Arc 9Chapters 201–225
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Jia Huan promised to intervene after Xue Baochai begged to escape her forced marriage to Jia Baoyu, provoking Baoyu’s growing hatred. He then devised a trap to expose someone close to the White Lotus Cult’s backer, Partridge Sky.
Jia Huan arranged to obtain demonic cultivation manuals through the Misty Rain Tower, then confronted Wang Ziteng over Xue Baochai’s marriage and forced the Xue Family to suspend the contract. Wang Ziteng left humiliated, while Jia Huan resolved to bring him down.
Jia Huan traced the purchase of demonic arts manuals to the Guangling Sect on Ze Mountain and learned that a Jiaofang Office musician named Mr. Gu had commissioned the deal. The lead raised suspicion of the Second Prince, but Jia Huan still needed to locate and arrest Mr. Gu.
Jia Huan suspected the Second Prince was the White Lotus Cult’s hidden financier, Partridge Sky, and ordered Musician Gu arrested for questioning. The Second Prince intervened at Heaven on Earth and took Gu upstairs, while Jia Huan’s men prepared to respond.
Jia Huan confronted the Second Prince at the Jiaofang Office to take Musician Gu into custody, but Gu killed himself with poison. Jia Huan ordered the Second Prince’s retainers questioned and threatened to raze the Jiaofang Office, leaving the furious prince vowing to kill him if he carried out the order.
Jia Huan mobilized the Embroidered Uniform Guard to raid the Jiaofang Office, while continuing to search for Madam Jiuli and the White Lotus Cult’s hidden financier. Although the Second Prince tried to stop him, Jia Huan ordered the office demolished, leaving its powerful guests and the prince stunned.
Jia Huan demolished the Jiaofang Office after the second prince obstructed his arrest, then uncovered numerous criminals and spies. The second prince left in disgrace, while the Retired Emperor heard the account and found that he disliked Jia Huan less.
After demolishing the Jiaofang Office and clashing with the Second Prince, Jia Huan received three years without pay from Emperor Jingde. He arranged a search for Madam Jiuli while the humiliated prince threatened him and ordered the Jia Family’s men imprisoned.
After Jia Huan humiliated Jiang Qi, the Second Prince retaliated by having Jia Baoyu and other Jia family members arrested, while Jia Huan kept Jia Zheng under the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s protection. Jiang Qi arranged to torture the prisoners and hoped Jia Huan would storm the prison, but Jia Huan did not come, leaving Jiang Qi furious and Wang Ziteng rushing to the jail.
The Second Prince’s plan to blame Jia Huan collapsed when Wang Ziteng arrived with the Retired Emperor’s decree and rescued the Jia Family’s prisoners. Jia Huan refused to go to the prison, and the chapter ended with the badly injured men returning to Rongguo Mansion, where the family mourned and Jia Baoyu wept over his supposed mistreatment.
After learning that Madam Jiu Li was hiding on Mount Laojun, Jia Huan left the Capital with the Kirin Office, but secretly returned when the Second Prince sent officials to arrest his mother and household. He killed the arresting party’s chief administrator and reported the Second Prince’s actions to Emperor Jingde, who summoned Jiang Qi.
After Emperor Jingde ordered the Second Prince to apologize to the Jia Family, Jia Huan exposed the prince’s insincere apology and prepared defenses against retaliation. Jia Huan then left the Capital with his trusted men and reached Mount Laojun, where the story left them arriving on the fourth day.
Jia Huan questioned Madam Jiuli on Mount Laojun and learned that Minister Yang Fuqi had ordered her to obtain demonic cultivation arts, while she also implicated the Second Prince in pursuing her. After returning to the capital, Jia Huan confronted Yang Fuqi, received an imperial decree ordering him to drop the matter, and decided to keep up the appearance of targeting the Second Prince while he investigated Partridge Sky.
Jia Huan learned that the Second Prince had secured an imperial decree to take Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai, and Jia Tanchun as concubines, and he vowed to stop the marriage and kill the prince. He began targeting Minister of Justice Yang Fuqi, whose ties to the plot remained unclear, and ended the chapter confronting him at Red Sleeve House with Yang Fuqi’s sons bound across the street.
Jia Huan uncovered Prince Zhongshun’s role in funding the White Lotus Cult and learned that an arsenal was hidden in Jiang Qi’s fief, while the Retired Emperor and Jiang Qi mistakenly believed Jia Huan had fled the Capital. The chapter ended with Jia Huan preparing to pursue the arsenal as Jiang Qi celebrated his apparent victory and threatened the women of the Rongguo Mansion.
Jia Huan destroyed Prince of Zhongshun’s secret weapons fort and uncovered evidence linking the prince to the White Lotus Cult’s armor production. After the Second Prince escalated his humiliation of the Jia Family, Jia Huan returned to the Capital and rode directly toward the Forbidden City, leaving everyone to wonder how he would respond.
Jia Huan raided Prince Zhongshun's Mansion and killed the Princess Consort after she attacked him, then caught the fleeing Prince Zhongshun in a secret tunnel. He left with the prince as his captive, while Imperial Palace Experts arrived and found them.
Jia Huan accused Prince Zhongshun and the Second Prince of treason, presenting evidence that they had funded the White Lotus Cult and prepared weapons for rebellion. When the Second Prince broke down and apologized, Jia Huan refused to accept his bow, while news reaching Rongguo Mansion left Wang Xifeng and Lin Daiyu believing Jia Huan had knelt.
Jia Huan faced Empress Yin and the court over his investigation into the rebellion, refusing to excuse the Second Prince despite her demand. He defended his conduct as loyal service and left the officials confronted with his public challenge.
Jia Huan refused to soften his verdict against the Second Prince, and the court prepared to deliberate over the rebellion evidence. At Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zheng announced that the Second Prince was doomed and ordered the family to replace its wedding decorations with mourning cloth.
Jia Huan’s evidence confirmed that the Second Prince and Prince of Zhongshun had conspired with the White Lotus Cult, and Emperor Jingde ordered them to die by poisoned wine. Afterward, Jia Huan celebrated their deaths with Scholar and Twin Whips before inviting them to spar.
Jia Huan carried out the Emperor’s order to execute the imprisoned traitors, then gained a major martial breakthrough and a powerful new blade technique. He left the prison near the peak of the Profound Insight Realm, while his hopes of promotion remained on hold during the imperial mourning.
Jia Huan returned to Rongguo Mansion to a joyful welcome after saving the Jia Family from disaster, while Empress Yin’s hatred of the family remained fierce during the Second Prince’s funeral rites. A week later, Jia Huan received a promotion that fell far short of his merits, revealing a growing rift between him and the emperor.
Jia Huan’s subordinates celebrated their promotions, while Yan Yan returned to Hongnong to confront the people who had humiliated him. Back in the capital, Jia Huan received an imperial summons from the Empress.
Jia Huan defied Empress Yin’s attempt to revoke his mother’s honors, warning her that the harem must not interfere in politics. He then tried to settle the conflict with Imperial Uncle Yin, who rejected his invitation and left, leaving Jia Huan to face the widening feud.