Chapter Summaries

At a border beast-fighting arena, Zhou Wanwan recognized her lost wolf Little Grey and bet on him despite everyone backing the tiger. After mocking the crowd’s wealth claims, she matched a ten-thousand-tael bet and faced Zhou Yi’s challenge to wager one hundred thousand taels.

• Rong Jin and the others ridiculed Zhou Wanwan’s knowledge of beast fighting, but she recognized the wolf as her lost companion Little Grey, who begged her to save him from the tiger.
• The fourth young master backed the tiger, and Rong Jin and the other spectators followed his bet while Zhou Wanwan chose to bet on Little Grey.
• Zhou Wanwan said she had once been a city lord and dismissed Rong Jin’s boast that her father earned millions of taels a year as unimpressive by capital standards.
• After Rong Jin and the others challenged her to prove she had money, Zhou Wanwan produced ten thousand taels and placed her bet on the wolf.
• Zhou Yi challenged Zhou Wanwan to match his one-hundred-thousand-tael wager and laid out the silver notes, while the young ladies praised his wealth.

Zhou Wanwan bet one million taels on the wolf, prompting Zhao Rui and Fu Cheng'an's group to raise their stakes on the tiger. When the beast fight began, the wolf used an invisible force to evade and overpower the tiger, which ended by kneeling and begging for mercy.

• Zhou Wanwan wagered one million taels on the wolf and bought it for 500 taels.
• Zhou Yi and the others matched Zhou Wanwan's wager, while Fu Cheng'an bet five million taels on the tiger and Zhao Rui answered with gold worth five million taels.
• The tiger threatened the wolf before the fight, but the wolf insisted its master was amazing.
• The tiger lunged at the wolf, but an invisible force pulled the wolf away and bound the tiger as the wolf attacked.
• The tiger fell to its knees and begged the wolf, "Spare me, Your Majesty!", leaving everyone in the arena stunned.

Zhou Wanwan won the beast-fighting match after Old Scholar Tree restrained the tiger, then refused Zhao Rui and Rong Jin’s demands for her winnings. She gave silver to people who called her Mother, leaving Zheng Xing'an worried that her generosity would bankrupt them.

• Old Scholar Tree bound the tiger with his roots, allowing the wolf to win the match, and then released the tiger.
• Zhou Wanwan refused to return her winnings to Zhao Rui and Rong Jin, despite their demands.
• Lin Xiuyuan called Zhou Wanwan Mother and kowtowed, so she returned his hundred thousand taels, gave him ten thousand more, and offered to treat his sick mother.
• Zhou Wanwan handed out silver to people who called her Mother and took eleven taels from a man who tried to claim a second share.
• A man claimed he was sworn brothers with the lord of Yanmen Pass, but Zhou Wanwan drove him away, while Zheng Xing'an worried that giving away so much silver would bankrupt them.

Zhou Wanwan paid Lin Xiuyuan back and offered him work in exchange for curing his mother, while he agreed to sign her contract. She then took a bet on her fortune-telling and predicted a man would not marry his fiancée, leaving the crowd skeptical as the wedding was set for the next day.

• Zhou Wanwan defended giving out silver to the poor and mocked Rong Jin for demanding her money back.
• Lin Xiuyuan argued with Lin Xiuwen and the other Lin brothers, explaining that they had taken his money and pressured him to gamble.
• Zhou Wanwan offered Lin Xiuyuan ten thousand taels and a job, promising to cure his mother, and Lin Xiuyuan agreed to sign her contract.
• Zhou Wanwan insisted she could tell fortunes and accepted two thousand taels from a man who asked whether he would marry his fiancée.
• Zhou Wanwan predicted the man would not marry his fiancée, and the crowd mocked her because Tang Ning was due to marry the next day.

Zhou Wanwan’s trees destroyed the Zhao Family’s homes overnight after Zhao Rui sent her to sleep in the woodshed. As Zhao Lili’s investigators struggled to explain the strange disappearance, Water Ghost revealed himself to protect Zhou Wanwan, facing off against Li Fei.

• Zhao Rui ordered Zhou Wanwan to sleep in the woodshed, but Old Scholar Tree took her to a soft bed in the treehouse.
• The trees retaliated overnight, leaving the Zhao Family’s houses and storeroom gone and their members sprawled on the ground.
• Old Master Zhao ordered an investigation, but the family’s trackers and animals found no clues and circled the property.
• Zhao Lili summoned the Flying Eagle Squad, whose leader Li Fei detected only grass and trees and suspected the Yin Corpse Sect.
• Zhao Lili ordered her people to beat Zhou Wanwan, but Water Ghost appeared to protect her, and Li Fei challenged him over their Earth Ranking positions.

Zhou Wanwan helped the Zhao Family after their belongings and garden vanished, then offered Old Master Zhao rare flowers that impressed him. He declared her his granddaughter, but after the Zhao siblings rejected her, Zhou Wanwan proposed becoming his younger sister instead.

• Water Ghost defeated Li Fei and defended his loyalty to Zhou Wanwan against Li Fei and Zhao Lili.
• Old Master Zhao mourned the missing rare flowers, and Zhou Wanwan offered to bring him replacements.
• The Zhao Family arranged a new residence, while Zhou Wanwan teased Zhao Rui about making her sleep in the woodshed.
• Zhou Wanwan brought dozens of rare flowers, and Old Master Zhao delightedly declared her his granddaughter.
• Zhao Lili, Zhao Rui, and the other young masters objected to Zhou Wanwan joining the family, so she suggested becoming Old Master Zhao's younger sister instead.

Zhou Wanwan was made Old Master Zhao’s younger sister, forcing the Zhao family to accept her as their grandaunt. She won over Old Lady Zhao by presenting rare cosmetics and offered the family a discounted price.

• Zhao Lili and Zhao Rui protested when Old Master Zhao declared Zhou Wanwan his younger sister, but he took Zhou Wanwan to the ancestral hall and arranged a banquet to announce it.
• Zhou Wanwan teased Zhao Rui about being her good grandson, while he went to Old Lady Zhao to complain that Grandfather planned to make a six-year-old girl his grandaunt.
• Old Lady Zhao confronted Zhou Wanwan, who greeted her as her sister-in-law and revealed that her family made the rare cosmetic Old Lady Zhao had been seeking.
• Zhou Wanwan showed Old Lady Zhao jars of face cream, and Old Lady Zhao recognized the product and asked to buy more.
• Zhou Wanwan brought out dozens of samples from Hundred Grasses Hall and offered the gathered madams a family discount, pricing luozidai at one tael of gold instead of ten.

Zhou Wanwan won over much of the Zhao Family with gifts while Zhao Rui and several young ladies opposed her. She gave the family members a choice to stand with her or against her.

• Zhou Wanwan gave a box of luozidai to each madam who called her auntie, while Zhao Lili mocked the gift and the price.
• Old Madam Zhao confirmed that the old master’s decision to acknowledge Zhou Wanwan was final, and several young men called her grand-auntie.
• Zhou Wanwan gave fine writing sets to the young masters except Zhao Rui, who refused to call her grand-auntie and argued with his brothers about their studies and family duties.
• Zhou Wanwan asked Zhao Xiang about his education and requested to see his essay, then insulted Zhao Rui when he mocked her.
• Zhao Rui threatened Zhou Wanwan and was struck twice, though she denied moving and those around her backed her up.
• After several young ladies objected to acknowledging her, Zhou Wanwan asked the Zhao Family members to choose whether to stand with her or against her, and Zhao Lili and Zhao Rui spoke against her.

Old Master Zhao let the Zhao Family choose whether to accept Zhou Wanwan as their grandaunt or aunt, while observing her influence and testing the younger generation. Zhou Wanwan rewarded the young ladies and invited Zhao Xiang to attend the new Wutong Academy, but Zhao Rui pointed out that family rules barred Zhao Xiang from leaving the border to take the provincial examination.

• Old Master Zhao said the Zhao Family members could choose how to address Zhou Wanwan and reflected on her remarkable rise and apparent ability to bring the family good fortune.
• Zhao Lili and Zhao Rui led more than a hundred people to reject Zhou Wanwan, while a smaller group stood with her.
• Old Master Zhao and Old Madam Zhao sampled Zhou Wanwan’s milk tea, mango pomelo sago, and pastries, and praised the treats.
• Zhou Wanwan gave the young ladies fine brocade and pearl hair ornaments, then told Zhao Xiang about Wutong Academy and encouraged him to study there.
• Zhao Xiang said he could pass the provincial examination if he worked hard, but Zhao Rui reminded him that Zhao Family rules forbade members from leaving the border.

Zhou Wanwan escaped Zhao Lili’s ambush when Old Scholar Tree and Old Ancestor overpowered the Earth Ranking raiders. She then discovered Zhao Lili had built a prosperous frontier city, which she admired.

• Old Master Zhao praised Zhao Xiang’s progress, increased his allowance, and arranged a courtyard for Zhou Wanwan.
• Zhou Wanwan left for Yanmen Pass, but her carriage was stopped by several thousand frontier raiders secretly sent by Zhao Lili.
• Old Scholar Tree revealed the raiders were Earth Ranking experts, and he and Old Ancestor dragged their leaders into the forest while the trees consumed the attackers.
• Zhao Lili discussed her ambition to gain power and acquire Zhou Wanwan’s treasures, unaware that Zhou Wanwan had survived the ambush.
• Zhou Wanwan discovered Zhao Lili’s well-governed, prosperous city at the eastern edge of the frontier and admired it.

Zhou Wanwan used her trees to move a city overnight and learned that Sunset Town had been transformed, while Zhao Lili discovered Peerless City had been stripped bare. Later, Zhou Wanwan visited the bustling Yanmen Pass and entered its brothel, where a man demanded to challenge her place there.

• Zhou Wanwan directed thousands of trees to move a city overnight, then returned home at dawn after exhausting herself and dealing with Zhao Lili's enormous storeroom.
• Zhao Lili learned that Peerless City had been emptied except for its main gate, and that Shi Hao had not returned after being sent to kill Zhou Wanwan.
• At morning court, Zhou Wanwan told ministers not to publicize Sunset Town's overnight transformation and ordered alertness as crowds gathered at the border for the elixir of immortality.
• Zhou Wanwan toured Yanmen Pass with her companions and discussed expanding the newly lively city, which had become known as a city that never slept.
• Zhou Wanwan entered the local brothel, and a man protested that she was allowed inside despite being a child, then insisted he could pay ten times her amount.

Zhou Wanwan sold her private room to Young Master Jiang for one hundred thousand taels, then learned that he and other wealthy merchants were planning to explore the Northern Frontier's old war god's tomb. The treasure hunt was drawing dangerous groups to the brothel, and the merchants discussed hiring Mr. Ghost Hand to guide them.

• Young Master Jiang paid Zhou Wanwan one hundred thousand taels for her private room, then recognized her and entered the brothel with Zhao Rui and other merchants.
• Zhou Wanwan went to another reserved room while Zhao Rui complained about her sale.
• Old Scholar Tree overheard that the merchants planned to hunt for treasure in the Northern Frontier's old war god's tomb.
• Young Master Jiang said he had confirmed the tomb existed through the Jianghu Alliance and proposed hiring Mr. Ghost Hand, an Earth Ranking expert, for five hundred thousand taels.
• More groups arrived at the brothel seeking private rooms, and they appeared dangerous.

Zhou Wanwan welcomed visitors from several countries to Yanmen Pass as rumors of the Northern Frontier War God's tomb drew crowds and boosted local businesses. After Princess Jianing challenged her, Zhou Wanwan magically pinned her to the floor and demanded a hundred thousand taels to release her.

• Young Master Jiang and Zhou Wanwan observed that visitors from Great Qi, Northern Yan, and Southern Chu had filled Yanmen Pass, making its businesses thrive.
• Princess Jianing and Xie Cheng'en discussed the War God's tomb, its treasures, and the rumored yin soldiers that might be controlled with a Yin Tally.
• Princess Jianing demanded that Zhou Wanwan kneel, but Zhou Wanwan caused her to fall to her knees and leave her unable to stand.
• Xie Cheng'en warned Princess Jianing not to provoke Zhou Wanwan, then left as Princess Jianing refused to ask Zhou Wanwan for help.
• Zhou Wanwan's attendant demanded a hundred thousand taels, and Princess Jianing paid the sum to regain the ability to stand.

Princess Jianing had Zhiyue beaten after suspecting her of serving Zhou Wanwan, but Zhichun revealed that she and the other maids secretly worked for Zhou Wanwan. Zhou Wanwan took Zhiyue to her family, where Zhiyue discovered they had adopted her and were exploiting her wages; the chapter ended with Zhiyue listening in shock as they planned to marry her off and demanded more money.

• Princess Jianing accused Zhiyue of being Zhou Wanwan's spy and ordered Zhichun to beat her until she confessed.
• Zhichun told Zhiyue that she served Zhou Wanwan, as did Zhixia, Zhiqiu, and Zhidong, and led her to Zhou Wanwan.
• Zhou Wanwan told Zhiyue that her family had adopted her and sent her back to the border to learn the truth.
• Zhiyue reached her family's home in a tree man's tree house and heard her parents complain that she had not sent money.
• Zhiyue listened as her family demanded more money from her, planned to marry her off, and discussed using her wages and gifts for her siblings.

Zhiyue learned that her family had abducted her and exploited her for money, then agreed to leave with Zhichun. At Cheng Chao’s gambling house, Zhou Wanwan faced mockery from Xie Cheng'en and the border merchants before losing several thousand taels at the table.

• Zhiyue and Zhichun overheard Zhiyue’s parents admit that her father had stolen her as a child, and Zhiyue realized her family had used her for money.
• Zhiyue told Zhichun she felt betrayed by both her family and Princess Jianing, then agreed to leave with her the next day.
• Zhichun brought Zhiyue to Cheng Chao’s six-floor gambling house, where Zhou Wanwan was visiting.
• Xie Cheng'en arrived with wealthy merchants and challenged Zhou Wanwan to gamble, boasting that he had brought the gambling cheat ranked sixty-ninth on the Earth Ranking.
• Zhou Wanwan dismissed the claims that she was wealthy, sat down to gamble, and lost several thousand taels over more than ten rounds.

Zhou Wanwan faced a group of rivals who challenged her to gamble on the frontier’s popular horse races. She wagered five million taels on the limping number ten, which lagged far behind as the race began.

• Zhao Rui, Xie Cheng'en, and Princess Jianing joined forces to challenge Zhou Wanwan, while Wen Zhiyu and Lu Lan mocked her fortunes and her Dongshan Prefecture estates.
• Zhou Wanwan revealed stacks of banknotes worth hundreds of thousands of taels each, then accepted Xie Cheng'en’s proposal to bet on beast fights.
• At the beast arena, Zhou Wanwan and her rivals learned that the evening’s event was a horse race with eighteen competitors.
• Princess Jianing bet five hundred thousand taels on horse number eight, Zhou Wanwan wagered five million taels on number ten, and Zhao Rui chose number eighteen.
• The race started, but number ten limped along at the back, prompting the crowd and Xie Cheng'en to laugh at Zhou Wanwan’s choice.

After Zhou Wanwan won the horse race, Xie Cheng'en accused her of cheating, but the casino upheld her victory. Princess Jianing discovered her maids were missing, clashed with an official who refused to prioritize her case, and ordered her shadow guards to kill him.

• Zhou Wanwan won the horse race after horse number ten crossed the finish line first, and the casino manager rejected Xie Cheng'en's cheating accusation.
• Princess Jianing smashed expensive furnishings at the inn, then learned that several of her maids had disappeared.
• Princess Jianing went to the authorities to report the missing maids, but an official told her other cases came first and refused to give her special treatment.
• Princess Jianing ordered her shadow guards to chop off the official's head, and two guards charged toward the government office.

Princess Jianing and Shangguan Wan'er explored Yanmen Pass, where they found familiar goods sold cheaply and learned that visitors could rent well-appointed residences. After their suspicions about the border region persisted, they decided to find a place to stay and viewed a three-courtyard house.

• Two shadow guards attacked the government office, but courtyard trees pierced them and absorbed their nutrients, triggering the trees' evolution.
• Princess Jianing and Shangguan Wan'er wondered why the city was so lively and familiar, then found capital-style snacks sold for less than half the price.
• Housing agents explained that they rented rather than sold residences, and Princess Jianing and Shangguan Wan'er decided that lodging in a house would be safer and more convenient than staying at an inn.
• An agent brought them to a three-courtyard residence, where Steward Number Three showed them its furnished rooms, study, garden, and bathing room.
• The agent explained that three-courtyard houses cost twenty taels of silver a month, two-courtyard houses cost ten, and one-courtyard houses cost five, with each residence including a steward.

Princess Jianing and Shangguan Wan'er sampled the expensive services and food at Zhou Wanwan’s residences while discussing the strange business. Xie Cheng'en confronted Zhou Wanwan over the beast arena, but Old Master Xie beat him and forced him to kneel, and Zhou Wanwan stopped his wealthy merchant companions from leaving.

• Princess Jianing ordered fruit and hired the steward to investigate her missing senior maids, then chose a ten-tael meal.
• Shangguan Wan'er suspected the residence’s services were strange, but Princess Jianing decided they had little to lose by enjoying them.
• Xie Cheng'en arrived at Zhou Wanwan’s residence and accused her of cheating at the beast arena.
• Old Master Xie struck Xie Cheng'en, defended Zhou Wanwan, and ordered his grandson to kneel and reflect on what he had done wrong.
• Zhou Wanwan told Xie Cheng'en’s wealthy merchant companions not to leave, and they all turned back and knelt.

Xie Cheng'en discovered that Zhou Wanwan had become emperor at Yanmen Pass and panicked after realizing he had mocked and bullied her before. When he threatened to report her to the capital, Old Master Xie declared that the entire Xie Family had rebelled.

• Old Master Xie forced Xie Cheng'en and the wealthy merchants to kneel as ministers, including Zhao Muyuan and Shen Chaoge, arrived at the border court.
• Xie Cheng'en entered the hall, saw Zhou Wanwan wearing a dragon robe, and learned she was emperor when the ministers hailed her as Your Majesty.
• Zhou Wanwan welcomed representatives from several kingdoms and ordered officials to receive them well and manage their estates before dismissing court.
• Zhou Wanwan granted Old Master Xie's group an audience, and Xie Cheng'en threatened to report her to the capital.
• Old Master Xie told Xie Cheng'en to go ahead and announce that the Xie Family had rebelled against the emperor.