Chapter Summaries

Gu Wanning learned that her mother, Wei Shi, could barely walk because of persistent knee pain and urged her to seek better treatment. Wei Shi agreed to Gu Wanning's divorce and explained that Gu Yuanshi had secretly impeached Xu Weibei to protect his career, while Gu Wanning offered to bring Third Concubine to examine Wei Shi's legs.

• Wei Shi agreed that Gu Wanning could divorce Xu Weibei but asked her to live near her maiden family.
• Gu Wanning learned that Wei Shi's knees hurt so badly that she could barely walk, despite spending over a hundred taels on doctors and medicine.
• Wei Shi explained that Gu Yuanshi had submitted a memorial impeaching Xu Weibei to help him pass through a political warning safely.
• Gu Wanning understood that her father valued Xu Weibei's talent and had acted out of concern for both him and her.
• Gu Wanning promised to treat Xu Weibei's child kindly and offered to send Er Ya to bring Third Concubine to examine Wei Shi's legs.

Gu Wanning and Wei Shi discussed Er Ya’s future and the strained bond between Gu Wanning and Gu Wanqing. Gu Wanqing visited the family without the Prince of Qin, while Gu Xiaoxiao tried to ingratiate herself with her.

• Gu Wanning told Er Ya to arrange for Third Concubine to visit, and Er Ya proposed having her examine the women in the family.
• Wei Shi said she knew Er Ya liked Gu Wanning’s first brother and urged Gu Wanning not to keep Er Ya from finding a good match.
• Gu Wanqing arrived at the family home with maids and matrons, while the Prince of Qin stayed away because he had business.
• Gu Wanqing greeted Wei Shi and Gu Wanning, and Gu Xiaoxiao asked to visit the princely manor and offered to help there.
• Gu Wanqing explained that An Ge'er had been summoned to the palace by the Empress and that the Prince of Qin had not had time to prepare before she left.

Gu Wanning visited her family and felt stifled by the careful way her mother and sister treated her. She spent time with He Ge, Ling Ge, and Xu Weibei, and the visit ended with them sharing a rare watermelon.

• Wei Shi urged Gu Wanning to cherish her marriage and asked her to look after Gu Wanqing, while Gu Wanning reassured her that Gu Wanqing treated her well.
• Gu Wanning left Wei Shi and Gu Wanqing to visit the Marquis and He Ge, finding He Ge studying under Xu Weibei's watch.
• Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning where she had lived before marriage, and she explained that she and Gu Wanqing had shared the western wing.
• Ling Ge brought in sliced watermelon, and Gu Wanning explained that it was a costly treat in the Capital.
• He Ge and Ling Ge shared the watermelon with Gu Wanning and Xu Weibei, while Ling Ge eagerly ate his slice down to the rind.

Gu Wanning visited her maiden home with Xu Weibei, who avoided an awkward family gathering by going to pick vegetables with her. Gu Xiaoxiao tried to seduce Xu Weibei, but he sharply rebuffed her, leaving Ling Ge to help her up.

• Gu Yuanshi and his sons arrived, and the Prince of Qin eased the awkward mood while Xu Weibei remained cold and reserved.
• Gu Wanning stayed in the courtyard, and Xu Weibei joined her after leaving the reception hall.
• Gu Wanning suggested they pick vegetables together, and Xu Weibei agreed to wait while she fetched a basket.
• Gu Xiaoxiao tried to attract Xu Weibei by pretending to twist her ankle and asking him to help her up.
• Xu Weibei mocked Gu Xiaoxiao, and Ling Ge ran over to pull her up.

At the Gu family home, Gu Xiaoxiao falsely accused Gu Wanning after striking Ling Ge, and Gu Wanning denounced her and rejected the family’s habit of excusing her behavior. The birthday gathering resumed after others intervened, but Xu Weibei sensed that something about the family’s suffocating atmosphere was wrong.

• Gu Xiaoxiao slapped Ling Ge’s hand away, and Gu Wanning confronted her for bullying a child and pretending to be innocent.
• Gu Wanning accused Gu Xiaoxiao of trying to seduce a married man and warned that the Gu family would not send two daughters into the same household.
• Xu Weibei and the Prince of Qin tried to calm the dispute, while Gu Wanqing took Gu Xiaoxiao away to freshen up.
• Gu Wanning told her parents she would no longer acknowledge Gu Xiaoxiao as her sister or let her into her home.
• Gu Anqi and the Prince of Qin persuaded Gu Yuanshi to return inside, and Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning what had caused her sudden outburst.

Gu Wanning attended the birthday celebration, stood up for Ling Ge, and arranged for Third Concubine to examine Wei Shi. After the meal, Gu Yuanshi asked whether she truly intended to divorce the Marquis, and Gu Wanning explained that their differences and his many women made a lasting marriage unlikely.

• Gu Wanning told He Shi to comfort Ling Ge and warn him to avoid troublemakers, then stayed at the celebration rather than leave before eating.
• Gu Anwei invited Gu Wanning to visit the Princess's Residence and speak with her second sister-in-law, while Xu Weibei advised her to keep her distance from the Gu family.
• Third Concubine examined Wei Shi and said her longstanding illness might be relieved with a formula; she left to return to Jiaoniang, whose fever had gone down.
• After the meal, Gu Yuanshi summoned Gu Wanning to his study and asked whether she had truly decided to divorce the Marquis.
• Gu Wanning said her political differences with Gu Yuanshi made her position difficult, but admitted that even without them, her temperament and the Marquis's many women would make harmony unlikely.

Gu Wanning spoke with her father about her wish to divorce by mutual agreement, while warning him to watch over Gu Anqi and the family’s interests. As the visit ended, Gu Wanqing learned why the Empress had kept An-ge from visiting and accepted her mother’s advice to focus on raising him.

• Gu Wanning told Gu Yuanshi she would not remain in her marriage out of duty, and he promised the family would support her if he died.
• Gu Wanning privately warned Gu Anqi that Gu Wanqing might be unhappy and urged him to protect Gu Yuanshi’s calligraphy and paintings from being sold or used against him.
• The Prince of Qin mentioned that he had visited the Empress, prompting Wei Shi to question Gu Wanqing about An-ge’s absence.
• Gu Wanqing admitted the Empress had refused to let her bring An-ge to the Gu residence, and Wei Shi urged her to focus on raising him.
• Gu Wanqing and Gu Anqi agreed that Xiaoxiao should marry and leave the Capital, and Xu Weibei then led Gu Wanning and the others home.

After an arrow attack at the Gu family’s alley, Xu Weibei helped capture the attackers and returned home with Gu Wanning. He resented the Gu family’s treatment of her, and when she asked whether he still wanted a divorce, he had no ready answer.

• An arrow struck the Prince of Qin’s carriage, and Xu Weibei shielded Gu Wanning while guards secured the others and pursued the attackers.
• Gu Yuanshi said he believed the attack was tied to his reforms and urged his family to continue them if he died.
• Xu Weibei returned with news that six attackers had been caught, two alive, and the captives had been handed to the Five City Military Command.
• Xu Weibei grew angry over the Gu family’s closeness to Gu Wanqing and their neglect of Gu Wanning, while Gu Anfang eagerly asked to spar with him.
• On the ride home, Gu Wanning said her father had discussed their divorce and asked Xu Weibei whether he no longer wanted one.

Gu Wanning remained confused by Xu Weibei’s sudden mood swings, while her parents debated whether to arrange her divorce. Xu Weibei then confronted Gu Yuanshi and insisted he would handle the divorce himself, leaving Gu Yuanshi determined to challenge him.

• Gu Wanning suggested that her father would soon help with the divorce, and Xu Weibei fell silent before leaving the Marquis's Residence without her.
• Gu Wanning went to see Jiaoniang while Wei Shi and Gu Yuanshi discussed whether to support her wish to divorce Xu Weibei.
• Xu Weibei returned late and told Gu Yuanshi that he would handle his divorce from Gu Wanning himself and would not let outsiders interfere.
• Gu Yuanshi refused to back down, saying he would protect his daughter and would ask the emperor to decide if necessary.
• Xu Weibei’s forceful refusal strengthened Gu Yuanshi’s resolve to intervene.

Xu Weibei and Gu Wanning discussed their marriage, but she still believed he wanted a mutual divorce and planned to find another wife after it. At court the next morning, Gu Yuanshi unexpectedly stayed silent, leaving Xu Weibei and the officials wondering what he was planning.

• Gu Yuanshi and Wei Shi decided that Gu Yuanshi would explain the situation to the emperor, while Xu Weibei retreated from their argument over a mutual divorce.
• Gu Wanning kept out of Xu Weibei's way and told him Jiaoniang was fine before going to bed.
• Gu Wanning urged Xu Weibei to endure their marriage a little longer and asked what sort of woman he liked, but Xu Weibei told her to sleep.
• Xu Weibei lay awake with a sense that something was wrong, then went to court expecting Gu Yuanshi to impeach him.
• Gu Yuanshi said nothing throughout court and followed the emperor away afterward, making Xu Weibei and the officials suspect something was amiss.

Xu Weibei rushed to the palace and opposed Gu Yuanshi’s request for the emperor to arrange a mutual divorce. He insisted that he and Gu Wanning were devoted to each other, leaving the emperor caught between the two men’s demands.

• A palace eunuch summoned Xu Weibei while he was at the Ministry of War, and Xu Weibei hurried to the palace after hearing Gu Yuanshi was with the emperor.
• Gu Yuanshi asked the emperor to preside over his daughter’s mutual divorce from Xu Weibei, while Xu Weibei argued with him and claimed he and Gu Wanning were deeply devoted.
• The emperor proposed asking Gu Wanning whether she wanted a divorce, but Xu Weibei immediately objected because he knew she had agreed to it.
• Xu Weibei told Gu Yuanshi that he liked Gu Wanning as his wife and wanted them to grow old together if the Gu family stayed out of their affairs, then felt unexpectedly unsettled by his own words.

The emperor rejected Gu Yuanshi’s attempt to secure a divorce and reassigned Xu Weibei from the Northwest to the Ministry of Revenue, ordering him to reconcile with his father-in-law. Gu Yuanshi apologized publicly for his daughter’s sake, but Xu Weibei remained suspicious of him and left still determined to protect his wife.

• The emperor ordered Xu Weibei to serve in the Ministry of Revenue, removed him from responsibility for the Northwest, and told him to repair his relationship with Gu Yuanshi.
• Xu Weibei accepted the emperor’s decree, while Gu Yuanshi reluctantly gave up on asking for his daughter’s divorce for the time being.
• The emperor told Xu Weibei to treat Gu Yuanshi to drinks, and the two men left the imperial study as officials greeted Gu Yuanshi.
• Gu Yuanshi publicly apologized to Xu Weibei for his daughter’s behavior and asked him to be patient with her.
• Xu Weibei accused Gu Yuanshi of failing to care for his wife and walked away, privately savoring the thought of calling Gu Wanning his wife.

Gu Wanning learned that Xu Weibei had refused to divorce her and set out to confront him, while Xu Weibei discussed his move to the Ministry of Revenue with Qin Lie. The chapter ended with Qin Lie explaining that Lü Fuyi’s cousins had made his position with Old General Lü difficult.

• Xu Weibei worried about whether he would serve as minister or vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and news of his appointment spread.
• Gu Wanning’s father told her Xu Weibei had asked the emperor for a divorce but then refused, prompting her to set out to find him with Er Ya.
• Gu Wanning discovered Xu Weibei had left and vowed to settle accounts with him when he returned.
• Xu Weibei met Qin Lie for a drink and told him he would no longer be able to lead troops for a while.
• Qin Lie reaffirmed that he would follow Xu Weibei and explained that Old General Lü’s grandsons had made cutting remarks because Qin Lie refused to marry Lü Fuyi.

Xu Weibei and Qin Lie bonded over their ambitions and discussed Qin Lie’s reluctance to marry, but Qin Lie again asked to pursue First Concubine. Their talk about desire ended with Xu Weibei’s surprising claim that he never felt it when he was uninterested.

• Xu Weibei asked why Qin Lie had endured insults about marrying Lü Fuyi, and Qin Lie explained that he had wanted to preserve his ties with Old General Lü and earn military merit in the northwest.
• Qin Lie and Xu Weibei shared their ambitions, raised cups together, and discussed Qin Lie’s search for a wife.
• Xu Weibei offered to buy Qin Lie a concubine, but Qin Lie said he wanted only one woman and would choose a wife in his own time.
• Qin Lie confessed that he still desired a woman who did not like him and asked Xu Weibei for another chance to pursue First Concubine.
• Qin Lie asked whether Xu Weibei relied on his wife and concubines or handled desire himself, and Xu Weibei said he felt no urge when he was uninterested.

Gu Wanning confronted Xu Weibei over his refusal to agree to their divorce, while he insisted he would not change his position. She resolved to build her own standing through her corn and other useful crops, but Xu still expected her to remain at the Marquis’s Residence.

• Xu Weibei returned drunk and argued with Gu Wanning after she asked why he had rejected her father’s efforts to arrange their divorce.
• Gu Wanning accused Xu Weibei of breaking their agreement and asked what he wanted, while he said he had already announced that he would not agree to divorce.
• Gu Wanning gave up trying to persuade Xu and resolved to present her corn to the emperor and prove her value through her own efforts.
• Xu Weibei tried to reassure Gu Wanning that he would not mistreat her and told her to stay at the Marquis’s Residence, but she remained silent.

Xu Weibei reflected on why Gu Wanning wanted a divorce and realized he liked her and feared losing her. He decided to win her over, and Gao Lan advised him to dote on her and pay attention to small gestures.

• Unable to sleep, Xu Weibei went to the outer study and asked Gao Lan whether he had treated Gu Wanning well.
• Gao Lan told Xu Weibei that his treatment of Gu Wanning had not been good and that people mocked her because of his reputation.
• Gao Lan urged Xu Weibei to consider whether he opposed divorce because he feared losing Gu Wanning, and Xu Weibei realized he liked her.
• Xu Weibei asked Gao Lan how to make Gu Wanning abandon the idea of divorce.
• Gao Lan advised Xu Weibei to treat Gu Wanning gently and show his affection through small, thoughtful gestures.

Xu Weibei took Gao Lan’s advice to give Gu Wanning gifts and publicly show that he treated her well. Gu Wanning remained determined to leave the marriage, but she learned Xu Weibei had bought her an alpaca for fifty thousand taels.

• Gao Lan advised Xu Weibei that he should give Gu Wanning gifts and let others see him treating her well.
• Gu Wanning visited her corn and told the concubines she hoped to brew tea in her own house by winter.
• Gu Wanning and the concubines prepared to receive what they thought might be an imperial edict after hearing that gifts were arriving with gongs and drums.
• An alpaca ran up to Gu Wanning, and Gao Lan explained that Xu Weibei had bought it for her.
• Gu Wanning asked the price, and Gao Lan proudly said Xu Weibei had spent fifty thousand taels.

Xu Weibei sent Gu Wanning an alpaca as an extravagant gift, and she struggled to accept it while worrying about the cost and her corn. Xu Weibei eagerly sought her approval, but Gu Wanning remained baffled by his sudden affection.

• Gao Lan told Gu Wanning that Xu Weibei had bought the alpaca for fifty thousand taels, and she thanked him while planning to leave it behind after her divorce.
• Gu Wanning asked the concubines to care for the alpaca, then had Er Ya take it to the main courtyard and warned them to keep it away from her corn.
• Fourth Concubine tried to touch the alpaca, which spat at her, while the others found it would let women and children approach but spat at men.
• Xu Weibei returned and asked Gu Wanning whether she liked the gift, while Gao Lan assured him that the grand presentation had made his affection known across the Capital.
• Gu Wanning asked Xu Weibei whether he had eaten and explained that Jiaoniang had named the alpaca Little Flower and stayed to see it.

Xu Weibei tried to improve his relationship with Gu Wanning by giving her gifts and asking about her corn, but she remained distant. After struggling with the Ministry of Revenue’s depleted accounts, he went to question First Concubine about Gu Wanning and left when Jiaoniang cried.

• Xu Weibei noticed Gu Wanning had softened after receiving gifts and resolved to keep giving her presents.
• Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning about the corn at the Estate, and she said it would be ripe in about a month.
• Xu Weibei told Gu Wanning the Ministry of Revenue’s coffers were nearly empty and that he had sent people to review the accounts.
• Xu Weibei went to First Concubine’s room at midnight and asked whether Gu Wanning had confided any troubles to her.
• First Concubine denied knowing anything, and Xu Weibei’s harsh words made her kneel.
• Er Ya challenged Xu Weibei for frightening First Concubine, and he seized on Jiaoniang’s cries as an excuse to leave.

Fourth Concubine persuaded Gu Wanning to take her out for her birthday, while Xu Weibei overheard their exchange and discussed finding new places for the concubines. Xu Weibei also asked Gu Wanning to find out whether First Concubine would consider meeting Qin Lie.

• Fourth Concubine begged Gu Wanning to let her go out for her birthday, and Gu Wanning finally agreed on the condition that she be accompanied.
• Xu Weibei overheard Fourth Concubine’s pleas and, after she left without greeting him properly, entered to speak with Gu Wanning.
• Xu Weibei asked how the search for places for the concubines was going, and Gu Wanning said she would ask each woman what she wanted before reporting back.
• Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning why First Concubine feared him, and Gu Wanning said she worried he might give her away again.
• Xu Weibei asked Gu Wanning to find out whether First Concubine would meet Qin Lie, and Gu Wanning wondered whether the general had still not given up.