| Source Text | Target Text | Translation Methods |
| 太白昼现， 女主昌 | Venus appears in the day, the Empress prospers. She’ll be the second Empress Wu (The only female monarch in Chinese history) | literal translation plus annotation |
| 大逆不道 | rebellious | free translation |
| 赵氏茶铺娘子 | landlady of Zhao’s Teahouse | literal translation |
| 九尽桃花开 | Peach trees have blossomed | literal translation |
| 蟾宫摘桂 | success in the Imperial Examination | free translation |
| 香如兰桂 | delicate fragrance | free translation |
| 如鱼得水 | feel at home | free translation |
| 落榜 | fail the Imperial Examination | free translation |
| 青竹蛇儿口， 黄蜂尾上针 | Snakes and wasps are poisonous, but women can be worse | free translation |
| 风骨铮铮 | unyielding integrity | literal translation |
| 株连九族 | Everyone in our clans will be implicated | free translation |
| 半斤八两 | We’re pot and kettle | free translation |
| 活阎罗 | Living Devil | literal translation |
| 夜宴图 | The Night Revels (Name of the painting) | literal translation plus annotation |
| 两 | Liang (equals… grams) | transliteration plus annotation |
| 狮头佩(令牌) | Lion-head Token | literal translation |
| 琵琶 | Pipa: a plucked string instrument | Transliteration plus annotation |
| 同心佩 | true-love jade pendant | free translation |