Chapter Summaries

Zhao Ruxi visited the estate servants’ village and was shocked by the poverty in which they lived. After buying three baskets from Granny Li, she went to inspect Qian Duoduo’s home to learn how the servants’ households compared.

• Wu Zong gave his calligraphy to Wu An to have the estate’s new plaque made, while Zhao Ruxi arranged for Ma Sheng to accompany him and Qian Duoduo to remove the old plaque.
• Zhao Ruxi and Wu Zong walked through the servants’ village and saw the poor, cramped homes and the children living there.
• Zhao Ruxi entered Granny Li’s dark, bare home, learned she was weaving a basket, and paid her for three baskets.
• Zhao Ruxi sent Qingfeng to gather flowers and branches, then asked Qian Duoduo to show her his home.
• Qian Duoduo led Zhao Ruxi and Wu Zong to his house, which was slightly larger than Granny Li’s but just as dark and damp.

Zhao Ruxi inspected her estate and learned that its servants lived in poor conditions while its rice and timber brought in little income. She planned to improve the estate’s returns through ecological circular farming and made flower arrangements as gifts for Xiao Ruotong, Kang Shilin, and Wu Zong.

• Qian Duoduo showed Zhao Ruxi the estate’s cramped homes, rice fields, and wooded hills, and explained that it produced little beyond rice, trees, and livestock.
• Zhao Ruxi learned that Qian Duoduo could read and that he had taught a few characters to his sons and grandsons before she left with Wu Zong and the account books.
• Wu Zong explained why estate servants lived in mud-and-bamboo homes and struggled to afford better housing, leaving Zhao Ruxi determined to raise the estate’s income for everyone’s benefit.
• Zhao Ruxi decided to make flower arrangements for Xiao Ruotong, her master, and Wu Zong, then crafted them in the carriage on the way back.
• At the painting academy, Zhao Ruxi gave flower arrangements to Kang Shilin and Wu Zong.

Zhao Ruxi introduced flower arranging to the painters at Kang Shilin’s country residence, where her rustic designs delighted the artists. After receiving an imperial property deed, she visited the Prince of Zhennan’s Residence and was warmly welcomed by the Princess of Zhennan.

• Zhao Ruxi made rustic flower arrangements for Wu Zong and Kang Shilin, and the painters praised her designs.
• Cen Song asked about her bamboo baskets, and Zhao Ruxi demonstrated that flower arrangements could be made in vases and other containers.
• Kang Shilin claimed Zhao Ruxi’s vase arrangement and gave her the emperor’s welcoming gift: a deed to a two-story shop in the capital.
• Zhao Ruxi left for the Prince of Zhennan’s Residence with a flower arrangement for Xiao Ruotong, but a maid led her to the Princess of Zhennan.
• The Princess of Zhennan welcomed Zhao Ruxi warmly and invited her to sit beside her.

Zhao Ruxi learned that Xiao Ruotong had returned to the Duke of Ying’s Residence and left her a flower basket through the Princess of Zhennan, who invited Zhao Ruxi’s family to a birthday banquet. At home, Zhao Ruxi resisted her family’s expectations that she begin considering marriage and threatened to move out if they forced her into blind dates.

• The Princess of Zhennan told Zhao Ruxi that Xiao Ruotong had returned to the Duke of Ying’s Residence to try again with the Duke of Ying’s heir.
• Zhao Ruxi gave the princess a flower basket for Xiao Ruotong and received four invitations to the old princess consort’s birthday banquet.
• Zhao Ruxi brought the invitations home, where the old madam and Lady Zhu explained that the banquet could help her find a marriage prospect.
• Zhao Ruxi said she wanted to stay unmarried until she was seventeen or eighteen, and her family told her that was too late to begin looking.
• Zhao Ruxi declared that she did not want to marry and threatened to buy a house and move out if her family forced her to go on blind dates.

Zhao Ruxi stood firm about not marrying and reassured Lady Zhu that Xu Chongwen was settling in at the clan school. Back in her courtyard, she received a Jiangnan property deed and a twenty-thousand-tael IOU from Xiao Lingyan, kept the deed, and burned the pouch and IOU to conceal their connection.

• Zhao Ruxi told the old madam that she meant what she said about moving out and did not want to marry, prompting the old madam to send her and Lady Zhu away.
• Lady Zhu told Zhao Ruxi that Xu Chongwen had started at the clan school and was settling in well, with meals arranged at Tenth Madam Zhao's home.
• Matron Yuan confirmed that Xu Chongwen had settled in, and Zhao Ruxi was relieved.
• Qingfeng told Zhao Ruxi that a man had delivered a pouch from Fifth Master through Uncle Ma, containing a Jiangnan property deed and an IOU for twenty thousand taels.
• Zhao Ruxi put the deed in Kang Shilin's small box and burned the pouch and IOU so no one would see the palace-made pouch or Fifth Master's handwriting.

Zhao Ruxi met Xiao Lingyan in secret, where he proposed that they work together to develop the jadeite trade. She was tempted by his offer but they realized she lacked trusted people to buy and transport the rough stones.

• Zhao Ruxi burned Xiao Ke’s IOU and silk pouch, then told Qingfeng to keep any future gifts secret and decided to see whether Ma Sheng would stay quiet.
• Zhao Ruxi traveled to a residence in East Spring Lane and met Xiao Lingyan in private.
• Xiao Lingyan proposed using Zhao Ruxi’s public presence and his behind-the-scenes help to bring jadeite to market.
• Xiao Lingyan argued that Zhao Ruxi could not protect her family and allies simply by fleeing, and promised his support if Xiao Lingpu took the throne.
• Xiao Lingyan outlined a plan to buy mines, extract rough stones, and ship windowed stones to Zhao Ruxi, but they recognized that she had no suitable people to manage the purchases.

Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan planned how to build businesses while protecting their identities and trusted allies. They agreed to use Xiao Lingyan’s deathsworn, diversify their ventures, and prepare for jadeite mining as Xiao Lingyan entered the Ministry of Works.

• Zhao Ruxi rejected relying on Kang Shilin, Wu Zong, or the Earl of Suiping's Residence’s people, and Xiao Lingyan explained that Xiao Lingpu had arranged a loyal group of deathsworn for him.
• Zhao Ruxi warned that putting all the businesses under her name would expose the Earl of Suiping's Residence to risk, but Xiao Lingyan said she was the only person he trusted wholeheartedly.
• Zhao Ruxi agreed to handle the businesses while Xiao Lingyan supplied silver and investigated Empress Shengyao’s inventions and unexploited opportunities.
• Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan agreed to vary their meeting places and have messages delivered through Qingfeng.
• Xiao Lingyan planned to travel south and enter the Ministry of Works, while Zhao Ruxi prepared for jadeite mining and asked him to investigate steelmaking and rubber alternatives.

Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan bantered about women, marriage, and their shared intelligence before he revealed that Fu Yunkai wanted to ask for her hand. Zhao Ruxi was left astonished and confused about why Fu Yunkai had chosen her.

• Zhao Ruxi told Xiao Lingyan she wanted a noble title to prove women could achieve success beyond marriage alliances.
• Xiao Lingyan proposed that he and Zhao Ruxi marry, and she demanded an apology for his flirtation.
• Zhao Ruxi tested whether Xiao Lingyan was still himself by asking about his poor result in the 2018 iF Student Concept Design Competition.
• Xiao Lingyan stopped Zhao Ruxi from leaving and told her Fu Yunkai wanted to ask for her hand.
• Xiao Lingyan explained that Fu Yunkai admired Zhao Ruxi's talents and connections and thought her more suitable than noble or ordinary women.

Zhao Ruxi considered marrying Fu Yunkai because his early death could spare her the burdens of a long marriage, while Xiao Lingyan tried and failed to dissuade her. At the painting academy, Zhao Ruxi continued learning Kang Shilin’s method and impressed him with her talent.

• Xiao Lingyan warned Zhao Ruxi that her family might agree to a marriage proposal without consulting her, but Zhao Ruxi said she was seriously considering Fu Yunkai.
• Zhao Ruxi explained that Fu Yunkai’s expected early death could leave her free from concubines and pressure to remarry, while Xiao Lingyan warned her about the dangers of widowhood.
• Xiao Lingyan offered to marry Zhao Ruxi instead, but she rejected him because he was a prince and because she did not want to live with him.
• Xiao Lingyan left to find a woman for Fu Yunkai, while Zhao Ruxi went to the painting academy to teach, practice, and study Kang Shilin’s technique.
• Kang Shilin praised Zhao Ruxi’s rapid progress and said her talent surpassed that of his three previous disciples; Wu Zong overheard him.

Zhao Ruxi found a residence for her drawing students with Wu Zong’s help and discussed her money and need for capable servants with Kang Shilin. Wu Zong then told her that Sun Jiawang wanted to follow her once his family’s case was resolved, leaving Zhao Ruxi convinced he had chosen her because of her kind face.

• Kang Shilin criticized Wu Zong, but Wu Zong arranged for Zhao Ruxi to teach drawing students in his residence next door.
• Zhao Ruxi toured Wu Zong’s courtyard with Kang Shilin and Wu Zong after spending the afternoon at the painting academy.
• Kang Shilin urged Zhao Ruxi to protect her savings, and she told him she planned to open a jewelry shop and needed help finding capable servants.
• Wu Zong told Zhao Ruxi that Sun Jiawang wanted to follow her after his family’s case was resolved and the Court of Judicial Review sent him to a broker.
• Zhao Ruxi joked that Sun Jiawang must think she was kind, while the system mocked her claim that she had the face of a heartthrob.

Zhao Ruxi arranged to meet brokers about buying Sun Jiawang, then resisted Lady Zhu’s preparations for a banquet hosted by the Princess Consort of Zhennan. She insisted that her official painting class at the Court of Judicial Review took priority, leaving Lady Zhu to explain her absence to the Princess Consort.

• Zhao Ruxi asked Wu Zong to help her meet brokers in Beining and accepted the key to the residence.
• Lady Zhu brought outfits and attendants to prepare Zhao Ruxi for the next day’s banquet, but Zhao Ruxi asked not to attend.
• Lady Zhu insisted that Zhao Ruxi attend because the Princess Consort of Zhennan had invited her personally.
• After the women chose Zhao Ruxi’s outfit and jewelry, Lady Zhu ordered her to return from her classes in time for the banquet.
• Zhao Ruxi explained that the emperor’s decree and the Court of Judicial Review’s work made her painting class more important, and Lady Zhu conceded that she should tell the Princess Consort directly.

Zhao Ruxi persuaded Lady Zhu that her achievements and abilities mattered more than cultivating ties with noblewomen, and Zhao Yuanxun supported her. After he revealed that Fu Yunkai had invited him to dinner and apologized, Zhao Ruxi wondered whether Fu was trying to win over his future father-in-law to arrange their marriage without consulting her.

• Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that her work and status as Mister Kumu's disciple meant she did not need to curry favor with noblewomen.
• Zhao Yuanxun arrived and praised Zhao Ruxi for pursuing her own achievements instead of being drawn into the inner quarters.
• Zhao Yuanxun revealed that Fu Yunkai had invited him to dinner, apologized for the estate purchase dispute, and expressed admiration for him.
• Zhao Yuanxun said he had no intention of taking a military post and was content to stay home and care for his health.
• Zhao Ruxi recalled Xiao Lingyan's warning and wondered if Fu Yunkai was courting her father to arrange their marriage without her consent.

Zhao Ruxi explained that she wanted to manage her own property and pursue business independently, and Zhao Yuanxun reassured her that her estate and earnings belonged to her. She asked her parents to let her use her abilities freely, promising to support herself and improve their lives.

• Zhao Ruxi asked Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu to sit down so she could discuss her property and plans.
• Zhao Ruxi told them that Wu Zong had persuaded the emperor to give her a shop after the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence tried to seize her estate.
• Zhao Yuanxun explained that he had realized Zhao Ruxi's money and property had been secured for her by her master, and he would not claim control over them.
• Zhao Ruxi said she wanted to buy residences and servants, open a silver shop, and conduct other business without using the household's money or people.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu to let her pursue her ambitions and promised to honor them with her earnings.

Zhao Ruxi told Zhao Yuanxun and Lady Zhu she planned to earn money, and they supported her. The next day, she met five brokers to find a residence and capable servants for her plans.

• Lady Zhu cried over Zhao Ruxi's worries about money, and Zhao Yuanxun reassured her that her parents would support her whether she profited or lost money.
• Zhao Ruxi attended the academy, then went to the Wu family's villa to meet the brokers Wu Zong had arranged.
• Ma Sheng reported that four brokers had arrived early and described their resources and areas of expertise.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Broker Li to find a residence in Beining near her master's and senior brother's homes, offering up to four thousand taels, with some flexibility.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Broker Wang and Broker Yu to look for suitable residences in the south or west of the city priced around three to five thousand taels.

Zhao Ruxi arranged to inspect houses in the southern and western districts and set requirements for the servants she planned to buy. She scheduled brokers from all five districts to bring suitable candidates the following day so she could choose among them.

• Zhao Ruxi arranged to view Broker Wang’s southern houses and Broker Yu’s western houses the next morning.
• Zhao Ruxi told the brokers she wanted workers aged fourteen to thirty, including managers and quick-witted servants, and emphasized good character.
• Broker Tong offered servants from convicted officials’ households, and Zhao Ruxi agreed to inspect his candidates first.
• Zhao Ruxi scheduled the brokers to bring suitable servants to her in district order during the following afternoon.

Zhao Ruxi arranged help to select houses and servants, then attended the old princess’s birthday banquet at the Prince of Zhennan’s Residence. Xiaoru escorted her inside, where she was introduced to the gathered guests as the Earl of Suiping’s Fifth Miss and Xiao Ruotong’s friend.

• Zhao Ruxi told the brokers to bring their people the next day and discussed her large-scale plans with Wu Zong.
• Wu Zong agreed to help Zhao Ruxi judge the candidates, and he offered to ask Wang Guangyao to assist too.
• Wu Zong told Cen Song to look after Zhao Ruxi at the banquet, but Zhao Ruxi asked Cen Song not to call her little master and declined his offer to accompany her.
• Zhao Ruxi changed into the clothes Qingfeng had brought and traveled to the Prince of Zhennan’s Residence for the old princess’s birthday banquet.
• Xiaoru met Zhao Ruxi at the entrance and led her toward the old princess, introducing her to other guests as Fifth Miss Zhao and Xiao Ruotong’s friend.

Zhao Ruxi refused the Countess of Zhongqin’s invitation, remembering how the countess and her son had ruined the original owner’s life. At the birthday gathering, Zhao Ruxi presented the old princess with a Guanyin carving and earned her warm affection.

• The Countess of Zhongqin invited Zhao Ruxi to her chrysanthemum-viewing banquet, but Zhao Ruxi coolly declined.
• Xiaoru hurried Zhao Ruxi away before the countess could respond, while Lady Peng defended Zhao Ruxi to Zhao Ruyu.
• The Princess of Zhennan introduced Zhao Ruxi to the old princess, and Zhao Ruxi presented her with a Guanyin carving she had designed.
• The Princess of Zhennan praised Zhao Ruxi’s painting technique, jewelry designs, and status as Mister Kumu’s final disciple.
• The old princess placed her Buddhist prayer beads around Zhao Ruxi’s neck and wished her a safe, blessed life.

Zhao Ruxi received the old princess’s blessing, then ignored the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan when she tried to gain her favor. The marquis’s wife followed her to the rear courtyard and publicly complained to Lady Zhu, prompting a maid to explain that Zhao Ruxi had been taken elsewhere by the County Princess of Qingyang’s maid.

• The ladies reconsidered Zhao Ruxi’s prospects after the old princess praised her and gave her prayer beads.
• The Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan introduced herself to Zhao Ruxi, but Zhao Ruxi left without answering her.
• The Princess of Zhennan sent the marquis’s wife to the rear garden after she lingered in the old princess’s hall.
• Unable to find Zhao Ruxi, the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan approached Lady Zhu and complained that Zhao Ruxi had ignored her.
• A senior maid explained that Xiaoru had likely taken Zhao Ruxi to the rear courtyard at the County Princess of Qingyang’s request.

Lady Zhu defended Zhao Ruxi after the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan insulted her, while Fu Yunkai learned of his mother’s behavior and tried to repair his family’s standing with Zhao Yuanxun. The chapter left Fu Yunkai hoping his plan to offer his future wife control of the household would preserve his chance to marry Zhao Ruxi.

• Lady Zhu publicly rebuked the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan for slandering Zhao Ruxi and warned her not to approach her daughter again.
• The Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan tried to confront Lady Zhu physically, but servants carried her away at the Princess of Zhennan’s order.
• Several ladies praised Zhao Ruxi and befriended Lady Zhu after seeing her stand up to the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan.
• Fu Yunkai ordered his servant to have Fu Gui’s Wife take his mother home and keep her from attending banquets for six months.
• Fu Yunkai told Zhao Yuanxun about his mother’s offense and promised that his future wife would manage the Marquis of Pingnan’s household.

Xiao Ruotong told Zhao Ruxi that she had returned to the Duke of Ying's Residence, recognized her husband's betrayal, and divorced him. She thanked Zhao Ruxi for helping her find clarity and said her family supported her decision.

• Zhao Yuanxun accepted Fu Yunkai's apology and reassured him that he did not mind.
• Zhao Ruxi entered Xiao Ruotong's courtyard and saw that she had grown thin but seemed in good spirits.
• Xiao Ruotong told Zhao Ruxi she had divorced her husband after returning to the Duke of Ying's Residence and realizing she felt disgust rather than love for him.
• Xiao Ruotong explained that her husband had used his mother's pressure and her inability to bear children as excuses to take a concubine, and that he seemed relieved by their divorce.
• Xiao Ruotong said the Prince and Princess of Zhennan had agreed to the divorce and that her family supported her, then thanked Zhao Ruxi for helping her let go.