The decision to return to Jie City instead of running away is interesting. Most protagonists would flee to the safest place, but she wants to stay and watch her enemies suffer. That’s some cold-blooded determination, and I respect it. Plus, the karst geography reasoning was surprisingly well-researched.
Lin Xiaoxiao changing the honorific from ‘Old Buddha’ to just regular grandmotherly titles was a strategic and funny moment. Her internal reason—that it feels less uncomfortable for her modern brain—makes perfect sense. And she justifies it to Qianlong by talking about seeing the cycle of life after her illness, which is such a clever way to cover up her change of personality. The Emperor’s confusion but quick acceptance is a bit too easy for my taste. In reality, a Qing emperor might have been more suspicious of his mother’s sudden personality change. But for a lighthearted Qiong Yao-mashup novel, I can accept it. It helps move the plot forward without getting bogged in paranoia. Also, I like how she establishes herself as a modern-thinking Imperial Dowager early on—this gives her license to meddle in later court matters.
1 The emperor’s involvement feels light but fits. He’s not directly intervening in her life, but his decree about the Fourth Prince shows he’s aware of the Fucha family. That’s smart worldbuilding—make the rulers present without dominating the story.
30. Overall, this has the bones of a really solid palace intrigue cultivation novel. The start is a bit quick, but once the setup is done, the pacing feels right. I like the characters, the stakes are clear, and the system has enough depth to keep progression interesting. I’d definitely keep reading to see if Zhou An can survive and maybe even outmaneuver the Empress Dowager. Solid start.
The school bathroom scene where Xie tries to smoke while drying his ass on the windowsill ispeak comedy. “Xie Kardashian” sent me. The author perfectly captures that wretched feeling of a cold, wet patch on light-colored jeans and the high-stakes strategy of drying it before anyone notices. And then Li Yanqiao waltzes in like the grim reaper of dry-humor revenge. The fight that escalates from “smell my pants” to full-on wrestling and a slap that leaves a handprint is perfect physical comedy. The bystanders’ reaction, the phone cameras, the terrified girl dropping a beaker — it all snowballs so organically. I especially appreciate the detail about Xie covering his butt and running away screaming. The mixture of embarrassment, anger, and pride as he tries to salvage his reputation felt so human. Also, the counselor calling and yelling “I told you to get along with Li Yanqiao, not to take it to the next level and molest him” is a line I will remember for a long time.