Catch That Little Fox

[Past-life premise: Liu Wenyue was a fox demon who cultivated immortality and had already joined the ranks of the immortals. During her cultivation, she spent sixty-seven years as the wife of Liu Tianyao, a human in his previous life. After Liu Tianyao passed away, she tampered with his soul so that he would be reborn with the same appearance. Because so many people had died in the underworld, his reincarnation was delayed for over a hundred years. By the time Liu Wenyue completed her cultivation and returned to her place among the fox immortals, young Liu Tianyao was born. The fox immortal bestowed wealth and honor upon his family, intending to rekindle their old bond once he came of age. As his twentieth birthday approached, she foresaw that he would face an unavoidable calamity. She resigned her immortal position for seventy years, asking the Jade Emperor to let her descend to the mortal realm, weather the crisis alongside Liu Tianyao, and become his wife once more. The Jade Emperor agreed, but required her memories as a fox immortal to be erased. She asked to be reborn in the mortal realm in the form of a twenty-year-old woman, but once she descended, her mind would begin at the level of an infant.]

Several years ago, after the Kingdom of Jinghai emerged from a great war, a new emperor ascended the throne and the political situation grew turbulent. First, prominent generals began dying under mysterious circumstances, their bodies never found. Then the court imposed massive taxes, leaving merchants anxious and ordinary people with no desire to strive for a better life. Liu Xichang had been an ordinary merchant, but after his eldest son, Liu Xiangjian, became a general who defended the nation, he finally became the richest man in the land. Year after year, the emperor sent people to visit him, claiming that Liu Xichang deserved a visit as Liu Xiangjian’s father, but always turning the conversation to his wealth. Liu Xichang had long since realized how covetous the emperor was of his fortune, yet he could only quietly play along with each unexpected visit. His second son, Liu Tianyao, could have loved anything, but instead he loved running away from home and wandering the world. Liu Xichang tried every way to stop him, afraid that the emperor would grow suspicious, so he used matchmaking to keep Liu Tianyao occupied...