Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xiaobai turned Jiang Jingcheng’s apparent willingness to die into a trap that forced Xiao Jinrong to withdraw his accusations and reject command of the Northern Frontier’s 800,000 troops. Xiao Jinrong accepted blame for the conflict and agreed to let his son remain at the Duke of the State’s Estate for another month, while Jiang Jingcheng still insisted he felt guilty.

• Meng Xiutang proposed stripping Jiang Jingcheng of his ducal title and compensating Xiao Jinrong, and Xiao Jinrong agreed.
• Jiang Xiaobai rejected the compromise and prompted Jiang Jingcheng to put a saber to his neck and offer to hand the Northern Frontier’s 800,000 troops to Xiao Jinrong.
• Xiao Jinxuan asked Xiao Jinrong whether he would accept command of the army, and Xiao Jinrong refused, withdrew his complaint, and blamed the incident on his son Qingshu.
• Jiang Xiaobai pressed Xiao Jinrong about the ruined residence and his son being made a servant, and Xiao Jinrong accepted both as harmless and agreed to let his son stay for another month.
• Jiang Jingcheng kept the saber at his neck and told Xiao Jinxuan that he would remain guilty if he did not die.

At court, Jiang Xiaobai forced Xiao Jinrong to pay the Duke of the State's Estate another thousand taels of gold and resisted Meng Xiutang's demand for the cannon blueprints. After court, he teased the Seventh Prince about the payment, then received an invitation from the Little Princess.

• Xiao Jinxuan ordered Xiao Jinrong to pay the Duke of the State's Estate another thousand taels of gold, and Jiang Jingcheng accepted the compensation.
• Meng Xiutang proposed that the Duke of the State's Estate surrender its cannon blueprints, but Jiang Xiaobai warned that the cannons could go off accidentally and offered to demonstrate them at Meng Xiutang's residence.
• Xiao Jinxuan dismissed court and summoned Meng Xiutang to the Imperial Study.
• Jiang Xiaobai followed Xiao Jinrong and pressed him to deliver the thousand taels of gold, and Xiao Jinrong promised to send it within a few days.
• Jiang Jingcheng questioned Jiang Xiaobai about alienating Xiao Jinrong, and Jiang Xiaobai said that offending someone could be another way to win them over.
• A maid arrived and invited Jiang Xiaobai to visit the Little Princess.

Jiang Xiaobai went to visit Xiao Zijing after leaving court, while outside the palace Xiao Qingshu learned that his punishment had been extended and was beaten by Zhang Xinnian. The chapter ended with Xiao Yunshu asking Jiang Xiaobai what the court had decided about the Seventh Prince’s complaint.

• Jiang Xiaobai left Jiang Jingcheng and Li Bingzhang and followed a maid to Xiao Zijing’s residence.
• Xiao Qingshu boasted that the court would punish Jiang Jingcheng and Jiang Xiaobai, but Xiao Jinrong emerged and slapped him before ordering him to serve at the Duke of the State’s Estate for a month instead of three days.
• Zhang Xinnian kicked Xiao Qingshu for abducting the Heir Apparent, then greeted Jiang Jingcheng and Li Bingzhang as they left the palace.
• Jiang Jingcheng told Zhang Xinnian that Jiang Xiaobai had gone to visit the Little Princess, and Zhang made Xiao Qingshu drive their carriage back to the estate.
• Jiang Xiaobai entered Xiao Zijing’s residence, where Xiao Zijing welcomed him and Xiao Yunshu asked about the court’s decision on the Seventh Prince’s complaint.

Jiang Xiaobai told Xiao Yunshu that the Seventh Prince had apologized and extended Xiao Qingshu’s service as a household servant. The Empress visited with Xiao Qingheng, asked Jiang Xiaobai to write a poem for her birthday, and discussed Xiao Yunshu’s marriage prospects and the Elder Princess’s return; as they departed, Xiao Qingheng looked at Tang Ningshuang’s Nation-Guarding Sword.

• Jiang Xiaobai told Xiao Yunshu that the Seventh Prince had apologized to the Duke of the State’s Estate and volunteered to extend Xiao Qingshu’s service as a servant.
• The Empress and Xiao Qingheng arrived, and the group greeted them before sitting down together.
• The Empress praised Jiang Xiaobai’s writing and asked him to compose a birthday poem for her, which he agreed to do.
• The Empress asked Xiao Yunshu about her marriage prospects, and Xiao Yunshu said she would wait until she met the Empress’s younger brother.
• The Empress told Xiao Zijing that the Elder Princess would return in a few days, and Xiao Zijing said she wanted to live with her sister.
• As the Empress and Xiao Qingheng departed, Jiang Xiaobai noticed Xiao Qingheng looking at Tang Ningshuang’s Nation-Guarding Sword.

Jiang Xiaobai learned that Xiao Yunshu held a grudge against the Elder Princess, Xiao Zining, after killing her governess and arranging her engagement to the Dingyuan Duke's Estate. Xiao Yunshu then went to the dungeon to question an imprisoned old man about his conclusion.

• Jiang Xiaobai asked Xiao Zijing about the absent Elder Princess, and Xiao Zijing said her sister had been traveling and studying under a great scholar.
• Jiang Xiaobai left the palace with Tang Ningshuang, and Xiao Yunshu followed to warn him to keep his distance from Xiao Zining.
• Xiao Yunshu told Jiang Xiaobai that she had accidentally killed Xiao Zining's governess and later arranged Xiao Zining's engagement to the Dingyuan Duke's Estate.
• A woman summoned Xiao Yunshu, who went to the dungeon and asked an old man what conclusion he had reached.