[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner":3,"chapter-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-48":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I'm Not Crazy—This Is the Emperor's Banner",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2291388,4480,"Chapter 48: Ex-Wife","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-48",48,"\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang’s ex-wife, named Zhao Qiuyun, was from Yehegou Village near Binhai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After divorcing Lu Guanchang, she returned to her parents’ home with her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because of the divorce, she was not well treated by her in-laws; in that era, divorce was often seen as the woman’s fault, and she faced scorn and gossip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To spare her daughter from suffering, Zhao Qiuyun left Yehegou Village with her daughter Lu Hongxia and moved to the neighboring city of Cien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cien lies in the southwestern part of Qionghai, bordering Binhai, with unique natural conditions, rich cultural features, and superior geography.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It receives ample sunlight, is unaffected by monsoons, and has a cost of living far lower than Binhai, a tourist city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, poverty spurs change; with little education, Zhao Qiuyun took to selling cooling drinks and snacks—such as Qingbuliang, sweet potato jelly, and old-salt fruit juice—to support her daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she started early, she was among the first individual vendors, faced little competition, and actually earned considerable money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qiuyun was in fact a capable woman; previously, with a husband who gave her a regular monthly allowance, she never had to worry about daily expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, she had to plan for both her and her daughter’s future, so after earning money, she did not settle for modest wealth—she successively opened a restaurant, a supermarket, a clothing store, a housekeeping company, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through a lifetime of struggle, though not wealthy or powerful, she accumulated modest assets; during this time, she remarried, and her new husband treated her extremely well, and they had a son and a daughter; now, she had long since handed over her businesses to her children and lived happily in retirement, doting on her grandchildren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Lu Guanchang’s daughter, Lu Hongxia, she had long changed her name to Zhao Hongxia, taking her mother’s surname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Hongxia, having endured family upheaval and constant displacement with her mother since childhood, was more sensible and mature than her peers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her environment forged her strong-willed nature; whether in studies or work, she excelled, and after taking over her mother’s businesses, she did not decline—instead, she thrived even more, reaching new heights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lu Guanchang spoke of his ex-wife and daughter, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of pride, as if he shared in their glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan had no idea what he had to be proud of—did their current achievements have anything to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t possibly believe their success was thanks to his abandoning his wife and daughter back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, do you really think it’s necessary to disturb them? Do they even care about your meager assets?” Shen Siyuan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But… but I can’t accept it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang’s face twisted; he had toiled his whole life, only to raise someone else’s children and be displaced by another man—how could he bear it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, ghosts couldn’t harm the living, or else he would have devoured those two alive to quench his hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His appearance reflected his inner state: his mouth split to his ears, his body swelled, his belly ballooned—he sat there like a giant toad with its mouth wide open, ready to swallow anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, Grandpa Lu is so scary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dou Dou hid behind Xiao Yue’s back, peeking out timidly, utterly adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you say he was a good person?” Yin Xingyue glanced at her sideways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom said, you can’t judge someone as bad just because they look ugly,” Dou Dou argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You shouldn’t judge by appearance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, that’s it! How did you know that? Sister, you’re so smart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Xingyue, still a primary school student, felt a little pleased at Dou Dou’s praise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re ghosts now, not humans, so we can’t judge by human standards. Let me tell you—the less human someone looks, the worse they are…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, so they’re all bad people? I thought they were just big monsters—I was scared they’d grab me, so I stuck close to Mom and Dad, avoided them, and when flying above, I saw so many… so there are really this many big villains?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dou Dou’s eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to fear them now—they’re the ones who should fear you,” Yin Xingyue said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She extended her right hand, and blue flames instantly flickered at each fingertip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Dou Dou eagerly stuck out her short, chubby fingers, lips pursed, eyes fixed on them, as if summoning all her strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her little fingers remained completely still; fortunately, she was a ghost now, not human, or else she might have let out a few farts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Focus your attention. Think with your heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Dou Dou’s face lit up with understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so I was thinking with my head—too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she stared at her fingertips again, and after a while, she angrily clutched her small head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My head won’t listen—it keeps thinking about little monkeys, big bananas, big tigers, eating meat…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Xingyue, usually quiet and serious, couldn’t help but laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiao Yue laugh at her, Dou Dou grew angrier—and suddenly, her whole body burst into flame, as if she were burning entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow… Sister, sister… I made fire! So I just have to get angry?” Dou Dou beamed with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan, hearing the commotion, turned to look at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang, nearby, also saw it; though at a distance, he felt his heart race and his soul ache sharply. Instantly, his rage cooled—he returned to his human form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, please help me—let me meet my… daughter. Whether she’s willing to seek justice for me or not, I’ll finally let go. Otherwise, I can’t bear it—I’ll be trapped here forever, unable to find peace…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lu Guanchang spoke from the depths of his heart, the warts on his face seemed to fade slightly, revealing his original gentle, kind features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your daughter is far away in Cien. I’m only free on Saturdays and Sundays—I can go there once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s fine, I can wait,” Lu Guanchang hurriedly said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan thought for a moment: “Do you know her address? I can write a letter and send it. If she comes to Binhai, that would be best…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a good idea,” Lu Guanchang said, overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then come with me,” Shen Siyuan stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang quickly followed Shen Siyuan upstairs to his rented apartment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan found paper and pen and said to Lu Guanchang: “Dictate, I’ll write it down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang lowered his head, thinking hard, but couldn’t find the words to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Siyuan didn’t press him—he poured himself a glass of water and went to the window, looking down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below, the two little girls were chasing each other, playing; it was already night, and even with streetlights, visibility was poor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ghost fire on Dou Dou’s head was so bright, like a firefly in the dark, impossible to miss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t brought back upstairs mainly because we feared they might accidentally set Lu Guanchang on fire—ghost fire burns on karmic fuel; the greater the sin, the longer it burns, and it won’t extinguish until the sin is fully purged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, I’ve thought of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Guanchang’s voice interrupted Shen Siyuan’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-20T03:53:08.657Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","91546031fc1e7a9dc871bd592df8725f0ec15d3ecf962085bb8ef71d622895ec","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-49","i-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-chapter-47",623,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-m-not-crazy-this-is-the-emperor-s-banner-cover.jpg"]