Chapter Summaries

Su Luoqian was caught sneaking around the Prince of Jin’s heir’s villa, where Lu Jingsi pretended they were lovers to keep the staff from searching his room. After discovering that the incense had drugged her, Lu Jingsi carried her away and arranged a cover story as he prepared to return to the prince’s residence.

• Lu Jingsi pinned Su Luoqian beneath a quilt and told her to act as if they were lovers when the villa staff came to search for a stolen servant.
• Lu Jingsi frightened the attendant into leaving by threatening him for listening outside the screen.
• Su Luoqian realized the incense had drugged her, and Lu Jingsi identified the censer as the source.
• Su Luoqian whispered instructions about the back gate and Zelan, and Lu Jingsi ordered Chengying to collect someone and take the incense.
• Lu Jingsi carried Su Luoqian out, told the guards to arrange a cover story about taking a performer, and left in a carriage.

Lu Jingsi carried the drugged Su Luoqian back to Prince Cheng'an's Residence and learned that she had wandered into the villa while investigating Peilan's death. He ordered the villa watched as he continued investigating Lin Yonghong, whom he suspected of arranging the pleasure incense and jade phallus.

• In the carriage, Su Luoqian, affected by incense, clung to Lu Jingsi and tried to kiss and undress him, so he knocked her unconscious.
• Lu Jingsi carried Su Luoqian into the residence, ordered the physician summoned, and warned the household to keep the incident secret.
• The physician identified the burned incense as a weakened pleasure-quarter formula and prescribed calming medicine for Su Luoqian.
• Chengying reported that Su Luoqian had disguised herself to investigate Peilan's death, entered the villa, and stumbled into its eastern side room while hiding from a steward.
• Lu Jingsi ordered Chengying to keep watching the villa without alerting anyone and suspected Lin Yonghong was behind the pleasure incense and jade phallus.

Su Luoqian woke from a dream about Lu Jingsi and prepared to return to her family for her mother's birthday while he was away in the palace. When Nanny Liu scolded her and a maid failed to report the nanny's arrival, Su Luoqian punished them before a messenger arrived with a gift from the Eldest Princess.

• Su Luoqian woke from a dream about Lu Jingsi and learned that he had been summoned to the palace.
• Su Luoqian decided to eat breakfast and return to the Su Estate without waiting for Lu Jingsi.
• Nanny Liu criticized Su Luoqian for speaking Lu Jingsi's name and sleeping late, but Su Luoqian ignored her while eating.
• Su Luoqian ordered Nanny Liu to kneel in the courtyard for an hour and reassigned a maid to the coal room.
• Eunuch Fulin announced that the Eldest Princess had sent a birthday gift for Madam Su.

Su Luoqian asserted her authority in Prince Cheng'an's residence, then returned to her family home for Cui Anlan's birthday while continuing to question Lu Jingsi's connection to Peilan's case. The chapter ended with Su Liangzhuo asking where Lu Jingsi was.

• Su Luoqian ordered Nanny Liu to kneel for an hour, and Fulin enforced the punishment after warning Nanny Liu to recognize her as mistress of the household.
• In the carriage, Su Luoqian and Zelan discussed Nanny Liu and Fulin, then Su Luoqian wondered whether Lu Jingsi had been investigating the case connected to the aphrodisiac incense and Peilan.
• Su Luoqian arrived at the Su residence, where guests and neighbors greeted her as the Princess Consort of Cheng'an.
• Su Luoqian helped Su Liangzhuo and Cui Anlan rise when they tried to bow, and they reminded her to act with more dignity now that she was married.
• Su Liangzhuo asked Su Luoqian where Lu Jingsi was.

Su Luoqian visited her parents for Cui Anlan’s birthday and reassured her mother about her marriage to Prince Cheng'an. When Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian arrived, Su Luoqian enforced her status as the prince’s consort and confronted their attempts to pry into her married life.

• Su Luoqian gave Cui Anlan the Grand Princess’s birthday gift and received preserved fruit sent by her absent brother, Su Luoyun.
• Su Luoqian told Cui Anlan that Prince Cheng'an had gone to the palace and would come later, easing her mother’s worries about their marriage.
• Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian arrived, and Zelan demanded that Kong Cuilian pay her respects to Su Luoqian.
• When Kong Cuilian insulted Zelan, Su Luoqian ordered her maid to slap Kong Cuilian, then made Kong Cuilian and Su Manrong kneel and formally greet her.
• Su Manrong asked why Prince Cheng'an had not come and tried to question Su Luoqian about life at his residence, but Su Luoqian refused to share intimate matters with her.

Su Luoqian refused to help Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian secure a better marriage for Kong Cuilian, then welcomed Lu Jingsi when he arrived for the family banquet. The chapter ended with Lu Jingsi rejecting Kong Cuilian’s attempt to approach him, saying the banquet was only for family.

• Su Luoqian reminded Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian that they had never been close and warned her aunt to observe their differences in rank.
• Su Manrong asked Su Luoqian to help find Kong Cuilian a suitable husband, but Su Luoqian suggested the Li scholar and then named Duan Bowen and Yin Qiyao as alternatives.
• Su Manrong ended the marriage discussion after Su Luoqian pointed out that Kong Cuilian should not look down on the wealthy noble matches.
• Uncle Wang announced Lu Jingsi’s arrival, and Lu Jingsi presented Su Liangzhuo and Cui Anlan with a birthday gift on Su Luoqian’s behalf.
• Lu Jingsi asked Su Luoqian whether he was late, and she welcomed him as they returned to the main hall together.
• Kong Cuilian introduced herself to Lu Jingsi, but he told Su Liangzhuo that the family banquet was meant only for his wife and her parents.

After visiting her family, Su Luoqian learned that Cui Anlan mistook a mark on her neck for evidence of excessive marital intimacy. On the ride home, she confronted Lu Jingsi about Lin Yonghong’s estate and pressed to help investigate Peilan’s death, but he refused to give her a definite answer.

• Su Liangzhuo sent Su Manrong and Kong Cuilian away, and Su Luoqian enjoyed lunch with her family.
• Cui Anlan noticed the mark on Su Luoqian’s neck, assumed Lu Jingsi had been too rough with her, and gave her a box of illustrated books about marital intimacy.
• Su Luoqian rode back with Lu Jingsi and asked whether Lin Yonghong’s estate was connected to an investigation by the Prison Administration.
• Su Luoqian offered to use her performer identity and knowledge of the estate to help investigate Peilan’s death.
• Lu Jingsi said they would discuss it in a few days, and warned Su Luoqian not to insist on going.

Su Luoqian dealt with Nanny Liu after Lu Jingsi refused to hear her complaint, then learned that Nanny Liu had taken over a vegetable supplier's business. Lu Jingsi came to the main building intending to stay the night, but an urgent discovery in the west of the city called him away, leaving Su Luoqian thinking about their marriage bed.

• Lu Jingsi sent Nanny Liu to Su Luoqian to handle inner-household matters, and Su Luoqian offered to hear her grievance.
• Zelan told Su Luoqian that Nanny Liu had replaced the residence's vegetable vendor with her husband and son before Su Luoqian married into the household.
• Lu Jingsi found Su Luoqian beside the dressing table and said he wanted to stay in the main building that night.
• Su Luoqian hid the wooden box Cui Anlan had given her and tried to persuade Lu Jingsi to use separate quilts.
• Chengying reported that another one had been found in the west of the city, so Lu Jingsi left before staying the night.
• After Zelan dried her hair, Su Luoqian thought about their wedding night and the fact that they could not sleep apart forever.

After Zhong Qin’s murder raised the female corpse case count to five, Lu Jingsi went undercover with Su Luoqian at Lin Yonghong’s estate. Lu Jingsi protected Su Luoqian from Lin Yonghong’s advances, but Lin then suggested that Lu take her as a bedchamber concubine.

• The coroner identified the latest victim as Zhong Qin, whose murder brought the number of victims in the female corpse cases to five and prompted the emperor to summon Lu Jingsi.
• For six days, Lu Jingsi investigated the murders while the killings stirred fear and discussion among the people.
• Lu Jingsi brought Su Luoqian, disguised as a performer, to Lin Yonghong’s country estate and warned her to watch her words and actions.
• When Lin Yonghong tried to lift Su Luoqian’s veil, Lu Jingsi stopped him and held Su Luoqian close, saying the mystery was part of her appeal.
• At the banquet, Su Luoqian turned away from Lin Yonghong’s lewd behavior with the women at his estate, and Lin suggested that Lu Jingsi take her as a bedchamber concubine.

Lu Jingsi and Su Luoqian entered Lin Yonghong’s secret chamber under the pretense of inspecting his erotic curios, where Lu Jingsi suspected the incense was dangerous and they searched for clues about Peilan’s death. The chapter ended with Su Luoqian picking the lock on a wooden chest.

• Lu Jingsi pretended to consider taking Su Luoqian into his residence while Lin Yonghong promised to show him his collection of pleasure-enhancing items.
• After lunch, Lin Yonghong revealed a hidden entrance behind a display shelf and led Lu Jingsi and Su Luoqian into the secret chamber.
• Lu Jingsi noticed something wrong with the incense and gave himself and Su Luoqian pills to counter its effects.
• Su Luoqian wondered whether Lin Yonghong had killed Peilan in the chamber, but Lu Jingsi thought that unlikely and noticed a locked chest beneath the display shelf.
• Su Luoqian used a hairpin to pick the chest’s lock, explaining that she had learned the skill as a child, and announced that it had opened.

Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi found evidence linking Lin Yonghong to the murdered women, including Peilan’s sachet, and Lu Jingsi promised to pursue justice despite Lin’s powerful family. Days later, Su Luoqian visited Yuanfu Temple with Zelan and stopped to gather green plums for wine.

• Su Luoqian recognized Peilan’s sachet among the murdered women’s belongings, and Lu Jingsi promised that Lin Yonghong would be punished under the law.
• Su Luoqian and Lu Jingsi searched the secret room and found half-dried stains that looked like blood.
• Lu Jingsi left the villa with Su Luoqian, keeping an arm around her and telling the waiting servants he would visit Lin Yonghong again later.
• After several days without seeing Lu Jingsi, Su Luoqian went to Yuanfu Temple with Zelan, where they noticed an imperial-looking carriage in the mountain clearing.
• Su Luoqian spotted ripening green plums beside the temple steps and asked Zelan’s servants to pick them so she could make wine.

Su Luoqian met Crown Princess Qin Shuning at Mount Yuanfu, where they bonded over wine and visited the temple together. Qin Shuning later joined Su Luoqian at Prince Cheng'an's Manor to drink plum wine, and the two continued chatting over dinner.

• Qin Shuning offered to trade grape wine for Su Luoqian's plum wine and asked her to teach her how to make it.
• Su Luoqian accompanied Qin Shuning to Yuanfu Temple, where she prayed for justice in the female corpse case and for her family’s safety.
• Su Luoqian explained how to make plum wine as she and Qin Shuning walked down the mountain.
• Su Luoqian invited Qin Shuning to Prince Cheng'an's Manor, where Qin Shuning tasted the plum wine and called Su Luoqian her younger sister-in-law.
• Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning ate dinner together beneath the moon and chatted about making and tasting wine.

Lu Jingsi returned to his residence and learned that Qin Shuning was visiting Su Luoqian, prompting Zhou Xuheng to come fetch her. After the guests left, Lu Jingsi and Su Luoqian retired to their room, where their closeness turned intimate.

• Lu Jingsi learned that Qin Shuning was tasting wine with Su Luoqian and sent word to the Eastern Palace.
• Zhou Xuheng arrived at Prince Cheng'an's Residence and waited with Lu Jingsi for Qin Shuning.
• Zhou Xuheng took Qin Shuning away, chiding her about drinking and the wine she planned to give Su Luoqian.
• Lu Jingsi returned to the main room with Su Luoqian, asked if she had been drinking, and went to bathe while she prepared for bed.
• Lu Jingsi helped Su Luoqian with her robe ties, kissed her, and carried her onto the bed.

Su Luoqian told Lu Jingsi that she was menstruating, forcing him to stop their intimacy and leave the room in anger. She rested with Zelan’s help while Lu Jingsi cooled off in the waterside pavilion, where Nanny Liu criticized her.

• Lu Jingsi began undressing Su Luoqian, who nervously asked him to put out the lights.
• When Lu Jingsi continued despite her protests, Su Luoqian told him she was on her period.
• Lu Jingsi pulled away, dressed, and stormed out of the room.
• Zelan helped Su Luoqian put on an inner robe, and Su Luoqian decided to leave Lu Jingsi alone for the night.
• Lu Jingsi sat in the waterside pavilion while Nanny Liu complained about Su Luoqian to Fulin.

Lu Jingsi returned to the bedchamber after reprimanding Nanny Liu and spent the night beside Su Luoqian, who woke to find him holding her. After asking about Lin Yonghong’s case, Su Luoqian went to the Exquisite Pavilion to look at newly arrived jewelry.

• Nanny Liu confronted Lu Jingsi, who warned her to know her place or leave the residence.
• Lu Jingsi returned to the bedchamber and climbed into bed beside the sleeping Su Luoqian.
• Su Luoqian woke in Lu Jingsi’s arms, then asked about Lin Yonghong’s case; he replied that it would be settled soon.
• Su Luoqian went to the Exquisite Pavilion, where the owner welcomed her and offered to show her a pair of jadeite earrings.

Kong Cuilian manipulated Xu Yin into planning to humiliate Su Luoqian at Xu Yin’s coming-of-age ceremony. Su Luoqian returned to Prince Cheng'an's Residence with new jadeite earrings and wine from the Crown Princess, then spent the afternoon reviewing accounts.

• Kong Cuilian watched Su Luoqian leave the Exquisite Pavilion and grew jealous of her marriage and status.
• Kong Cuilian fed Xu Yin lies about Su Luoqian, provoking Xu Yin to declare she would teach her a lesson.
• Kong Cuilian suggested Xu Yin use her coming-of-age ceremony to outshine Su Luoqian in poetry, books, rites, and music, and Xu Yin agreed to bring Kong Cuilian along.
• Su Luoqian returned to the residence, learned that the Crown Princess had sent wine, and instructed Fulin to put the jars away.
• Su Luoqian ate lunch alone and reviewed the residence and shop accounts while Zelan served her candied fruit.

Su Luoqian received Nanny Cheng, who brought fabric and news from the Su family, including a young clan scholar staying with her parents. After learning that Lu Jingsi had gone to arrest the murderer who killed Peilan, Su Luoqian prepared to leave the residence, but Lu Jingsi appeared at the gate.

• Nanny Cheng brought Su Luoqian bolts of cloud brocade and reported that her parents were well and Kong Cuilian had been quiet.
• Nanny Cheng told Su Luoqian that a young Su clan member had arrived in the capital to prepare for the metropolitan examination, and she praised his character.
• Nanny Liu secretly watched Su Luoqian speaking with Nanny Cheng and wrongly suspected that Su Luoqian was pining for her clan brother.
• Nanny Cheng said she had seen Lu Jingsi ride toward the outskirts to arrest the murderer in a woman's corpse case, and Su Luoqian confirmed that the case concerned Peilan.
• After Nanny Cheng left, Su Luoqian prepared to go out, but Lu Jingsi appeared before her at the threshold.

Lu Jingsi reported Lin Yonghong’s arrest to the emperor, who ordered a thorough investigation despite Prince Jin’s apparent neutrality. Lu Jingsi returned to the Prison Administration and confronted Lin Yonghong, who remained defiant as Lu hinted at what Prince Jin had said in court.

• Su Luoqian met Lu Jingsi at the residence gate and followed him inside as he returned to change before going to the palace.
• In Qianzheng Hall, Lu Jingsi told the emperor that Lin Yonghong had been imprisoned, while Zhong Younian demanded severe punishment for the murderer.
• Zhou Xuheng stressed the public importance of the female corpse case, and Prince Jin said the law should decide the outcome without leniency.
• The emperor ordered Lu Jingsi to investigate every detail thoroughly, and Lu Jingsi returned to the Prison Administration that evening.
• Lu Jingsi had Lin Yonghong brought to the interrogation room, where Lin taunted him about being Prince Jin’s eldest legitimate son.
• Lu Jingsi told Lin Yonghong he had just come from the palace and asked him to guess what Prince Jin had said in Qianzheng Hall.

Lu Jingsi broke Lin Yonghong’s resistance by exploiting his fear that Prince Jin favored Lin Yongrui, and Lin Yonghong agreed to confess. Meanwhile, Su Luoqian received an invitation to Xu Yin’s coming-of-age banquet and prepared a gift.

• Lu Jingsi left Lin Yonghong in harsh prison conditions for several days, then confronted him about Prince Jin’s preference for Lin Yongrui.
• Lin Yonghong lost hope that Prince Jin would rescue him and agreed to talk rather than face further torture.
• Su Luoqian received an invitation from Duke Xu’s residence to Xu Yin’s coming-of-age banquet.
• Su Luoqian told Zelan to choose jade hair ornaments as a gift for the banquet.

At Duke Xu's residence, Su Luoqian overheard Xu Jia admit her role in Zhong Qin's abduction and learned that Xu Jia was having an affair with her cousin. She left intending to tell Lu Jingsi what she had discovered.

• Su Luoqian attended Duke Xu's coming-of-age ceremony, where female guests gossiped about her origins and marriage to Prince Cheng'an.
• Lady Xu Wang led Su Luoqian into the garden, then left her near a rockery when summoned away.
• Su Luoqian overheard Xu Jia and her cousin discussing how Xu Jia had disguised Zhong Qin as a maid and missed their meeting, allowing Lin Yonghong to abduct her.
• Xu Jia's cousin reassured her that Prince Cheng'an would prioritize other matters if the Prison Administration traced the incident to her.
• Su Luoqian realized Xu Jia had helped cause Zhong Qin's abduction and decided she needed to tell Lu Jingsi.
• Su Luoqian saw Xu Jia and her cousin kissing and heard them arrange to meet again in a side room after the banquet.