Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xiaobai asked Lin Fengshuo to expel Zhao Sheng if he could find sufficient evidence that Zhao Sheng had plotted against him. He then strolled with Li Zhiwei, teased her about her appearance and marriage, and kissed her, while their companions watched from afar.

• Jiang Xiaobai told Lin Fengshuo that Zhao Sheng and Zhao Bintian had targeted him and asked Lin Fengshuo to expel Zhao Sheng.
• Lin Fengshuo agreed to expel Zhao Sheng if Jiang Xiaobai found sufficient evidence, and Jiang Xiaobai thanked him.
• Jiang Xiaobai took Li Zhiwei for a walk and learned that Li Zhixing was busy with the increasingly popular Clear Pavilion.
• Jiang Xiaobai held Li Zhiwei's hand, teased her about missing him, and reassured her that he did not mind whether she was beautiful.
• Jiang Xiaobai pulled Li Zhiwei close and kissed her through her veil, then joked about finding a private place to try again as she chased after him.
• Zhang Xinnian admired Jiang Xiaobai's behavior, while Tang Ningshuang and the Elder Princess reacted quietly.

Jiang Xiaobai returned from visiting Li Zhiwei and prepared to attend court as delegations from two countries arrived. After his father warned him to be cautious, Jiang Xiaobai taunted Teng Zixiu outside the palace, who vowed to teach him a lesson.

• Jiang Xiaobai left Li Zhiwei at the Chancellor's Residence, and Lin Qinrou teased her for watching his carriage depart.
• On the journey home, Zhang Xinnian suggested Tang Ningshuang was jealous of Jiang Xiaobai and Li Zhiwei, so Tang Ningshuang threatened him with her sword.
• The next morning, Jiang Jingcheng warned Jiang Xiaobai that the foreign delegations might target him and asked Tang Ningshuang to protect him.
• Jiang Jingcheng sent an officer to investigate where the delegations were staying while Jiang Xiaobai headed to the palace for morning court.
• Outside the palace gates, Jiang Xiaobai mocked Teng Zixiu and urged him to report him, prompting Teng Zixiu to vow revenge.

Jiang Xiaobai attended court with Tang Ningshuang, where officials praised his actions against Northern Yu’s Visiting Scholars and he learned that the man watching him was the Eighth Prince, Xiao Jinxiong. The chapter ended as the Elder Princess arrived at court, leaving Jiang Xiaobai surprised.

• Jiang Xiaobai let the Elder Princess leave to visit the Little Princess and continued to the Imperial Court with Tang Ningshuang.
• Tang Kui congratulated Jiang Xiaobai for killing a Northern Yu Visiting Scholar and warned him that the envoys might retaliate.
• The Ministers of Revenue and War, along with other officials, approached Jiang Xiaobai and thanked him for resolving Teng Zixiu’s complaint.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Tang Kui about a middle-aged prince and learned that he was the Eighth Prince, Xiao Jinxiong, father of Xiao Qingxiu.
• Eunuch Gao announced the Emperor’s arrival, then announced the Elder Princess’s arrival, surprising Jiang Xiaobai.

The Elder Princess appeared in court veiled and sat beside Xiao Jinxuan, while she and Jiang Xiaobai pretended to meet as strangers. After Jiang Xiaobai explained why he had not yet written the requested poem, the Elder Princess singled him out to massage her shoulders.

• The Elder Princess entered court wearing a black veil and sat beside Xiao Jinxuan, explaining that she had caught a cold.
• The Elder Princess and Jiang Xiaobai acted as if they were meeting for the first time, and she urged him to fulfill his duties as Two-State Reception Envoy.
• Xiao Jinxuan asked Jiang Xiaobai whether he had prepared a poem for the Princess of Northern Yu, and Jiang Xiaobai said he needed to meet her before inspiration could come.
• During routine court reports, the Elder Princess complained that her shoulders hurt and demanded that Jiang Xiaobai give her a thorough massage.

The Elder Princess made Jiang Xiaobai massage her shoulders in court, then Xiao Jinxuan assigned him to accompany the approaching delegations from two nations. Jiang Xiaobai accepted the order but ended the chapter by asking the emperor for a favor.

• The Elder Princess asked Jiang Xiaobai to massage her shoulders, and Xiao Jinxuan ordered him to comply.
• The Elder Princess pretended Jiang Xiaobai was hurting her, prompting Xiao Jinxuan to tell him to massage her properly.
• Ding Fangtong proposed taking the two delegations around the capital, the Imperial College, and the Imperial Garden.
• Xiao Jinxiong suggested adding First-Rank Tower, while the Minister of War proposed showing the delegations Great Hua's military strength.
• Li Bingzhang warned against exposing military secrets and recommended a military demonstration instead.
• Xiao Jinxuan ordered Jiang Xiaobai to accompany the delegations, and Jiang Xiaobai asked to make a presumptuous request.

Jiang Xiaobai proposed building a Hall of Martyrs and making the visiting delegations offer incense to Great Hua’s fallen soldiers, then secured Xiao Jinxuan’s approval. The delegations arrived at court, where Jiang Xiaobai spotted Teng Zixiu and a striking young woman he suspected was Northern Yu’s princess.

• Jiang Xiaobai proposed a Hall of Martyrs for soldiers who died on the Northern Frontier and said both delegations should offer incense there.
• An official objected, but Jiang Xiaobai accused him of colluding with Northern Yu, and the official quickly withdrew his opposition.
• Li Bingzhang, Tang Kui, and the military officers supported Jiang Xiaobai’s proposal, and Jiang Xiaobai pledged to resign and marry into the Chancellor’s Residence if he failed to carry it out.
• Xiao Jinxuan approved the plan after Jiang Xiaobai promised he could make the delegations comply.
• A commander announced the delegations’ arrival, and Xiao Jinxuan ordered them admitted to court.
• Jiang Xiaobai saw Teng Zixiu among the arrivals and suspected the young woman leading them was Northern Yu’s princess.

At court, Jiang Xiaobai clashed with Helian Zhaoyue, Princess of Northern Yu, over her request for a poem and Northern Yu’s invasions of Great Hua. He began reciting a cutting poem titled “Ode to Princess Zhaoyue,” accusing her of disguising hostile intentions beneath talk of peace.

• Meng Xiutang brought the delegations from Northern Yu and Qi before Xiao Jinxuan, and Helian Zhaoyue greeted the emperor and received a seat.
• Helian Zhaoyue asked to identify Jiang Xiaobai, then mocked him for massaging the Elder Princess’s shoulders and requested the poem she had petitioned Great Hua’s emperor to receive.
• Jiang Xiaobai traded insults with Helian Zhaoyue and rejected her justification that Northern Yu invaded because its people suffered hunger and cold.
• Jiang Xiaobai condemned Northern Yu’s invasions and began reciting “Ode to Princess Zhaoyue,” portraying Helian Zhaoyue as a princess whose calls for peace concealed plans to invade.

Jiang Xiaobai first used a poem to condemn Northern Yu, then recited a beautiful poem and revealed it was meant for the Elder Princess, humiliating Helian Zhaoyue. The court was left stunned when the Elder Princess instinctively began massaging Jiang Xiaobai's shoulders.

• Jiang Xiaobai recited a poem that praised Helian Zhaoyue at first but condemned Northern Yu for its past actions.
• After Meng Xiutang objected, Jiang Xiaobai recited a second poem comparing a woman to an immortal maiden.
• Jiang Xiaobai took the Elder Princess's hand and announced that the poem was his gift to her.
• Helian Zhaoyue grew angry when Jiang Xiaobai mocked her and compared her unfavorably to the Elder Princess.
• The Elder Princess instinctively began kneading Jiang Xiaobai's shoulders, leaving them and the court frozen in surprise.

Jiang Xiaobai and the Elder Princess worried that their awkward gestures had revealed their secret, while Xiao Jinxuan negotiated provisional border-market terms with Northern Yu and Qi. As Jiang Xiaobai escorted the delegations out, he announced he would take them to offer incense at the Hall of Martyrs, provoking shock in the court.

• The Elder Princess explained her gestures as a reward for Jiang Xiaobai’s shoulder massage, and they each wondered whether the other had noticed their secret.
• Xiao Jinxuan praised Jiang Xiaobai’s poem, then turned the court’s attention to border-market negotiations with Northern Yu and Qi.
• Helian Zhaoyue requested three trading ports and halved duties, but Xiao Jinxuan settled on two ports and a twenty-percent duty reduction for three months.
• The delegations and Great Hua’s officials discussed trade rules and agreed to continue negotiations before signing a Border Market Agreement.
• Xiao Jinxuan ordered Jiang Xiaobai to escort the delegations, and Jiang Xiaobai said he would take them to offer incense at the Hall of Martyrs.

Jiang Xiaobai demanded that Northern Yu’s envoys honor Great Hua’s fallen soldiers, then turned Teng Zixiu’s complaint into an accusation that Teng had plotted against him. The chapter ended with Jiang Xiaobai asking Xiao Jinxuan to imprison Teng Zixiu so he could interrogate him.

• Jiang Xiaobai announced that the Northern Yu Envoy Delegations would be taken to the Hall of Martyrs to offer incense, and Helian Zhaoyue angrily refused.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Xiao Jinxuan to uphold justice for Teng Zixiu over his killing of a Northern Yu Visiting Scholar and the Court of Judicial Review’s detention of Teng and his companions.
• Teng Zixiu confirmed Jiang Xiaobai’s account and asked Xiao Jinxuan to hear his complaint.
• Jiang Xiaobai accused Teng Zixiu of provoking him into killing the Visiting Scholar to create grounds for a complaint and undermine Jiang Xiaobai’s father.
• Jiang Xiaobai urged Xiao Jinxuan to imprison Teng Zixiu and let him interrogate him.

Jiang Xiaobai exposed Teng Zixiu’s scheme before Xiao Jinxuan, prompting Helian Zhaoyue to promise an investigation. After the court dispersed, Jiang Xiaobai followed the departing envoys and teased Helian Zhaoyue about being angry.

• Jiang Xiaobai questioned Teng Zixiu and accused him of arranging A Qiu’s attack and provocation to frame the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate.
• Pei Shen claimed he had noticed something suspicious and had detained Teng Zixiu and the others for three days.
• Helian Zhaoyue promised Xiao Jinxuan that she would investigate Teng Zixiu and give Great Hua an explanation if he was guilty.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Xiao Jinxuan to reward Pei Shen, then followed Helian Zhaoyue and the departing envoys as Tang Ningshuang and other officials left the court.
• Xiao Jinxuan acknowledged Pei Shen’s contribution and ordered preparations for the two envoy delegations’ visits.
• Jiang Xiaobai caught up with Helian Zhaoyue and teased her for being angry, then asked Teng Zixiu to help calm her down.

Jiang Xiaobai saw the foreign envoys off after court and noticed a mysterious black-clad figure among their delegation. He waited for the Elder Princess, who returned disguised as his maid and ended up massaging his legs while he unknowingly teased her about their encounter at court.

• Jiang Xiaobai angered Teng Zixiu with his remarks, then joked with Tang Ningshuang and Ding Fangtong outside the hall.
• Ding Fangtong escorted Helian Zhaoyue and the envoys toward the Court of Diplomatic Relations, while Jiang Xiaobai noticed a concealed black-clad figure among them.
• Ding Fangtong invited Jiang Xiaobai to discuss reception arrangements the next morning, and Jiang Xiaobai left with Tang Ningshuang.
• Jiang Xiaobai decided to wait for the Elder Princess, but started his carriage when Tang Ningshuang suggested she would not return.
• The Elder Princess arrived disguised as a maid, and Jiang Xiaobai asked her to massage his legs while boasting about the Elder Princess's squeezes at court.

Jiang Xiaobai visited the Heavenly Mechanism Workshop to thank Mo Li and check on an item he had commissioned. Mo Li confirmed it was finished but questioned whether it was really meant for brewing tea.

• Jiang Xiaobai changed course and asked Zhang Xinnian to take the carriage to the Heavenly Mechanism Workshop.
• Jiang Xiaobai introduced himself to a workshop employee, who recognized him as the workshop’s Co-Master and guided him toward Mo Li.
• Jiang Xiaobai thanked Mo Li for the workshop’s help with brewing liquor and for lending money to the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate.
• Mo Li praised the Numerical Calculation Method Jiang Xiaobai had provided and said it had improved the workshop’s work.
• Mo Li told Jiang Xiaobai that the commissioned item had been finished several days earlier, then asked whether it was really for brewing tea.

Jiang Xiaobai revealed that the Heavenly Mechanism Tower had built a cannon capable of striking targets ten li away, and explained its solid and explosive cannonballs. He and Mo Li prepared to test it, while Mo Li gave up asking for the soft armor back after Jiang Xiaobai praised how it had saved his life.

• Jiang Xiaobai told Mo Li, Tang Ningshuang, Zhang Xinnian, and the Elder Princess that the cannon could reach ten li, stunning them.
• Jiang Xiaobai explained that the cannon launched heavy iron balls and that hollow cannonballs packed with ingredients could explode.
• Mo Li confirmed the Heavenly Mechanism Tower had made both types of cannonballs but had not dared to test them.
• Jiang Xiaobai suggested testing the cannon, and Mo Li agreed.
• Jiang Xiaobai said Mo Li's soft armor had protected him from a blade strike at Guanlan Tower, so Mo Li abandoned his attempt to ask for it back.
• Jiang Xiaobai and Mo Li set off to inspect and test the cannon.

Jiang Xiaobai tested the cannon built by the Heavenly Mechanism Tower, and its first shot demolished a thick courtyard wall. Impressed by its power, he planned to use it to make the Northern Yu and Qi envoys comply with his demands.

• Mo Li led Jiang Xiaobai, Tang Ningshuang, the Elder Princess, and Zhang Xinnian through the Heavenly Mechanism Tower’s workshops to a courtyard where the cannon had been built.
• Jiang Xiaobai inspected the cannon and its iron balls, then loaded it with a small amount of gunpowder and an ordinary iron ball for its first test.
• Jiang Xiaobai aimed at a thick wall and fired the cannon, blasting a hole through it and bringing the wall down.
• Mo Li, Tang Ningshuang, Zhang Xinnian, and the Elder Princess were shocked by the cannon’s power, while Jiang Xiaobai confirmed that its barrel remained intact.
• Jiang Xiaobai decided to show the cannon to the Northern Yu and Qi envoy delegations so he could pressure them into obeying his demands.

Jiang Xiaobai tested the Heavenly Mechanism Tower’s Cannon, revealing the devastating power of its filled shell, and arranged for more to be made in secret. Mo Li watched him leave and admitted he would let Jiang Xiaobai keep the Soft Armor as a gift.

• Jiang Xiaobai praised Mo Li and the Heavenly Mechanism Tower after the Cannon’s iron ball demolished a wall.
• At Tang Ningshuang’s request, Mo Li provided a stone disk, and Jiang Xiaobai fired a filled shell that shattered it and left a deep crater.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Mo Li to deliver the Cannon to the Marquis’s Residence and have the Heavenly Mechanism Tower build several more while protecting its plans and methods.
• Jiang Xiaobai left with Tang Ningshuang and the others, and Mo Li saw their carriage off.
• Chang Ying asked Mo Li whether he had reclaimed his Soft Armor, and Mo Li said he would consider it a gift to Jiang Xiaobai.

Jiang Xiaobai visited Guanlan Tower to collect intelligence on Zhao Bintian, Zhao Sheng, and the Elder Princess, and asked Liu Guanlan to investigate the visiting envoys. Reading the files in the carriage, he suspected Zhao Bintian and Zhao Sheng had a powerful patron and discovered that the Elder Princess had trained at the Hidden Edge Sect, leaving him stunned that she might know martial arts.

• Jiang Xiaobai redirected the carriage to Guanlan Tower to collect the delayed reports and request information on the two visiting countries' delegations.
• Liu Guanlan admitted he had held back the report because it included details about the Elder Princess, then brought Jiang Xiaobai the completed files.
• Jiang Xiaobai learned Zhao Bintian and Zhao Sheng were uncle and nephew, and that their merchant family connections seemed insufficient to explain their influence.
• Jiang Xiaobai noticed Zhao Sheng's father worked at First-Rank Tower, which Xiao Qingxiu managed, and wondered whether the Eighth Prince was backing the Zhao family.
• Jiang Xiaobai read that the Elder Princess had been sent to the Hidden Edge Sect as a child and realized she might know martial arts.

Jiang Xiaobai read Liu Guanlan’s notes about the Elder Princess and learned that she was a powerful martial artist with a surprising childhood nickname. Later that night, the Elder Princess met her Senior Sister and recited a poem, leaving her astonished to learn that Jiang Xiaobai had written it.

• Jiang Xiaobai read that the Elder Princess had trained at Hidden Edge Mountain, was once nicknamed Little Chubby Egg, and had rejected two suitors from the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate.
• Jiang Xiaobai discovered that the Elder Princess had once split a rockery with a palm strike, then returned to the Marquis's Residence and placed his legs on her again despite knowing her strength.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Jiang Jingcheng that he planned to use threats to make both envoy delegations offer incense at the Hall of Martyrs.
• After dinner, Jiang Xiaobai worked on his book and went to bed, while the Elder Princess later slipped out onto the roof to meet her Senior Sister.
• The Elder Princess recited a poem to her Senior Sister, who was astonished and asked whether Jiang Xiaobai had written it.

The Elder Princess teased her senior sister about Jiang Xiaobai’s poem, then Jiang Xiaobai set out to receive the Northern Yu and Qi envoys. He learned they had left the Court of Diplomatic Relations and told him to find them himself or give up his duties as reception envoy.

• The Elder Princess offered Jiang Xiaobai’s poem to the woman in white, who rejected it and departed; the Elder Princess concluded that her senior sister was envious.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Zhang Xinnian where the cannon had been stored and learned that the Marquis had put it in his courtyard under the pretense that it was for brewing tea.
• Jiang Xiaobai, Tang Ningshuang, and the Elder Princess traveled by carriage to the Court of Diplomatic Relations.
• Gao Yan told Jiang Xiaobai that the Northern Yu and Qi envoy delegations had left early and instructed him to find them or return home, as his services were no longer needed.

Jiang Xiaobai countered the envoy delegations’ attempt to avoid him by declaring them impostors and sending Zhang Xinnian to spread the warning. He then rode with Tang Ningshuang to the Spring Moon Tower, where her furious demand for him to get out left their destination in question.

• Zhang Xinnian angrily protested that the Northern Yu and Qi delegations had left the Court of Diplomatic Relations without meeting Jiang Xiaobai.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Zhang Xinnian to spread word that impostors posing as the delegations were roaming the Capital City and gave him the Silver Tally to enlist local authorities.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Tang Ningshuang to take him to the Spring Moon Tower, claiming he had never been there but had seen it along the way.
• Jiang Xiaobai relaxed in the carriage while the Elder Princess massaged his legs and shoulders as Tang Ningshuang drove through the city.
• Tang Ningshuang stopped the carriage and angrily ordered Jiang Xiaobai out, demanding to know if this was the fun place he had meant.