Chapter Summaries

Zhao Ruxi bargained with the system to obtain a sealed-jar liquor recipe and news about her family. Lady Zhu then told her that Zhao Rurui had taken Zhao Ruyu’s place in a bridal sedan and gone to the Marquis of Pingnan’s residence as Fu Yunlang’s concubine.

• Zhao Ruxi agreed to pay the system at least fifty thousand points for a liquor recipe it would teach her to brew, along with news about her and Xiao Lingyan’s families.
• Zhao Ruxi returned home, where Lady Zhu told her that Zhao Rurui had left the capital in a bridal sedan after drugging Zhao Ruyu and Fushu unconscious.
• Lady Zhu explained that Zhao Ruyu had intended to leave quietly to become Fu Yunlang’s concubine, but Zhao Rurui had taken her place.
• Zhao Ruxi recalled that Zhao Rurui’s substitution matched the original novel’s plot and suspected Zhao Ruyu had deliberately set a trap for her sister.
• Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that they should ignore Zhao Rurui when they returned to the capital and warned that she might demand a larger dowry.

Zhao Ruxi arranged a new home in the city for the nuns displaced by her distillery plans while the system remained missing. The system returned with the liquor recipe, and Zhao Ruxi eagerly paid sixty thousand points to hear news of her family and Xiao Lingyan’s family.

• Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that Zhao Jingli should handle disputes with his siblings himself instead of relying on his wife, and urged Lady Zhu not to favor her sons over their wives.
• Zhao Ruxi called for the system after dinner and the next morning, but it did not respond.
• Zhao Ruxi instructed Zhang Wenhuan to collect village population, farmland, and harvest information, then worked on a waterworks map.
• Zhou Chun reported that the nuns had agreed to leave the land intended for the distillery, and Zhao Ruxi offered to buy them a larger residence in the city.
• Zhou Chun delivered the deed to the land at the foot of the mountain, and the system returned, saying it had obtained the liquor recipe.
• Zhao Ruxi agreed to spend sixty thousand points to hear news about her family and Xiao Lingyan’s family.

Zhao Ruxi used the system’s wine-making knowledge to plan a winery and arrange supplies and workers. At the yamen, she welcomed the new prefect, who turned out to be her third senior brother, Wu Zong, and asked whether their master had returned to the capital.

• Zhao Ruxi persuaded the system to share a sealed-jar wine recipe and recorded the brewing process and vessel specifications.
• Zhao Ruxi ordered Zhou Chun to have two sets of vessels made, buy more people and estates, and acquire two or three thousand jin of glutinous rice.
• Zhao Ruxi gave Qingfeng a secret list of ingredients for making the wine starter and told her to memorize it and burn it.
• Zhao Ruxi went to the yamen and learned that the new prefect had arrived.
• Zhao Ruxi greeted Wu Zong, recognized him as her third senior brother, and asked whether their master had returned to the capital.

Wu Zong visited Zhao Ruxi in Linjiang and told her that he and the County Princess of Qingyang had agreed to marry if her family consented. He explained how his past fears and Zhao Ruxi’s advice led him to pursue the relationship, leaving them joking about her reward as their matchmaker.

• Wu Zong arrived at the Zhao residence after handling official business and toured it with Zhao Ruxi.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Wu Zong about Xiao Ruotong, and he revealed that he would send a matchmaker once her family approved their marriage.
• Wu Zong told Zhao Ruxi that he had admired Xiao Ruotong for years but had feared marrying someone who loved another after his unhappy first marriage.
• Wu Zong said Xiao Ruotong had reconsidered after remembering Zhao Ruxi’s advice to pursue what she wanted without regrets.
• Zhao Ruxi congratulated Wu Zong and asked for their proudest works as a gift, while he joked that they might give her a pig’s head instead.

Wu Zong warned Zhao Ruxi that the court might pressure her to marry because her choices could influence women across Great Jin, and she considered whether to reveal her relationship with Xiao Lingyan. She also asked Wu Zong whether she could cultivate glutinous rice in Nanyang to make wine, and he said Empress Shengyao’s high-yield crops had made large-scale wine production possible.

• Wu Zong asked Zhao Ruxi about marriage and warned that the emperor might arrange a match if she remained unmarried after turning sixteen.
• Wu Zong explained that court officials wanted Zhao Ruxi to marry and have children so she would not encourage other women to prioritize education and official careers.
• Zhao Ruxi decided to consider how to handle the marriage pressure and wondered whether making her relationship with Xiao Lingyan public could support women balancing family and public life.
• Zhao Ruxi asked Wu Zong about growing glutinous rice in Nanyang to brew wine on a large scale.
• Wu Zong said Empress Shengyao’s introduction of sweet potatoes and potatoes had eased food shortages and made large-scale wine production possible.

Zhao Ruxi considered how to promote Nanyang glutinous rice by making her wine a high-priced tribute wine, then sent Xiao Lingyan a letter. After reading it, Xiao Lingyan made plans to return to the palace and visit his mother consort.

• Wu Zong told Zhao Ruxi that the court might allow her to grow glutinous rice if her wine became tribute wine, and she saw a way to benefit Nanyang.
• Wu Zong left for the relay station, and Zhao Ruxi asked him to write when he heard news of Sister Ruotong and his marriage plans.
• Zhao Ruxi sent a letter to Xiao Lingyan through a shadow guard, who delivered it to the capital.
• Xiao Linghan tried to persuade Xiao Lingyan to meet a prospective bride, but Xiao Lingyan refused and suspected his brother wanted an alliance against the crown prince and Xiao Lingheng.
• Xiao Lingyan read Zhao Ruxi's letter, burned it, and told Xiao Liuzi to buy interesting things and inform the palace he would dine with his mother consort.

Xiao Lingyan struggled with whether to get engaged to Zhao Ruxi, fearing that their engagement would make her a target for political rivals. After he rejected Noble Consort Cen’s proposal to use Zhao Ruxi as bait, Xu Zhou advised him that she would face danger wherever she stayed and that they should get engaged while she was in Nanyang.

• Xiao Lingyan told Noble Consort Cen that an engagement to Zhao Zhiwei would draw political factions toward them and put her in danger.
• Noble Consort Cen argued that Zhao Ruxi would be at risk whether she stayed in Nanyang or returned to the capital, and proposed using the danger to expose their rivals.
• Xiao Lingyan refused to let anyone endanger Zhao Ruxi and left after telling Noble Consort Cen that Zhao Zhiwei mattered more to him than his own life.
• Restless, Xiao Lingyan returned to the Prince of Qi’s Residence, drank, and told Xu Zhou about the dispute.
• Xu Zhou agreed that the engagement could not be delayed and advised Xiao Lingyan to arrange it while Zhao Ruxi was still in Nanyang.

Xiao Lingyan and Xu Zhou discussed how to protect Zhao Ruxi if Xiao Lingyan sought to marry her, and Xu Zhou urged him to pursue the throne himself. Xiao Lingyan agreed to plan for the marriage but remained reluctant to become emperor.

• Xu Zhou argued that marrying Zhao Ruxi would not greatly strengthen Xiao Lingyan’s faction and that harming her would risk Xiao Ge’s anger.
• Xiao Lingyan insisted that even a small danger to Zhao Ruxi was unacceptable, then agreed with Xu Zhou to discuss ways to reduce the risk.
• Xu Zhou advised Xiao Lingyan to ask Xiao Ge to bestow the marriage and have Mister Kumu secure a guarantee of Zhao Ruxi’s safety.
• Xiao Lingyan believed Xiao Ge would support the marriage, but Xu Zhou warned that rival factions would still cause trouble.
• Xu Zhou urged Xiao Lingyan to seek the throne rather than help the Prince of An, while Xiao Lingyan said he did not want to become emperor.

On Zhao Ruxi’s birthday, Xiao Lingyan proposed to her with matching rings, and she accepted. They exchanged vows and discussed the danger and political schemes that their betrothal would bring.

• Zhao Jingtai delivered birthday gifts and relayed the old madam’s wish for Zhao Ruxi to be betrothed this year and married next year, a wish Lady Zhu shared.
• Xiao Lingyan secretly visited Zhao Ruxi and teased her before presenting a ruby ring and asking her to marry him.
• Zhao Ruxi accepted Xiao Lingyan’s proposal, and they exchanged matching rings and promised to remain faithful to each other.
• Xiao Lingyan worried that Zhao Ruxi would face danger after their betrothal, but she said she would accept the consequences and could protect herself.
• Xiao Lingyan said he missed the modern world, where they could marry without political danger.

Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan discussed their marriage and whether he should compete for the throne, deciding to stop supporting Xiao Lingpu and pursue the crown themselves. They planned to appear uninterested in power for now and let the other princes undermine themselves.

• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi how Xu Zhou proposed arranging their marriage, and Zhao Ruxi agreed to pretend she knew nothing until Kang Shilin was asked.
• Xiao Lingyan warned Zhao Ruxi that danger would follow her in Nanyang and said Xu Zhou urged him to fight for the throne instead of supporting Xiao Lingpu.
• Zhao Ruxi agreed that Xiao Lingyan should pursue the throne, reasoning that they would otherwise risk suspicion and lose control over their future plans.
• Xiao Lingyan accepted the idea of becoming emperor, and he and Zhao Ruxi decided to remain outwardly passive while Xiao Ge lived and the other princes fought among themselves.

Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan agreed to pursue the throne together, believing they could win women greater rights as emperor and empress. Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi that Zhao Ruyu had entered the Prince Jingping’s Estate as Xiao Sijie’s concubine, and Zhao Ruxi guessed Zhao Ruyu was aiming to become his wife after he inherited the title.

• Xiao Lingyan warned Zhao Ruxi that competing for the throne would mean giving up her chance to become a female marquis.
• Zhao Ruxi said becoming empress alongside Xiao Lingyan would let them do more for women, and they discussed their plans to pursue power.
• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi that Zhao Ruyu had become a concubine to Xiao Sijie, the fourth young master of the Prince Jingping’s Estate.
• Zhao Ruxi learned that Xiao Sijie was married to a marquis’s daughter and wondered why Zhao Ruyu had chosen him.
• Zhao Ruxi concluded that Zhao Ruyu expected Xiao Sijie to inherit the title and was seeking to become his wife.

Xiao Lingyan returned to the capital and sought permission to travel outside it to study agriculture, but Xiao Ge raised the question of his marriage. After learning that Xiao Lingyan had met Zhao Zhiwei, Xiao Ge considered her a suitable match and asked whether his son wanted to marry her.

• Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan agreed to stop concerning themselves with Zhao Ruyu and her marriage, and Xiao Lingyan left for the capital to prepare for his betrothal to Zhao Ruxi.
• Xiao Lingyan asked Xiao Ge for permission to leave the capital and learn about farming firsthand, and Xiao Ge agreed to discuss the matter with the minister of works.
• Xiao Ge showed Xiao Lingyan a memorial urging the Prince of Qi to marry, and Xiao Lingyan objected that his marriage was a private matter.
• Xiao Ge argued that his own officials were pressing him about Xiao Lingyan's unmarried status, while Xiao Lingyan said he did not know whom to marry.
• Xiao Ge thought of Zhao Zhiwei as a suitable bride for Xiao Lingyan and asked whether his son wanted to marry her.

Xiao Lingyan told Xiao Ge he would meet Zhao Ruxi in Nanyang before deciding on marriage, then hurried there under the pretext of inspecting farming and water conservancy. He arrived at the yamen and asked Liu Hongyu to take him to the fields, while Zhao Ruxi kept her head lowered.

• Xiao Lingyan persuaded Xiao Ge that he should meet Zhao Ruxi in Nanyang before agreeing to marry her.
• Xiao Lingyan left the capital and reached Nanyang in a single day with his guards.
• A gate runner announced that the Prince of Qi had arrived, and Liu Hongyu led the officials to welcome him.
• Xiao Lingyan asked Liu Hongyu to have the official responsible for farmland and water conservancy accompany him to inspect the fields.

Xiao Lingyan took Zhao Ruxi to inspect the fields alone, explaining that he was pursuing her on imperial orders. They agreed to have the marriage decreed directly, though Zhao Ruxi planned to explain it to Kang Shilin afterward.

• Xiao Lingyan asked Zhao Ruxi to accompany him to inspect the fields, rejecting Liu Hongyu's offer to go instead.
• Zhao Ruxi rode out with Xiao Lingyan, while Liu Hongyu and the others speculated about whether the unmarried prince might marry her.
• Cai Yaozong told Liu Hongyu that Xiao Lingyan was unmarried, making Liu Hongyu fear he had offended the prince by trying to intervene.
• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi that Xiao Ge had ordered him to pursue his wife, so they no longer needed to avoid meeting alone.
• Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan agreed to have the marriage decreed directly, and then spent half a day asking farmers about their tools.

Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that Xiao Lingyan, the Prince of Qi, had asked to marry her and make her his consort. Lady Zhu was torn between concern for her daughter’s safety amid the princes’ struggle and the opportunity the match offered, and said she would be overjoyed if Zhao Ruxi could marry him safely.

• Zhao Ruxi took Lady Zhu to the garden pavilion so they could discuss a private matter away from the servants.
• Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that Xiao Lingyan had come to Nanyang, asked her to accompany him through the fields, and proposed marriage before leaving.
• Lady Zhu was shocked and asked Zhao Ruxi to confirm that the suitor was the Prince of Qi, the Fifth Prince.
• Lady Zhu worried that marrying Xiao Lingyan would draw Zhao Ruxi into the dangerous struggle for the throne.
• Zhao Ruxi said she had not agreed and would turn Xiao Lingyan down if Lady Zhu objected, but Lady Zhu said she would welcome the match if her daughter would be safe.

Zhao Ruxi told Lady Zhu that the Prince of Qi had asked whether she would accept his marriage proposal, and Lady Zhu enthusiastically approved of the match. Zhao Ruxi worried that her master, Kang Shilin, would object, so she decided to seek his opinion before answering the prince.

• Zhao Ruxi explained that the Prince of Qi was unlikely to pursue the throne himself and would at most support his elder brother, the Prince of An.
• Lady Zhu approved of the Prince of Qi after hearing he had come to ask Zhao Ruxi's opinion and had left a guard to carry her answer.
• Zhao Ruxi admitted she thought the match was all right because the prince had been sincere.
• Zhao Ruxi worried that Kang Shilin would oppose the marriage because he disapproved of involvement with the imperial family.
• Zhao Ruxi persuaded Lady Zhu to let her write to Kang Shilin before deciding, and asked her to keep the proposal secret.
• Lady Zhu agreed to have Liu Quan deliver Zhao Ruxi's letter to Mister Kumu and promised she would receive a reply by the next noon.

Kang Shilin received Zhao Ruxi’s letter about Xiao Lingyan’s proposal and questioned why Lady Zhu had sent it through Liu Quan. After hearing Lady Zhu’s reasons for considering the match, he understood her concerns and listened as Liu Quan explained why she thought the Prince of Qi was a worthy suitor.

• Zhao Ruxi wrote to Kang Shilin asking whether she should accept Xiao Lingyan’s marriage proposal, and Lady Zhu sent Liu Quan to the capital with the letter.
• Kang Shilin realized that Lady Zhu, rather than Zhao Ruxi, had arranged for Liu Quan to deliver it, and he asked him to explain.
• Liu Quan told Kang Shilin that Lady Zhu had rejected other potential matches because Zhao Ruxi opposed their circumstances and that she had struggled to find a suitable husband.
• Liu Quan explained that Lady Zhu considered Xiao Lingyan’s personal visit and willingness to accept Zhao Ruxi’s refusal signs of respect, and Kang Shilin listened with less anger.

Liu Quan relayed Lady Zhu’s arguments for Zhao Ruxi marrying Xiao Lingyan, and Kang Shilin agreed not to oppose the match. Xiao Ge then summoned Kang Shilin and formally asked for Zhao Ruxi’s hand on his son’s behalf.

• Liu Quan argued that Xiao Lingyan was a suitable husband because he would allow Zhao Ruxi to pursue her official ambitions without drawing her martial siblings into factional conflict.
• Kang Shilin reconsidered the match, accepted that Lady Zhu’s reasoning made sense, and promised not to stand in the way if the emperor raised the marriage.
• Kang Shilin asked Liu Quan to return the next morning for his written reply to Zhao Ruxi.
• A palace eunuch summoned Kang Shilin to dine with Xiao Ge, and Kang Shilin suspected the meeting concerned Zhao Ruxi’s marriage.
• Xiao Ge told Kang Shilin that Xiao Lingyan had gone to Nanyang, proposed to Zhao Zhiwei, and sought her elders’ consent, then asked for her hand on his son’s behalf.

Kang Shilin agreed to Zhao Zhiwei’s marriage to Xiao Lingyan after Xiao Ge promised to protect her from those who might target her. With Xiao Lingyan vowing to treat her well and Zhao Zhiwei’s letter showing she was willing, Kang Shilin accepted the match on behalf of the Earl of Suiping’s Residence.

• Kang Shilin warned Xiao Ge that Zhao Zhiwei could be targeted because of her engagement and asked for guarantees of her safety.
• Xiao Ge promised to warn the imperial family and assign imperial guards to protect Zhao Zhiwei, and Kang Shilin accepted the assurance.
• Xiao Ge explained that Xiao Lingyan had delayed his engagement because he wanted to marry someone he truly liked and avoid taking concubines.
• Xiao Lingyan promised Kang Shilin that he would treat Zhao Zhiwei well, take no concubines, and let her live as she wished.
• Kang Shilin said Zhao Zhiwei’s letter showed she was willing to marry Xiao Lingyan and agreed to the marriage on behalf of the Earl of Suiping’s Residence.

Xiao Ge approved Xiao Lingyan’s marriage to Zhao Zhiwei and issued an imperial decree, while Duan Chen struggled to hide his feelings as he drafted it. The engagement left Zhao Zhiwei in Nanyang under Imperial Guard protection, and Princess Xiangyang raged at the news as Consort Jin ordered her watched.

• Xiao Ge ordered Duan Chen to draft a decree betrothing Xiao Lingyan to Zhao Zhiwei, then sealed it and sent it to be read at Noble Consort Cen’s palace.
• Xiao Ge told Xiao Lingyan to visit his mother consort’s palace with the decree’s messenger.
• Kang Shilin told Wu Huaisi and Gong Cheng that Zhao Zhiwei would remain in Nanyang for now and that Imperial Guards would be sent to protect her.
• Princess Xiangyang reacted furiously to Zhao Zhiwei’s marriage and lamented that she had to marry a man she considered beneath her.
• Consort Jin calmly ordered someone to check on Princess Xiangyang and keep her from acting rashly.