Recaps

Zhao Ruxi resumed her studies and helped Xu Xue launch her writing career while supporting her family and friends. After winning first place in the North Academy exam, she used her drawing skills to create a portrait of a Yangzhou murderer and negotiated for the court to fund training in her method.

• Fu Yunkai agreed to speak with their mother about Fu Yunlang’s marriage, while Huang Xing told Fu Yunlang that Gathered Treasures Studio had hurt the Abundant and Prosperous Pavilion’s business.
• Zhao Ruxi refused Huang Xing’s offer to design jewelry, visited Madam Cui and Grand Princess Shangde, and returned to the academy to prepare for her examination.
• Zhao Ruxi visited the Xu Family, proposed buying helpers for their growing chili oil business, and received thirty-six thousand taels from Kang Shilin for her work teaching painting.
• Zhao Ruxi comforted Xiao Ruotong after learning her husband had hidden a child with a maid, then assured Lady Zhu that Xiao Ruotong should decide her own future.
• Zhao Ruxi persuaded Lady Zhu to invest in property and help the Xu Family settle in the capital, then sat for the North Court advancement examination and learned Mu Qingqiang’s family planned to marry her off.
• Zhao Ruxi helped Xu Xue sell The Bond of Rebirth through a contract that paid her twenty copper coins per copy and made future book rights depend on sales.
• Zhao Ruxi learned she had placed first among the North Academy examinees and agreed to help Zhang Changshen identify the murderer behind six unsolved Yangzhou killings.
• Zhao Ruxi drew a portrait from Sun Jiawang’s memories, agreed to make more copies, and helped Wu Zong negotiate court-funded training in her drawing method.

Zhao Ruxi’s painting brought her into the Court of Judicial Review’s affairs and drew the attention of Fu Yunkai, while her reunion with Xiao Lingyan led her to reveal the novel’s coming disasters. The arc left Xiao Lingyan preparing to enter government service and Zhao Ruxi’s family gathering for a banquet with their fortunes improving.

• Zhang Changshen sold Wei Qiu’s remaining estate to the Fu Family after Fu Yunlang pressured him, and Fu Yunkai punished his brother and apologized to Zhang Changshen.
• Zhao Ruxi painted criminal portraits for the Court of Judicial Review, while Emperor Xiao Ge approved training officials and later arranged for her to teach.
• Kang Shilin secured the return of the estate for Zhao Ruxi, and Fu Yunkai became determined to marry her after meeting her.
• Xiao Lingyan met Zhao Ruxi privately, and she revealed that they had both transmigrated and that he was destined to die early in the novel.
• Zhao Ruxi told Xiao Lingyan about the coming deaths of several princes and Fu Yunkai, and he agreed to give her a shop, money, and future favors in exchange for her help.
• Xiao Lingyan learned Fu Yunkai was investigating Zhao Ruxi and planned to propose, then arranged to complicate Fu Yunkai’s plans and sought a government post from Xiao Ge.
• Xiao Lingyan agreed to join the Ministry of Works and planned to use its craftsmen to develop weapons for the coming war.
• Xu Xue reassured Xu Chongwen that studying for an examination degree was his duty and the family’s best protection as the family prepared for a banquet.

Zhao Ruxi helped the Xu family settle in the capital, took control of Egret Manor, and began planning businesses with Xiao Lingyan’s support. She defended her independence to her family and ended the stretch arranging residences and trustworthy workers for her plans.

• Zhao Ruxi helped the Xu family travel to the capital, where they rented a house near the Zhao clan residence and Xu Chongwen began attending the clan school.
• Zhao Ruxi placed first in her academy exam, continued studying and teaching drawing, and received a deed to a capital shop from Kang Shilin.
• Zhao Ruxi took ownership of the former Qin estate, named it Egret Manor, and resolved to improve conditions for its poor servants by raising its income.
• The Princess of Zhennan gave Zhao Ruxi invitations to a birthday banquet, but Zhao Ruxi told her family she did not want to marry and would move out if they forced her into blind dates.
• Xiao Lingyan proposed that Zhao Ruxi manage businesses bringing jadeite to market while he provided funding and support, and she agreed to work with him.
• Xiao Lingyan warned that Fu Yunkai wanted to marry Zhao Ruxi, but Zhao Ruxi said she was considering the match, and she later told Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu that she wanted to build her own businesses.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Wu Zong to find brokers, then instructed them to seek residences and morally sound workers to help establish her plans.

Zhao Ruxi bought residences, recruited and trained servants, and began planning how to improve her estate and family businesses. As Zhao Jingli agreed to take responsibility for the second branch, Fu Yunkai resolved to marry Zhao Ruxi and formally raised the proposal with Zhao Yuanxun, leaving the family to consider his intentions.

• At the Prince of Zhennan’s birthday banquet, Zhao Ruxi presented the old princess with a Guanyin carving, received her prayer beads, and supported Xiao Ruotong as she publicly ended her marriage.
• Zhao Ruxi bought residences in the south and west of the city, selected a shop, and recruited thirty-five servants with Wu Zong and Wang Guangyao’s help.
• Zhao Ruxi organized the servants’ supplies and journey to her estate, then appointed Zhou Chun to manage them and Ma Sheng and Lady Luo to train them.
• Zhao Ruxi offered young estate servants a chance to train with her new recruits, selected thirteen, and arranged for Qian Duoduo to prepare for additional workers.
• Zhao Ruxi bought the Zhang family residence in Beining and discussed ways to improve the estate’s farming and livestock production with Gong Cheng.
• Zhao Jingli confronted Zhao Ruxi while drunk, and she challenged him to repay his adoptive parents by managing the second branch and improving its household and shops.
• Fu Yunkai rejected He Ying and resolved to marry Zhao Ruxi, then told Zhao Yuanxun that he wished to propose and that his father consented.
• After Zhao Yuanxun brought Fu Yunkai home, the old madam sent Zhao Ruxi and Zhao Jingtai away, while she and Lady Zhu privately discussed Fu Yunkai’s likely purpose.