Chapter Summaries

Fan Xian questioned Zhou Cheng about his ties to Northern Qi, then told Emperor Qing that the Second Prince and Eldest Princess had been smuggling. Zhou Cheng confirmed the charge against the Second Prince and proposed killing him, leaving the banquet in stunned silence.

• Fan Xian asked Zhou Cheng about his relationship with Northern Qi and when Fan Ruoruo could return to Qing.
• Emperor Qing summoned Fan Xian and Zhou Cheng to a family banquet with the Crown Prince and Second Prince.
• Fan Xian recounted his Northern Qi journey, concealed Zhou Cheng’s role, and lied that only Ku He knew the Divine Temple’s location.
• Fan Xian accused the Second Prince and Eldest Princess of smuggling with Northern Qi, citing Shen Zhong as his witness.
• Zhou Cheng declared that the Second Prince had been smuggling and suggested that Emperor Qing kill him.

At the family banquet, Zhou Cheng accused Li Chengze of financing his political faction through smuggling, while Fan Xian demanded the right to investigate. Emperor Qing rebuked them both, cast Fan Xian’s Overwatch Council badge into a pond, and left the banquet as the Crown Prince praised Fan Xian’s courage.

• Emperor Qing angrily challenged Zhou Cheng to provide evidence for accusing Li Chengze of smuggling.
• Zhou Cheng argued that Li Chengze’s extensive political dealings required more money than his fief income could provide, and Li Chengze claimed he had invested savings through Li Yunrui.
• Emperor Qing confined Zhou Cheng to his residence for three days, and Fan Xian offered to investigate Li Chengze using his authority as commissioner of the Overwatch Council.
• Emperor Qing took Fan Xian’s badge and threw it into the lotus pond, then accused him of slandering the imperial family without evidence.
• After Emperor Qing departed, Li Chengze left the banquet, and Fan Xian asked Zhou Cheng whether he had been wrong to speak up.
• The Crown Prince answered for Zhou Cheng, praising Fan Xian’s courage and declaring that princes who broke the law should be punished like commoners.

Fan Xian recovered his Commissioner’s Waist Token and agreed to investigate the Second Prince’s smuggling with help from the Crown Prince. Zhou Cheng warned that the Crown Prince might massacre Shijia Town to frame the Second Prince, then revealed he had long possessed evidence and intended to use the deaths there to bring both princes down.

• Zhou Cheng told Fan Xian to retrieve his token from the pond, and Fan Xian dove in and recovered it.
• The Crown Prince offered to help Fan Xian investigate the Second Prince, and Fan Xian told him the smuggling lead was Shijia Town.
• After the Crown Prince left, Zhou Cheng confronted Fan Xian for sharing the lead and warned that the Crown Prince might kill the people of Shijia Town and blame the Second Prince.
• Fan Xian suspected Zhou Cheng planned to use the danger at Shijia Town to defeat both princes, and Zhou Cheng confirmed that was his intention.
• Zhou Cheng revealed he already had evidence of the Second Prince’s smuggling but believed that only the deaths of thousands in Shijia Town would make Emperor Qing act.

Fan Xian learned that Zhou Cheng intended to use evidence of the Second Prince’s smuggling to make him a weapon against the Crown Prince, while Shijia Town faced danger. He sent Wu Zhu to protect the town, then discovered that Zhou Cheng’s concubine Zhan Yuanyuan had come to find Shen Wan’er.

• Zhou Cheng admitted he was using Fan Xian to expose the Second Prince and warned that the Crown Prince might destroy Shijia Town.
• Fan Xian returned home and sent Wu Zhu to Shijia Town, hoping he could outrun the Crown Prince’s messenger pigeons.
• Fan Xian told Fan Jian that Ruoruo was in Northern Qi and reassured him that he would always remain a member of the Fan family.
• Zhan Yuanyuan arrived at the Fan Residence and asked Fan Xian where Shen Wan’er was.

Zhan Yuanyuan reunited with Shen Wan'er at the Overwatch Council and took her away, while Fan Xian asked Yan Bingyun to investigate Zhan Yuanyuan's identity. The chapter then shifted to Li Chengze raging over Li Chengcheng's punishment and his father's leniency.

• Zhan Yuanyuan told Fan Xian she was Shen Wan'er's friend, and Fan Xian agreed to take her to the Overwatch Council.
• Shen Wan'er met Zhan Yuanyuan outside the Council, chose to leave with her, and boarded her carriage despite Yan Bingyun's silence.
• Fan Xian asked Yan Bingyun to investigate Zhan Yuanyuan's background and connection to Northern Qi.
• Li Chengze cursed Li Chengcheng for defying him and complained that the Emperor had punished him too lightly.

Li Chengze sent Fan Wujiu to Shijia Town to protect their dealings with Northern Qi, promising to arrange a high ranking in the spring examinations. At Prince Cheng's Residence, Shen Wan'er settled among Zhan Yuanyuan and the other women, while Zhan Yuanyuan asked Zhou Cheng to let Shen Wan'er stay permanently; he gave no answer.

• Li Chengze ordered Fan Wujiu to oversee Shijia Town and promised him examination questions and a place among the top ten if he succeeded.
• Zhan Yuanyuan brought Shen Wan'er to Prince Cheng's Residence and struggled to answer her questions about her life in Qing.
• Zhan Yuanyuan showed Shen Wan'er the inner courtyard and its Inner Study, while Shen Wan'er observed Zhou Cheng's easy intimacy with the women and compared him with Yan Bingyun.
• Shen Wan'er stayed at the residence for several days, grew acquainted with Sang Wen and Si Lili, and searched the Inner Study for information about Yan Bingyun and the Overwatch Council.
• Zhan Yuanyuan told Zhou Cheng that she wanted Shen Wan'er to stay and become part of their household, but Zhou Cheng neither agreed nor refused.

Zhan Yuanyuan encouraged Shen Wan'er to use a delivery of smuggling records as a pretext to visit Yan Bingyun and test how much he cared for her. The chapter ended with Shen Wan'er wavering but agreeing to trust Zhan Yuanyuan's plan.

• Zhou Cheng told Zhan Yuanyuan that whether Shen Wan'er and Yan Bingyun's relationship was worth the sacrifice depended on the place they held in each other's hearts.
• Zhan Yuanyuan asked Zhou Cheng where she ranked among his women, then sought out Shen Wan'er the next day.
• Zhan Yuanyuan asked Shen Wan'er what place she held in Yan Bingyun's heart, and Shen Wan'er admitted she did not know.
• Zhan Yuanyuan proposed that Shen Wan'er deliver evidence of the Second Prince's smuggling to the Overwatch Council as an excuse to see Yan Bingyun.
• Shen Wan'er hesitated, but Zhan Yuanyuan promised to help and told her to follow her lead.

Zhan Yuanyuan brought Shen Wan'er and evidence of Li Chengze's smuggling to the Overwatch Council, testing whether Yan Bingyun would choose love or duty. Yan chose the evidence without hesitation, leaving Shen Wan'er heartbroken as Zhan Yuanyuan delivered the evidence to Fan Xian.

• Zhou Cheng agreed to send evidence of Li Chengze's smuggling and the Crown Prince's massacre in Shijia Town to Fan Xian, and Zhan Yuanyuan asked to deliver it with Shen Wan'er.
• At the Overwatch Council, Zhan Yuanyuan told Fan Xian and Yan Bingyun that Zhou Cheng wanted Shen Wan'er as a concubine and asked Yan to choose between her and the evidence.
• Yan Bingyun chose the evidence, explaining that Qing's interests outweighed romantic attachments, and recognized Shen Wan'er was inside the carriage.
• Shen Wan'er wept at Yan Bingyun's resolute choice, while Zhan Yuanyuan comforted her and condemned Yan.
• Zhan Yuanyuan had Chen Quan throw the evidence trunk down outside the Overwatch Council and told Fan Xian that she had delivered it as promised.

Fan Xian discovered clues that Zhan Yuanyuan might come from his world, then focused on the three captives Wu Zhu brought back from Shijia Town. Zhou Cheng arranged for Li Yunrui to help silence Fan Wujiu, intending to use his death to make Li Chengze appear responsible and drive him out of the game.

• Fan Xian recognized that Zhan Yuanyuan's expressions might connect her to his world and ordered an investigation into her past.
• Wu Zhu returned with Fan Wujiu and two other witnesses, whom Chen Pingping had taken into the Overwatch Council's dungeon.
• Fan Wujiu realized the other captives were falsely blaming Li Chengze for the massacre and understood he had become leverage against the Second Prince.
• Zhou Cheng told Li Yunrui to alert Li Chengze that Fan Wujiu was imprisoned and arrange for Zhu Ge to silence him, so Fan Wujiu's death could implicate Li Chengze.
• Li Yunrui sent Li Chengze a secret letter, and he sprang up in alarm as Xie Bi'an read it aloud.

Li Chengze learned that Fan Wujiu had been arrested and then killed in the Overwatch Council dungeon, while Fan Xian prepared to accuse him publicly. At court, Fan Xian presented evidence implicating Li Chengze and the Eldest Princess in smuggling and the Shijia Town massacre, leaving Li Chengze to defend himself before Emperor Qing.

• Li Chengze received news that Fan Wujiu had been arrested and that Shijia Town's massacre was being blamed on him.
• A guard delivered food and water from Li Chengze to Fan Wujiu in the Overwatch Council dungeon, and Fan Wujiu recognized that the drink was poisoned and died after attempting to write a poem in his blood.
• Li Yunrui informed Li Chengze that Fan Wujiu was dead, and Li Chengze feared Fan Xian would continue pursuing him.
• Fan Xian impeached Li Chengze at court for colluding with the enemy, raising a private army, and massacring Shijia Town.
• Fan Xian presented witness testimonies and smuggling records to Emperor Qing, while Li Chengze denied the charges and claimed the evidence was forged.

Fan Xian exposed Li Chengze’s involvement in court, but Emperor Qing ordered him confined pending further investigation rather than immediately punishing him. Chen Pingping went to the palace to take responsibility for Fan Wujiu’s death in the Overwatch Council’s dungeon and returned two hours later, assuring Fan Xian that he was fine.

• Fan Xian baited Li Chengze into revealing that he knew Fan Wujiu had been held in the Overwatch Council’s dungeon, then explained the evidence linking Li Chengze to the poisoning.
• Emperor Qing confined Li Chengze to his residence and ordered him to cooperate with Fan Xian’s investigation, leaving Fan Xian frustrated by the lack of immediate punishment.
• The Crown Prince publicly expressed support for Li Chengze and urged Fan Xian to investigate impartially.
• Zhou Cheng concluded that Li Chengze had lost his place in Emperor Qing’s power struggle because he had interfered with the Overwatch Council.
• Chen Pingping told Fan Xian he would go to the palace to admit responsibility for Fan Wujiu’s death, then left for the Imperial Palace.
• After waiting two hours at the Overwatch Council, Fan Xian saw Chen Pingping return, and Chen Pingping told him he was fine.

Fan Xian investigated the fire at Li Chengze’s residence as court officials moved to destroy Li Chengze’s faction. Emperor Qing recognized Zhou Cheng’s role in the affair and grew uneasy that events had slipped beyond his control.

• Chen Pingping told Fan Xian that Emperor Qing had docked half a year’s salary and put twenty strokes on his account, then arranged Overwatch Council support for Fan Xian’s investigation of Li Chengze.
• A fire destroyed three storerooms at Li Chengze’s residence, killing more than a dozen servants; Fan Xian found that the victims had been killed before the fire and warned Li Chengze that fire could not destroy everything.
• Officials allied with the Crown Prince and Zhou Cheng impeached Li Chengze and his faction, while Emperor Qing’s silence allowed Li Chengze’s political power to collapse.
• Emperor Qing inferred that Zhou Cheng had helped provide Fan Xian with evidence against Li Chengze and suspected Li Yunrui had supported Zhou Cheng.
• Emperor Qing considered how Li Chengze’s former forces had divided between the Crown Prince and Zhou Cheng, and felt uneasy that an unseen hand had steered him into eliminating Li Chengze.

Emperor Qing worried that Zhou Cheng’s influence had grown too strong, so he arranged a chrysanthemum viewing gathering at the Hanging Temple and ordered Zhou Cheng, the Crown Prince, and Fan Xian to carry flowers there. The three began the climb under close guard, while Fan Xian’s heavy assignment hinted that Emperor Qing had a special plan for him.

• Emperor Qing judged that Zhou Cheng had gained support from the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Ye Family, and Fan Xian, and decided to curb his power by moving the Ye Family out of the Capital.
• Emperor Qing ordered Eunuch Hou to announce a chrysanthemum viewing gathering at the Hanging Temple for officials of the fifth rank and above.
• Zhou Cheng, the Crown Prince, and Fan Xian arrived at the Hanging Temple, where Gong Dian met them with Emperor Qing’s instructions.
• Gong Dian ordered Zhou Cheng and the Crown Prince to carry one pot of Golden Thread Chrysanthemums each, while Fan Xian was told to carry the rest.
• Fan Xian accepted the assignment despite his frustration, and Zhou Cheng received a notification that Fan Xian’s negative emotions had increased.

Fan Xian, the Crown Prince, Zhou Cheng, and Gong Dian climbed toward the Hanging Temple, where Fan Xian learned that its chained craftsmen were kept there for life in the name of imperial security. At a cliffside viewpoint, Zhou Cheng pushed the Crown Prince toward the drop, and Fan Xian and Gong Dian pulled him back before Zhou Cheng warned him about trusting his position.

• Fan Xian carried two pots of golden chrysanthemums as the group entered the Hanging Temple's mountain path.
• The group passed chained craftsmen, and Fan Xian asked whether they could return home; Gong Dian said their confinement served the Emperor's safety.
• The Crown Prince criticized the craftsmen's lifelong confinement, while Fan Xian recognized his attempt to win support and saw wild chrysanthemums across the mountains.
• The Crown Prince leaned over the railing to admire the view, and Zhou Cheng pushed him toward the valley.
• Fan Xian and Gong Dian caught the Crown Prince and pulled him to safety, while Fan Xian's flowerpots shattered.
• Zhou Cheng told the shaken Crown Prince that a person could be pushed from power despite standing firmly, and the Crown Prince forced himself to thank him.

After Zhou Cheng shoved the Crown Prince on the mountain walkway, Fan Xian and Gong Dian discovered the Crown Prince’s hidden seventh-rank martial strength. Emperor Qing later considered the incident and his plans for the court, while the next day’s Chrysanthemum Appreciation Gathering at the Hanging Temple approached.

• Zhou Cheng’s shove nearly sent the Crown Prince over the railing, and Fan Xian and Gong Dian found handprints showing that the Crown Prince possessed at least seventh-rank martial strength.
• Zhou Cheng continued up the walkway while Gong Dian escorted Fan Xian and the Crown Prince down to fetch replacement chrysanthemums.
• Emperor Qing questioned Gong Dian about whether Zhou Cheng’s shove had been deliberate, then dismissed him after declaring that his third son had grown arrogant and willful.
• Emperor Qing reflected on weakening the Ye Family’s influence and making the Crown Prince and Zhou Cheng evenly matched at court.
• Eunuch Hou told Emperor Qing that the Eldest Princess had suddenly fallen ill and would miss the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Gathering, prompting Emperor Qing to send an imperial physician to Guangxin Palace.
• Emperor Qing considered the Eldest Princess’s unusual silence and turned his attention back to the coming gathering at the Hanging Temple.

Zhou Cheng comforted Shen Wan'er about her past feelings for Yan Bingyun, then attended Emperor Qing's Chrysanthemum Appreciation Gathering at the Hanging Temple. There, he greeted the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince, whose hostility showed through despite his strained smile.

• Zhou Cheng woke beside Shen Wan'er and reassured her that he did not resent her for once having loved Yan Bingyun.
• Shen Wan'er embraced Zhou Cheng, and they spent more time together before Sang Wen reminded him of the gathering.
• Zhou Cheng left Shen Wan'er resting and traveled with Chen Quan and his guards to the Hanging Temple.
• Zhou Cheng noticed that Li Chengze and the Second Prince's retinue were absent, then entered the temple grounds.
• Li Chengping greeted Zhou Cheng, and Zhou Cheng exchanged formal greetings with the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian.

At the Hanging Temple, Zhou Cheng provoked the Crown Prince by pushing him over the terrace railing, then pulled him back before he fell. The Crown Prince accused Zhou Cheng, but the onlookers believed he had lost his balance and blamed him for his own recklessness.

• Zhou Cheng learned that Li Yunrui was bedridden with a chill, then joined the imperial relatives heading to the Hanging Temple.
• The Crown Prince helped the height-frightened Li Chengping across the cliffside walkway while Zhou Cheng followed behind.
• At the top-floor terrace, the Crown Prince taunted Zhou Cheng to push him, and Zhou Cheng sent him over the railing before grabbing his collar and pulling him back.
• The Crown Prince struggled to calm his turbulent true qi as the imperial relatives gathered around him.
• The Crown Prince accused Zhou Cheng of pushing him, but the onlookers showed disappointment in the Crown Prince and did not believe his claim.

The Crown Prince’s attempt to humiliate Zhou Cheng backfired, leaving him publicly disgraced and forced to apologize. Emperor Qing arrived, learned what had happened, and was caught between addressing his sons’ conflict and managing its political implications when cries of “Fire!” interrupted the gathering.

• After Prince Jing urged him to apologize, the Crown Prince apologized to Zhou Cheng, who graciously accepted blame while the onlookers praised him.
• The Crown Prince’s anger sent his true qi off course again, and he left the viewing platform with Li Hongcheng to rest.
• Emperor Qing arrived at the mountain summit, greeted the imperial relatives, and learned from attendants what had happened between the Crown Prince and Zhou Cheng.
• Emperor Qing glared at the Crown Prince but held back from reprimanding him publicly, concerned that doing so would undermine his political plans.
• As Emperor Qing struggled over how to respond, people shouted that there was a fire.

A fire at the Hanging Temple drew Gong Dian away and brought Fan Xian to Emperor Qing’s side, where Fan Xian urged the emperor to leave for safety. Emperor Qing refused to retreat, and Zhou Cheng supported his resolve, leaving Fan Xian uneasy about being responsible for the emperor’s protection.

• A suspicious fire broke out on a lower floor of the Hanging Temple, and Gong Dian stayed behind to investigate as Fan Xian rushed upstairs.
• Fan Xian reached Emperor Qing by climbing the temple’s exterior and warned him that someone might be planning an assassination.
• Emperor Qing dismissed Fan Xian’s warning and refused to leave, while Eunuch Hou recalled that he had survived forty-three assassination attempts without retreating.
• The Crown Prince joined Fan Xian in urging Emperor Qing to withdraw, but the emperor ignored him and asked Zhou Cheng why he had not spoken up.
• Zhou Cheng praised Emperor Qing’s might and said his enemies should retreat, prompting the emperor to affirm his decision to stay.
• Fan Xian realized that, as the strongest martial artist present and the Overwatch Council’s commissioner, he would bear responsibility if anything happened to Emperor Qing.

Fan Xian failed to persuade Emperor Qing to leave the Hanging Temple, and the emperor stayed to enjoy the chrysanthemum festival. When assassins attacked, Fan Xian saved Li Chengping and blocked a master swordsman, while someone hurled a wine cup to stop another assassin from striking Emperor Qing.

• Emperor Qing rejected Fan Xian's warnings and stayed to admire the chrysanthemums and drink wine.
• A flowerpot shattered, signaling an attack as armed assassins burst into the hall through the roof and windows.
• Fan Xian saw Li Chengping threatened by an assassin, a white-clad swordsman targeting Emperor Qing, and a young eunuch drawing a hidden dagger behind the emperor.
• Fan Xian fired a sleeve dart at the guard assassin and struck the white-clad swordsman's attack, choosing to save Li Chengping.
• A flying wine cup smashed the young eunuch's hand and knocked his dagger away before he could attack Emperor Qing.