Chapter Summaries

Zhou Wanwan accompanied Nie Shi'an to the Provincial Surveillance Commission Office, where he confined her in a room full of neglected case files. After discovering that the plants could speak and hearing about the abandoned cases, she began reading one and was overwhelmed by its tragic contents.

• Lord Cui and Nie Shi'an complained about the destruction of their homes, and Lord Cui suspected Zhou Wanwan was responsible.
• Zhou Wanwan denied the accusation and threatened to ruin both families' reputations if they tried to make her a concubine.
• Nie Shi'an brought Zhou Wanwan to the Provincial Surveillance Commission Office and ordered her to stay in a case archive.
• The plants told Zhou Wanwan that the room held old, neglected cases and pleaded with her to help the people involved.
• Zhou Wanwan opened a yellowed case file and nearly cried after reading its tragic contents.

Zhou Wanwan investigated Chen Fugui’s abuse of Lady Fang and found her living in poverty with her sick daughter, Little Flower. After healing the child, Zhou Wanwan brought Lady Fang to the judicial commissioner's office to reopen the case, where Nie Shi'an angrily confronted her.

• Zhou Wanwan heard how Chen Fugui had switched Lady Fang’s newborn son with his mistress’s child, then bribed officials to dismiss Lady Fang’s complaint and drive her from his home.
• Zhou Wanwan questioned the plants at Fugui Restaurant and learned that Lady Fang lived in Mud Alley with her daughter.
• Zhou Wanwan found Lady Fang tending to Little Flower’s high fever and used medicinal herbs and energy to heal the child.
• Lady Fang told Zhou Wanwan that she wanted to find her missing son, and Zhou Wanwan took her to the judicial commissioner's office.
• Nie Shi'an scolded Zhou Wanwan for bringing Lady Fang and Little Flower, threatened to jail her, and frightened Lady Fang into pleading that she be punished instead.

Zhou Wanwan secured a temporary Provincial Surveillance Commission post and waist token, then reunited Lady Fang with her badly abused son. She brought Lady Fang to court to reopen the case against Chen Fugui, and the chapter ended as the legal adviser welcomed her before the hearing.

• Zhou Wanwan persuaded Nie Shi'an to appoint her a temporary assistant investigating old cases and provide her with a waist token and four yamen runners.
• Zhou Wanwan rewarded the runners and reassured Lady Fang that her missing child was alive.
• Old Scholar Tree brought back Lady Fang's injured son, and Zhou Wanwan treated him before Lady Fang reunited with him.
• Zhou Wanwan urged Lady Fang to sue Chen Fugui for her dowry and wrote a complaint for the Qingshui County yamen.
• Cheng Xiao learned Zhou Wanwan would represent Lady Fang and agreed to hear the case.
• Zhou Wanwan brought Lady Fang and Little Flower to court, where the legal adviser greeted Zhou Wanwan and she demanded to enter the courtroom.

Zhou Wanwan helped Fang Taohua bring Chen Fugui to court for taking her dowry and child, and Cheng Xiao ruled against him after hearing testimony and seeing the child. When Chen Fugui disputed the dowry, Zhou Wanwan produced the surviving inventory, and the Fang clan confirmed its authenticity.

• The court secretary brought Zhou Wanwan to Cheng Xiao's courtroom, where she accused Chen Fugui of taking Fang Taohua's dowry and son and driving her from their home.
• Chen Fugui denied the accusations, but Zhou Wanwan brought in his son and showed that the boy resembled him and had been left with Chen Fugui's mistress's family.
• Fang Taohua's neighbors testified to her good character, and Zhou Wanwan argued that Chen Fugui had wronged his wife and child.
• Cheng Xiao ordered Chen Fugui to return Fang Taohua's dowry, pay her one hundred taels, surrender their son to her care, and accept twenty strokes; he also sentenced Lady Zhao to twenty strokes.
• Chen Fugui claimed Fang Taohua had brought almost no dowry, but Zhou Wanwan produced the bridal inventory, and the Fang clan confirmed that its copy bore the Chen Family's handprints.

Zhou Wanwan helped Fang Taohua win her case against Chen Fugui, then accepted Wang Aniu’s twenty wen to investigate his daughter’s death. She arrived with him in Apricot Blossom Village and began facing resistance from his father, Old Man Wang.

• Zhou Wanwan read Fang Taohua’s dowry list, and Cheng Xiao ordered Chen Fugui to repay three thousand taels of silver.
• Fang Taohua refused Chen Fugui and Lady Liu’s offer to take her back, and Chen Fugui left to gather the money.
• Zhou Wanwan told the court crowd that she would take paid cases, and Wang Aniu asked her to investigate his daughter’s death.
• Zhou Wanwan accepted Wang Aniu’s twenty wen and went with four yamen runners to Apricot Blossom Village.
• Wang Aniu introduced Zhou Wanwan to Old Man Wang, who scolded him for spending the twenty wen on a legal advocate.

Zhou Wanwan investigated Wang Daya’s death and learned that Wang Aniu’s father and second older brother had killed her and framed the Li family. After Zhou told Wang Aniu the truth, he attacked his father with a cleaver, leaving Old Man Wang wounded and accusing him of a monstrous crime.

• Zhou Wanwan questioned the apricot trees and learned that Wang Daya’s grandfather and second uncle had killed her and thrown her clothes into a field to frame the neighbors.
• Zhou Wanwan told Wang Aniu and his wife what the trees had witnessed, and Wang Aniu’s wife broke down in grief.
• Wang Aniu grabbed a cleaver, confronted Old Man Wang, and accused him of killing Daya and abusing her.
• Wang Aniu struck Old Man Wang’s shoulder with the cleaver, and Old Man Wang called him a murderer of his own father.

After avenging Daya, Wang Aniu and his wife watched Old Madam Wang drown, while Zhou Wanwan decided to organize the trees into a case investigation team. The next day, Nie Shi'an hired Zhou Wanwan to investigate who had moved his family’s house and the Cui Family’s house.

• Wang Aniu attacked Old Man Wang and Wang Erniu after learning what they had done to Daya, and both men later died.
• Old Madam Wang fell into the river, and Wang Aniu’s wife refused to save her because she had not saved Daya.
• Zhou Wanwan discussed forming a case investigation team with the Old Scholar Tree and returned to her treehouse to sleep.
• Nie Shi'an searched for Zhou Wanwan, then asked her to investigate who had moved his family’s house and the Cui Family’s house.
• Zhou Wanwan asked how much Nie Shi'an would pay, and he handed her a large silver ingot.

Nie Shi'an arranged a treasure-appreciation gathering to lure out the people behind the thefts, despite Zhou Wanwan's warnings. At the gathering, Zhou Wanwan used the Old Ancestor's knowledge to appraise antiques, and Nie Shi'an assigned her to inspect the clans' offerings.

• Nie Shi'an invited dozens of great clans to a treasure-appreciation gathering and ordered 120 tables of food from Zhou Wanwan.
• Prefect Fang and Cheng Xiao received invitations, criticized Nie Shi'an's judgment, and decided to attend with fake treasures.
• On the day of the gathering, Zhou Wanwan asked to appraise antiques, and Nie Shi'an tested her with dozens of pieces.
• The Old Ancestor examined the antiques through its roots, and Zhou Wanwan identified their authenticity and valued several rare pieces.
• Nie Shi'an praised Zhou Wanwan's skill and told her to inspect the guests' antiques at the entrance and send back any fakes.

Zhou Wanwan inspected the great families’ treasures at the entrance to the treasure appreciation gathering, then confronted Xie Cheng'en when his vase shattered and he tried to force his way past her. After his own hand began slapping him and he argued with Lingbao, the onlookers wondered whether he had lost his mind.

• Zhou Wanwan required every guest to have their collectibles inspected before entering, and she identified a young master's Tang-dynasty ewer as genuine.
• The Old Ancestor urged Zhou Wanwan to take the wealthy families’ treasures, but she refused to exploit the guests.
• Xie Cheng'en arrived with a vase and demanded that Zhou Wanwan move, then the vase shattered in his arms as he threatened her.
• Xie Cheng'en accused Zhou Wanwan of causing the vase to break, but she blamed him and mocked him for trying to scam her.
• When Xie Cheng'en tried to hit Zhou Wanwan, his wrist seized up and he began slapping himself while begging her to stop it.
• Lingbao taunted Xie Cheng'en, who shouted at it as the gathered young ladies whispered that he seemed to have gone mad.

Zhou Wanwan checked the noble families’ antiques at Nie Shi’an’s banquet, turned away Cheng Xiao and Prefect Fang for bringing fakes, and proposed turning Nie Shi’an’s courtyard into a public museum. As the banquet began, Nie Shi’an urged her to investigate the Flying Master Thief, while a guest questioned why the ten-tael meal differed from the last one.

• Zhou Wanwan teased Cheng Xiao about Chen Fugui’s misfortunes and refused to let him enter with fake antiques.
• Zhou Wanwan also stopped Prefect Fang from entering with gaudy vases, and he and Cheng Xiao left empty-handed.
• Seventy-six noble families brought 365 genuine items, delighting Nie Shi’an, while Zhou Wanwan suggested charging admission to display the treasures.
• Zhou Wanwan decided she would make a museum herself after Nie Shi’an rejected the idea, and he reminded her to investigate the Flying Master Thief.
• Nie Shi’an agreed to begin the meal in the front hall, and Zhou Wanwan started the banquet of 120 tables.
• A guest asked why this ten-tael banquet’s dishes differed from those served last time.

Zhou Wanwan stopped one bandit gang from stealing the treasures at Nie Shi'an’s gathering, then discovered that many more gangs were coming because the event had been publicized across the city. She realized Nie Shi'an had knowingly hired her to guard the gathering despite the danger and had also invited elite soldiers and martial arts experts.

• At Nie Shi'an’s banquet, Zhou Wanwan heard Old Scholar Tree report that mountain bandits had entered the courtyard.
• Zhou Wanwan caught the first gang stealing treasures, restrained its leader with vines, and frightened the bandits into fleeing through a dog hole.
• A second gang arrived and attacked, but Zhou Wanwan’s vines bound them and took their weapons.
• The second gang’s leader explained that Nie Shi'an’s heavily publicized treasure-viewing gathering had drawn bandits from across the region.
• Zhou Wanwan realized Nie Shi'an had set her up to guard the gathering while relying on the elite soldiers and martial arts experts he had invited.

Nie Shi'an’s poorly publicized treasure-appreciation gathering drew tens of thousands of bandits and other opportunists, overwhelming his hired guards. Zhou Wanwan raised Black Wind Stronghold’s flag, then agreed to lead the greedy bandits there, while Nie Shi'an mistakenly believed she had been forced to go.

• Tens of thousands of people descended on the Nie Residence, and Nie Shi'an prepared to flee as the chaos overwhelmed his guards.
• Zhou Wanwan ordered the Black Wind Stronghold flag raised, prompting some bandits to recognize it and others to challenge the stronghold.
• Shen Congrong warned Zhou Wanwan about the crowd, but he and the gathered young masters were trapped inside the packed courtyard.
• The bandits demanded that Zhou Wanwan take them to Black Wind Stronghold so they could seize its treasures, and she calmly agreed.
• Zhou Wanwan led the bandits toward Black Wind Stronghold, and Nie Shi'an lamented that she had been forced into a dangerous fate.

Zhou Wanwan led tens of thousands of bandits up the treacherous mountain path to the Black Wind Stronghold, promising them its supposed treasures. At the summit, the bandits saw the stronghold’s disciplined, heavily armed guards and realized they had badly underestimated Zhou Wanwan.

• Nie Rou, Lu Lan, Wen Zhiyu, and Xie Cheng'en celebrated the bandits’ attack and hoped Zhou Wanwan would die.
• Zhou Wanwan led the bandits up the steep path, where many slipped, fell, and struggled to keep climbing.
• Zhou Wanwan claimed the Black Wind Stronghold held abundant treasure, renewing the bandits’ greed and determination to reach the summit.
• At the summit, Zhou Wanwan introduced the bandits as guests while several thousand armored guards greeted her and continued their drills.
• Another disciplined group of several thousand trainees marched past, terrifying the bandits and making them realize the Black Wind Stronghold had concealed its strength.

Zhou Wanwan showed captured bandit chiefs the prosperous Black Wind Stronghold and its abundant crops, then offered them a choice between surrendering treasure or submitting their strongholds to her. After a vine dragged away one defiant chief, ten chiefs agreed to submit.

• Zhou Wanwan led the bandits through the grand Black Wind Stronghold and showed them its thriving fields and sweet potato harvest.
• Zhou Wanwan had roasted and steamed sweet potatoes served to the frightened bandits, who ate and praised them.
• Zhou Wanwan ordered Zheng Xing'an to record the bandits' strongholds, identifying sixty-eight in total, then offered their chiefs a choice between sending treasure and joining her organization.
• One bandit chief rejected Zhou Wanwan's terms and demanded to leave, but vines dragged him out of the stronghold.
• Ten bandit chiefs knelt and agreed to let Zhou Wanwan take over their strongholds, pleading for mercy.

Zhou Wanwan offered poor strongholds a chance to farm under her rule, but rival bandits coveted Black Wind Stronghold’s riches and infiltrated it. After they tried to drug the well, Zhou Wanwan’s frightening forest traps captured them.

• Zhou Wanwan offered sweet potato vines and support to ten strongholds in exchange for sixty percent of their harvests, and their leaders agreed to obey her rather than rob people.
• Other bandit leaders mocked the ten strongholds, then grew envious after spotting Black Wind Stronghold’s wealth and decades-old ginseng.
• The bandits summoned Canglang Stronghold, Liehu Stronghold, Jinglei Stronghold, and Xueying Stronghold to help them seize Black Wind Stronghold.
• Zhou Wanwan let the rival bandits investigate while ordering her people to wipe out their dens and teach them a lesson.
• The bandits explored Black Wind Stronghold, and Liehu proposed drugging its well; as they approached it, laughter sounded and vines dragged them into the woods.
• Zhou Wanwan’s horror-themed forest traps terrified the captured bandits with eerie sounds, icy wind, and slamming coffins.

Zhou Wanwan and Old Scholar Tree used terrifying forest tricks to drive Canglang, Liehu, Jinglei, Xueying, and their bandits away from Black Wind Stronghold. The bandits returned to find their homes, food, livestock, and hidden treasures gone, while Zhou Wanwan’s ten allied strongholds received new houses and supplies along with people sent to teach useful skills.

• Canglang, Liehu, Jinglei, and Xueying were terrorized by the forest’s ghosts and traps until they fainted at daybreak and decided to leave Black Wind Stronghold.
• Zhou Wanwan praised the night’s frightening scenes, and Old Scholar Tree said the bandits would remember them and stay away.
• Canglang and the other chiefs returned to their strongholds and discovered that their houses, provisions, livestock, and private savings had vanished.
• Liehu, Jinglei, Xueying, and Canglang wondered who had emptied their strongholds, while Canglang vowed to kill whoever was responsible.
• The ten strongholds allied with Zhou Wanwan woke to find new houses in place of their shacks and learned that Black Wind Stronghold had sent grain, tools, supplies, and instructors.

Zhou Wanwan arranged practical training and education for the mountain strongholds under her command while Nie Shi'an faced mounting demands from the great families for the treasures entrusted to her. Nie Shi'an continued to believe Zhou Wanwan would return with the treasures, but the families pressed him to pay compensation.

• Zhou Wanwan's stewards assigned practical skills to each stronghold and promised teachers and martial instructors for its children, including a chance to take the imperial examinations.
• Madam Nie blamed Zhou Wanwan for Nie Rou's fate and suspected her of stealing the treasures, but Nie Shi'an defended her and said she had done good work for him.
• The great families demanded their treasures from Nie Shi'an, who admitted he had promised Zhou Wanwan five thousand taels for each item she protected.
• Prefect Fang and Cheng Xiao warned Nie Shi'an that trusting Zhou Wanwan had caused trouble, but he insisted she was capable and had handled cases well.
• The great families confronted Nie Shi'an again and demanded to know how he would settle their losses, while he asked them to wait longer for Zhou Wanwan.

Zhou Wanwan returned the treasures she had recovered and faced accusations that she had switched the noble families’ antiques for fakes. When several families demanded compensation, she said they should question the mountain bandits who had possessed the items, while Xie Cheng'an insisted she provide replacements.

• Zhou Wanwan returned the treasures in more than a dozen carriages and reminded Nie Shi'an of the promised reward.
• The noble families offered to pay Zhou Wanwan’s reward themselves, sparing Nie Shi'an the expense.
• Xie Linzhou accused Zhou Wanwan of replacing his three antiques with fakes, but she took them back and showed a register of the treasures originally brought in.
• Members of six noble families claimed their returned antiques had also been switched and demanded compensation from Zhou Wanwan.
• Zhou Wanwan said she had only recovered the items and that the families should ask the mountain bandits about the alleged switches.
• Xie Cheng'an demanded rare treasures and other valuables as compensation for the families’ losses.

Zhou Wanwan faced accusations from the great families and offered rare treasures as compensation, while privately revealing that the antiques were counterfeits accepted by bribed appraisers. Nie Shi'an offered to compensate her from his storeroom, alarming Madam Nie.

• Xie Cheng'en refused to hand over the suspected fakes, so Zhou Wanwan ordered her subordinate to fetch treasures and calmly ate pastries while she waited.
• Madam Nie accused Zhou Wanwan of causing trouble and having sticky fingers, and Zhou Wanwan mocked her by asking whether she had moved her own house away.
• Zhou Wanwan presented more than a dozen valuable-looking antiques, and appraisers brought by Xie Cheng'en declared them genuine.
• Xie Cheng'en proposed dividing the antiques among the great families, but Zhou Wanwan told Old Scholar Tree that the appraisers had been bribed and that the families would not escape punishment.
• Nie Shi'an offered Zhou Wanwan items from his storeroom to compensate her, and Madam Nie angrily challenged him.

Nie Shi'an defended Zhou Wanwan and offered to adopt her, but she declined and asked him to promote her instead. After Zhou Wanwan joined him to inspect Yunxi County’s sweet potato harvest, the remarkable yield moved Nie Shi'an, who took her somewhere to show her something.

• Nie Shi'an rejected Madam Nie's accusations against Zhou Wanwan and praised her character, while Prefect Fang and Cheng Xiao complained that their sons were following Zhou Wanwan and Gu Sinian.
• Nie Shi'an let Zhou Wanwan choose three treasures from the Nie Family vault, then argued with Madam Nie about giving gifts to Zhou Wanwan instead of adding to Nie Rou's dowry.
• Nie Shi'an asked Zhou Wanwan to become his adopted daughter, but she refused and asked him to promote her; he said she could keep hearing cases despite lacking scholarly rank.
• Nie Shi'an and Zhou Wanwan went to Yunxi County, where Shen Yu'an oversaw the digging of sweet potatoes that yielded over four thousand jin per mu despite the drought.
• Moved by the harvest's potential to prevent famine, Nie Shi'an thanked Zhou Wanwan and took her somewhere, saying she would understand when they arrived.