Recaps

After returning to Yingtian, Zhu Ying revealed that Shen Yu'er was Liu Bowen’s granddaughter and prepared to reconnect her with her surviving relatives. He also tightened security around his household and cut ties with Zhu Di’s businesses, leaving Zhu Di furious over the attacks on Beiping’s caravans and the closure of Zhu Ying’s shops.

• Zhu Ying returned to his Yingtian manor, reunited with Shen Yu'er and Lin Fu, and ordered a feast to reward his personal guards.
• Zhu Ying told Shen Yu'er that she was Liu Bowen’s granddaughter, and she accepted the revelation with relief and anger toward the Shen Family.
• Zhu Ying reassured Shen Yu'er that Liu Jing’s family still lived in the Prince of Gu’s fief and promised to seek permission for her to acknowledge her ancestors.
• Lin Fu reported that the liquor business was thriving, and Zhu Ying ordered a guarded rear courtyard and a secret underground chamber while refusing court officials’ requests for audiences.
• Zhu Ying told Shen Yu'er that he had retaliated against the Shen Family and that Shen Wang’s head had been sent to them.
• Zhu Di learned that caravans across Beiping Prefecture had been looted and that Zhu Ying’s distilleries and restaurants there had closed, and he blamed Zhu Ying for retaliating against him.

Zhu Di ordered a sweeping campaign against bandits in Beiping after Zhu Ying cut off their liquor business, while Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao separately wondered whether Zhu Ying might be the supposedly dead Zhu Xiongying. Zhu Yunteng became certain that Zhu Ying was his elder brother and vowed to investigate discreetly; five days later, the rest of the victorious Northern Expedition army returned to Yingtian.

• Zhu Di ordered the Northern Peace Army to escort merchant caravans and suppress bandits across Beiping, and he closed his taverns rather than continue the liquor trade.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Zhu Ying's resemblance to Xiongying and the matching bite mark, but dismissed the possibility that his grandson had returned from the dead.
• Zhu Biao praised Zhu Ying after their drinking and briefly wondered whether he was the same age Xiongying would have been.
• Zhu Yunteng told Yun Yu that Zhu Ying was his elder brother, the Imperial Eldest Grandson, and resolved to discover the truth without alerting the Lu clan.
• Five days later, Guo Ying, Lan Yu, Li Jinglong, and the returning Northern Expedition army arrived victorious in Yingtian.

After the Northern Expedition, Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded the generals, elevating Guo Ying and Lan Yu to dukes. At home, Zhu Ying activated the Great Han Military Soul inheritance and condensed it into his Marquis of Victory seal, gaining powerful bonuses for battles against foreign tribes.

• Zhu Yuanzhang praised the returning generals and elevated Guo Ying to Duke of Ying with gifts.
• Zhu Biao recommended Lan Yu for promotion, and Zhu Yuanzhang made him Duke of Liang.
• Zhu Ying claimed his rewards and activated the Great Han Military Soul inheritance, witnessing Huo Qubing lead Han forces against the Xiongnu.
• Zhu Ying condensed the military soul into his Marquis of Victory seal, which doubled his troops’ combat strength when attacking foreign tribes.
• Zhu Ying condensed his Commander of the Gendarmerie official seal, gaining doubled combat strength, morale, and stamina, along with the Blood Courage trait.

Zhu Ying opened four treasure chests and gained pigeon-rearing, telescope-making, and other methods, while Guo Ying and Lan Yu received ducal titles after the Northern Expedition. Zhu Yuanzhang arranged for Mu Ying to return to Yingtian for the New Year, discussed Zhu Biao’s succession concerns, and Lan Yu entered the Eastern Palace to summon Zhu Yunteng.

• Zhu Ying opened one Tier 1 and three Tier 2 treasure chests, obtaining a Pigeon Rearing Method, 500 Low-grade Spirit Stones, a Telescope Manufacturing Method, and a Sunflower Manual that required castration.
• Lin Fu told Zhu Ying that Guo Ying had been made Duke of Ying and Lan Yu Duke of Liang, and Zhu Ying reflected on how his presence had changed history.
• Zhu Yuanzhang granted the Northern Expedition generals leave, while Li Jinglong requested a month off and Mu Sheng asked permission for Mu Ying to visit Yingtian.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered an urgent carrier-pigeon message asking Mu Ying to bring his family to Yingtian for the New Year, then discussed the lost Imperial Seal and Zhu Biao’s need to secure an heir.
• Zhu Biao said he wished Zhu Ying were his son, and Lan Yu entered the Eastern Palace and ordered Lu clan to summon Zhu Yunteng.

Zhu Yunteng secretly told Lan Yu that the Marquis of Victory, Zhu Ying, was his supposedly dead elder brother, Zhu Xiongying, and pleaded with him to investigate. Lan Yu doubted the claim but agreed to hear Zhu Yunteng’s proposed way to prove that his brother was alive.

• Lan Yu confronted the Lu clan, warned her not to covet the position of legitimate heir, and demanded that she treat Zhu Yunteng well.
• Zhu Yunteng eagerly greeted Lan Yu on his return from the Northern Expedition and waited until the Lu clan and the palace maids had left before speaking privately.
• Zhu Yunteng told Lan Yu that Zhu Ying was actually his elder brother, Zhu Xiongying, but Lan Yu initially rejected the claim because Xiongying had been buried at Xiaoling Mausoleum.
• Zhu Yunteng insisted he recognized his brother by his eyes and the familiar feeling he gave him, then asked Lan Yu to investigate and find proof.
• Lan Yu remained skeptical but asked what method Zhu Yunteng had in mind to determine whether Xiongying was alive.

Zhu Yunteng urged Lan Yu to verify that Zhu Ying was really Zhu Xiongying by digging up the grave at the Filial Mausoleum, but Lan Yu refused to act on the claim without proof. Zhu Biao appointed Lan Yu to train both Zhu Yunteng and Yun Wen, while Lan Yu later began to wonder whether Zhu Yunteng might be right.

• Zhu Yunteng asked Lan Yu to dig up Zhu Xiongying’s grave at the Filial Mausoleum, but Lan Yu called the plan reckless and refused to proceed on hearsay.
• Zhu Biao arrived and criticized Zhu Yunteng for lacking imperial bearing; Lan Yu defended him and asked permission to train him.
• Lu clan objected to Lan Yu teaching Zhu Yunteng and suggested the Marquis of Victory teach Yun Wen, but Zhu Biao ordered Lan Yu to train both boys.
• Lan Yu left the Eastern Palace with Zhu Yunteng, who again pleaded with him to act so that his elder brother could return.
• At home, Lan Yu asked Madam Mu whether the dead could come back to life, then privately reconsidered Zhu Yunteng’s claim that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying.

Lan Yu persuaded Chang Mao to help him secretly investigate Zhu Yunteng’s belief that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying by planning to enter the Filial Mausoleum and open Xiongying’s grave. Meanwhile, Zhu Wenxi studied with Kong Yi, who began teaching him what mattered most in attaining enlightenment.

• Lan Yu decided to trust Zhu Yunteng’s claim that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying and rode to Chang Mao’s residence to discuss it.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao that Zhu Yunteng believed his elder brother was alive, but Chang Mao warned that they had no proof and could incur the Emperor’s wrath.
• Lan Yu proposed digging up Zhu Xiongying’s grave at the Filial Mausoleum, and Chang Mao reluctantly agreed to help investigate.
• Lan Yu and Chang Mao planned to have Chang Sen draw away the mausoleum guards and to leave Yingtian under the cover of a hunting trip.
• Zhu Wenxi questioned his teacher Kong Yi about drinking while teaching, and Kong Yi asked what was most important in attaining enlightenment.

Kong Yi explained his loyalty to the Huaxia Han people to Zhu Ying and affirmed why he had chosen to teach Zhu Wenxi, while Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Zhu Ying’s inscrutable nature and Lan Yu’s influence on Zhu Yunteng. At night, Lan Yu gathered men at Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and ordered them to dig it open.

• Kong Yi told Zhu Wenxi that he pursued spirit and loyalty to the Huaxia Han people rather than allegiance to a single dynasty.
• Zhu Ying and Kong Yi exchanged salutes, praised each other’s principles, and agreed to share a drink.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Zhu Ying’s restraint, his resistance to surveillance, and Zhu Yuanzhang’s suspicion that he did not fear imperial power.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao discussed Lan Yu teaching Zhu Yunteng and noted that Lan Yu and other generals had become more restrained.
• Lan Yu led Chang Sen and his adopted sons to Zhu Xiongying’s tomb at night and ordered them to dig it open.

Lan Yu, Chang Mao, and Chang Sen secretly opened Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and found that his remains were missing, while most burial objects remained. They reburied the coffin and left uncertain whether Zhu Ying was Xiongying or who had removed him from the grave.

• Lan Yu ordered his adopted sons to dig up Zhu Xiongying’s grave, with Chang Sen and Chang Mao reluctantly helping.
• Lan Yu and the others opened the coffin and found no remains, though most of the burial objects were still inside.
• Lan Yu rejected Chang Sen’s suggestion that tomb robbers had taken the remains, and he and Chang Mao wondered whether someone had secretly removed Zhu Xiongying alive or dead.
• Lan Yu noticed that two jade pieces bearing Zhu Xiongying’s posthumous titles were missing and considered whether Zhu Ying might be Xiongying.
• Lan Yu ordered the group to rebury the coffin and hide the disturbance, then discussed how little they knew about Zhu Xiongying’s disappearance.

Lan Yu told Chang Mao and Chang Sen that Xiongying’s remains were missing from the mausoleum, but the three could not prove whether he was alive or whether Zhu Ying was him. At the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunteng devised a plan to test Zhu Ying with a jade pendant, but Lan Yu worried that their poor relationship would make it hard to approach him.

• Lan Yu rejected Chang Sen’s suggestion to report the missing remains to His Majesty and decided to ask Zhu Yunteng what to do next.
• Lan Yu punished Zhu Yunwen with laps around the training ground while Zhu Yunteng held his stance; Zhu Yunwen silently vowed revenge against them.
• Lan Yu told Zhu Yunteng that Xiongying’s tomb held no remains, and Zhu Yunteng insisted that Zhu Ying was his elder brother, though Lan Yu demanded proof.
• Lan Yu recalled that two burial jade pendants were missing, and Zhu Yunteng proposed making a similar pendant to test Zhu Ying’s reaction.
• Lan Yu agreed to try the plan but asked how he could approach Zhu Ying, since they and Zhu Yunteng’s uncles had a poor relationship with him.

Lan Yu tried to apologize to Zhu Ying, who refused to see him but accepted his gifts while continuing to build his strength and plan against the Shen Family. Lan Yu intended to visit again with a jade pendant to test whether Zhu Ying was his grandnephew, while Chang Mao brought up news about the Xu clan.

• Lan Yu told Zhu Yunteng that he planned to visit Zhu Ying and ease their strained relationship once a jade pendant was ready.
• Zhu Ying ordered Liu Lei to expand the Black Guard, recruit skilled craftsmen, and speed up the secret passage beneath his residence.
• Zhu Ying refused to receive Lan Yu, but Lan Yu left gifts and promised to return; Zhu Ying decided to keep the presents.
• Zhu Ying ordered the Black Guard to spread word of the Shen Family's grudge against him and continue expanding its network, while he also arranged New Year rewards and leave for his men.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao he would return with the jade pendant to test Zhu Ying, then discussed New Year plans as Chang Mao mentioned news about the Xu clan.

Lan Yu visited Zhu Ying to apologize and invite him to his residence, increasingly convinced that Zhu Ying was his lost grandnephew, Zhu Xiongying. Seeing Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Xiongying made Lan Yu certain, and he decided to consult the Crown Prince as Zhu Wenxi chatted with him about visiting Zhu Yuanzhang.

• Chang Mao told Lan Yu that Xu Miaojin and a daughter of the Mu clan had remained unmarried, and Lan Yu recalled their childhood affection for Xiongying.
• Lan Yu returned to Zhu Ying’s residence, warmly apologized for his past hostility, and invited him to visit after the New Year.
• Lan Yu explained the Lunar New Year banquet customs and reminded Zhu Ying to prepare a gift for the Emperor.
• Zhu Wenxi entered and reminded Zhu Ying about their planned ride, and Lan Yu recognized his resemblance to Xiongying as a child.
• Lan Yu became certain Zhu Ying was Xiongying and considered discussing his suspicions with the Crown Prince.
• Zhu Wenxi told Lan Yu that he often visited Zhu Yuanzhang with his mother.

Lan Yu became convinced that Zhu Ying was Xiongying and began planning a secret search for evidence to prove his identity. Meanwhile, Mu Ying returned to Yingtian with his family and reunited with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

• Lan Yu visited Zhu Ying, apologized, and invited him to his residence after the New Year; Zhu Ying accepted while remaining wary of Lan Yu's change in attitude.
• Lan Yu told Chang Mao that Zhu Ying was certainly Xiongying because Zhu Wenxi looked like Xiongying as a child, and they agreed to investigate Xiongying's past in Beiping Prefecture and identify his grandmother.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao waited outside Wenyuan Pavilion for Mu Ying, who arrived with Consort Geng and his children and paid his respects to them.
• Zhu Yuanzhang welcomed Mu Ying and his family into the hall, greeted Mu Ya warmly, and urged everyone to sit informally for their family reunion.
• Mu Ying expressed concern over Zhu Yuanzhang's workload, and Zhu Biao asked him to keep an eye on their father.

Mu Ying reunited with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, then learned Zhu Ying was already married and could not be matched with Mu Ya. At the Lunar New Year's Eve banquet, Xu Miaojin mistook Zhu Ying for Zhu Xiongying, and Mu Ying finally met the young Marquis of Victory.

• Mu Ying promised to visit Zhu Yuanzhang often and asked after his son Mu Sheng, whom Zhu Biao praised for his service in battle.
• Mu Ying expressed interest in finding a match for Mu Ya with Zhu Ying, but Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao told him Zhu Ying was married and had a young son; Mu Ya insisted she would not marry.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Xu Miaojin's recent flight from home and lamented that Zhu Xiongying was gone, before welcoming Mu Ying to a family meal.
• On Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhu Ying arrived at the imperial palace with Shen Yu'er and Zhu Wenxi for the banquet and greeted Xu Huizu.
• Xu Miaojin met Zhu Ying, stared into his eyes, and called him “Brother Xiongying,” saying he resembled an old acquaintance.
• Mu Ying arrived with Mu Sheng, warmly greeted Zhu Ying, and exchanged compliments with him.

Zhu Ying met the Mu family at court, where Mu Ya reacted to him with the same recognition as Xu Miaojin. Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Zhu Xiongying stunned them further, while Lan Yu’s friendly attitude toward Zhu Ying unsettled Lu Ben; the chapter ended as officials entered Fengtian Hall for the imperial banquet.

• Mu Sheng introduced Zhu Ying to his brothers and Mu Ya, who stared at Zhu Ying and inwardly called him Brother Xiongying.
• Xu Huizu joked that Mu Ya liked young heroes like Xu Miaojin, while Shen Yu'er noticed both women seemed to recognize Zhu Ying.
• Lan Yu warmly greeted Zhu Ying, surprising officials and worrying Lu Ben, who had hoped to recruit Zhu Ying for Zhu Yunwen.
• Xu Huizu, Mu Ying, Xu Miaojin, and Mu Ya were stunned by Zhu Wenxi’s resemblance to Zhu Xiongying as a child.
• Zhu Ying introduced Shen Yu'er and Zhu Wenxi, and explained that Shen Yu'er would return to her original family name.
• Yun Qi announced the imperial banquet, and the officials entered Fengtian Hall as Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya continued watching Zhu Ying and Zhu Wenxi.

On Lunar New Year's Eve, Zhu Ying hosted a lively reunion feast for his guards while Zhu Yuanzhang endured a somber imperial family banquet. Memories of Zhu Xiongying deepened Zhu Yuanzhang's loneliness, and he entered Cining Palace alone.

• Mu Ya and Xu Miaojin noticed that Zhu Ying and Zhu Wenxi resembled Zhu Xiongying, then wondered whether it was more than coincidence.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao welcomed the ministers to a state banquet, but Zhu Yuanzhang said the officials only wanted to return home to their families.
• Zhu Ying held a lively Lunar New Year's Eve feast at Zhu Manor, welcomed Kong Yi and his family, and gave each of his personal guards at least twenty taels of silver.
• Kong Yi used the gathering to teach his son, Kong Gongjian, that military life was purer than the deceptions of officialdom.
• At the imperial family banquet, Zhu Yuanzhang found everyone subdued and left after asking Zhu Biao to oversee the gathering.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Lunar New Year's Eves with Zhu Xiongying, then entered Cining Palace alone.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao remembered the family members they had lost, while Lan Yu became convinced that Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying and gathered Huai West generals to welcome him. Zhu Ying attended Lan Yu’s banquet suspicious of his motives and began to suspect Lan Yu wanted to win him over to support Zhu Yunteng.

• Zhu Yuanzhang visited the memorial tablets of his wife and Zhu Xiongying, and Zhu Biao joined him to offer incense and comfort him.
• Lan Yu told Mu clan that he believed Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying, saying he and Chang Mao had found the coffin in the Filial Mausoleum empty.
• Lan Yu gathered the Huai West generals at his residence and told them to treat Zhu Ying warmly, while Chang Mao promised they would understand the reason later.
• Lan Yu personally welcomed Zhu Ying, who arrived with wine, and brought him into the residence where the Huai West generals had assembled.
• Lan Yu, Chang Mao, and the generals apologized to Zhu Ying over wine, and Lan Yu said Zhu Yunteng had urged them to make amends because Zhu Ying resembled Wen Xi.
• Zhu Ying wondered whether Lan Yu was trying to win his support for Zhu Yunteng.

Lan Yu told Zhu Biao that he suspected Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying and confessed that he had dug up Xiongying’s grave to verify it. Zhu Biao’s hope turned to fury as Lan Yu revealed his crime.

• After Lan Yu gave Zhu Ying a jade pendant matching his grandmother’s, Zhu Ying wondered whether his parents had ties to Yingtian and decided to investigate his origins.
• Lan Yu and Chang Mao concluded that Zhu Ying was likely Xiongying and went to the Eastern Palace to tell Zhu Biao.
• Lan Yu asked Zhu Biao to dismiss the attendants, then said Zhu Yunteng had identified Zhu Ying as Zhu Xiongying.
• Zhu Biao rejected the claim at first, but became eager to hear how Lan Yu had verified it.
• Lan Yu confessed that he had gone to the Filial Mausoleum and dug open Xiongying’s grave, provoking Zhu Biao’s fury.

Lan Yu told Zhu Biao that Xiongying's coffin was empty and argued that Zhu Ying was the supposedly deceased prince, perhaps saved and sent away by Empress Ma. Zhu Biao began to believe him but demanded concrete proof, and Lan Yu promised to investigate while asking Zhu Biao to search the old records in Yingtian.

• Zhu Biao furiously confronted Lan Yu after learning that he had entered the Filial Mausoleum and opened Xiongying's grave, but agreed to hear his explanation.
• Lan Yu revealed that Xiongying's coffin held no remains, though the burial objects remained except for two jade pieces, leading him to suspect that Xiongying had survived and been removed from the tomb.
• Lan Yu argued that Empress Ma might have faked Xiongying's death and sent him away, citing Zhu Ying's age, appearance, unknown origins, and resemblance to Xiongying and Wen Xi.
• Chang Mao admitted that he and Chang Sen had helped Lan Yu enter the Filial Mausoleum, while Lan Yu showed Zhu Biao a design of the missing jade pieces and said Zhu Ying had recognized their imitation.
• Zhu Biao said Lan Yu's claims still lacked proof, and Lan Yu promised to investigate Zhu Ying's grandmother and household records in Beiping while asking Zhu Biao to secretly examine the old case files in Yingtian.

Zhu Biao believed Lan Yu’s claim that Zhu Ying might be Zhu Xiongying and vowed to investigate the prince’s disappearance and the old smallpox incident. Zhu Yuanzhang dreamed of young Zhu Xiongying before waking as the vision vanished.

• Zhu Biao agreed to investigate whether Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying and uncover the truth behind the smallpox incident, while Lan Yu urged him to protect Xiongying from hidden threats.
• Lu clan brought lunch to the Eastern Palace and grew wary after Lan Yu and Chang Mao left; Zhu Biao told her to take Zhu Yunwen to her family home while Zhu Yunteng would visit his great-uncle.
• Zhu Biao considered the two jade pendants as a way to confirm Zhu Ying’s identity and wondered whether Xiongying had lost his memories.
• Lan Yu and Chang Mao took Zhu Yunteng to Lan Yu’s residence for a New Year family gathering, while Yun Yu stayed behind at Lu clan’s order.
• Zhu Yuanzhang dreamed that young Zhu Xiongying complained about Xu Miaojin’s bite and joked about marrying her and Ya’er, but the boy vanished when Zhu Yuanzhang reached for him, waking him.

After dreaming of Zhu Xiongying, Zhu Yuanzhang connected Zhu Ying’s age, southern accent, resemblance to Xiongying, and bite mark, and ordered Jiang Yan to investigate Zhu Ying’s family and secretly inspect Xiongying’s tomb. Meanwhile, Lan Yu and Chang Mao told Zhu Yunteng that they had found new evidence and that Zhu Biao knew of their efforts to prove Zhu Ying’s identity.

• Zhu Yuanzhang woke from a dream of Zhu Xiongying and began to suspect that Zhu Ying was his grandson.
• Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Jiang Yan and questioned him about Zhu Ying’s southern accent and origins.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Jiang Yan to investigate Zhu Ying’s parents and grandmother, then secretly check whether Zhu Xiongying’s remains were in the Filial Mausoleum.
• Jiang Yan realized Zhu Yuanzhang suspected Zhu Ying was Xiongying, and Zhu Yuanzhang told him to keep the investigation from Zhu Biao until the facts were clear.
• At the Duke of Liang’s Residence, Lan Yu and Chang Mao told Zhu Yunteng they had found more evidence and that Zhu Biao knew about their visit to the Filial Mausoleum.

Lan Yu and Chang Mao learned that Lu clan had spent years abusing Zhu Yunteng and urged him to reclaim his confidence as the Crown Prince's Legitimate Son. Lan Yu suggested Lu clan might also have caused Zhu Yunteng's mother's difficult childbirth and harmed Zhu Xiongying, leaving Zhu Yunteng furious and determined to oppose her.

• Lan Yu told Zhu Yunteng that the Crown Prince believed Zhu Xiongying was alive and would investigate his brother's past.
• Chang Mao warned Lan Yu not to accuse Lu clan before the Crown Prince until Zhu Xiongying returned.
• Zhu Yunteng confessed that Lu clan had kept him from studying, withheld his allowances, and mistreated him for years.
• Lan Yu and Chang Mao reassured Zhu Yunteng that his mother's death in childbirth was not his fault and reminded him of his status as the Crown Prince's Legitimate Son.
• Lan Yu speculated that Lu clan had caused the difficult childbirth and harmed Zhu Xiongying, and Zhu Yunteng vowed to make her pay.

Lan Yu encouraged Zhu Yunteng to use his status as the Eastern Palace’s Legitimate Son and promised him twenty guards to counter the Lü clan. Meanwhile, the Lü clan and Lu Ben worried over Zhu Yunteng, court rumors, and Lan Yu’s alliance with Zhu Ying, while Zhu Ying examined the jade pendants Lan Yu had given him.

• Lan Yu convinced Zhu Yunteng that his status meant the Lü clan could not bully him if he stood firm, and Zhu Yunteng resolved to protect his sisters and prepare for his elder brother’s return.
• Zhu Yunteng asked Lan Yu for guards, and Lan Yu promised him twenty battle-hardened men from his personal guard.
• The Lü clan told Lu Ben that Lan Yu and Chang Mao had met the Crown Prince, and Lu Ben warned that rumors suggested the Crown Prince might appoint a new Crown Princess Consort.
• Lu Ben told the Lü clan to watch Zhu Yunteng and voiced concern that Lan Yu had begun associating with Zhu Ying; the Lü clan suggested killing Zhu Yunteng, but Lu Ben rejected acting recklessly.
• Liu Lei reported that the secret chamber beneath Zhu Ying’s residence was progressing ahead of schedule, and Zhu Ying told him to coordinate with Uncle Lin while he studied the jade pendants.

Zhu Ying ordered the Black Guard to investigate the origins of his jade pendant while Jiang Yan secretly opened Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and found no remains. Zhu Yuanzhang learned the coffin was empty, but Jiang Yan reported that two jade pieces the Emperor remembered were missing.

• Zhu Ying compared his jade pendant with Lan Yu’s, suspected they came from the same source, and ordered Xiao Han to have the Black Guard investigate it discreetly.
• Jiang Yan led ten trusted Imperial Guards into the Filial Mausoleum and secretly opened Zhu Xiongying’s coffin.
• Jiang Yan found no remains in the coffin, though the burial robe and burial objects were still there, and ordered his men to keep the discovery secret before restoring the tomb.
• Jiang Yan hurried to Cining Palace and told Zhu Yuanzhang that the coffin contained no remains and showed him the burial garments and an inventory of its contents.
• Zhu Yuanzhang asked whether the coffin held two jade pieces engraved with “Yu” and “Huai,” but Jiang Yan said neither appeared in the inventory.

After learning that Zhu Xiongying’s remains were missing from his tomb, Zhu Yuanzhang became convinced that Zhu Ying was his long-lost grandson. He ordered Jiang Yan to uncover why Empress Ma had sent Xiongying away and prepared to summon Zhu Ying to the palace.

• Jiang Yan reported that only two jade items were missing from Zhu Xiongying’s tomb and argued that the prince was still alive, not taken by grave robbers.
• Jiang Yan deduced that Empress Ma had sent Xiongying out of Yingtian to protect him after discovering that he had survived Smallpox and remained in danger.
• Zhu Yuanzhang explained that Zhu Ying’s bite mark, eyes, and daughter Wen Xi’s resemblance to Xiongying had convinced him of their connection.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Jiang Yan to investigate the Smallpox outbreak, the people who sent Xiongying away, and Empress Ma’s former attendants, while keeping the discovery secret.
• After Jiang Yan withdrew, Zhu Yuanzhang thanked Empress Ma at her memorial tablet, rejoiced that Xiongying was alive, and told Yun Qi to summon Zhu Ying to the palace the next morning.