Chapter Summaries

Tong Aning accompanied Tong Yibin to the Ministry of Justice for her academy assignment, where she watched Director Chen’s marital scandal unfold. The confrontation ended with Chen Jin accusing Fan Shuwen of being a ghost, while Tong Aning and Xixi were left wondering who Fan Shuwen really was.

• Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu drew lots over which Tong family official Lou Yingyu would accompany, prompting Tong Aobai and Tong Yibin to argue over taking Tong Aning to work.
• Tong Yibin brought Tong Aning to the Ministry of Justice, where she helped grind ink, asked about Vice Minister Wei’s case, and learned Director Chen had arrived late after his wedding.
• Tong Aning discovered Director Chen had bruises and a limp, and Xixi told her that his wife’s lover had beaten him.
• Tong Aning secretly watched Chen Jin comfort Fan Shuwen’s sister, who accused Fan Shuwen of stealing Chen Jin and mistreating him.
• Fan Shuyi challenged Chen Jin to describe his attacker, then denied the man was her lover and implied that Fan Shuwen was involved.
• Xixi revealed that Fan Shuwen had stopped being Fan Shuwen long ago, and Chen Jin shoved her away and screamed that she was a ghost.

Tong Yibin arrested Fan Shuwen and Chen Jin after learning that the impostor had killed the real Fan Shuwen and was connected to a plot targeting him. At the Tong residence, a man accused Chancellor Lou of causing his brother’s death, while Tong Aning’s system revealed that the brother had died by suicide.

• Tong Yibin arrested Fan Shuwen and Chen Jin, and later told Tong Aning that Fan Shuwen and Vice Minister Wei were likely planted by the same person targeting him.
• Tong Yibin found the real Fan Shuwen’s remains and had them returned to the Fan residence, while Tong Aning wrote her journal.
• Lou Ming confronted Lou Yingyu about her assignment and asked her to observe him the next day, then stayed for dinner at the Tong residence.
• A man begged Tong Aobai to investigate his brother’s death and accused Chancellor Lou of having him tortured to death in prison.
• Lou Yingyu tried to attack the accuser, but Tong Aning restrained her as the system revealed that the man’s brother had died by suicide.

Cheng Gu learned that his brother had cheated in the imperial examination and that his family had deceived him, while Lou Ming offered him a chance to study. Later, Tong Aning accompanied Xue Ruyun to help Xiao Pingqi’s sister through a difficult labor, where a revelation about Yan Jie’s mother left Xiao Pingqi stunned.

• Cheng Gu confronted Lou Ming over his brother’s death, then learned his brother had cheated and had asked Lou Ming to conceal the truth.
• Cheng Gu recalled how his family had rigged a drawing so his younger brother could study, and he left after thanking Lou Ming and Tong Aobai.
• Lou Yingyu told Tong Aning and Azhu that Lou Ming had kept Cheng Gu at the estate as a study attendant so he could learn to read and write.
• During archery practice, Azhu hit the target, Tong Aning struck it twice, and Lou Yingyu missed both shots before Xiao Pingqi was called away.
• Tong Aning accompanied Xue Ruyun to the Yan estate, where Xiao Pingqi’s sister was struggling through a difficult labor.
• Xiao Pingqi learned Yan Jie had refused to leave his mother, who had gone into premature labor, and realized the child was Yan Jie’s.

Xiao Pingqi welcomed his sister Xiao Wanqiu’s safe delivery, then exposed and punished her husband Yan Jie for his affair with his stepmother. Tong Aning brought flowers to Xue Lin, and Xiao Pingtai invited her and Xue Lin to Zhu Ting’s wedding banquet.

• Xiao Pingqi ordered his men to bring Yan Jie to him after Xiao Wanqiu delivered a healthy baby girl.
• Xiao Pingqi had Yan Jie and his father, Yan Cheng, confronted with evidence that Yan Jie had slept with his stepmother, who had also given birth to his son.
• Yan Cheng attacked Yan Jie, then fainted after learning that the newborn was Yan Jie’s child; Xiao Pingqi had both men sent to prison.
• Tong Aning gave Xue Lin flowers, and Xue Lin accepted them as Sichen reported that Yan Jie had been beaten again by Xiao Pingtai.
• Xiao Pingtai thanked Xue Lin and invited Tong Aning to Zhu Ting’s wedding banquet; Xue Lin asked to attend too, and Xiao Pingtai agreed.

Tong Aning helped Jiang Yin survive the revelation that her new husband, Zhu Ting, was her half-brother, and Jiang Yin brought charges against their father, Jiang Yan. Three days later, Jiang Yin gave Tong Aning a garden, but when Tong Aning visited it, a stranger claimed the property and blocked their way.

• At Zhu Ting’s wedding banquet, Tong Aning and Xue Lin found Jiang Yin trying to hang herself and helped bring her down.
• Jiang Yan tried to strike Jiang Yin, but Xue Lin protected her, and the truth emerged that Jiang Yan had fathered Zhu Ting with Lu Yilü before marrying Ruan Hanjiao.
• Jiang Yin learned that Zhu Ting was her biological older brother and, urged on by Tong Aning, accused Jiang Yan; Xue Lin agreed to investigate.
• Three days later, Jiang Yin told Tong Aning that Jiang Yan had been imprisoned and Ruan Hanjiao had divorced him, then gave Tong Aning a garden deed in thanks.
• Tong Aning visited Radiant Youth Garden with Lou Yingyu and Azhu, but a stranger stopped them and denied knowing the Jiang household steward.

Tong Aning, Lou Yingyu, and Azhu reclaimed Radiant Youth Garden from the people who had occupied it, and Azhu recognized a bracelet there as her third aunt’s. Later, Tong Aning and Xue Lin hid as two people searched for the bracelet, and Tong Aning realized they had caught Azhu’s third uncle and aunt in an apparent affair.

• Lou Yingyu kicked the steward’s defiant subordinate and led Tong Aning and Azhu into Radiant Youth Garden.
• Lou Yingyu ordered A Shu to beat the intruders, and Xue Lin had Sichen arrest them and notify the Jiang family after they found an elderly man they had nearly starved.
• Azhu recognized a gold bracelet in the garden as one she had seen on her third aunt’s wrist.
• Tong Aning and Xue Lin hid when two people arrived searching for the bracelet.
• Tong Aning recognized the searchers as Azhu’s third uncle and aunt and realized they had caught them together.

Tong Aning exposed Hua Yao and Ke Jing's affair, leaving Meng Xun devastated and intent on becoming a monk. Later, the Tong family failed to end Sang Yingxin's engagement to Murong Tao, who came to plead with her as Tong Aning learned his good brother had deceived him and was actually his love rival.

• Tong Aning and Xue Lin caught Hua Yao and Ke Jing searching Radiant Youth Garden, and Tong Aning revealed that Hua Yao's missing bracelet had already been given to Azhu.
• Azhu arrived with Meng Xun, who confronted Hua Yao and Ke Jing; Tong Aning's thoughts revealed their affair, their child, and how they had used Meng Xun for money, causing him to faint.
• Azhu told Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu that Meng Xun kept attempting suicide and now wanted to become a monk, while Tong Aning advised letting him do as he pleased.
• Wu Shan learned that the Murong family refused to break Sang Yingxin's engagement, and Murong Tao arrived pleading with Sang Yingxin to believe he had not wronged her.
• Sang Yingxin rejected Murong Tao and asked to part, while Tong Aning learned that Murong Tao had been deceived by his good brother, who was actually his love rival.

Tong Aning revealed Shao Ling’s plot to separate Murong Tao and Sang Yingxin, and the couple decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. Later, Tong Aning and Xue Lin wandered the capital, where a woman’s attempt to force a match with her older brother turned out to involve her husband.

• Tong Aning told Murong Tao and Sang Yingxin that Shao Ling had drugged Murong Tao and staged a compromising scene to make Sang Yingxin misunderstand.
• Murong Tao wanted to confront Shao Ling, but Sang Yingxin stopped him, and they agreed to give Shao Ling a taste of his own medicine.
• Sichen brought Shao Ling back after finding him running naked through the street, and Shao Ling blamed his servant for exposing his identity.
• Tong Aning and Xue Lin strolled through the capital, discussed flowers, and stopped at a wonton stall after Tong Aning grew hungry.
• A woman confronted the wonton seller because she had eaten his supposedly love-blessing wontons with her older brother, then clarified that the man was her husband.

Tong Aning spent time with Xue Lin and her family before learning why Nie Huaiyu’s beloved Minglang had disappeared. The chapter ended with Minglang arriving at the Tong family shop, where Nie Huaiyu realized Minglang was a young lady.

• Tong Aning and Xue Lin encountered a woman and her child husband, then fed leftover wontons to a dog before returning to the Tong family shop with Tong Siyan.
• Ma Yan tried to gain entry to the Tong home and later delivered Tong Siyan an invitation to an internal Ma clan auction.
• Tong Aning asked Tong Yi'an to demonstrate the abacus, and Tong Siyan praised her correct calculations.
• Nie Huaiyu and Nie Huailan visited the shop, where Nie Huaiyu recognized a hair ornament like hers and explained that she had fallen in love with a mysterious young master named Minglang.
• Tong Aning urged Nie Huaiyu to forget Minglang, but Minglang arrived, and Nie Huaiyu discovered that Minglang was a young lady.

Ming Linghui admitted she had pretended to be her brother when she met Nie Huaiyu, but Nie Huaiyu forgave her and asked her to call her Sister. Later, Tong Aning accompanied Tong Siyan to the Ma Clan auction, where a family dispute erupted before it began.

• Nie Huaiyu confronted Ming Linghui about disguising herself as a man, but Ming Linghui refused to explain why she had done it.
• When Nie Huaiyu met Ming Ze, Ming Linghui claimed she had been the one Nie Huaiyu met and asked her brother to leave; Nie Huaiyu then accepted her as a younger sister.
• Tong Aning prepared wound medicines and a letter for Tong Fengye, then accompanied Tong Siyan to the Ma Clan auction.
• Tong Aning discovered Ma Yan planning a surprise for Tong Siyan and warned him that her sister would dislike it, prompting him to abandon the plan.
• Before the auction began, Ma Yan's mother chased the Ma Clan's old patriarch with a saber, accusing him of throwing away the three daughters she had borne.

Mu Hanqin learned that the Ma family had taken away her three daughters, but Tong Aning stopped her from killing Ma Hui and helped bring the case to Jingzhao Prefecture. As the border fighting worsened, Azhu revealed she would go to the army camp with her parents, and Lou Yingyu, Tong Aning, and Azhu swore sisterhood before Feng Ying abruptly appeared.

• Mu Hanqin confronted the old patriarch and Ma Hui after learning that they had disposed of her three daughters, and she nearly killed Ma Hui before Tong Aning persuaded her to seek justice instead.
• The old patriarch gave the addresses where he had sent the girls, and Mu Hanqin left with her brother and sister-in-law while Ma Yan stayed behind.
• Tong Aning told Cen Yu what the Ma family had done, and Cen Yu set out to arrest the old patriarch and Ma Hui as Tong Aning sent the daughters' locations to the Mu residence.
• Azhu told Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu that she would go to the army camp with her father and mother, and the three women swore sisterhood over hot pot.
• Feng Ying tumbled through the door as Lou Yingyu opened it, startling Tong Aning, Lou Yingyu, and Azhu.

Lou Yingyu and Tong Aning exposed Feng Bo’s affair at the Spring Breeze House, while Feng Ying defended Yang Rong and Feng Jingruo showed she had moved on. At Cen Yu and Wen Taofei’s wedding banquet, Tong Aning noticed Cen Yu was secretly drinking fruit cordial instead of alcohol but chose not to embarrass him.

• Feng Ying broke down over Yang Rong’s praise of Feng Chu and protected his servant when Lou Yingyu threatened him.
• Yang Rong saw Feng Bo leaving the Spring Breeze House with a beauty and confronted him, but Feng Ying knocked Feng Bo down while defending his mother.
• Tong Aning noticed red marks on Feng Bo’s arm, and Yang Rong realized his secret; Feng Jingruo later said she was no longer upset about him.
• Cen Yu and Wen Taofei celebrated their wedding, and Cen Yu arranged for food to be sent to the bridal chamber for his bride.
• Tong Aning noticed Cen Yu’s cup held fruit cordial and kept quiet, sparing him embarrassment at the wedding banquet.

Tong Aning attended a palace New Year’s banquet, where the sixth princess fell into a pond and was rescued. Tong Aning’s thoughts exposed Grand Tutor An as the one who pushed her in, and the emperor began to suspect him.

• Tong Aning received Su Zhouyue’s letter from Su Zhouyue, who read that Fengye had received the winter clothes and sent New Year’s greetings.
• Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu attended the palace banquet with their families, where the emperor welcomed them and raised a toast to the border soldiers.
• The sixth princess fell into the pond in the Plum Garden, and an imperial physician treated her for a fever while the emperor ordered an investigation.
• Tong Aning thought that someone had pushed the sixth princess into the pond, prompting the emperor to halt the initial inquiry and ask where Grand Tutor An was.
• Grand Tutor An returned and denied visiting the Plum Garden, but Su Zhouyue pointed out plum petals on his shoes.
• Tong Aning’s thoughts revealed that Grand Tutor An had pushed his granddaughter into the pond, and the emperor’s expression darkened as he learned of the tutor’s ambitions.

Consort An pleaded with Grand Tutor An to spare the Sixth Princess, while Tong Aning revealed that Grand Tutor An’s supposedly dead eldest son was alive and had fled with Jin Yue. After An Jinghuan was exposed for abusing Jin Yue and their daughter, the An father and son were imprisoned, and the Sixth Princess recovered.

• Consort An knelt before Grand Tutor An and begged him to stop endangering the Sixth Princess, while Consort Wei comforted her.
• Tong Aning revealed that An Jinghuan had faked his death to escape an arranged marriage and had fled with Jin Yue, whose daughter had supposedly died.
• Jin Yue and her daughter An Ning entered the hall, and Jin Yue testified that An Jinghuan had abandoned and abused them.
• The emperor had An Jinghuan brought before the court, then ordered the An father and son taken away after seeing Jin Yue’s injuries and hearing their testimony.
• The Sixth Princess woke and recalled that Grand Tutor An had lured her toward the pond to see the koi.
• The emperor imprisoned Grand Tutor An and An Jinghuan, while Jin Xiufeng and Jin Yue accepted responsibility for Jin Yue’s past choices.

Jin Yue received permission to divorce An Jinghuan and sent Tong Aning dumplings as thanks, while the Tong family celebrated New Year together. During a New Year visit to the General Who Protects the State's Residence, Tong Aning's thoughts revealed that Su Huamo had secretly dressed in women's clothes, leaving the family stunned.

• The emperor lightly punished Jin Yue, allowed her to divorce An Jinghuan, and warned her to be more careful.
• Jin Yue sent Tong Aning homemade dumplings, and the Tong family shared dumplings and watched fireworks on New Year's Eve.
• Xue Lin watched the fireworks from Prince Yong's Residence and dismissed Sichen's hopes of joining the festivities.
• Tong Aning tried to style Tong Yi'an's hair on New Year's Day, but Yingtao had to redo it before the family visited the General Who Protects the State's Residence.
• Their eldest aunt argued with the family, then accused Su Huamo of keeping a mistress after he acted secretive.
• Tong Aning's thoughts revealed that Su Huamo had gone to dress in women's clothes, shocking everyone.

Su Huamo’s drunken antics embarrassed his family, while Tong Aning went with Tong Yibin to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion and uncovered the truth behind a man’s request for justice. Gui Yuankui learned his cousin had deceived and drugged Deng Qingshu, and he confronted his cousin’s family after realizing they had lied to him.

• Su Huamo got drunk, dressed in women’s clothes, and kissed a cat, then ran away from home after sobering up and being told to accept his age.
• Su Zhouyue asked Tong Siyan to embroider her a little bag, while Tong Yi'an and Tong Aning each offered her their own.
• Tong Aning joined Tong Yibin at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, where they met Xue Lin and Gui Yuankui.
• Gui Yuankui said his cousin’s wife, Deng Qingshu, had killed his cousin and escaped punishment through her father Deng Jiantong’s influence.
• Tong Aning learned that Gui Yuankui’s cousin had tricked Deng Qingshu into marriage, humiliated her, and drugged her, and Gui Yuankui abandoned his demand for justice on his cousin’s behalf.
• Gui Yuankui confronted his cousin’s family in the next private room and realized they had lied about their grief; Tong Aning revealed they were trying the same trick again.

Gui Yuankui learned that Gui Huaimu and Qi Ruling had used him as a pawn, but Deng Qingji arrived and wrecked the Gui family’s private-room gathering. Later, Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu got drunk on fruit cordial, while Xue Lin remained troubled by the unresolved deaths of Prince Yong and the princess consort.

• Gui Yuankui confronted Gui Huaimu and Qi Ruling, who blamed him and tried to pass him a cup of drugged wine.
• Deng Qingji stormed into the private room, ordered his men to smash it, and struck Gui Yuankui’s younger cousin for bullying his sister.
• Lou Yingyu refused to help the Gui family and explained that her father had ignored their appeal because he would not protect people who had lost their conscience.
• Tong Aning, Lou Yingyu, Tong Yibin, and Xue Lin shared a table, and Tong Yibin offered to help Xue Lin investigate Prince Yong and the princess consort’s deaths.
• Tong Aning and Lou Yingyu became drunk on fruit cordial, so Tong Yibin and Songhua took them home.
• In the carriage, Tong Aning’s scattered thoughts turned to a secret meeting and love letters, leaving Tong Yibin to hear the gossip instead.

Tong Aning recovered after drinking fruit cordial, then went to the Lantern Festival with her family and encountered Zhuang Anyi and her fiancé, Song Ziyu. After learning Song Ziyu had secretly passed the Zhuang family's secrets to their political enemies, Zhuang Anyi threw him to the ground.

• Tong Aning woke and insisted she had only been asleep, while her family scolded Tong Yibin for getting her drunk and gave her hangover soup.
• Su Zhouyue took the children to the Lantern Festival, where Tong Yi'an bought a rabbit lantern and Tong Siyan solved a riddle so Tong Aning could win another lantern.
• Tong Siyan and Tong Aning met Zhuang Anyi, who introduced her fiancé, Song Ziyu, and gave Tong Aning a jade pendant as a first-meeting gift.
• Tong Aning learned that Song Ziyu had been paid by the Zhuang family's political enemies to deliver secrets about the family under the guise of love letters.
• Zhuang Anyi threw Song Ziyu to the ground after realizing he had deceived her.

Zhuang Anyi tested Song Ziyu after learning he was no good, while Tong Aning spent time with her master, Xue Ruyun. At Prince Cheng's residence, Tong Aning discovered that Du Qingyun was two months pregnant, putting her and Xue Yanze's relationship in a dangerous position.

• Zhuang Anyi threw Song Ziyu to the ground twice, then helped him leave after he pretended not to be hurt.
• Tong Aning visited Xue Ruyun, showed her progress with acupuncture, and went with her to Prince Cheng's residence.
• Prince Cheng asked Xue Ruyun to help judge whether his son Xue Yanze's sweetheart was suitable for him.
• Du Qingyun suddenly turned pale, and Tong Aning checked her pulse despite her resistance.
• Tong Aning told Xue Ruyun and the others that Du Qingyun was two months pregnant.

Xue Yanze disproved Du Qingyun’s claim that he had fathered her unborn child by demonstrating that even a cup of fruit wine knocked him unconscious. On the way home, Tong Aning and Xue Lin stopped to investigate a man beating his son, while Tong Aning learned the man’s favored child was the one he suspected was not his own.

• Du Qingyun accused Xue Yanze of getting drunk and having relations with her, but Xue Yanze insisted he could not hold his liquor.
• Xue Yanze drank a cup of fruit wine and passed out, then remained unconscious when a servant played a suona beside him, undermining Du Qingyun’s accusation.
• Du Qingyun left after Prince Cheng and his consort challenged her claim, and they treated Xue Ruyun and Tong Aning to roast lamb.
• Tong Aning offered roast lamb to Xue Lin when he came to greet their carriage, and he accepted it despite disliking lamb.
• Tong Aning and Xue Lin investigated cries of pain and found a middle-aged man whipping his son; Tong Aning realized the man cherished another child he believed was his, though that child was actually the one who was not.