the dragon vein and human fortune grew.
• Xuandu sent his treasured chart to the Eight Views Palace and reflected on insights from Yu the Great’s transformation, while the Jade Void Palace remained shut and the Northern Darkness Sea churned.
• In Xiqi, Ji Fa gained the feudal lords’ support and rumors of his heavenly mandate spread; meanwhile, Du Yu led boats out along the Min River in Liangzhou.

After the rebellion, Zi Shou named Daji’s newborn son Wu Geng and learned about Daji’s ties to the Su family and her hopes for peaceful coexistence between humans and monsters. At court, he tried to take responsibility for poor harvests and invite public curses, but learned the autumn tax harvest had exceeded previous years by ten percent in nearly every region.

• Zi Shou dismissed the ministers, brought Su Quanzhong into Shouxian Palace, and comforted Daji after the rebellion.
• Daji asked to see her baby, and Zi Shou named the child Wu Geng.
• Daji told Zi Shou that she had entered the Su Residence hoping to preserve her ancestor Nü Jiao’s dream of peace between humans and monsters.
• At court, Zi Shou ordered Shang Rong to draft an edict truthfully reporting that the rebel was Yu the Great’s descendant and invoking the saying about Xia destroying Shang.
• Zi Shou told Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao to report the autumn harvest honestly and offered to take the blame for poor yields.
• Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao reported that tax revenues were ten percent higher than in previous years across the regions, except at Lintong Pass, which the rebel Xiao had affected.

The author defended the protagonist’s choices, arguing that he valued every person and kept a moral bottom line, then urged readers to support the official release. The chapter ended with a comedic skit in which Zi Shou used the system to swap in famous historical figures as officials, relatives, and potential rebels.

• The author addressed criticism of the protagonist’s southern expedition, explaining that he avoided direct battles and did not recklessly sacrifice his troops.
• The author argued that the protagonist could not have anticipated the Chan Sect’s intervention in the palace rebellion and defended his efforts to protect Great Shang.
• The author rejected claims that the protagonist looked down on the Slave Army and the women’s army, citing his record of valuing and protecting people.
• The author asked readers to subscribe to the official release and shared the book’s group number and entry password.
• In a skit, Zi Shou swapped historical figures into positions across his government, harem, and family, creating a deliberately chaotic regime.
• Zi Shou gave up on controlling the outcome, drank Poison Bird Wine, and summoned Oboi, Guo Wei, and Sima Yi to serve as regents for his heir.

Zi Shou questioned the unexpected rise in grain production, unaware that stolen manure fertilizer had boosted yields, then expanded military rewards after suppressing the rebellion. He ordered new armies formed and accepted noble contributions to replenish the treasury, while Li Jing mistook the reward decisions for a test of his legal judgment.

• Xiao Sheng and Cao Bao concealed that manure fertilizer had raised crop yields because its use involved theft, and Zi Shou wrongly concluded that officials were slacking off.
• Lu Xiong presented the proposed rewards for forces that had suppressed the rebellion, and Zi Shou ordered larger rewards for the Women's Federation.
• Zi Shou renamed the Slave Army the Dare-to-Bear Army and organized the palace's female soldiers into the Lady Army, allowing Women's Federation members to enlist.
• Li Jing interpreted Zi Shou's reward decisions as a test of how to balance equality under the law with fairness, while Zi Shou intended to provoke the Dark Phoenix Guard into slacking off.
• Zi Shou authorized confiscating rebel nobles' estates to pay the rewards, and the Marquis of Hu, the Marquis of Yu Yue, and other tribal leaders offered their wealth to replenish the treasury.
• Lu Xiong took out another memorial and began reporting a new matter.

Zi Shou used the rebellion to justify expanding the Slave Army, seizing slaves from feudal lords, and putting prisoners to work rebuilding Chaoge. At night, he drafted scandalous human-monster romance stories for publication, hoping public outrage would earn him foolishness value.

• Zi Shou rejected Lu Xiong's proposal to transfer troops from Jiepai Pass and ordered Zhang Shan to seize slaves from rebellious lords' domains while Zhang Youren went to Xiqi to bring back its slaves.
• Zi Shou refused Bo Yi's request to execute the prisoners and ordered Wan Nian to employ them rebuilding and expanding Chaoge.
• Zi Shou held Daji close as he considered how newspapers could help him control public opinion and earn foolishness value.
• Zi Shou drafted a human-monster romance story, added the titles "Dong Xuanzi Thirty-Six" and "Edo Forty-Eight," and signed it for publication.

Zi Shou wrote three deliberately vulgar stories and sent You Hun to arrange for them to be printed through a noble-run bookshop. You Hun accidentally handed a draft to the Yao Bookshop’s shopkeeper, who was left stunned by its explicit wedding-night scene and abrupt fox-spirit ending.

• Zi Shou rejected an elegant opening, wrote three vulgar stories with carefully designed plots and botched endings, and arranged for You Hun to take the drafts to a noble’s bookshop.
• You Hun entered the Yao Bookshop openly, where the shopkeeper tried to appease him by offering a supposedly reserved copy of Yang Ren’s popular Eastern Travelogue.
• Peng Zun spotted You Hun and prompted the shopkeeper to notice the manuscript he carried.
• The shopkeeper praised You Hun’s supposed literary talent and took the draft from him before You Hun realized his mistake.
• The shopkeeper read a love story that turned into a detailed wedding-night scene, then ended abruptly after the bride revealed her fox tail.

You Hun’s attempt to circulate his vulgar story failed when the crowd condemned it, but Zi Shou turned to the Dark Phoenix Guards to spread the book under a different plan. That night, Mei De began selling copies of Little Liu Bei, and Zhen Yu bought one despite recognizing its scandalous contents.

• Peng Zun and the shopkeeper condemned You Hun’s manuscript, and Zhen Yu and other onlookers joined their outrage.
• The shopkeeper hid the rejected manuscript, while You Hun reported his failure and lost first draft to Zi Shou.
• Zi Shou ordered the Dark Phoenix Guards from Shanglin Garden to spread Little Liu Bei for one copper coin.
• Mei De offered a copy to Zhen Yu, who bought it after recognizing the passage she had read earlier.
• Book sellers began calling out quietly in the streets and alleys.

Shopkeeper Yao reconsidered his refusal to print You Hun’s scandalous book after crowds flocked to buy it and decided to publish an edited, more elegant version. He hurried the Yao family’s printing workshop to produce it, hoping to profit and build a connection with You Hun before the court could intervene.

• Crowds gathered outside the Yao Bookshop to discuss and seek out the unfinished book about romances between humans and spirits.
• Shopkeeper Yao realized the book’s popularity and his own enjoyment of it made printing a promising business opportunity.
• Shopkeeper Yao decided to edit the manuscript, make its language more refined, and write an ending for the story.
• Several days later, Shopkeeper Yao brought You Hun’s manuscript to the Yao family printing workshop and demanded a quick print run.
• Shopkeeper Yao offered higher wages until the craftsmen agreed to work urgently on the book.

Zi Shou responded to a rival book copying Little Liu Bei by adding erotic illustrations and letting both books spread across Chaoge. After Yang Ren called for a crackdown, Zi Shou revealed that he had written Little Liu Bei and ordered the pictures drawn.

• Zi Shou learned that the Yao Bookshop had released Strange Tales from Yao Studio, which copied Little Liu Bei’s stories and characters with more polished writing and proper endings.
• Zi Shou decided to counter the rival book with illustrations, using palace maids to draw them and adding human-demon romances to Little Liu Bei.
• Strange Tales from Yao Studio and the illustrated Little Liu Bei became popular among nobles and commoners, making human-demon love a widespread topic in Chaoge.
• Yang Ren urged the court to ban the books, destroy their printing materials, punish sellers and buyers, and find their author.
• Zi Shou told the court that he had written the book and ordered the illustrations drawn.

Zi Shou faced mixed praise and criticism in court over writing Little Liu Bei and the circulation of erotic illustrations, then ordered a ban despite their reported benefits. The court turned to a new matter when Bo Yi announced that Du Yu, King of Shu, had arrived with a party claiming to be from Shu.

• Yang Ren struggled to condemn Zi Shou for writing Little Liu Bei, but Bo Yi argued the books had eased distrust of spirits such as Consort Su.
• Bo Yi described how stories about Xiao Qian encouraged people to judge spirits by their deeds rather than their kind.
• Shang Rong defended the illustrations as useful to his daughter and presented reports that they had helped couples conceive.
• Zi Shou ordered Li Jing to have the Ministry of Punishments ban the books, though their circulation had already spread beyond Chaoge.
• Bo Yi told Zi Shou that Du Yu, King of Shu, had arrived with a party claiming to come from Shu.

Zi Shou deferred deciding whether to recognize Du Yu as King of Shu while investigating his identity. After Du Zhong abducted and assaulted Zhen Yu, she tried to drown herself in the Qi River, but Gao San found her and called out to her.

• Xin Jia and Bo Yi explained Shu’s history and why Du Yu had come to Chaoge, and Zi Shou postponed receiving him until his identity was investigated.
• Du Yu learned that Zi Shou doubted his claim to the throne and grew angry, though he and his retainers enjoyed Chaoge’s amusements.
• Du Zhong abducted Zhen Yu, daughter of the Marquis of Hu, and kept her at the Shu residence until daylight.
• Zhen Yu left Chaoge and walked into the Qi River, believing she had lost the right to hope for a freely chosen marriage.
• Gao San set aside a donation meeting and searched for Zhen Yu, finding her in the river and calling to her.

Zhen Yu tried to drown herself after a retainer of the King of Shu violated her, but Gao San rescued her and vowed to hold him accountable. When three members of Du Yu’s household died and Gao San confessed to killing one of them, King Zhou prepared to preside over a politically charged trial and openly defy the limits of Shang law.

• Zhen Yu walked into the Qi River, believing she could wash herself clean after being violated, and Gao San pulled her from the water.
• Gao San urged Zhen Yu to stand up for herself and said she would deal with the King of Shu and ensure that no one remained beyond the law.
• Several days later, Du Zhong, Du Zhen, and Du Yu’s son Du Xian died in Chaoge, prompting Du Yu to demand an investigation from King Zhou.
• Li Jing investigated the deaths, and Gao San confessed to killing Du Zhong because he had tried to violate her.
• King Zhou decided to attend the hearing and protect Gao San, while the court gathered to handle the case as a potential diplomatic crisis.

At Gao San’s trial, an attack by Wufeng Bees helped her disappear from the Ministry of Punishments while Gao Cheng confessed to the killings. His testimony revealed that Du Zhen had killed Du Zhong, and the ministers turned their suspicion toward Du Yu, the King of Shu.

• Shang Rong, Li Jing, and other officials gathered to hear Gao San’s case, where she admitted striking Du Zhong but denied killing Du Zhen and Du Xian.
• Ouyang Tianlu proposed torturing Gao San, but Zi Shou ordered Du Yu to receive twenty strokes of the paddle instead.
• Wufeng Bees swarmed the hall and vanished with Gao San, while Gao Cheng appeared and confessed to killing Du Zhen and Du Xian.
• Zi Shou stopped the guards from pursuing Gao San and ordered them to question Gao Cheng first, despite Du Yu accusing him of being a scapegoat.
• Gao Cheng testified that Du Zhen had killed the unconscious Du Zhong after Gao San left, prompting senior ministers to turn hostile gazes on Du Yu.

Gao Cheng revealed that he killed Du Xian and Du Zhen after discovering they planned to frame Gao San for Du Zhong’s death. When Li Jing questioned why he had sacrificed himself for her, Gao Cheng revealed he was Gao San’s father and explained that someone had to confess.

• Gao Cheng testified that Du Zhen had killed Du Zhong and planned to blame Gao San for the murder.
• Gao Cheng said Du Xian tried to bribe him with a Bronze Standing Figure, then threatened to kill him when he refused.
• Gao Cheng revealed he killed Du Xian and Du Zhen with a Wufeng Bee to protect Gao San from being framed.
• Du Yu demanded that Gao Cheng and Gao San be punished, while Li Jing questioned why Gao Cheng had killed for her.
• Gao Cheng revealed that Gao San was his daughter and said he confessed because otherwise she would have been arrested.