Chapter Summaries

Gu Moran learned he was the doomed villain in a novel and had only seventeen months to live, then tried to bluff his way through waking beside Su Yao. He left the Chancellor’s residence knowing Ye Qingyun would arrive in thirty days and might win Su Yao’s heart.

• Gu Moran recovered memories of his past life and the novel’s plot, which foretold his brutal death as the villain of Great Yan.
• The Beauty Conquest System activated and warned that Gu Moran had only seventeen months to live, listing upcoming events that would injure or disgrace him.
• Su Yao woke beside Gu Moran and demanded to know what he had done; he pretended their night together had been consensual and left the residence.
• Gu Moran saw the system’s warning that Ye Qingyun would arrive in the capital within thirty days, trigger the engagement-breaking banquet, and potentially stir Su Yao’s heart.

Gu Moran reviewed the novel’s plot and learned that twelve Sons of Destiny were destined to ruin him, while their fortunes depended on the women tied to them. He found that Su Yao, Ye Qingyun’s destined beauty, had not met Ye Qingyun yet and currently loathed Gu Moran, leaving him to consider an indirect strategy.

• Gu Moran dismissed the servants, opened the system’s original-story replay, and questioned how he had supposedly forced the prime minister to break Ye Qingyun’s engagement.
• Gu Moran reviewed the fates of several Sons of Destiny and discovered that all twelve were destined to trample him as they rose to power.
• Gu Moran saw that each Son of Destiny’s fortune depended on his destined beauty’s feelings and found his own fortune at the bottom of the scale.
• Gu Moran checked Su Yao’s profile and learned that Ye Qingyun would arrive in thirty days, Su Yao had not met him, and her affection for Gu Moran was minus forty-seven.
• The system warned Gu Moran that directly confronting a Son of Destiny would trigger fortune suppression, and Gu Moran wrote Su Yao’s name on paper.

Gu Moran disguised himself as a frivolous wastrel while studying the six fated beauties and their paired Sons of Destiny. He realized the system required him to win the women’s genuine love to weaken their destined partners, and began preparing for Ye Qingyun’s arrival in twenty-nine days.

• Gu Moran spent the morning buying gifts for beautiful women and behaving scandalously around Chang'an Street to reinforce his wastrel reputation.
• Back in his study, Gu Moran reviewed the six beauties in the capital and identified the weaknesses of their paired Sons of Destiny.
• Gu Moran concluded that the beauties enabled the Sons of Destiny’s fortunes and that winning the women’s sincere love could prevent those fortunes from activating.
• The system confirmed that each conquered beauty would permanently reduce her paired Son of Destiny’s fortune, eventually stripping away his destiny attribute.
• Gu Moran accepted that he needed to win all six women, and the system showed that Ye Qingyun would arrive in the capital in twenty-nine days.

After deciding that the six beauties were political allies rather than romantic conquests, Gu Moran planned to secure them with six imperial marriage decrees and use their families to balance power at court. He rode to the palace at dawn to persuade Noble Consort Chen, the first obstacle to winning his father’s approval.

• Gu Moran abandoned his plan to win over the six beauties gradually and identified each woman as a way to weaken a son of destiny’s power base.
• He decided to seek six marriage decrees despite the system’s warnings about hostility, court controversy, and uncertain success.
• Gu Moran reasoned that his father valued balance among the six families and could see an idle prince as a counterweight linking them.
• He concluded that Noble Consort Chen, whom the emperor trusted, was the first person he needed to persuade.
• After burning his notes, Gu Moran saddled a horse and rode to the imperial palace with the six names tucked in his sleeve.

Gu Moran asked Noble Consort Chen and the emperor to grant him marriages to six women from powerful families and a pleasure house, insisting he was serious and wanted no part in rebellion. Noble Consort Chen supported him, and the emperor weighed the political risks before leaning toward granting the request.

• Gu Moran told Noble Consort Chen he wanted to marry Su Yao, Shen Ling'er, Murong Xue, Liu Ruyan, Lin Qingdai, and Xie Wanqing, and she noticed that his eyes seemed different.
• Noble Consort Chen agreed to take Gu Moran to see the emperor, while a system message noted that her unusual attitude might relate to his abnormal origins marker.
• Gu Moran knelt before the emperor and presented his list of six proposed brides, prompting the emperor to question whether he wanted to marry or start a rebellion.
• Gu Moran said he would treat the women well and offer each one a condition, while the emperor pointed out the political danger of joining their families together.
• Noble Consort Chen argued that the marriages would protect Gu Moran after the emperor's death, and the emperor considered the danger before deciding that Gu Moran was too useless to overturn the heavens.

The six families considered the emperor’s proposed marriage of Gu Moran to six women and each decided to set conditions. After receiving all six lists, the emperor summoned his third son to face the consequences of the marriage plan.

• Su Wenyuan decided to use the imperial marriage to resolve the Ye Clan engagement and wrote conditions for the emperor, while Su Yao asked whether the marriage was a good thing.
• Lin Qingdai urged Lin Zhenshan to accept the decree and negotiate conditions rather than refuse it.
• Shen Ling'er agreed to marry Gu Moran if he came in person to negotiate her terms.
• Murong Xue decided the Northern Territory would test Gu Moran’s courage as a condition of the marriage alliance.
• Liu Ruyan agreed to marry Gu Moran and asked to negotiate with him in person, despite still hating him over her family’s slaughter.
• The emperor received six lists of conditions and ordered Gao Fu to summon Gu Moran and show him what the families demanded.

Gu Moran accepted six households’ conditions and secured marriage decrees for six women, explaining to the emperor that the alliances would protect him. The decrees weakened several Sons of Destiny’s fortunes, but the system warned that the losses would recover unless Gu Moran raised each woman’s affection within thirty days of marriage.

• Gu Moran read the six households’ marriage conditions and told the emperor he accepted them all.
• Gu Moran argued that marrying women from six powerful households would help him survive, and the emperor ordered the marriages announced at court.
• Gao Fu proclaimed decrees marrying Gu Moran to Su Yao, Shen Ling'er, Murong Xue, Liu Ruyan, Lin Qingdai, and Xie Wanqing despite objections from censors.
• The system reported that several Sons of Destiny had lost fortune, then warned that the losses would be restored unless Gu Moran earned the women’s affection within thirty days of marriage.
• Noble Consort Chen reviewed the marriage contracts and urged Mo'er to bring allies to his side so he would not stand alone.

Six women received imperial marriage decrees tying them to Gu Moran, and each reacted with suspicion, anger, or hidden emotion. As the capital wagered on his survival, Gu Moran reviewed their low favorability scores and began planning a personalized wedding before Ye Qingyun arrived in twenty-three days.

• Su Yao accepted the decree but vowed to punish Gu Moran if he used her family as a stepping stone, while Su Wenyuan ordered the old Ye Clan marriage contract sealed away.
• Shen Ling'er decided to examine Gu Moran with bitter medicine, Murong Xue warned that he would have to face her on horseback, and Liu Ruyan asked him to keep his promise.
• Lin Qingdai accepted the decree after Lin Zhenshan agreed to test Gu Moran with three moves, while Xie Wanqing accepted the decree and asked for her roses to be moved beneath the study window.
• The capital began betting on Gu Moran's wedding night, and Gu Moran reviewed the women's favorability scores and Lin Zhenshan's conditions on his system panel.
• Gu Moran received a pain-numbing pill and saw that Ye Qingyun would arrive in twenty-three days, then opened the system's wedding-preparation plan.

Gu Moran endured Lin Zhenshan’s three saber strikes to secure the Grand Commandant’s agreement to his marriage with Lin Qingdai, then went to face Shen Ling’er’s test at the Imperial Medical Bureau. He left Shen Ling’er’s challenge unresolved after pouring all twelve suspected bowls of water into a flowerpot.

• Gu Moran withstood Lin Zhenshan’s first two strikes and was wounded, then charged during the third and grazed the Grand Commandant’s hand with his broken sword.
• Lin Zhenshan accepted the imperial marriage decree, and Lin Qingdai arranged for medicine to be sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
• Shen Ling’er tested Gu Moran with a pungent bottle of angelica root, and he correctly guessed what it was by reasoning from her behavior.
• Shen Ling’er presented twelve bowls of water, warning that one would cause three days of diarrhea if consumed.
• Gu Moran examined the bowls, then poured all twelve into a flowerpot, leaving Shen Ling’er asking what he meant.

Gu Moran passed Shen Ling’er’s test and survived Murong Xue’s wild-horse challenge, while Su Yao’s marriage condition left him worried about Ye Qingyun’s arrival. The chapter ended with 21 days remaining until Ye Qingyun reached the capital.

• Gu Moran explained that Shen Ling’er was the real examiner, and she declared that he had passed.
• Gu Moran used the Northern Territory horse-taming technique to calm an unbroken horse and rode it from the north of the city to the south with Murong Xue behind him.
• Murong Xue accepted Gu Moran’s performance, and he offered to teach Batuer the horse-taming technique.
• Gu Moran reflected that Su Yao could spend ten days each month at the Chancellor’s Residence, giving Ye Qingyun time to act.
• The system notified Gu Moran that Ye Qingyun would arrive in the capital in 21 days.

Gu Moran visited Liu Ruyan at the Flower-Between Pavilion to discuss redeeming her, and discovered that she wanted the freedom to choose her own life rather than promises of happiness. He told her she could leave whenever she wished, but she chose to stay for now and watch his misfortunes.

• Gu Moran arrived at the Flower-Between Pavilion bruised and bandaged, then listened as Liu Ruyan played a lonely piece on her pipa.
• Liu Ruyan asked why Gu Moran wanted to redeem her and what he planned to do with her after he did.
• Gu Moran asked Liu Ruyan what she wanted, and she said she wanted to walk outside and experience the city on her own.
• Gu Moran told Liu Ruyan he would let her decide what to do, including leaving whenever she wanted, and she realized he saw her as a person.
• Liu Ruyan chose to stay for now, joking that she wanted to watch Gu Moran get beaten up again.
• Madam Chun gave Gu Moran a box of bruise ointment and charged him five taels.

With the capital betting on disasters at his wedding, Gu Moran secretly tailored the ceremonies to each of his six brides and prepared for the arrival of Ye Qingyun. The night before the wedding, he learned that the Heavenly Dao had accelerated Xiao Jinghan’s release, forcing him to face a second threat sooner than expected.

• Lord Qian learned the six weddings had to take place on the same day in seven days, and the Ministry of Rites rushed to prepare.
• Gu Moran took charge of the arrangements, customizing each bride’s procession, departure, attire, or ceremony to suit her.
• Capital gambling houses opened bets on wedding disasters and whether Gu Moran would survive the wedding night, and Gu Moran placed five hundred taels on his survival.
• The night before the wedding, Gu Moran reviewed the six personal touches he had arranged and worried about Ye Qingyun’s arrival in fourteen days.
• The system warned Gu Moran that Xiao Jinghan’s release had moved up from three months away to two months away because the Heavenly Dao was correcting Liu Ruyan’s altered fate.

Gu Moran married Su Yao and Shen Ling'er in a tense, spectacle-filled ceremony, while their reactions showed how differently he would have to approach them. As the ceremony turned to the third bride, war drums sounded and Murong Xue arrived on a white warhorse.

• Su Yao entered the hall, recognized the white plum blossoms Gu Moran had arranged, and warned him not to regret marrying her as they bowed.
• Shen Ling'er bounced into the hall, joked about feeding Gu Moran medicine, and became curious when he answered her teasing without fear.
• Shen Ling'er privately wondered whether Gu Moran was a fool or pretending, while Gu Moran saw that her favorability had risen slightly.
• Crown Prince Gu Moyuan and Gu Mochen discussed Gu Moran's troublesome brides, and Gu Moyuan said it would be better if Gu Moran could not handle them.
• War drums interrupted the ceremony, and Murong Xue arrived at the hall on a white warhorse with a saber at her waist.

Murong Xue and Liu Ruyan completed their wedding ceremonies with Gu Moran, whose gestures earned a slight response from both brides. The arrival of Lin was interrupted when she kicked a hole in her bridal sedan.

• Murong Xue challenged Gu Moran to fight, but his Northern Territory warrior’s salute impressed her enough to postpone the duel until another day.
• Murong Xue completed the wedding rites and warned Gu Moran that a man who gave the warrior’s salute but lost to a woman would be dragged behind a horse.
• Liu Ruyan entered from Prince Yi’s Residence rather than the Flower-Between Pavilion, and the change raised her favorability after signaling that she had been treated with respect.
• Liu Ruyan completed the ceremony and joined the other brides without speaking.
• A loud bang interrupted the gathering, and the matron reported that Lin had kicked a hole in her bridal sedan.

Lin Qingdai joined Gu Moran’s wedding ceremony with a defiant entrance and stomped on his feet during their bows, while Xie Wanqing completed the ceremony in unnerving silence. At the banquet, Crown Prince Gu Moyuan approached Gu Moran to offer a toast and comment on his six brides.

• Lin Qingdai broke out of her sedan, entered the hall, and glared at Gu Moran before the wedding bows began.
• Lin Qingdai stomped on Gu Moran’s feet during their bows, while their whispered exchange drew a smile from Empress Wei.
• Xie Wanqing entered calmly, completed the bows, and was praised by Empress Wei; Gu Moran noticed her nervous self-soothing gesture and the system showed her favorability at zero.
• The wedding ceremony ended, and the groom and six brides took their places at the banquet beside the emperor, empress, and consorts.
• Crown Prince Gu Moyuan left the princes’ table, approached Gu Moran with a cup of wine, and offered him a toast while remarking on his brides.

At the wedding feast, Gu Moran deflected Gu Moyuan’s public accusation that he was building power through marriage alliances by acting like a drunken wastrel. After the six brides returned to Prince Yi’s Residence, Gu Moran chose to visit Su Yao in Clear Frost Courtyard despite her extreme resistance.

• Gu Moyuan toasted Gu Moran and pointed out that his six brides connected him to powerful court factions, but Gu Moran loudly dismissed any interest in politics.
• Gu Moran observed the brides’ differing behavior at the feast while secretly spitting out some of his wine to preserve his drunken persona.
• Noble Consort Chen spoke with the brides, praised Shen Ling’er’s appetite, and exchanged a quiet approving remark with Gu Moran.
• The six brides traveled to Prince Yi’s Residence and entered their separate courtyards as Gu Moran watched.
• Gu Moran chose Su Yao’s Clear Frost Courtyard first, despite the system warning that her favorability was -67 and she was extremely resistant.

On his wedding night, Gu Moran visited his new wives’ courtyards and used small gestures, sharp observation, and knowledge to handle their tests. After three visits, he had three courtyards left to face despite his worsening injury and depleted body.

• Gu Moran left Su Yao’s closed courtyard after mentioning the white plum trees, and Su Yao recognized them as her favored Cold Fragrance variety.
• Shen Ling'er served Gu Moran tea laced with croton powder, but he exposed her test; her curiosity about him increased.
• Murong Xue attacked Gu Moran with a saber, but he identified flaws in her technique, earning her respect and a promise to fight him later.
• Gu Moran assessed the lights in the three remaining courtyards and worried that his injured, weakened body might not let him finish his visits.

Gu Moran completed his rounds of the six courtyards, treating his wives with unexpected consideration and earning a small increase in favorability from each of them. Back in his study, he saw that Ye Qingyun would reach the capital in fourteen days and received a report that Su Yao had touched the white plum branch he had chosen for her.

• At Misty Waters Courtyard, Gu Moran took the guest's seat and told Liu Ruyan she could relax; she appeared slightly less tense after he left.
• At Iron Plum Courtyard, Lin Qingdai attacked Gu Moran with her sword, but he identified flaws in her technique and gave her grip advice that steadied her sword.
• At Tranquil Ink Courtyard, Gu Moran asked Xie Wanqing what tea she liked, and she quietly said Biluochun.
• Gu Moran reviewed the system panel and saw that all six wives' favorability ratings had risen, with Xie Wanqing's score reaching +1.
• Gu Moran noted that Ye Qingyun would arrive in fourteen days and that Xiao Jinghan would be released from prison in sixty-five days.
• The system reported that Su Yao had admired the white plum blossoms and touched a branch during the hour of the tiger.

Gu Moran avoided the morning greetings of his six wives, then investigated Ye Qingyun’s arrival in the capital and arranged for Su Yao to discover his political annotations. Su Yao recognized Gu Moran’s handwriting and began investigating whether he had hidden advisers, while her favorability toward him rose slightly.

• Gu Moran dismissed the six ladies from morning greetings without choosing a principal wife, then rode out for a drink.
• At a teahouse, Gu Moran learned that Ye Qingyun would reach the capital in twelve days and had received an ancient scroll from a Daoist priest.
• Gu Moran stopped a maid from giving Xie Wanqing a soothing decoction and set his annotated copy of Strategies for Governing the State in the study for Su Yao to find.
• Su Yao read the detailed political arguments in the annotations and recognized that Gu Moran had written them.
• Su Yao asked Biyu to investigate whether Gu Moran had advisers or scholars writing on his behalf.

Shen Ling'er tried to drug Gu Moran with truth-inducing osmanthus cakes, but he saw through her test and exposed how carefully she had questioned him. After she decided to study Qi Observation Technique to uncover his secrets, the story followed the other women in the residence and ended with Gu Moran planning how to win over the three still-hostile ones.

• Shen Ling'er visited Gu Moran with osmanthus cakes and questioned him about his habits, but he avoided giving her useful answers.
• Gu Moran deduced that Shen Ling'er had added cattail pollen to the cakes and explained how he had spotted her medical-style questioning.
• Shen Ling'er admitted what was in the cakes, then left without eating them and decided to use Qi Observation Technique to read Gu Moran.
• Murong Xue wondered how Gu Moran had learned a Northern Territory warrior's salute, while Lin Qingdai successfully practiced the sword grip he had taught her.
• Xie Wanqing read one of the books Gu Moran had chosen for her, and her favorability rose into positive territory.
• Gu Moran checked the women's favorability scores and resolved to deal with Su Yao, Murong Xue, and Lin Qingdai one at a time.