Tong Aning

Biodata

Background / History

Transmigration and the Gossip System

Originally from the twenty-first century, Tong Aning died in a car accident and transmigrated into a baby in a country absent from her former world's history books. By the time she recovered her memories, she had lived with the Tong family for fifteen years. When offered the possibility of returning, she chose to remain because her family's affection was real and she considered their home her own 2.

She initially warned the system against assigning her missions. It instead introduced itself as the Gossip System, seeking only someone to enjoy gossip with. Softhearted toward its pleading, she agreed to become its companion. Unknown to her, members of her family could hear her inner thoughts and her exchanges with the system 2.

Early Revelations and Family Protection

Aning's thoughts exposed Cui Heng's affair with his younger cousin, who was already pregnant, allowing her second sister, Tong Siyan, to investigate her husband's betrayal. Aning accompanied the family during the resulting separation and regarded the Cui household's concealment as marriage fraud 1 6 7.

Her ability also drew attention outside the family. Wei Mingning heard her thoughts without seeing her speak and later accepted her as a goddaughter. Aning celebrated Wei Mingning's escape from her marriage by giving her Buddhist prayer beads and congratulating her on a new beginning 5 10.

When the system revealed a plot against Tong Yibin, Aning brought dinner to the Ministry of Justice as a pretext to warn him. Her thoughts identified the other vice minister's plan to use false testimony and subsequent recantations to implicate him, prompting Yibin to investigate 21.

Trafficking Cases and Rescues

Aning intervened when a trafficker tried to abduct Wen Taofei while posing as her husband. With A Shu restraining him, she obtained the location of other captives from Xixi and passed the information to Cen Yu. Troubled by the scale of the disappearances, she also alerted her father 31 32.

The investigation exposed Prince Jing's trafficking operation. Tong Aobai credited Aning with preventing the missing girls from being sold. During the same period, she found the badly injured Xue Lin and brought him home for treatment, later accepting gold and silver as thanks for saving him 33.

Her concern extended beyond securing arrests. She and Su Zhouyue comforted eleven women rescued from Quiet Heart Temple and encouraged them to confront the monks who had harmed them. Later, she rescued Lu Xu from aristocrats who hunted enslaved people, helped her shoot one of her tormentors, and accompanied her to bury the other victims' remains 40 106 107.

Education and Official Service

Aning attended the Imperial Academy's girls' school, although examinations repeatedly made her anxious. She completed the spring examinations with encouragement from her family and Xue Lin; when the results appeared, Lou Yingyu told her she had done very well 2 54 94 97.

She became a special adviser at Jingzhao Prefecture and participated in investigations with Xue Lin, including a nighttime operation against a fraudulent spirit-summoner. By Chapter 99, she was attending court, and she was subsequently shown working with documents at the Ministry of Rites 60 99 102 103.

Her broadcasts made officials wary of having their secrets exposed. After she helped uncover serious abuses, ministers came to regard her as a divine maiden protecting Great Xia, while the emperor rewarded her generously 107 108.

Marriage and Ending

Aning and Xue Lin accepted their imperial betrothal willingly, reassuring her parents that the decree had not mismatched them. They later married, with Tong Fengye carrying her out on her wedding day after competing with Tong Yibin for the privilege 116 131.

After their marriage, her thoughts revealed that the crown prince and empress were plotting rebellion. In the final New Year chapter, she received the title Commandery Princess Bright Moon and finally learned that her family could hear her thoughts 133 135.

Xixi then appeared in a dream intending to leave because Aning had found happiness. Aning asked it to remain as her gossip companion. She awoke to find it still present—and now able to stop broadcasting her thoughts 135.

Appearance

• Build: Slender and graceful at fifteen, with a beauty already attracting attention in the capital 5 8.
• Eyes: Large, round almond eyes; her smile frequently curves them into crescents 36 45.
• Expressions: Easily blushes when praised, which Wei Mingning and Princess Royal Xue Shang openly tease her about 44.
• Adornment: Enjoys sparkling jewelry and deliberately coordinates gifted hairpins with her clothes rather than leaving them unused in storage 48.

Personality

Aning is affectionate and openly attached to her family. She runs into her sisters' arms, nestles against her mother, and worries over her father and brothers' safety. Her birthday wish is not for wealth or achievement, but for the family to remain together and live peacefully 1 3 21 33 48.

She combines a love of gossip, pastries, money, and beautiful objects with mischievous humor. She readily asks Xue Lin for gold and silver as a reward and trades constant teasing with Tong Fengye and Lou Yingyu. Nevertheless, she takes gifts seriously, believing that using them honors the giver's thoughtfulness 33 48 65 85.

Despite calling herself slow and lacking confidence in examinations, Aning is patient when learning practical skills. Repeated acupuncture mistakes do not discourage her: she believes she can eventually succeed by trying another approach. Xue Ruyun describes this as wisdom concealed beneath apparent foolishness 52 54.

Her compassion does not mean gentleness toward abusers. She comforts victims without blaming them, rejects judging a woman more harshly than men for similar conduct, and attacks people who threaten others. When aristocrats use a woman as a living target, she charges them on horseback rather than waiting for someone else to intervene 60 85 106 133.

Abilities & Skills

Gossip System — Xixi

Xixi supplies hidden information through internal conversations with Aning, exposing affairs, concealed identities, criminal schemes, and other secrets 8 21 22 31.

• Investigation: Identifies the trafficker who seized Wen Taofei and locates abducted women at a Daoist temple 31.
• Hidden identities and motives: Reveals the general household's missing true heiress and the conspiracy surrounding her replacement 22.
• Political intelligence: Reveals the crown prince and empress's rebellion plot 133.
• Limits: Cannot reliably identify assassins or their mastermind when the information cannot be approached through gossip 33 97.
• Not a mission system: Requests companionship rather than tasks or payment 2.

Broadcast Inner Thoughts

Other people can hear Aning's thoughts and, in some scenes, her conversations with Xixi. This allows her discoveries to reach listeners even when she has not consciously decided how to explain them 2 5 6.

• Confirmed listeners: Include her family, Wei Mingning, Xue Lin, the emperor, and numerous court officials 2 5 67 108 135.
• Initial limitation: Aning does not know her private commentary is audible and sometimes struggles to understand others' reactions 15 79 103.
• Later control: Xixi can stop the broadcasts by the ending 135.

Medicine and Acupuncture

Aning studies under Xue Ruyun and progresses from misplaced practice needles to effective treatment 31 52 89.

• Saves Prince Kangle's life with a timely silver needle 89.
• Learns to prepare wound medicine for Tong Fengye 57.
• Uses massage and specially devised medicinal sugar pills to support Mu Yao's treatment 121.
• Helps prepare scar-removing ointment for Azhu, which Xue Ruyun later improves 127.
• Recognizes Ling Xue'er's purported medical research as experimentation on people and rushes to intervene 127 128.

Martial Arts

Aning attributes her physical training to Su Zhouyue's military-family background. Her strength is noticeable when she helps carry Cui'er's cage 37.

• Knocks down Qiu Lingsong when he attempts to slap her 85.
• Carries silver needles that she is prepared to use defensively 85.
• Explicitly intends to use both medicine and martial arts to protect Xue Lin 133.

Riding and Archery

After previously abandoning riding because it was too tiring, Aning resumes lessons with six family members taking turns teaching her. She rides out on Bright Pearl after more than a dozen days of practice 12.

• Learns archery at the Imperial Academy 108.
• Directs Bright Pearl to kick one of the hunters abusing Lu Xu 107.
• Shoots at fleeing hunters and guides Lu Xu through drawing and firing a bow 107.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Silver needles — Used for acupuncture and carried for self-defense 52 85 89.
• Bright Pearl — Her riding horse, used during outings and Lu Xu's rescue 12 107.
• Bow and arrows — Used against the aristocratic hunters 107.
• Slingshot — Purchased to shoot four warning notes into Prince Yong's Residence about the plot against Xue Lin 13.
• Radiant Youth Garden — A garden given to her by Jiang Yin, where she spends time with her friends and Xue Lin 65 67 96.
• Coming-of-age jewelry — Includes a multicolored-stone bracelet from Xue Lin, a luminous hairpin from Tong Fengye, and jadeite worn at her waist from Tong Yi'an 48.
• Whistle — A gift from Tong Fengye that summons a golden eagle when blown 129.

Relationships

• Tong Aobai — Father. Teases her about school results but resists exposing her to the dangers of court, valuing her safety over historical distinction 3 54.
• Su Zhouyue — Mother and one of her riding teachers. Fiercely protects her and emphasizes that family support does not depend on examination rankings 7 12 94.
• Tong Yibin — Eldest brother. Aning warns him about official plots; he responds with reassurance and quiet affection 21 62.
• Tong Siyan — Elder sister. Aning helps expose her husband's betrayal and later discourages Ma Yan's unwanted pursuit on her behalf 1 7 70.
• Tong Fengye — Third sibling and elder brother. Her frequent companion and sparring partner in teasing; their closeness continues through letters during his military service 37 57 94 121.
• Tong Yi'an — Younger sister. Gives her pastries and jadeite; Aning admires her strength and talent for selecting jade-bearing stones 14 48 102.
• Xue Lin — Husband. Their relationship grows from her warnings and rescue into investigative companionship and mutual affection. She encourages him to stop suppressing his feelings and take care of himself 13 33 96 116 131.
• Lou Yingyu — Close friend and fellow gossip enthusiast. Frequently joins Aning on outings, supports her, and affectionately teases her 8 57 65 85.
• Azhu — Friend. Aning treats her injuries, includes her in outings, and helps prepare ointment for her scars 22 65 127.
• Xue Ruyun — Medical master. Patiently teaches Aning acupuncture and medicine; Aning identifies herself as her only direct disciple 52 53 57.
• Wei Mingning — Godmother. Gives Aning jewelry and welcomes her warmly at social gatherings 10 44.
• Mu Yao — Someone Aning treats and protects. She develops medicinal sugar pills for her and shields her from an unwanted proposal to become another man's concubine 120 121.
• Xixi — System and cherished gossip companion. Aning asks it to remain even after it believes its purpose in her life is complete 135.

Notable Quotes

“If I get it wrong, I'll try another way and keep going. I'll get it right eventually.” 52

“Your life is your own. You have to live it well. Heir Xue, do you understand?” 96

“Luck goes both ways. While you're lucky, I'm lucky too.” 131

Trivia

• Her coming-of-age ceremony takes place at sixteen, as explicitly specified in the novel's setting 47.
• She retains the modern birthday custom of making a wish and blowing out a candle; her family incorporates it into her celebration 48.
• Her attempt to style Tong Yi'an's hair produces collapsed buns and knotted ribbons, requiring Yingtao to redo it 75.
• A thunderclap once coincides with her prediction of heavenly punishment. The witnesses are impressed, but Aning herself treats it as unremarkable; the scene does not establish that she controls thunder 43.