Chapter Summaries

Qi Lingheng punished Lu Zhengliu, and the Lu household’s collapse ended with the deaths of the Marquis of Wuding and Wei Shi. At the New Year’s palace banquet, Lin Yunwan learned the Crown Prince was near death and wanted Qi Zaijun to spend time with him, leaving Qi Lingheng to consider the request.

• Qi Lingheng ordered Lu Zhengliu tortured, and word later spread that Lu Zhengliu had killed himself in prison while his concubine was sentenced to death.
• Lu Chang'gong waited for mourners, then arranged the funerals after the Marquis of Wuding and Wei Shi returned home and died by striking their heads against the stone lions.
• Old Madam Xia praised Lu Chang'gong and discussed Xia Jin meeting the Lin Family's third daughter after his Metropolitan Examination.
• Lin Yunyi and Madam Lin visited Lu Chang'gong, and Lin Yunyi offered to help him while Madam Lin worried about his future household.
• At the New Year’s palace banquet, the Crown Prince Consort told Lin Yunwan that the Crown Prince could no longer keep food down and asked whether Qi Zaijun could spend time with him.
• Lin Yunwan told Qi Lingheng that the Crown Prince’s end was near, and Qi Lingheng quietly drank wine after hearing of the Crown Prince’s request.

Lin Yunwan and Qi Lingheng celebrated the New Year while Lin Yunyi sent gifts to Lu Chang'gong, Zhu Qing, and Mu'er. At the Lin Residence, relatives gathered and tried to introduce unmarried girls to Lin Yunyi, so Madam Lin sent for him.

• Lin Yunwan wrote more Fu Characters with Qi Lingheng's help and said Lin Yunyi had taken a stack to give to Lu Chang'gong.
• Zhu Qing worried about the size of their new home, and Lu Chang'gong showed her the Fu Characters Lin Yunyi had sent.
• Lu Chang'gong gave Zhu Qing a hairpin and Mu'er a box of gems entrusted to him by Lin Yunyi.
• Zhu Qing cooked a New Year's meal for Mu'er, Lu Chang'gong, and Qiao Da, while Lu Chang'gong kept to vegetables in observance of mourning.
• Madam Lin received many relatives at the Lin Residence, including unmarried girls, and sent someone to call Lin Yunyi over to meet them.

Lin Yunyi noticed Miss Xu’s injury and asked his mother to give her medicine, while Emperor Jingshun showed Qi Zaijun the burdens of a life without freedom by bringing him to see the ailing Crown Prince. The chapter left Qi Zaijun asleep in the emperor’s arms and Emperor Jingshun returning to his heavy duties.

• Lin Yunyi asked Madam Lin to give medicine to the quiet Miss Xu after noticing that her hand had been scalded.
• Madam Lin learned that Miss Xu’s former engagement had been broken off, while Lin Yunyi returned to preparing for the Metropolitan Examination.
• Qi Zaijun asked Emperor Jingshun to take him outside, so the emperor brought him to the Crown Prince’s Residence to show him the constraints of duty.
• Emperor Jingshun and Qi Zaijun visited the unconscious Crown Prince, who woke briefly and gave Qi Zaijun the Jade Thumb Ring.
• Emperor Jingshun explained that a ruler could not freely choose his life, and Qi Zaijun fell asleep as they returned to the palace.
• Emperor Jingshun went back to reading memorials and reflected on the duties that kept him from doing as he pleased.

Lin Yunyi passed the Metropolitan Examination and placed third in the second tier of the Palace Examination, then became engaged to Miss Xu. Lin Yunwan learned that the Crown Prince had died and immediately ordered mourning clothes prepared for her family.

• Lin Yunyi passed the Metropolitan Examination as the youngest Presented Scholar, and the Lin family celebrated his success.
• Qi Lingheng told Lin Yunwan that Emperor Jingshun had considered ranking Lin Yunyi among the top three before placing him third in the second tier because he was young.
• Lu Chang'gong received Lin Yunyi's congratulatory reply and heard that Lu Changzong had been cast out of the clan and abandoned by Xiao Xuan.
• Madam Lin told Lin Yunwan that Lin Yunyi had chosen Miss Xu, and that the family had settled their marriage.
• Lin Yunwan heard that the Crown Prince had died and ordered Jun'er changed into mourning clothes while mourning garments were prepared for herself and Qi Lingheng.

After the Crown Prince and Crown Prince Consort died, Emperor Jingshun mourned them before naming Qi Lingheng Crown Prince and Lin Yunwan Crown Prince Consort. After their grand investiture, Lin Yunwan reunited with her newly married brother and learned that A Fu had found a lead in the search for Lady Guo.

• Lin Yunwan discovered that the Crown Prince Consort had taken poison, and Emperor Jingshun ordered her buried with full honors beside the Crown Prince.
• Emperor Jingshun confided his regrets to Qi Zaijun, who comforted him about the loss of his eldest son.
• A year later, Emperor Jingshun named Qi Lingheng Crown Prince and Lin Yunwan Crown Prince Consort, then handed Qi Lingheng responsibility for court affairs.
• After the investiture, Lin Yunwan welcomed Lin Yunyi and Xu and learned that Qi Zaijun had the late Crown Prince Qi Ling Yi's jade thumb ring.
• Lin Yunwan ordered A Fu to follow a lead about a shop selling the distinctive fragrant powder associated with Lady Guo.

Lin Yunwan reunited with her teacher, Lady Guo, and learned how she had left her old life to help women at a Daoist temple support themselves by making incense. Lady Guo urged Lin Yunwan to show compassion to those with less power, and Qi Lingheng reflected on the hardships women faced.

• Lin Yunwan visited Lady Guo, who had returned to the countryside after traveling and selling her possessions.
• Lady Guo showed Lin Yunwan her incense and explained that women at a Daoist temple gathered ingredients and made incense powder to earn money.
• Lady Guo told Lin Yunwan that the temple women had once been forced to sell their bodies, some from as young as nine.
• Lady Guo urged Lin Yunwan, as a woman in a position of power, to have compassion for those below her.
• After Lin Yunwan returned, Qi Lingheng said he understood Lady Guo's concern for women and imagined the pain he would feel if a future daughter suffered as Lin Yunwan had.

Lu Chang'gong placed third in the palace examination, received the courtesy name Lu Chi from Qi Lingheng on Lin Yunwan’s recommendation, and began his career at the Hanlin Academy. He and Lin Yunyi became tutors to Qi Zaijun, whose studies and conduct improved under their guidance, before Qi Lingheng later ascended the throne and named them Jingshun’s Twin Eminences.

• Lu Chang'gong passed the palace examination in third place, and Qi Lingheng bestowed on him the courtesy name Lu Chi, chosen by Lin Yunwan.
• Lu Chang'gong joined the Hanlin Academy and discussed finding a wife with Zhu Qing and Lin Yunyi.
• Qi Lingheng and Lin Yunwan decided that Lu Chi would join Lin Yunyi as one of Qi Zaijun’s tutors.
• Qi Zaijun met his two new teachers, and Lin Yunyi and Lu Chi’s contrasting teaching styles improved his studies and conduct.
• Qi Lingheng later ascended the throne, made Qi Zaijun Crown Prince, and bestowed the title of Penglai Princess on his younger daughter.
• Lu Chi and Lin Yunyi became renowned as Jingshun’s Twin Eminences.