Recaps

Gu Wanning learned that Gu Anqi had arranged a marriage for Gu Xiaoxiao, who agreed to wed a widowed military officer, but Gu Xiaoxiao blamed Gu Wanning and plotted revenge by targeting Xu Weibei. Gu Wanning and Er Ya suspected Gu Xiaoxiao’s quiet behavior concealed another scheme.

• Gu Anqi rejected Gu Yuanshi’s idea of asking the Marquis to marry Gu Xiaoxiao and insisted he would handle her marriage himself.
• Gu Anqi offered Gu Xiaoxiao a choice between marrying a thirty-year-old widowed military officer with two children or returning to the countryside to marry someone chosen by her parents.
• Gu Xiaoxiao accepted the match and began preparing her dowry, while Gu Wanning suspected she was pretending to settle down.
• Gu Xiaoxiao blamed Gu Wanning for her predicament and decided to retaliate by trying to take Xu Weibei away from her.
• Er Ya praised Gu Anqi for finding Gu Xiaoxiao a husband, while Gu Wanning warned that Gu Xiaoxiao’s silence likely meant she was plotting trouble.

Gu Wanning oversaw the corn planting and dismissed Er Ya’s belief that Xu Weibei’s gifts meant he was seriously pursuing her. After Xu Weibei arrived exhausted and hungry, she fed him before he went to see the emperor.

• Gu Wanning worried that the desperate woman might target her father’s political enemies, while Er Ya guessed she would pursue the Prince of Qin.
• Gu Wanning visited her estate to watch the workers plant corn and heard a neighboring estate manager praise her and her father.
• Xu Weibei sent Gu Wanning an agate bowl, which she refused, and then an eight-treasure duck, which she accepted and enjoyed.
• Gu Wanning told Er Ya that Xu Weibei could not let go of their amicable divorce and would eventually lose interest in her.
• Xu Weibei visited after eating nothing all day, explaining that he had worked in the fields and repaired blocked irrigation channels before needing to see the emperor.
• Gu Wanning made Xu Weibei fried eggs and mutton dough-drop soup, which he ate, then offered him a hawthorn pill that he refused.

Xu Weibei visited Gu Wanning before going to the palace, and their teasing turned serious when she warned him that Gu Xiaoxiao wanted to marry him. He left her an extravagant pearl as payment for a meal, which Gu Wanning planned to return later.

• Xu Weibei washed up at Gu Wanning's home and asked her to comb his tangled hair, which she reluctantly did.
• Xu Weibei said he had dealt with the Xie family, and Gu Wanning questioned whether he might set fire to their residence.
• Gu Wanning warned Xu Weibei that Gu Xiaoxiao wanted to marry him and might try something, and he vowed to stop her if she made a move.
• Xu Weibei left a pouch on the table as payment for the meal and hurried to the palace.
• Gu Wanning discovered the pouch held an enormous pearl worth at least ten thousand taels and decided to return it later.

Gu Wanning went to her family home for a meal and found Xu Weibei there, having taken a roundabout route to see her. She kept her distance while helping in the kitchen, and Xu Weibei remained at the house with her family.

• Gu Wanning planned to visit her family and Xu Qiaoqiao, then slept in while Zhi Nu recited lessons in the courtyard.
• Xu Weibei waited at Gu Wanning's family home after visiting Gu Yuanshi on business, and Gu Yuanshi invited him to stay for a meal.
• Gu Wanning arrived with meat and was surprised to find Xu Weibei in the courtyard; he offered to carry her things, but she handed them to a servant woman.
• Gu Xiaoxiao came out dressed up and offered to help cook, while Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning to show him around.
• Gu Anfang invited Xu Weibei outside to look at his pony, and Gu Wanning went to the kitchen to help He Shi cook.

Gu Wanning visited her maiden home, where Gu Xiaoxiao brought Xu Weibei quail soup while pretending Gu Wanning had prepared it. When Gu Yuanshi served wine to Xu Weibei, Gu Wanning noticed the jar differed from the one she remembered and suspected it might be connected to the plot to frame him.

• He Shi told Gu Wanning that Gu Wanqing had been unable to return, and described how the princess consort was burdened by her birth family and life in the prince's residence.
• He Shi explained that the quail she had bought were cheap because someone had taken their tongues, prompting Gu Yuanshi to decide to investigate the household responsible and impeach them.
• Gu Xiaoxiao carried Xu Weibei a bowl of quail soup and claimed Gu Wanning had watched it simmer, though Gu Wanning had done no such thing.
• Gu Anfang and Xu Weibei talked about horses and proposed drinking, so Gu Yuanshi had a jar of fine wine brought out for their guest.
• Gu Wanning recognized that the wine jar differed from the one she had seen before and watched it closely, suspecting it might be part of the scheme to frame Gu Yuanshi.

At dinner, Gu Wanning inspected the wine jar with Xu Weibei’s dagger, while Xu Weibei unexpectedly became flushed and ill after one bowl. Gu Anfang carried him to a room, and Gu Wanning questioned whether he had been drinking before the meal as she noticed redness across his exposed skin.

• Gu Wanning teased Gu Anfang, then borrowed Xu Weibei’s dagger to cut mutton and secretly check the wine jar.
• Xu Weibei whispered to Gu Wanning about her soup, and his closeness left her family exchanging puzzled looks.
• Xu Weibei stumbled and claimed he could not hold his liquor, while Gu Wanning inspected the jar and took the remaining wine home.
• Xu Weibei grew intensely hot and red after drinking, and Gu Anfang carried him to his room.
• Gu Wanning asked whether Xu Weibei had drunk before arriving, and noticed that his neck, hands, wrists, and other exposed skin were red.

Xu Weibei collapsed after being drugged, and Gu Wanning suspected Gu Xiaoxiao had tampered with his food. Third Concubine identified the drug as an aphrodisiac, leaving Gu Wanning scrambling to find a way to help him.

• Gu Wanning noticed Gu Xiaoxiao acting suspiciously and ordered Zhi Nu to guard the food while Gu Anqi had the door watched.
• A doctor found nothing wrong with Xu Weibei, so Gu Wanning waited for Third Concubine to examine him.
• Third Concubine asked the Gu family to leave, then told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei had been given an aphrodisiac.
• Gu Wanning realized Gu Xiaoxiao was likely responsible and wondered whether Second Concubine might be willing to help Xu Weibei.

Gu Wanning and Third Concubine realized that Xu Weibei’s strange reaction to the drug suggested he had been taking something that suppressed his desires. The chapter left them suspecting he had been secretly drugged for a long time, despite the Grand Princess’s efforts to arrange an heir.

• Third Concubine ordered cool water prepared, and Gu Anfang put Xu Weibei into Gu Wanning’s bathtub to calm the drug’s effects.
• Xu Weibei regained some control in the cold water and angrily ordered Gu Xiaoxiao beaten for drugging him.
• Third Concubine explained that Xu Weibei’s reaction differed from that of a normal man because he could not perform.
• Gu Wanning and Third Concubine suspected someone had been continuously drugging Xu Weibei to suppress his normal desires.
• Gu Wanning realized their suspicion explained why Xu Weibei had never had a woman or man by his side, even as the Grand Princess tried to arrange for him to have a child.

Gu Wanning learned that Xu Weibei was unable to perform as a man and worried that his condition might endanger his life. She decided to hint at the problem rather than leave him ignorant, and the chapter ended with Xu Weibei blaming her for letting Gu Xiaoxiao bring him the soup.

• Third Concubine told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei’s longtime physician, Bian, had cared for him during his campaigns and had recently returned to his hometown.
• Gu Wanning asked whether Xu Weibei could be cured, and Third Concubine admitted she did not know but believed his life was not in danger.
• Third Concubine suggested Gu Wanning reconsider Xu Weibei as a husband, but Gu Wanning focused on finding a way to warn him about his condition.
• Gu Anfang vowed to investigate whether Gu Xiaoxiao had tampered with something, while Gu Wanning took Third Concubine into Xu Weibei’s room.
• Xu Weibei, lying beneath a quilt after climbing out of the bathtub, angrily accused Gu Wanning of failing to stop the woman who brought him soup.

After Xu Weibei recovered from the drug, he considered how to use the incident to grow closer to Gu Wanning and decided Gu Xiaoxiao should be removed as a threat. When Zhi Nu visited, Xu Weibei tried to make him worry that Gu Wanning’s future marriage would separate them.

• Third Concubine examined Xu Weibei and confirmed the drug had worn off, while he insisted he still felt hot and demanded a thinner quilt.
• Gu Wanning left to confront Gu Xiaoxiao and her father, and Third Concubine followed her.
• Alone, Xu Weibei considered pretending to be weak to win Gu Wanning’s sympathy and decided he might have to deal with Gu Xiaoxiao himself.
• Zhi Nu came to check on Xu Weibei, who praised him and asked whether he would choose Gu Wanning or his birth parents.
• Xu Weibei warned Zhi Nu that Gu Wanning might marry and that her future husband could limit how often they saw each other.

Gu Xiaoxiao was exposed for drugging Xu Weibei in an attempt to get him, and the Gu family confronted her before Gao Lan arrived to take her into custody. Gu Yuanshi appealed to Xu Weibei, who condemned his poor judgment and demanded to know whether he had treated Gu Wanning fairly.

• Xu Weibei tried to win Zhi Nu over with the promise of a better horse, while Zhi Nu repeated Gu Wanning's refusal to marry again.
• Gu Xiaoxiao denied poisoning Xu Weibei and threatened to kill herself, but Gao Lan arrived and revealed her ties to Granny Wang and Peach-Red Garden.
• Gu Xiaoxiao admitted she had tried to avoid marrying an older widower by scheming to get Xu Weibei, and Gu Anqi rebuked her for comparing herself to Gu Wanning and Wanqing.
• Gao Lan said Xu Weibei had ordered Gu Xiaoxiao taken into custody, and Gu Yuanshi went to speak with the Marquis.
• Xu Weibei accused Gu Yuanshi of failing Gu Wanning and called him a muddlehead at home.

Xu Weibei pressured Gu Yuanshi to punish Gu Xiaoxiao, while Gu Wanning wondered about Xu Weibei’s condition and whether it explained his children. The chapter ended with Gu Wanning asking whether he had ever been injured on the battlefield, and Xu Weibei silently weighing his answer.

• Xu Weibei demanded an account from Gu Yuanshi within one day and insisted Gu Xiaoxiao be sent away and married off quickly.
• Gu Yuanshi ordered Gu Anqi to invite Gu Wanqing back and move Gu Xiaoxiao’s wedding forward, while Gu Anfang was told to watch her.
• Gu Wanning questioned whether Xu Weibei knew about his condition and wondered how Jiaoniang and A Yi had been born if he had never been able to perform.
• Xu Weibei clung to Gu Wanning and argued that she had been more comfortable at the Marquis’s Residence than with the Gu family.
• Gu Wanning asked Xu Weibei whether he had ever been injured on the battlefield, and he did not answer.

Xu Weibei told Gu Wanning about his battlefield wounds and early military achievements, while she questioned him about Jiaoniang and Linglong and grew suspicious of his answers. Their conversation ended when Er Ya announced that Gu Wanning’s eldest sister had returned.

• Xu Weibei said he had been wounded many times and described rising from foot soldier to Hundred-household Commander after killing thirty enemies in his first major battle.
• Xu Weibei showed Gu Wanning some of his scars, and she declined his offer to show her the wounds on his upper body.
• Gu Wanning asked about Jiaoniang’s mother, but Xu Weibei gave vague answers and kept the truth from her because he considered it too dangerous.
• Gu Wanning wondered whether Jiaoniang’s identity and her mother’s death concealed a deeper secret, then discussed Jiaoniang’s future with Xu Weibei.
• Gu Wanning asked why Xu Weibei had waited so long to take Linglong to his bed, and Er Ya interrupted them to announce that Gu Wanning’s eldest sister had returned.

Xu Weibei offered Third Concubine a chance to pursue medicine and demanded that she explain Gu Wanning’s intentions. Meanwhile, Gu Wanqing returned to the Gu family looking frail, and Gu Yuanshi asked her how they should handle Gu Xiaoxiao.

• Xu Weibei offered to support Third Concubine in opening a clinic and entering the Imperial Medical Academy, then pressed her to tell him what Gu Wanning had meant.
• Third Concubine, fearing Xu Weibei’s displeasure, told him everything Gu Wanning had said.
• Gu Wanning saw that Gu Wanqing had grown thin, while the Gu family questioned her about her illness.
• Gu Wanqing denied that the Prince had mistreated her and redirected the family to the matter at hand.
• Gu Yuanshi asked Gu Wanqing how the family should deal with Gu Xiaoxiao, whom they could no longer tolerate but did not want to abandon.

Gu Wanqing proposed taking Gu Xiaoxiao to serve as the Prince’s bedchamber maid after her engagement was broken off. Gu Xiaoxiao eagerly accepted despite her family’s objections, and Gu Yuanshi reluctantly let her go.

• Gu Anqi agreed to explain the situation to the groom’s family and break Gu Xiaoxiao’s engagement.
• Gu Wanqing offered to take Gu Xiaoxiao to the Prince’s residence as a bedchamber maid, with the possibility of promotion to concubine after she had children.
• Gu Yuanshi and Gu Anqi objected, while Gu Anfang and Wei Shi worried that the Prince was mistreating Gu Wanqing.
• Gu Xiaoxiao knelt and promised not to compete with Gu Wanqing, then pleaded with Gu Yuanshi to let her go with her sister.
• After asking Gu Xiaoxiao whether she was certain, Gu Yuanshi reluctantly agreed to grant her wish.

Gu Wanqing told Gu Wanning how the Prince of Qin’s repeated betrayals had destroyed her trust and led to the death of her maid Yun'er. She had sent Gu Xiaoxiao to the Prince of Qin's Residence, while Gu Wanqing herself remained at odds with the Prince of Qin.

• Gu Wanqing offered to take Gu Xiaoxiao to the Prince of Qin's Residence, and Gu Xiaoxiao eagerly agreed.
• Gu Wanning took Gu Wanqing to her courtyard to talk privately, while Xu Weibei brooded over Gu Wanning's dismissive attitude toward him.
• Gu Wanqing confessed that she had realized she married the wrong man after the Prince of Qin took other women into his residence and she lost her child.
• Gu Wanqing explained that she had struggled to protect her son An-ge, recovering her health and preventing the other women from becoming pregnant.
• Gu Wanqing said the Prince of Qin forced himself on Yun'er, who then threw herself into a well, and that she had a major fight with him and shut him out of her room.

Gu Wanqing told Gu Wanning that the Prince of Qin had threatened to kill their father and wipe out the Gu family, leaving her torn between seeking justice and protecting her son. Gu Wanning urged her to decide what she wanted and turned to check on Xu Weibei, fearing she might reveal the truth to him.

• Gu Wanqing recounted how the Prince of Qin had stopped visiting her and how his new favorite courtesan revealed his hatred of the Gu family.
• Gu Wanqing told Gu Wanning that the Prince had threatened to kill their father and destroy the Gu family, and said she would not let her family suffer for her marriage.
• Gu Wanqing explained that she feared telling their father and brothers because they might dismiss the threat or endanger An-ge's future.
• Gu Wanning told Gu Wanqing to decide what she wanted before speaking to their eldest brother, who had arrived and overheard them.
• Gu Wanning left the sisters to talk and went to check on Xu Weibei, worried she might impulsively tell him the truth.

Gu Wanning learned that Xu Weibei knew the truth about his condition and realized he might seek revenge on Linglong and Jiaoniang. She rushed to the Marquis's Residence to warn First Concubine, but Xu Weibei was nowhere to be found.

• Third Concubine told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei had learned the truth and returned to the residence without taking Gu Wanqing with him.
• Third Concubine explained that Xu Weibei had offered her a place at the Imperial Medical Academy in exchange for telling him the truth.
• Gu Wanning realized Xu Weibei might go after Linglong and Jiaoniang, then hurried to the Marquis's Residence to warn First Concubine.
• Gu Wanning arrived at the Marquis's Residence, where First Concubine asked if she had reconciled with Xu Weibei, but Xu Weibei had not returned.

Gu Wanning worried that the drunken Xu Weibei might hurt Jiaoniang after hearing slander about her parentage, so she asked Qin Lie to watch over him. Xu Weibei was eventually found asleep at another residence, and Qin Lie escorted Gu Wanning home.

• Gu Wanning told the concubines to watch for Xu Weibei and planned to speak with him if he returned drunk.
• Gu Wanning privately warned Qin Lie that Xu Weibei had heard slander claiming Jiaoniang was not his daughter, and Qin Lie agreed to keep watch.
• Qin Lie searched for Xu Weibei after he disappeared, while Gu Wanning remained worried at First Concubine's residence.
• Qin Lie learned that Xu Weibei was asleep at another residence after drinking too much.
• Qin Lie escorted Gu Wanning home and promised First Concubine he would return to rest in the front courtyard.

Gu Wanning learned that Gu Wanqing had taken Gu Xiaoxiao away and spoke with Gu Anwei, who urged her not to entangle herself in the Marquis’s affairs. After hearing that her second sister-in-law was pregnant, Gu Wanning decided to visit Xu Weibei, but he refused to see her.

• Gu Anwei told Gu Wanning that Gu Wanqing had taken Gu Xiaoxiao away and that the Gu family was worried about Gu Wanqing’s trouble with the Prince of Qin.
• Gu Anwei thanked Gu Wanning for preventing the Marquis from retaliating against the Gu family and warned her not to grow attached to the Marquis.
• Gu Anwei told Gu Wanning that Princess Qingyi was less than three months pregnant and asked her to visit and keep her company.
• Gu Wanning asked Qin Lie to take her to the detached residence to see Xu Weibei.
• Gao Lan told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei would not see her and had sent someone to bring Physician Bian back.

Xu Weibei reeled after realizing Physician Bian had concealed his condition, and Gu Wanning gave him space while sending food through Zhi Nu. After several days, Xu Weibei resumed his usual duties, though others noticed he seemed more hostile.

• Xu Weibei recalled how Physician Bian had cared for him while hiding his condition, and he sank into shame and anger.
• Gu Wanning visited Xu Weibei but left him alone, asking Zhi Nu to bring him food when he returned from school.
• Er Ya speculated that Gu Xiaoxiao's medicine had harmed Xu Weibei, but Gu Wanning dismissed the idea and focused on buying groceries.
• Zhi Nu delivered food to Xu Weibei's villa and returned with the empty carrier, asking Gu Wanning whether they could help him.
• Gu Wanning continued tending her crops and had Zhi Nu bring Xu Weibei food nearly every day; after three or four days, Xu Weibei resumed his routine with increased hostility.
• Gu Anfang complained to Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei was ignoring him and blamed Gu Xiaoxiao, while Gu Wanning made no comment.

Gu Wanning learned more about Xu Weibei’s past and worried that he had been unable to consummate their marriage. As Xu Weibei sank into despair while waiting for Physician Bian, Gao Lan discovered that Linglong had come to see him again.

• Gao Lan told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei had let a bedchamber maid leave and revealed that Linglong’s role was not what people assumed.
• Gao Lan reassured Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei knew she wanted to protect Jiaoniang and would not hurt anyone.
• Gao Lan told Xu Weibei that Gu Wanning had only asked him to take good care of him and described her busy life at the Estate.
• Xu Weibei concluded that Gu Wanning was better off without him and brooded over the possibility that he was not a normal man.
• Gao Lan learned that Linglong had returned and worried that she would upset Xu Weibei while he was in a foul mood.

Gao Lan coaxed Linglong into leaving while promising more silver and a future decision about her daughter’s status. Gu Wanning and Xu Qiaoqiao’s river-snail rice noodle shop opened to a packed crowd, while Gu Wanning wondered whether Xu Weibei had come to see it and He Shi struggled to raise an unspoken concern with Gu Anqi.

• Gao Lan persuaded Linglong to take her child home for the time being and promised to send more silver, asking her to wait six months or a year about the child’s status.
• Gu Wanning and Xu Qiaoqiao opened their shop, and Gu Wanning’s three brothers attracted a crowd that bought out the prepared ingredients by noon.
• Gu Anfang complained that the smell had ruined one of his good outfits, and Gu Wanning offered to give each of her brothers two new outfits.
• Er Ya told Gu Wanning she thought she had seen Xu Weibei near the shop, but she had not gotten a clear look, leaving Gu Wanning to wonder about his condition.
• He Shi visited her sons, then sat sewing while Gu Anqi worked; when he noticed her hesitation, he massaged her shoulders and asked what was on her mind.

Gu Wanning helped her busy shop and talked with Xu Qiaoqiao about her decision not to return home or marry. When Gu Anqi brought colleagues to dine at the shop, Er Ya urged Gu Wanning to greet them, suggesting he might be arranging another match with Fang Tingxiu.

• He Shi worried that the Marquis had stopped visiting Gu Wanning, but Gu Anqi refused to intervene and said Gu Wanning had plenty of potential suitors.
• Gu Wanning returned from the Estate and helped at the crowded shop, where Er Ya suggested renting the neighboring shop.
• Gu Wanning asked Xu Qiaoqiao when she planned to return home, and Xu Qiaoqiao admitted she did not want to marry and was still searching for someone.
• Xu Qiaoqiao thanked Gu Wanning for helping reassure her father, who had stopped pressing her to come home after learning whose daughter she was with.
• A waiter told Gu Wanning that her eldest brother had brought officials to the shop, and she sent them tiger-skin chicken feet and dried tofu.
• Er Ya urged Gu Wanning to greet the guests because Fang Tingxiu was among them, but Gu Wanning said she understood why he had refused to marry her.

Xu Qiaoqiao unexpectedly reunited with Fang Tingxiu at Gu Wanning’s shop after traveling to the Capital to check on him. She learned he had passed the examinations and asked why he had never sent word, leaving their painful misunderstanding unresolved.

• A porcelain crash brought Xu Qiaoqiao out of the kitchen, where she found Fang Tingxiu had spilled tea on his robe.
• Fang Tingxiu recognized Xu Qiaoqiao, took her hand, and anxiously asked why she was in the Capital.
• Xu Qiaoqiao led Fang Tingxiu to the rear courtyard to speak privately, while Xi'er stayed nearby.
• Xu Qiaoqiao told Fang Tingxiu she had come for fun and congratulated him on passing the examinations, though she struggled to hide her tears.
• Xu Qiaoqiao asked Fang Tingxiu why he had not sent word after passing with honors.