Gu Jiu, a young lady from a wealthy family in modern day, dies young due to illness and transmigrates to the ancient times. Her family had great business acumen and accumulated great wealth. It is also mentioned that her long-term illness had led her to develop some medical knowledge and skills.
She is now the di (legitimate) daughter of Gu Zhili, the nephew of Pingnan hou, a titled marquis. Gu Zhili is currently posted in Jinzhou as the provincial governor.
His first wife was from the Su clan who gave birth to Gu Ting, the eldest di son, and Gu Jiu, the eldest di daughter. She died a few months after Gu Jiu was born.
Gu Zhili’s favoured concubine from the Xie clan – who had given birth to Gu Cheng and Gu Yue by this time – was ‘straightened’ or promoted to the legitimate wife status. Since then, she has no good intentions towards the pair of children left by Su shi.
Chapter 1 introduces the arrogant maid Tao Hong (planted by Xie shi), the silly maid Xiao Cui, and our transmigrated sickly heroine, Gu Jiu. Gu Jiu smells the medicine and knows that it intends to kills her soon. She intimidates Xiao Cui into obeying her, acting against Tao Hong and bringing back Qing Mei, an ex-maid.
Qing Mei returns to Zhilanyuan. Gu Jiu assesses her finances, writes herself a medical prescription and tells her to get medicines from the storehouse, and starts acting with Tao Hong in her self-written play.
She pretends to hang herself. We are introduced to the controlling and scheming Xie shi and the family head, Gu daren. She puts on a green tea act – the ingredients from the storehouse are mouldy! – and Xie shi scapegoats Tao Hong. The maid is beaten and sent out.
Xiao Hong, picks the winning side and aids Gu Jiu, revealing the fu’s neglect of Gu Jiu. exploits the cheap sympathy of her father, changes doctors and reveals her destitute situation, courtesy Xie shi. The storehouse servants are investigated.
We now see the impulsive and rash elder brother Gu Ting, who rushes in to ‘protect’ her. Gu Jiu asks for a change of doctors, citing different medical specialties as the reason. But as we all know, Dr Xu’s palms have been greased by Xie shi.
Li pozi, in charge of the storage, is convicted of embezzlement. She is scapegoated by Xie shi and beaten. Gu Jiu stops there, not pushing her luck, as Xie shi is clearly valued as the mother of Gu daren’s four children. The maids are also punished. Doctor Chen arrives and scorns at the prescription, cursing whoever wrote it. He gives a milder prescription. Gu daren warns everyone to hold their tongue and the matter is over.
Gu Jiu and Gu Ting talk. Xie shi sends Li pozi to zhuangzi. Qing Mei asks Tao Hong why she betrayed her master, the latter speaks of being Gu Cheng’s concubine, the carrot that Xie shi dangled in front of her. Gu Jiu begins to reclaim control over her personal affairs, retrieving keys and assets that were wrongfully managed by others. Xie shi strategises her next moves amidst the shifting power dynamics.
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