Chapter Summaries

Hua Meng returned to the past and faced Madam Zhang’s attempt to break her engagement to Zhang Jinghong. She agreed, but demanded that the Zhang family publicly admit they had initiated the breakup because the Princess Royal wanted Jinghong as her son-in-law.

• Hua Meng told Ling Cui that Zhang Jinghong must have known his family planned to break the engagement.
• Hua Meng arrived at the main courtyard, where Lu Shi held a dowry pig-slaughtering knife while Madam Zhang insisted on ending the engagement.
• Hua Meng interrupted Madam Zhang and agreed to break off the engagement only under conditions.
• With Liu Shi urging Madam Zhang to accept, Hua Meng demanded public notices explaining that the Zhang family had initiated the breakup because of the Princess Royal’s offer.

Hua Meng forced the Zhang family to publicly take responsibility for breaking their engagement, then learned the families would part ways after a limited notice and the returned betrothal gifts became her dowry. When her brother offered to find her a better husband, she pointed toward the imperial palace and mentioned the upcoming imperial selection.

• Hua Meng gave Madam Zhang three days to send a notice stating that the Zhang family had proposed ending the engagement to marry someone else.
• Hua Meng rejected Zhang Jinghong's attempt to claim the breakup was not his choice and threatened to beat the Dengwen Drum.
• Father Zhang pleaded with Father Hua, and the notice was limited to the southern part of the city while the Zhang family's betrothal gifts became Hua Meng's dowry.
• Hua Peng promised to find Hua Meng a better husband, and Hua Meng remarked that His Majesty was holding another imperial selection.

Hua Meng told her family she intended to enter the palace selection to protect the Hua family from the Zhangs and bear the emperor an heir. She recalled how an immortal had sent her back in time with a Spirit Spring, which she believed could help her conceive.

• Hua Meng explained that she wanted to enter the palace because she feared the Zhang family would retaliate after the broken engagement.
• Lu Shi challenged Father Hua’s trust in the Zhangs, then asked Hua Meng why she had made up her mind.
• Hua Meng said the emperor’s lack of heirs gave her a chance to protect her family by bearing him a son.
• Hua Meng recalled that after her death in her previous life, an immortal had sent her back to the day before her engagement broke and given her a Spirit Spring.
• Hua Meng explained that the Seven-Colored Flower produced seven kinds of Spirit Spring, and that using one had improved her family’s health and convinced her she could bear the emperor a child.

Hua Meng secured permission to enter Emperor Jing'an's palace selection with help from Lu Shi, Minister Lin, and the empress dowager. She entered the palace with a three-month deadline to establish herself before events she remembered from her previous life could undermine her family.

• Lu Shi told Minister Lin that Hua Meng intended to enter the palace, and he agreed to support her selection.
• Madam Lin persuaded the empress dowager to favor Hua Meng, and Emperor Jing'an approved her entry after investigating the matter with Zhang Jinghong.
• Hua Meng gave Minister Lin tea containing Spirit Spring and resolved to establish herself in the palace within three months.
• Hua Meng entered the palace with two chests of dowry on the day the Zhang family celebrated the eldest princess's daughter's marriage.

Hua Meng entered the palace and learned the customs surrounding her first night attending Emperor Jing'an. The emperor arrived at Sparrow Plume Palace, where she had prepared to receive him.

• Hua Meng settled into Sparrow Plume Palace’s right side hall with Ling Cui and met Qiu Die, the senior attendant arranged by Minister Lin.
• Yang Jiu informed Hua Meng that Emperor Jing'an had summoned her to attend him in bed that night, and Ling Cui rewarded him with loose silver.
• Qiu Die explained that the empress dowager would summon the new palace women the next day and promise a promotion to the first to bear an imperial son.
• Qiu Die and Ling Cui helped Hua Meng prepare for the emperor’s visit.
• Emperor Jing'an finished his day, bathed and changed at Phoenix Approaches Palace, and went by sedan chair to Sparrow Plume Palace.

Emperor Jing'an visited Hua Meng and was pleased by their encounter, then asked whether she had entered the palace willingly. Hua Meng explained that she chose to enter after her betrothed broke off their engagement and aligned himself with the eldest princess, leaving her worried about her family.

• Emperor Jing'an worried that his lack of an heir meant he might have to choose one by adoption if no consort conceived within three years.
• Emperor Jing'an visited Hua Meng at Sparrow Plume Palace and was soothed by her appearance and gentle welcome.
• Hua Meng responded to Emperor Jing'an with confidence, and he was satisfied enough to linger with her afterward.
• Emperor Jing'an asked Hua Meng whether she had entered the palace of her own free will.
• Hua Meng said she had, explaining that her former betrothed had attached himself to the eldest princess and that she had entered the palace rather than let them harm her family without consequence.

Hua Meng told Emperor Jing'an that she wanted sons who would one day kneel before her, and he chose to visit her again. After spending the night with him, she went to pay respects to the empress dowager, where another woman immediately insulted her.

• Hua Meng admitted that she wanted to bear sons so they would obey her, and Emperor Jing'an responded by sleeping with her a second time.
• Emperor Jing'an left early the next morning, while Hua Meng waited before calling Qiu Die and preparing to attend the empress dowager.
• Hua Meng led the other four newly selected women into Chaohuang Palace for their audience.
• An unknown woman sneered at Hua Meng's appearance and questioned whether she came from a respectable family.

Hua Meng challenged the grand princess’s insinuations before the empress dowager, who then warned the women of the harem not to harm the emperor’s future offspring. The grand princess stayed silent but ended the audience with a cold smile, leaving Hua Meng wary of her intentions.

• Hua Meng answered the grand princess’s veiled accusations by insisting she would never engage in illicit relations without a matchmaker.
• The grand princess restrained her anger and said nothing further, fearing Hua Meng would expose her daughter’s affair.
• The empress dowager welcomed Hua Meng and reminded the harem that bearing an heir would benefit Great Yue.
• The empress dowager warned that anyone who harmed the emperor’s offspring would face her punishment.
• Hua Meng noticed the grand princess’s cold smile as the women answered the empress dowager.

After leaving Chaohuang Palace, Hua Meng returned to Queling Palace with Consort Wan, who explained the harem’s ranks and residents. Emperor Jing'an summoned Hua Meng to Fenglin Palace, leaving her to wonder whether to give him the Spirit Spring and whether she could avoid the Grand Princess’s schemes from her past life.

• Hua Meng left Chaohuang Palace and met Consort Wan, who had waited to accompany her back to Queling Palace.
• Consort Wan reassured Hua Meng that they could follow palace rules despite their family ties and explained the harem’s leading consorts and its small number of surviving women.
• Xiao Jiangzi delivered Emperor Jing'an’s verbal decree summoning Consort Hua to Fenglin Palace.
• Hua Meng stayed calm despite Consort Wan’s worry, but wondered whether to give Emperor Jing'an the Spirit Spring and how soon she needed to conceive.

Hua Meng was sent to Emperor Jing'an with ginseng tea, where he asked her to choose a title for Ningyan, the Grand Princess's daughter. She openly chose an inauspicious title out of hostility toward the Grand Princess and the Zhang family, and Emperor Jing'an asked whether she feared angering him.

• Wei Fugui gave Hua Meng a tray of ginseng tea and sent her into Phoenix Approaches Palace to present it to Emperor Jing'an.
• Emperor Jing'an asked Hua Meng to choose among six titles for Ningyan, whom the Grand Princess wanted granted a status.
• Hua Meng rejected the listed titles and suggested Wu'an instead.
• Emperor Jing'an asked whether Hua Meng disliked Ningyan, and she explained her grievance against the Grand Princess and the Zhang family.
• Emperor Jing'an showed displeasure and asked Hua Meng whether her bluntness meant she was not afraid of angering him.

Hua Meng spoke confidently to Emperor Jing'an about bearing him a son, prompting him to question whether his physician had missed an illness. She secretly added a drop of conditioning spiritual spring to his soup, then returned to Sparrow Plume Palace as the Emperor prepared to bathe.

• Hua Meng told Emperor Jing'an she was unafraid of the eldest princess's family and confident she would bear him a son.
• Hua Meng suggested that the Imperial Medical Academy's physicians would have discovered any ailment Emperor Jing'an had, making him suspect his head physician might have missed something.
• Emperor Jing'an explained that the eldest princess's daughter could not use the character “an” and invited Hua Meng to dine with him.
• Hua Meng secretly added a drop of physical-conditioning spiritual spring to Emperor Jing'an's soup during the meal.
• Xiao Jiangzi escorted Hua Meng back to Sparrow Plume Palace, where Noble Lady Wan expressed relief that Hua Meng had not received the Emperor's favor again.
• Emperor Jing'an began bathing after Hua Meng left and did not summon any consort that day.

After discovering gray grime on his skin, Emperor Jing'an secretly summoned Imperial Physician Jiang, who found his pulse abnormal but could not explain why. The examination convinced Emperor Jing'an that the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy had betrayed him, and he ended the chapter furiously condemning the Cen Family, Cen Yongning, and Yue Shu.

• Emperor Jing'an noticed gray grime emerging on his skin while bathing and secretly summoned Imperial Physician Jiang.
• Emperor Jing'an instructed Imperial Physician Jiang to keep the pulse examination unrecorded and to examine Wei Fugui afterward as cover.
• Imperial Physician Jiang examined Emperor Jing'an's pulse repeatedly and said it was abnormal, though he could not determine the cause.
• Emperor Jing'an told Imperial Physician Jiang to visit Wei Fugui again, and the physician examined Wei Fugui before leaving.
• Emperor Jing'an concluded that the Head of the Imperial Medical Academy was disloyal and cursed the Cen Family, Cen Yongning, and Yue Shu.

Emperor Jing'an told the empress dowager that he distrusted Cen Yongning and asked her to arrange for renowned physicians to examine him discreetly. The empress dowager proposed using Hua Meng's homesickness as a reason for him to leave the palace, and he asked Hua Meng whether she wanted to visit home.

• Emperor Jing'an told Wei Fugui that he planned to dine with the empress dowager and seek her help regarding his health.
• The empress dowager learned that Emperor Jing'an suspected Cen Yongning and agreed to ask her sister and brother-in-law to find physicians discreetly.
• Emperor Jing'an explained that Hua Meng's words had prompted him to seek another imperial physician.
• The empress dowager suggested using Hua Meng's homesickness to arrange a visit home and discreetly bring physicians to the Hua residence.
• Emperor Jing'an summoned Hua Meng to Phoenix Approaches Palace and asked whether she wanted to leave the palace for a visit home.

Emperor Jing'an told Hua Meng he would accompany her on a visit home, and she realized he intended to see a doctor. After Hua Meng returned to Sparrow Plume Palace, Consort Wan asked about his health and the unusual change in his habits.

• Emperor Jing'an offered to accompany Hua Meng home, and she understood that he was using the visit as a pretext to see a doctor.
• Hua Meng promised to stay by Emperor Jing'an's side, and he was touched by her words.
• Hua Meng decided to wait until after Emperor Jing'an saw a doctor before giving him more spirit spring water.
• Consort Wan waited outside the side hall at Sparrow Plume Palace and asked Hua Meng about Emperor Jing'an's complexion, noting that he had not summoned Consort Bai the previous night.

Hua Meng watched Emperor Jing'an’s growing favor for her fuel palace rumors, but stayed close to him as she waited for the chance to leave the palace. At last, he told her she would accompany him outside the palace early the next morning.

• Consort Wan discussed Consort Bai’s family background and the rumors sparked when Emperor Jing'an did not summon her on her first night, while Hua Meng changed the subject.
• Emperor Jing'an later arranged for Consort Bai to attend him, then began summoning the new palace candidates every other night.
• Hua Meng realized Emperor Jing'an was only going through the motions with the other women and that he had set his heart on her.
• Hua Meng continued visiting Emperor Jing'an at the Phoenix Approaches Palace despite rumors that he favored her, believing she could not afford to retreat.
• Emperor Jing'an visited Hua Meng at the Sparrow Plume Palace and told her she would leave the palace with him early the next morning.

Hua Meng comforted Emperor Jing'an over his doubts about whether he could father a child, and the two shared a tender night together. Emperor Jing'an promised her a special title if she proved pregnant, then fell asleep holding her as they prepared to leave the palace the next day.

• Emperor Jing'an told Hua Meng that he was unsure whether his body could still give her a child.
• Hua Meng comforted Emperor Jing'an by suggesting she might already be pregnant, and he promised her a good title if it was confirmed.
• Hua Meng thanked Emperor Jing'an and said she looked forward to the title he had promised.
• After they washed, Qiu Die and the others changed the bedding, and Hua Meng and Emperor Jing'an settled down to sleep.
• Hua Meng slipped into Emperor Jing'an's arms while he was still awake, and he held her as he fell into a restful sleep.

Hua Meng accompanied Emperor Jing'an out of the palace to visit the physician, enjoying the sights and his attentions along the way. The chapter ended as their carriage arrived at the Hua Family residence.

• Hua Meng dressed in the clothes Emperor Jing'an had chosen for her and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.
• Hua Meng and Emperor Jing'an rode through the city, and he watched her happily admire the streets.
• Emperor Jing'an stopped the carriage in South City and had Wei Fugui bring in warm meat pies Hua Meng had once praised.
• Hua Meng embraced Emperor Jing'an and told him he was good to her after learning Xiao Jiangzi had queued for the pies.
• The carriage arrived at the Hua Family residence.

Emperor Jing'an and Hua Meng arrived at the Hua residence to carry out their plan, only to learn that Lu Shi had become genuinely ill after deliberately trying to make herself appear sick. Hua Meng rushed to her mother, while Lin Ming explained Lu Shi’s actions to Emperor Jing'an before leading him to a courtyard for their real business.

• The gatekeeper told Hua Meng that Lu Shi was unwell and that the family had summoned doctors.
• Emperor Jing'an ordered Xiao Jiangzi to fetch Imperial Physician Jiang, then entered the Hua residence with Hua Meng.
• Lin Ming explained that Lu Shi had bathed in cold water and exposed herself to wind until she developed a high fever and became delirious.
• Hua Meng hurried to see Lu Shi, and Emperor Jing'an praised Lu Shi’s sacrifice as Lin Ming described her humble background and marriage to Tengfei.
• Lin Ming led Emperor Jing'an to a refined courtyard set aside for him.

Hua Meng secretly gave her unconscious mother Lu Shi a drop of Spirit Spring water, and Lu Shi soon woke and began recovering. After Lu Shi urged her to attend to Emperor Jing'an, Hua Meng returned to the small courtyard where he was staying.

• Hua Meng learned from Liu Shi that Lu Shi had a fever and had not improved after taking medicine.
• Hua Meng entered Lu Shi's room and saw her unconscious, while her sisters-in-law and elder sister cared for her.
• Hua Meng secretly fed Lu Shi a drop of Spirit Spring water while wiping her lips.
• Lu Shi woke shortly afterward, and her family hurried to care for her and bring her medicine.
• After taking the medicine, Lu Shi told Hua Meng to attend to Emperor Jing'an, and Hua Meng left for the small courtyard.

Hua Meng returned to attend Emperor Jing'an while physicians investigated the cause of his illness. They suspected he had been poisoned but could not identify the poison, and the chapter ended with them discussing remedies.

• Hua Meng told her father that Lu Shi had regained consciousness and explained that her mother had sent her to attend Emperor Jing'an.
• Lin Ming gave Hua Meng a list of supplies and told her to have Wei Fugui and Hua Tengfei purchase them.
• Two old physicians told Emperor Jing'an they suspected poisoning but could not yet determine the poison.
• Imperial Physician Jiang showed the physicians an Essence-Producing Pill, and they advised adding schisandra.
• One of the old physicians offered a prescription for Grass-Insect Decoction suited to Emperor Jing'an's symptoms.