diff --git a/frontend/src/app/globals.css b/frontend/src/app/globals.css
index 3d4a6097..f94c7f73 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/frontend/src/app/globals.css
@@ -2635,6 +2635,11 @@ input:not([type="radio"]):not([type="checkbox"]):not([class^="ant-"]):not([class
   grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(18rem, 22.5rem);
   background: var(--color-canvas);
 }
+/* No candidate yet: the board only carries the declared time, so it takes less
+   width until there is a house table to show. */
+.rectification-workspace.is-board-empty {
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(16rem, 18rem);
+}
 .rectification-workspace.is-compact {
   grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);
   grid-template-rows: minmax(0, 1fr);
@@ -2960,6 +2965,31 @@ input:not([type="radio"]):not([type="checkbox"]):not([class^="ant-"]):not([class
   line-height: 1.55;
 }
 .rectification-empty-state p { margin: 0; }
+/* The tap is being recorded: same shape as a timeline live row. */
+.rectification-choice-card__pending {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: var(--space-2);
+  min-height: 24px;
+  margin: 0;
+  color: var(--color-ink-secondary);
+  font-size: var(--type-body-sm);
+  line-height: 1.5;
+}
+.rectification-choice-card__selected {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 4px;
+  margin-inline-start: var(--space-2);
+  color: var(--color-action);
+  font-size: var(--type-caption);
+  font-weight: 600;
+  vertical-align: middle;
+}
+.rectification-choice-card__selected svg { width: 14px; height: 14px; }
+.rectification-board__clock.is-declared { color: var(--color-ink-tertiary); }
+.rectification-board__empty { display: grid; gap: var(--space-1); }
+.rectification-board__empty p { margin: 0; }
 .rectification-snapshot {
   display: grid;
   gap: var(--space-3);
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/rectification-agentic-chat.tsx b/frontend/src/components/rectification-agentic-chat.tsx
index 6159add0..c8611ffe 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/rectification-agentic-chat.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/rectification-agentic-chat.tsx
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ export function RectificationAgenticChat(props: RectificationAgenticChatProps) {
     shouldStartOpening,
     initialTurns,
     initialSnapshot,
+    declaredTime,
     models,
     selectedModelId,
     onSelectModel,
@@ -1471,6 +1472,7 @@ export function RectificationAgenticChat(props: RectificationAgenticChatProps) {
   const boardPeek = compactBoard && !boardOpen ? (
     <RectificationBoardPeek
       result={candidateResult}
+      declaredTime={declaredTime}
       expanded={boardOpen}
       boardId={boardId}
       onOpen={toggleBoard}
@@ -1480,7 +1482,7 @@ export function RectificationAgenticChat(props: RectificationAgenticChatProps) {
   return (
     <div
       ref={workspace}
-      className={`rectification-workspace${compactBoard ? " is-compact" : ""}${boardOpen ? " is-board-open" : ""}`}
+      className={`rectification-workspace${candidateResult ? "" : " is-board-empty"}${compactBoard ? " is-compact" : ""}${boardOpen ? " is-board-open" : ""}`}
     >
       {headerSlot && boardPeek ? createPortal(boardPeek, headerSlot) : null}
       <div className="rectification-workspace__chat" inert={compactBoard && boardOpen ? true : undefined}>
@@ -1733,6 +1735,7 @@ export function RectificationAgenticChat(props: RectificationAgenticChatProps) {
       </div>
       <RectificationBoard
         result={candidateResult}
+        declaredTime={declaredTime}
         savedStatus={savedStatus}
         diff={boardDiff}
         compact={compactBoard}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/rectification-board.tsx b/frontend/src/components/rectification-board.tsx
index cd06bc43..5414a752 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/rectification-board.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/rectification-board.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
   windowScanLayerLabel,
   type WindowScanLayer,
 } from "@/lib/rectification-agentic/v9/refinement-packet";
+import { rectificationBoardEmptyCopy } from "@/lib/rectification-surface-state";
 import { RectificationHouseTableView } from "./rectification-house-table";
 import { ConfirmationGateDisclosure, TechniqueAuditDisclosure } from "./technique-audit-disclosure";
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ function LayerChips({ layers }: Readonly<{ layers: readonly WindowScanLayer[] }>
 
 function RectificationBoardBody({
   result,
+  declaredTime,
   savedStatus,
   diff,
   compact,
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ function RectificationBoardBody({
   onClose,
 }: Readonly<{
   result: RectificationCandidateResult | null;
+  declaredTime: string | null;
   savedStatus: "accepted" | "confirmed" | null;
   diff: RectificationBoardDiff;
   compact: boolean;
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ function RectificationBoardBody({
 }>) {
   const table = result ? workingRectificationHouseTable(result) : null;
   const workingTime = workingRectificationTime(result);
+  const emptyCopy = rectificationBoardEmptyCopy(declaredTime);
   const grouped = result ? groupWindowTransitions(result.windowTransitions) : [];
   const scoringMinutes = grouped.filter((row) => row.scoringLayers.length > 0);
   const displayMinutes = grouped.filter((row) => row.displayLayers.length > 0);
@@ -69,7 +73,11 @@ function RectificationBoardBody({
       <header className="rectification-board__header">
         <div className="rectification-board__title-row">
           <h2 id={titleId}>当前盘面</h2>
-          {workingTime ? <span className="rectification-board__clock">{workingTime}</span> : null}
+          {workingTime
+            ? <span className="rectification-board__clock">{workingTime}</span>
+            : emptyCopy.clock
+              ? <span className="rectification-board__clock is-declared">{emptyCopy.clock}</span>
+              : null}
           {compact && (
             <button
               className="rectification-board__close"
@@ -86,9 +94,9 @@ function RectificationBoardBody({
       <div className="rectification-board__body">
         <p className="sr-only" role="status" aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">{diff.liveMessage}</p>
         {!table && (
-          <p className="rectification-board__empty">
-            补充经历后，这里会显示当前本命宫位和换升时刻。
-          </p>
+          <div className="rectification-board__empty">
+            {emptyCopy.lines.map((line) => <p key={line}>{line}</p>)}
+          </div>
         )}
         {table && (
           <div className="rectification-snapshot">
@@ -194,6 +202,7 @@ function RectificationBoardBody({
 
 export function RectificationBoard({
   result,
+  declaredTime,
   savedStatus,
   diff,
   compact,
@@ -203,6 +212,7 @@ export function RectificationBoard({
   onClose,
 }: Readonly<{
   result: RectificationCandidateResult | null;
+  declaredTime: string | null;
   savedStatus: "accepted" | "confirmed" | null;
   diff: RectificationBoardDiff;
   compact: boolean;
@@ -237,6 +247,7 @@ export function RectificationBoard({
     >
       <RectificationBoardBody
         result={result}
+        declaredTime={declaredTime}
         savedStatus={savedStatus}
         diff={diff}
         compact={compact}
@@ -258,16 +269,18 @@ export function RectificationBoard({
 
 export function RectificationBoardPeek({
   result,
+  declaredTime = null,
   expanded,
   boardId,
   onOpen,
 }: Readonly<{
   result: RectificationCandidateResult | null;
+  declaredTime?: string | null;
   expanded: boolean;
   boardId: string;
   onOpen: () => void;
 }>) {
-  const peek = rectificationBoardPeekCopy(result);
+  const peek = rectificationBoardPeekCopy(result, declaredTime);
   return (
     <button
       className="rectification-board-peek"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/rectification-choice-card.tsx b/frontend/src/components/rectification-choice-card.tsx
index 976198a8..b8bf19bb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/rectification-choice-card.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/rectification-choice-card.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 "use client";
 
+import { Check } from "lucide-react";
 import { useState } from "react";
+import { InlineSpinner } from "@/components/inline-spinner";
 import type {
   ChoiceKey,
   RectificationChoiceCard as ChoiceCard,
@@ -42,6 +44,14 @@ export function RectificationChoiceCard(props: RectificationChoiceCardProps) {
       className={`rectification-choice-card${embedded ? " is-embedded" : ""}${props.pending ? " is-pending" : ""}${answered ? " is-answered" : ""}`}
       aria-label={props.card.scoring ? "校正判断" : "盘外核对"}
     >
+      {props.pending && answered ? (
+        // The tap is being recorded: the same live-row shape as a timeline step,
+        // so the card itself says something is happening.
+        <p className="rectification-choice-card__pending" role="status">
+          <InlineSpinner size={12} />
+          <span className="agent-activity-status__text">正在记录…</span>
+        </p>
+      ) : null}
       <fieldset
         className="birth-time-choice-question"
         disabled={props.pending || props.disabled || answered}
@@ -61,6 +71,12 @@ export function RectificationChoiceCard(props: RectificationChoiceCardProps) {
               onClick={() => select(option.key)}
             >
               <strong>{option.key}.</strong> {option.label}
+              {selectedKey === option.key ? (
+                <span className="rectification-choice-card__selected">
+                  <Check aria-hidden="true" />
+                  已选择
+                </span>
+              ) : null}
             </button>
           ))}
           <button
@@ -70,6 +86,12 @@ export function RectificationChoiceCard(props: RectificationChoiceCardProps) {
             onClick={stop}
           >
             {props.card.stop_label}
+            {selectedKey === "stop" ? (
+              <span className="rectification-choice-card__selected">
+                <Check aria-hidden="true" />
+                已选择
+              </span>
+            ) : null}
           </button>
         </div>
       </fieldset>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/rectification-board-model.ts b/frontend/src/lib/rectification-board-model.ts
index 13493b5e..f9b21fd9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/rectification-board-model.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/rectification-board-model.ts
@@ -160,13 +160,18 @@ export function diffRectificationBoard(
   };
 }
 
-export function rectificationBoardPeekCopy(result: RectificationCandidateResult | null): Readonly<{
+export function rectificationBoardPeekCopy(
+  result: RectificationCandidateResult | null,
+  declaredTime: string | null = null,
+): Readonly<{
   title: string;
   detail: string | null;
 }> {
   const table = result ? workingRectificationHouseTable(result) : null;
   if (!table) {
-    return { title: "当前盘面", detail: "补充经历后会在这里更新" };
+    // Before any candidate exists the board still has a time to show: the one
+    // the reader declared. Without one, say what fills it later.
+    return { title: "当前盘面", detail: declaredTime ? `填报 ${declaredTime}` : "补充经历后会在这里更新" };
   }
   return { title: "当前盘面", detail: `${table.time} · 上升${table.lagna}` };
 }
diff --git a/frontend/tests/rectification-agentic-entry.test.ts b/frontend/tests/rectification-agentic-entry.test.ts
index 59b5560b..c1a24c92 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/rectification-agentic-entry.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/rectification-agentic-entry.test.ts
@@ -522,7 +522,10 @@ test("compact board overlays chat as a bottom sheet above the composer", () => {
   assert.match(styles, /\.chat-header-rectification \.rectification-board-peek \{[\s\S]*width: auto/);
   assert.doesNotMatch(chat, /rectification-workspace__board-trigger/);
   assert.doesNotMatch(chat.slice(chat.indexOf("className=\"composer-wrap\""), chat.indexOf("<form className=\"composer\"")), /RectificationBoardPeek/);
-  assert.match(chat, /className=\{`rectification-workspace\$\{compactBoard \? " is-compact" : ""\}\$\{boardOpen \? " is-board-open" : ""\}`\}/);
+  // Was: the class template without `is-board-empty`. The board narrows while no
+  // candidate exists (BUG-509); compact/open modifiers are unchanged and still
+  // follow the empty modifier so the single-column layout wins.
+  assert.match(chat, /className=\{`rectification-workspace\$\{candidateResult \? "" : " is-board-empty"\}\$\{compactBoard \? " is-compact" : ""\}\$\{boardOpen \? " is-board-open" : ""\}`\}/);
 });
 
 test("rectification composer can stop a live agent run", () => {