Chapter Summaries

Shen Yuxi confronted Shangguan Niao after Shangguan insulted her, and the system exposed Shangguan’s secret role in harming Shangguan Qing. Shangguan fled to the duke’s residence to ask her father to save Chen Shisong, but he rebuked her and threatened to disown her if she caused trouble again.

• Shangguan Niao mocked Shen Yuxi’s carriage and tried to flaunt her status as the Duke Who Secures the Nation’s second young lady.
• The system revealed that Shangguan Niao had schemed against attractive maids and deliberately caused Shangguan Qing’s disfigurement, frightening Shangguan into fleeing.
• Shangguan Niao went to the duke’s residence and found her father dining with Shangguan Qing and her mother.
• Shangguan Niao asked her father to save Chen Shisong, but he angrily accused her of letting Chen murder his wife.
• Shangguan Niao denied knowing about Chen’s wife or plans, while Shangguan Qing asked their father to let her explain.
• The duke warned Shangguan Niao that he would drive her from the household and sever their relationship if there was a next time.

Shangguan Niao fled after the Duke of Ding disowned her, then panicked at the prospect of seeing Shen Yuxi at his birthday banquet. At the banquet, Shen Yuxi befriended Xue Min, who overheard her conversation with the system and realized its existence was real.

• The Duke of Ding ordered Shangguan Niao to leave, and Shangguan Qing followed to comfort her.
• Shangguan Niao asked whether Minister Shen's family would attend the Duke of Ding's birthday banquet and tried to have them excluded.
• Shen Yuxi attended the banquet, kept to herself, and enjoyed the fish with pickled mustard greens.
• Xue Min introduced herself to Shen Yuxi, praised her accomplishments, and asked to become friends.
• Xue Min overheard Shen Yuxi speaking with the system and sat stunned after discovering the system was real.

Shen Yuxi received the Mystic Fire Ring and attended Duke Dingguo’s birthday banquet, where her inner voice revealed that Shangguan Niao had ruined Shangguan Qing’s face. The system began recounting Shangguan Niao’s scheme at the Flower Festival, leaving the guests and Shangguan Qing waiting to hear what happened next.

• The system gave Shen Yuxi the Mystic Fire Ring, and she happily put it on.
• Duke Dingguo welcomed his guests and raised a toast at his birthday banquet.
• Shen Yuxi’s inner voice drew the ladies’ attention, and the system explained that they were curious about her and admired her beauty.
• Shen Yuxi and the system revealed that Shangguan Niao had ruined Shangguan Qing’s face, shocking the banquet hall and Shangguan Qing.
• The system explained that Shangguan Niao envied Shangguan Qing and resented her kindness, then began describing how she asked Shangguan Qing to accompany her to confess to a man at the Flower Festival.

The system revealed that Shangguan Niao had arranged the attack that scarred Shangguan Qing and spread rumors to destroy her reputation, leaving Shangguan Qing devastated and unconscious. At the banquet, Shen Yuxi learned Shangguan Niao had planned to lure her into a compromising setup, and she asked the system where Shangguan Niao was.

• The system recounted how Shangguan Niao hired beggars to assault Shangguan Qing, scar her face, and spread malicious rumors about her.
• Duke Dingguo learned that his younger daughter had caused Shangguan Qing's suffering, while the system explained why he had failed to uncover the plot earlier.
• Shangguan Qing fainted, and Duke Dingguo took her home as the guests reacted with shock and grew more wary of Shen Yuxi.
• A maid spilled tea on Shen Yuxi and offered to lead her to a side hall to change, but the system revealed Shangguan Niao had bribed her to set up an illicit-affair scandal.
• Shen Yuxi asked the system where Shangguan Niao was after learning that a naked man was waiting in the side hall to ruin her reputation.

Shen Yuxi used Be Obedient Perfume on a maid while the gathered guests grew greedy for the mind-controlling fragrance. After confirming the maid would obey her orders without seeming different, Shen Yuxi sent her to the side hall to change clothes.

• Shen Yuxi bought Be Obedient Perfume after deciding to retaliate against Shangguan Niao.
• The guests coveted the perfume, but the system's threat to burn Shangguan Niao's face with the Mystic Fire Ring frightened them off.
• Shen Yuxi sprayed the perfume on a kneeling maid, and the system explained that the maid would obey her orders while retaining normal behavior and later forgetting what happened.
• Shen Yuxi ordered the maid to take her to the side hall to change clothes, while Xue Min stayed behind.
• The wife of the vice minister of war asked Madam Shen why she was not going with Shen Yuxi.

Shen Yuxi thwarted Shangguan Niao’s attempt to frame her and used the perfume to turn the scheme against Shangguan Niao. The crowd exposed Shangguan Niao in the side hall, leaving Duke Dingguo furious and his household’s disgrace public.

• Shen Yuxi waited outside the side hall while Shangguan Niao ordered a maid to spread the false story that Shen Yuxi was inside with a man.
• Shen Yuxi confronted Shangguan Niao, sprayed her with perfume, and sent her into the side hall where a man had also been affected by the scent.
• Duke Dingguo learned that Shangguan Niao had plotted against Lord Little Shen and rushed to the side hall, where he found Shen Yuxi unharmed among the crowd.
• Duke Dingguo opened the side-hall door, and the guests saw Shangguan Niao tangled with a man behind the bed curtains.
• Shangguan Niao screamed at the onlookers while Duke Dingguo angrily ordered her to come out.

Shen Yuxi exposed Shangguan Niao’s scheme when Shangguan Niao was discovered with a man, and Duke Dingguo rejected her excuses. The guests left with the scandal, while Duke Dingguo ordered punishment and exile for Shangguan Niao and her mother.

• Shangguan Niao accused Shen Yuxi of framing her after Duke Dingguo found her with a man.
• Shen Yuxi denied the accusation, and Shangguan Niao claimed she had been drugged and did not know the man.
• Duke Dingguo accused Shangguan Niao of harming Shangguan Qing and kicked her away when she begged him to believe her.
• The man called Shangguan Niao the Second Miss and revealed that she had promised him a reward, confirming her scheme to the witnesses.
• Duke Dingguo dismissed the guests and told them not to spread news of the incident.
• Duke Dingguo ordered Shangguan Niao’s face slashed and said she and her mother must return to their hometown after her wounds healed.

At court, Shen Yuxi learned that Chen Shisong had died suddenly of a heart attack, and the system explained the cause and the lack of effective treatment in their world. Its account of the previous minister’s similar death revealed the rumors and hardship Lu Song had endured, while Shen Yuxi concluded that everyone, even Emperor Xuanzhao, was born to toil.

• Shen Lang reported that the Ministry of Rites had collected all examination papers and finished marking two-thirds of them, and the system confirmed there had been no cheating.
• The system announced Chen Shisong’s death and explained that he had suffered sudden cardiac death, leaving Imperial Physician Han to take notes on the condition and its causes.
• The system revealed that Lu Song’s predecessor had also died suddenly while working alone, prompting Lu Song to recall how people had suspected him of murdering the minister to claim his position.
• Shen Yuxi reflected on the damage rumors had done to Lu Song, and a colleague comforted him as he struggled to hide his feelings.
• The system described habits that could lead to sudden death, and Shen Yuxi admitted she probably would not manage to eat and sleep on schedule.
• Shen Yuxi called herself a workhorse and compared Emperor Xuanzhao to a higher-grade one, leaving the emperor and officials to conclude that they were all born to toil.

Emperor Xuanzhao learned that Ruo Qiang had sent Qiang Tu, its capable but neglected eldest prince, as an envoy, and considered how the Mo Kingdom could benefit from Ruo Qiang’s succession struggle. Shen Yuxi then chose Lu Song for the day’s gossip and learned that he might be assassinated and forced into a ghost marriage.

• Yuan Shanjian reported that envoys from Ruo Qiang would arrive in five or six days, and Emperor Xuanzhao assigned Crown Prince Mo Jingyu to receive them.
• Shen Yuxi and the system revealed that Qiang Tu was a politically capable eldest prince whom the Ruo Qiang emperor disliked, while favoring the incompetent third prince.
• Shen Yuxi suggested that the Mo Kingdom might win Qiang Tu over, but Emperor Xuanzhao privately judged him too dangerous to let him take the throne.
• Emperor Xuanzhao choked when the system described the Ruo Qiang emperor’s scheme to weaken Qiang Tu, and Shen Yuxi praised his cunning strategy.
• Shen Yuxi picked Lu Song as the next subject of the system’s gossip, which warned that he might be assassinated and paired in a ghost marriage.
• The system explained that a wealthy man’s daughter had starved herself to death after Lu Song rejected her marriage proposal.

After Lin Shubai placed first in the examination and Yan Qinghe also passed, they prepared for the palace examination. At the palace, Emperor Xuanzhao set questions on governing the realm, while Shen Yuxi and the system reminded the scholars that the answers had to satisfy the emperor.

• The system explained that a wealthy landowner had hired an assassin to kill Lu Song and use his corpse in a ghost marriage, prompting Lu Song to decide he would show the man no mercy.
• Lin Shubai found his name at the top of the examination results, and Yan Qinghe discovered that he had passed as well.
• Lin Shubai urged Yan Qinghe to keep preparing, and they studied for the palace examination over the next seven days.
• Emperor Xuanzhao opened the palace examination and announced questions about governing, choosing officials, agriculture, defense, and public welfare.
• A scholar fainted during the ceremony, and Imperial Physician Han had him carried away.
• Shen Yuxi and the system noted that the scholars needed to write answers capable of satisfying Emperor Xuanzhao.