Recaps

Gu Wanning and Xu Weibei grew closer while navigating Yiling’s interest in him and the upheaval at Jin Huayu’s wedding. Afterward, Gu Wanning helped Second Concubine plan to protect her finances and prepare for an independent future, then chose to spend First Madam’s birthday cooking at home with Xu Weibei.

• Xu Weibei revealed his wealth and promised Gu Wanning he would not force her to marry him or let his grandmother bully her, and they spent their first night together.
• Xu Weibei left the shops’ management to Gu Wanning, while she and Third Concubine wondered about his condition and agreed to wait for Physician Bian.
• Gu Wanning exposed Yiling as a woman disguised as a young man, and Yiling later offered her merfolk’s tears in exchange for keeping Xu Weibei from marrying her.
• Gu Wanning and Third Concubine discovered that Shi Xin and her relatives were demanding expensive gifts and money from Second Concubine’s family before the wedding.
• At Jin Huayu’s wedding, the bride’s aunt demanded six thousand taels, and Second Concubine rejected the demand and gave up the betrothal gifts rather than pay.
• Second Concubine broke down after the wedding dispute, and Gu Wanning urged her to consider her own future, and Xu Weibei later defended Gu Wanning when a guest insulted her.
• Second Concubine revealed that Concubine Yu’s relatives had entered the Jin family’s shops and accessed its accounts, and Shi Xin apologized while Jin Huayu defended her.
• Gu Wanning advised Second Concubine to secure Jin Huayu’s property before confronting Shi Xin, then agreed to ask the Marquis to help her register as a female head of household.
• Er Ya told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei’s birthday gift had helped her buy her mother a gold bracelet, and Gu Wanning chose to cook for Xu Weibei rather than attend First Madam’s birthday meal.

Gu Wanning and Xu Weibei confronted their painful family histories while navigating court politics and strained relationships. After Yiling helped save Princess Qingyi and her newborn daughter, Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning to marry him again, but she remained unwilling.

• Yiling offered to find a doctor for Xu Weibei, and Gu Wanning later met Yi Xiu, who refused to treat him because it was not his specialty.
• The emperor proposed that Xu Weibei and Gu Wanning marry again, but Xu Weibei asked him to withdraw the decree because Gu Wanning was unwilling.
• Gu Wanning refused the emperor’s marriage proposal, confronted Gu Yuanshi, and secured the right to avoid kneeling and a Death-Exemption Gold Plaque.
• The emperor revealed that Xu Weibei’s mother was a Southern Border princess and that Xu Weibei was Yi Xiu’s older cousin.
• Physician Bian told Xu Weibei how the Grand Princess had betrayed his mother and how his mother had left him medicine and a gift for the woman he loved.
• Gu Yuanshi admitted he had wronged Gu Wanning, while she reassured Xu Weibei that she loved him and urged him not to blame himself for his parents’ past.
• Yiling suggested that Xu Weibei move to the Southern Border, but Gu Wanning said he would not agree, then hurried to Princess Qingyi’s side when she went into difficult labor with twins.
• After Princess Qingyi delivered a daughter and began bleeding heavily, Yiling treated her and stopped the bleeding, and Xu Weibei later asked Gu Wanning to marry him again, but she changed the subject.