Recaps

Hua Meng exposed the circumstances surrounding Wei Ningyan’s pregnancy, prompting the empress dowager to assign her attendants before the elder princess provoked the empress dowager into collapsing. Emperor Jing'an rushed from court to Chaohuang Palace and signaled his anger toward the Wei Family.

• Hua Meng mocked the elder princess and Wei Ningyan by suggesting both had conceived before marriage and given birth prematurely.
• The empress dowager assigned four senior maids to accompany Wei Ningyan, and the elder princess and Wei Ningyan reluctantly accepted.
• The elder princess taunted the empress dowager about not having a grandson, and the empress dowager clutched her chest and fell silent.
• Hua Meng called for an imperial physician, while Consort Qi sent word to Emperor Jing'an that the elder princess had angered the empress dowager into collapsing.
• Xiao Jiangzi informed Emperor Jing'an during court, and Emperor Jing'an ordered the imperial physicians to Chaohuang Palace before rebuking the elder princess's husband and departing.

Emperor Jing'an ordered the Elder Princess and Wei Ningyan to kneel, but the Elder Princess objected because Wei Ningyan was pregnant. When Consort Hua was examined, Imperial Physician Jiang and the other physicians confirmed her pregnancy, and the news brought joy through the palace and court.

• Emperor Jing'an ordered the Elder Princess and Wei Ningyan to kneel until the Empress Dowager woke, but the Elder Princess said Wei Ningyan could not kneel because she was pregnant.
• Hua Meng came out of the inner hall feeling unwell, and Wei Ningyan wondered if she was pregnant too.
• Emperor Jing'an summoned Imperial Physician Jiang, who detected a pregnancy pulse in Hua Meng and congratulated the emperor.
• Emperor Jing'an ordered the other imperial physicians to examine Hua Meng, and they all confirmed her pregnancy.
• The imperial consorts, palace attendants, and officials in the Diligent Governance Hall congratulated Emperor Jing'an and declared that Heaven blessed Great Yue.

After Hua Meng was confirmed pregnant, Emperor Jing'an granted her the title Consort Jing and the empress dowager welcomed and protected her. The emperor warned the other consorts that Hua Meng’s child would provide for them as secondary mothers, and they gathered around her after he left.

• Emperor Jing'an learned Hua Meng was pregnant and bestowed the title Consort Jing upon her, entrusting her health to Jiang Xin.
• Nanny Ming announced that the empress dowager had awakened and wanted to see Consort Jing, while Emperor Jing'an decided to handle the Elder Princess without bloodshed.
• The empress dowager welcomed Hua Meng, urged her to care for the child, and ordered Nanny Ming to warn the consorts against harming the pregnancy.
• The empress dowager sent Hua Meng away to rest and instructed Nanny Ming to deliver her warning to the other consorts.
• Emperor Jing'an told the consorts that Consort Jing’s child would provide for them as secondary mothers and warned them not to disappoint him.
• After Emperor Jing'an left, Consort Wan congratulated Hua Meng, and other consorts approached her to ask how they could become pregnant.

Hua Meng’s pregnancy drew the attention of the palace consorts, prompting Consort Qi to consider bringing her young cousin into the palace to compete for favor. Outside the palace, Hua Teng learned of Hua Meng’s pregnancy and hurried home as her maternal cousin came to meet him.

• Hua Meng told the consorts that children were common in her family, and Nanny Ming escorted her back to Sparrow Plume Palace to rest.
• Consort Ying visited Hua Meng and Consort Wan, and the three discussed clothes, family gifts, and the palace’s permission to stay in touch with their birth families.
• The other consorts considered trying to conceive, while Consort Qi recalled her family’s mention of her thirteen-year-old fifth cousin and suspected her uncle planned to send the girl into the palace.
• Consort Qi told Chunlan to send a letter asking her mother to request a visit to the palace.
• Lin Ming told Hua Teng that Hua Meng was pregnant and advised him to prepare for a chance to visit her; Hua Teng returned home and met Hua Meng’s eldest maternal cousin.

After revealing her pregnancy, Hua Meng refused to avoid the eldest princess and went to rest while Emperor Jing'an and Lin Ming discussed how to protect her and deal with the eldest princess’s powerful family. Once awake, Hua Meng set out for the Phoenix Approaches Palace to request an audience with Emperor Jing'an.

• Lu Shi mobilized the Hua household and contacted her maternal family after learning Hua Meng was pregnant.
• Hua Meng told Qiu Die and Ling Cui she had no intention of avoiding the eldest princess and then went to sleep.
• Emperor Jing'an wanted to accelerate his plan against the eldest princess’s family, but Lin Ming urged him to prioritize protecting Hua Meng and the unborn child.
• Emperor Jing'an worried that the eldest princess could use her Phoenix Tail Token to summon the secret guards, then vowed to keep his child safe.
• After waking, Hua Meng dressed simply, ate porridge, and went to the Phoenix Approaches Palace to request an audience with Emperor Jing'an.

Hua Meng visited Emperor Jing'an to request that Commandery Lady Ningyan be taught proper etiquette, and he agreed while rewarding the Hua Family with a residence. The empress dowager sent nannies to the Wei Residence and the Zhang family, and the humiliated Grand Princess vowed revenge against the imperial family.

• Hua Meng visited Emperor Jing'an and asked him to arrange etiquette instruction for Commandery Lady Ningyan, citing her behavior and rumored pregnancy before marriage.
• Emperor Jing'an agreed to the request and offered the Hua Family a residence as a reward for Hua Meng’s pregnancy and service to Great Yue.
• After sharing the evening meal with Hua Meng, Emperor Jing'an went to Chaohuang Palace.
• The next morning, eight nannies left Chaohuang Palace, and word spread that the empress dowager had sent them to instruct the Grand Princess and Commandery Lady Ningyan.
• The Grand Princess learned that the nannies had arrived at the Wei Residence and vowed to retaliate against the empress dowager and Emperor Jing'an.

Hua Meng worried that the Grand Princess and Zhang Jinghong might target her family after Emperor Jing'an promoted her father, but Consort Wan explained the promotion’s political purpose and reassured her. After sharing pastries and medicinal wine plans with Consort Wan and Consort Ying, Hua Meng returned to learn that her mother and sisters had been allowed to visit her the next day.

• Hua Meng worried that the Grand Princess and Zhang Jinghong might make trouble for her family despite Emperor Jing'an’s promotion of her father.
• Consort Wan explained that Emperor Jing'an was gradually raising Hua Langzhong’s rank ahead of a future dukedom and to support his son’s maternal relatives.
• Hua Meng accompanied Consort Wan to the Three Green Palace, where Consort Ying offered her Chengying’s pastries and Hua Meng offered the women medicinal wine.
• Ling Cui and Qiu Die told Hua Meng that Emperor Jing'an had permitted Madam to bring the young madams into the palace to visit her the next day.

Hua Meng welcomed her mother and sisters-in-law to Sparrow Plume Palace and learned they had brought silver from her maternal granduncle. She proposed selling her dowry to fund Hua Peng’s trading venture in the South with the Lin and Lu families, with help from Consort Wan’s connections.

• Hua Meng learned Emperor Jing'an had allowed her family to visit and left Qiu Die to arrange their palace entry while she rested.
• Lu Shi and Hua Meng’s sisters-in-law arrived at Sparrow Plume Palace after visiting the empress dowager, who sent gifts for the Hua Family.
• Yi Yue conveyed Consort Wan’s welcome, and Lu Shi greeted Ling Cui and gave her the shoe soles her mother had made.
• Hua Meng and Lu Shi exchanged formal greetings before Hua Meng welcomed her family into her room.
• Lu Shi gave Hua Meng silver notes from her maternal granduncle’s family, and Hua Meng suggested selling her dowry to finance Hua Peng’s South China trading venture with Consort Wan’s assistance.

Hua Meng discussed business plans and the Hua Family’s future with her mother and sisters-in-law, while preparing to give birth in the palace. After Consort Wan agreed to invest and provide useful family connections, Hua Meng tearfully watched her relatives leave, with Lu Shi promising to return near the birth.

• Hua Meng encouraged Lin Shi to pursue honest business with Hua Peng in Jiangnan and warned the family against ill-gotten gains.
• Hua Meng told her sisters-in-law that the family’s rising status would bring greater scrutiny, and Lu Shi vowed to prevent the Hua men from becoming dandies.
• Lu Shi gave Hua Meng children’s clothes for her pregnancy and explained that Hua Lian could not visit because her mother-in-law was gravely ill.
• Hua Meng asked Lu Shi to have Hua Lian’s mother-in-law examined by a physician from Huichun Hall.
• Consort Wan agreed to invest in the business and write to her brothers, including officials with connections in Jiangnan and the Imperial Household Department.
• Hua Meng wept as Lu Shi and her sisters-in-law departed, and Lu Shi promised to send someone to keep her company near the birth.

Hua Meng heard how Lu Shi arranged protections for the Hua Family and ordered house rules, while Emperor Jing'an approved of Lu Shi and planned to make further arrangements for his child. The next day, Hua Meng learned that Emperor Jing'an would dine with her and received Consort Qi's invitation to an orchid-viewing banquet.

• Ling Cui told Hua Meng that Lu Shi had adopted new family titles and assigned her own family to serve Hua Meng and manage her estate and shops.
• Lu Shi warned the Hua Family not to abuse Hua Meng's status, charged Hua Mao with drafting house rules, and asked Hua Peng to find a physician for Hua Lian's mother-in-law.
• Emperor Jing'an learned of Lu Shi's instructions, praised her judgment, and said he could make more arrangements for his imperial child.
• Emperor Jing'an sent word that he would dine at Sparrow Plume Palace that evening.
• Consort Qi sent Chunlan to invite Hua Meng and the other harem women to a banquet to view the blooming orchids at Fragrant Iris Court.

Hua Meng attended Consort Qi’s orchid banquet despite warnings, while confronting Qiu Die about her loyalty and making plans to protect Ling Cui. The gathering descended into chaos when an assassin appeared and a pastry-carrying maid attacked Hua Meng.

• Hua Meng accepted Consort Qi’s invitation and made Qiu Die acknowledge her mistakes, revealing that she suspected Qiu Die served Emperor Jing'an.
• Hua Meng explained her plans for Ling Cui to leave the palace and marry, then told Qiu Die to rest instead of attending to her.
• Hua Meng invited Jiang Chan to visit her daughters and set out for the Imperial Garden with Ling Cui, Consort Wan, and Yi Yue.
• At the banquet, Hua Meng spoke with the consorts about pregnancy, and Consort Qi arrived as they admired the orchids.
• A palace maid reported an assassin, and amid the ensuing panic, another maid hurled pastries at Hua Meng and rammed into her.

A palace maid attacked Hua Meng during the Flower-Viewing Banquet, but Ling Cui and Consort Ying protected her, and Jiang Chan confirmed that Hua Meng and her fetus were unharmed. Emperor Jing'an reached the Imperial Garden after discovering a diversion, rewarded those who protected Hua Meng, and then learned that the Empress Dowager had been attacked.

• A palace maid hurled pastries and a porcelain plate at Hua Meng, but Ling Cui shielded her and Consort Ying kicked the attacker down and dislocated her jaw.
• Consort Qi organized the consorts to protect Consort Jing and went to investigate, while Jiang Chan checked Hua Meng and confirmed that her fetus was unharmed.
• Emperor Jing'an found elderly eunuchs acting as a diversion and ordered Wei Fugui and Si Yi to investigate the attack.
• Emperor Jing'an arrived at the Imperial Garden, praised the consorts, promised Consort Ying time at her estate, and promised Ling Cui a reward.
• Xiao Jiangzi rushed to Emperor Jing'an and reported that the Empress Dowager had been attacked by an assassin.

After an assassination attempt, Emperor Jing'an and Hua Meng learned that the Empress Dowager had been wounded while rushing to check on them. They confirmed Hua Meng and her unborn child were well, and Hua Meng stayed nearby as the Empress Dowager recovered, leaving Nanny Ming to congratulate the emperor for reasons no one else understood.

• Emperor Jing'an hurried toward Chaohuang Palace with Hua Meng, then learned that the Empress Dowager had instead been taken to White Egret Palace after an old eunuch wounded her.
• Consort Ru welcomed Emperor Jing'an and the consorts at White Egret Palace, where imperial physicians treated the Empress Dowager and Nanny Ming and Nanny Qing attended her.
• Emperor Jing'an brought Hua Meng to see the Empress Dowager, and the physicians confirmed that Hua Meng and her unborn child were healthy.
• Hua Meng refused to leave before seeing that the Empress Dowager was safe, then agreed to rest in a side hall and asked Nanny Ming to tell her when the Empress Dowager woke.
• After Hua Meng left, Nanny Ming congratulated Emperor Jing'an, whose smile broadened at her words.

Emperor Jing'an and Hua Meng tended the injured Empress Dowager while Wei Fugui investigated the palace assassination attempt and traced the suspects to descendants of eunuchs killed by the Grand Ancestor. The inquiry remained open, and news that Commandery Lady Ningyin had miscarried after being offended at a country estate cast suspicion on the Elder Princess and Wei Heng.

• Hua Meng secretly added a drop of Spirit Spring to the Empress Dowager's medicine and persuaded Emperor Jing'an to help her administer it.
• Emperor Jing'an returned to Phoenix Approaches Palace, where Wei Fugui reported that the suspicious old eunuchs descended from eunuchs killed by the Grand Ancestor.
• Wei Fugui told Emperor Jing'an that the suspects claimed they targeted Hua Meng because she was pregnant, but he and Si Yi doubted they had acted alone.
• Emperor Jing'an ordered Wei Fugui to continue investigating the assassination and search for traces of anyone else involved.
• Xiao Jiangzi reported that Commandery Lady Ningyin had miscarried at a suburban estate and that the Elder Princess had taken Vice Minister Wei to seek justice.

Emperor Jing'an suspected Yue Shu of orchestrating the rumors about Wei Ningyan and arranged for Yi Yun to secretly guard Hua Meng. After learning Wei Ningyan had miscarried, Hua Meng realized Yue Shu would blame her for the tragedy.

• Emperor Jing'an ordered Wei Fugui to investigate the rumors about Wei Ningyan and concluded that Yue Shu had arranged for them to spread.
• Yue Shu comforted Wei Ningyan after her miscarriage, steering her anger toward Hua Meng while Wei Ningyan privately revealed that the baby had been moving two days earlier.
• Yue Shu apologized to Zhang Jinghong and promised to secure him an official post if he passed the Provincial Examination; Zhang Jinghong concealed his feelings after she left.
• Emperor Jing'an introduced Yi Yun as Hua Meng's new guard and instructed her to have Ling Cui secretly provide for him.
• Emperor Jing'an told Hua Meng about Wei Ningyan's miscarriage, and Hua Meng concluded that she would now be blamed and hated.

Hua Meng suggested dividing palace affairs among Consort Qi, Consort Wan, and Consort Ying while she was pregnant. Emperor Jing'an arranged for Consort Wan and Consort Qi to lead, with Consort Ying and Consort Jing assisting, and agreed that Hua Meng's family could visit her.

• Hua Meng suggested investigating the ancestral homes of the young palace servants to uncover clues about the old eunuchs and their possible connection to Yue Shu.
• Emperor Jing'an asked Hua Meng who should manage palace affairs while the Empress Dowager was injured, and Hua Meng proposed sharing the responsibility among Consort Qi, Consort Wan, and Consort Ying.
• Hua Meng asked to have her mother bring her nephews and nieces to the palace, and Emperor Jing'an agreed.
• Emperor Jing'an brought Hua Meng to visit Consort Wan, where they found Consort Ying drinking with her.
• Emperor Jing'an told Consort Wan and Consort Ying that Consort Qi and Consort Wan would lead palace affairs, with Consort Ying and Consort Jing assisting.

Emperor Jing'an promoted Consort Wan and arranged for her to raise Commandery Princess Shouning, while using the appointments to strengthen ties with the Song Family. Hua Meng recognized the political calculations behind his plans and asked him to arrange teachers so she could prepare to stand beside him.

• Emperor Jing'an told Consort Wan she would move to Four Joys Palace, a residence reserved for consorts of fei rank, signaling her promotion.
• Emperor Jing'an brought Liang Xijun into the palace under Consort Wan's care and granted her the title Commandery Princess Shouning.
• Consort Wan thanked Emperor Jing'an, delighted to gain a daughter, and he said her investiture would likely take place after the eighth month.
• Emperor Jing'an urged Hua Meng to have her family bring her nine-year-old nephew Hua Can to the Song Family Old Master's seventieth birthday, suggesting a future match with the Song Family's seven-year-old eldest legitimate daughter.
• Hua Meng realized Emperor Jing'an was exchanging favors to build political alliances and reflected on her own recklessness.
• The next morning, Hua Meng asked Emperor Jing'an to arrange teachers for her, and he agreed to wait for her to grow ready to stand beside him.

Hua Meng resolved to study and improve herself while Emperor Jing'an arranged for her to have a teacher, and his appointments stirred political and family tensions. The chapter ended with Emperor Jing'an asking the Empress Dowager whom to choose to teach Consort Jing.

• Hua Meng prepared gifts, tended to her pregnancy, and asked Lu Shi to bring her nephews and nieces to the palace while she awaited a teacher.
• Emperor Jing'an's promotion of Consort Wan and decision to place Liang Xijun in her care caused unrest among officials and families hoping to marry into the imperial family.
• Consort Qi reassured her mother that Emperor Jing'an still valued her, then proposed raising a niece in the palace if she could not conceive a child herself.
• Yue Shu accused Emperor Jing'an of deliberately insulting her, while Wei Heng warned her to be more careful because the emperor had grown stronger.
• Emperor Jing'an told the Empress Dowager about his palace decisions and his plan to find a teacher for Hua Meng; she praised Consort Jing's foresight, and he asked whom to choose.

Hua Meng learned to manage palace affairs under Nanny Ming’s guidance and grew more capable as her attendants changed. After Jiang Chan told her that rumors claimed she might be carrying twins and raised the question of succession, Hua Meng decided the emperor needed to know, even after Jiang Chan’s pulse reading suggested she carried one child.

• The Empress Dowager sent Nanny Ming to teach Hua Meng, and Nanny Ming offered to train her attendants as well.
• Hua Meng began learning palace management, while Nanny Ming’s guidance changed Ling Cui, Jiang Chan, and Qiu Die.
• Jiang Chan told Hua Meng she had heard rumors that twins in Hua Meng’s family meant Hua Meng might also be carrying twins, prompting questions about who would inherit the throne.
• Jiang Chan took Hua Meng’s pulse and said she was seventy percent certain Hua Meng carried only one child.
• Hua Meng calmed herself, told Jiang Chan not to spread the rumor, and insisted she still needed to inform Emperor Jing'an.

Hua Meng told Emperor Jing'an about rumors that twins could threaten the succession, and he reassured her that a secret edict left by the Grand Ancestor could resolve the matter. Jiang Xin examined her pregnancy, and Emperor Jing'an asked whether both princes were well.

• Hua Meng visited Emperor Jing'an and gave Xiao Jiangzi heat-relief pills for Wei Fugui.
• Jiang Chan told Emperor Jing'an that rumors about the throne had spread, and Hua Meng said Nanny Jiang believed she was likely carrying one child.
• Emperor Jing'an reassured Hua Meng that he would raise both sons if she had twins and revealed that the Grand Ancestor had left a secret edict to address succession concerns.
• Hua Meng gave Emperor Jing'an a jade bottle of heat-relief pills, and he asked her to visit the Empress Dowager before the Ghost Festival.
• Jiang Xin examined Hua Meng and said she and the child were in excellent health, after which Emperor Jing'an asked whether both princes were well.

Jiang Xin confirmed that Hua Meng was carrying one child, and she returned to Sparrow Plume Palace to visit Consort Wan and Commandery Princess Shouning. After discussing rumors in the palace, she learned why the Ghost Festival was painful for the Empress Dowager and that Lady Lin visited her each year.

• Jiang Xin told Emperor Jing'an that Hua Meng was carrying one child, and Emperor Jing'an showed regret that she was not carrying twins.
• Hua Meng returned to Sparrow Plume Palace, where she embraced Commandery Princess Shouning and heard the child say she liked her.
• Consort Wan and Consort Ying agreed to investigate the rumors about Hua Meng, while Consort Wan took responsibility for looking into who had spread them in the palace.
• Hua Meng discussed the Ghost Festival with Consort Wan and Consort Ying, then mentioned Emperor Jing'an's request that she visit the Empress Dowager.
• Consort Wan explained that mounted bandits had killed nearly everyone in the Empress Dowager's village on a Ghost Festival when the Empress Dowager was nine, and that Lady Lin visited her each year to pay respects to their clan.

Hua Meng learned that a new rumor claimed her unborn child would bring misfortune and had made the Empress Dowager ill, but Emperor Jing'an reassured her and ordered an investigation. The rumors troubled the Hua Family outside the palace, and Lu Shi planned a visit after the Ghost Festival while Hua Teng considered seeking advice from his teacher.

• Consort Wan and Consort Ying told Hua Meng that rumors outside the palace questioned which of her unborn twins should inherit the throne and blamed her child for the Empress Dowager's illness.
• Hua Meng said the rumor-makers could not make Emperor Jing'an abandon his only bloodline, and Emperor Jing'an arrived and ordered Consort Wan and Consort Ying to investigate whether rumors were spreading inside the palace.
• Emperor Jing'an assured Hua Meng that the Empress Dowager would not blame her, while Hua Meng privately worried that her rebirth had worsened the Empress Dowager's health.
• Ling Cui offered to accompany Hua Meng to see the Empress Dowager, and Hua Meng resolved to use her Spirit Spring to help her recover.
• Hua Teng asked Lu Shi why she had not arranged a palace visit; Lu Shi explained that families avoided submitting requests before the Ghost Festival and planned to take the grandchildren after it, then suggested Hua Teng consult his teacher.

Hua Teng and Lu Shi sought reassurance and guidance after rumors threatened Hua Meng and her unborn child. At Chaohuang Palace, the Empress Dowager warmly welcomed Hua Meng, dismissed the rumors, and gave her an enormous collection of gifts, making her support unmistakable.

• Hua Teng left home to seek information about palace affairs and whether the Empress Dowager resented Hua Meng and her unborn child.
• Lu Shi told Liu Shi to arrange for Hua Can to visit the Song Family and instructed the household to keep a low profile.
• Nanny Ming told Hua Meng that the Empress Dowager would see her alone, and Hua Meng visited Chaohuang Palace the next morning.
• The Empress Dowager reassured Hua Meng that she would gladly give her life for her unborn grandchild and said she believed someone had spread the rumors maliciously.
• The Empress Dowager sent Hua Meng back to Sparrow Plume Palace with so many gifts that the procession had not finished arriving, and the rumors were widely discredited.

Hua Meng supported Wei Fugui as he recovered from despair and learned that Qiu Die no longer needed to spy for Emperor Jing'an. After rumors about her pregnancy faded, a commotion at Four Joys Palace revealed that Commandery Princess Shouning had developed a high fever.

• Hua Meng decided to sew two sets of underclothes for the Empress Dowager as a token of gratitude for her rewards.
• Wei Fugui thanked Hua Meng for saving his life after Heat-Relief Pills helped him recover from despair over the misconduct of his subordinates.
• Emperor Jing'an asked Hua Meng to sew two sets of underclothes for him, and Hua Meng agreed.
• Qiu Die told Hua Meng that Wei Fugui had ended her information-gathering duties, and Hua Meng invited her to remain and learn from Nanny Ming.
• Rumors about Hua Meng's pregnancy faded after the Empress Dowager's rewards and a Jiang Family member's remark about her pregnancy spread.
• A young eunuch told Hua Meng that Commandery Princess Shouning had developed a high fever at Four Joys Palace.

Hua Meng helped Consort Wan care for the frightened and feverish Commandery Princess Shouning, then learned that Shouning’s wet nurse had harmed her. After Consort Ying extracted the truth, Hua Meng insisted that the wet nurse be severely punished, and Consort Ying agreed.

• Hua Meng rushed to Four Joys Palace, arranged for Jiang Chan to examine Shouning, and gave the princess water containing Spirit Spring.
• Consort Wan explained that she had caught Shouning’s wet nurse acting suspiciously beside the frightened child and had ordered the attendants locked up.
• Consort Wan asked Hua Meng and Consort Ying to question the wet nurse while she stayed with Shouning.
• Two hours later, Consort Ying learned what the wet nurse had planned and done, and Hua Meng insisted she could not be allowed to live without severe punishment.
• Consort Ying said she would not hold back after Hua Meng explained her fear that someone might harm her own child in the same way.