Recaps

Su Qiao warned Xia Xiaodie to rely on herself before leaving her with Zhou Tianyou, who had overheard their conversation and realized she had deceived him. Zhou Tianyou ended their relationship and revealed that his family’s supposed troubles had been a test, leaving Xia Xiaodie collapsed in shock.

• Su Qiao advised Xia Xiaodie to rely on herself, then left after pointing out Zhou Tianyou watching them.
• Zhou Tianyou confronted Xia Xiaodie, saying he had heard her and Su Qiao’s conversation and accusing her of deceiving him.
• Xia Xiaodie tried to explain, but Zhou Tianyou rejected her and said he never wanted to see or hear her again.
• Zhou Tianyou revealed that his father had never been imprisoned and his family had never fallen into trouble; his mother had staged it as a test before offering Xia Xiaodie marriage and the role of First Young Mistress.
• Zhou Tianyou walked toward his carriage, while Xia Xiaodie staggered and collapsed in shock.

Zhou Tianyou rejected Xia Xiaodie and ordered her to stay away, while Su Qiao learned Madam Zhou had arranged Xia Xiaodie’s marriage elsewhere. A week later, Su Yaohui and Su Yichen returned with the news that they had both passed their exams.

• Zhou Tianyou warned Xia Xiaodie not to appear before him again and left for the prefectural government office.
• Xia Xiaodie chased after Zhou Tianyou, but he shook her off, leaving her distraught as his carriage departed.
• Su Qiao and 444 discussed Madam Zhou’s role in arranging Xia Xiaodie’s marriage and why she would not have accepted Xia Xiaodie as her son’s wife.
• Su Yaohui and Su Yichen returned from Shuntian Prefecture after learning that Su Yaohui had become a licentiate and Su Yichen had passed as a tongsheng.
• The old man congratulated Su Yaohui and Su Yichen, and Su Qiao urged him to let them rest and have some water.

Su Yaohui and Su Yichen returned from the examination with confidence, and their family prepared to celebrate their results. When messengers arrived to announce that another family in Shahe Village also had two successful candidates, Su Qiao wondered if it was Old Zhou's family.

• Su Yaohui and Su Yichen said the examination had been easier than before, and the family celebrated their prospects.
• Su Qiao encouraged Su Yihe to study without pressure and said the family could pursue business if he did not pass.
• Su Yaohui remembered the results announcement and the family prepared reward money and candy for the messengers and villagers.
• The Government Office's messengers announced that the Su Family had two successful candidates, drawing congratulations from the villagers.
• The messengers said they were heading to Shahe Village to announce another family's two successful candidates, and Su Qiao suspected it was Old Zhou's family.

Four members of the Su Family passed the shengyuan examination, while Xia Yubin and Zhou Tianyou failed. In the capital, Feng Han arranged a congratulatory gift and prepared to test Su Qiao’s new crossbows, which could strengthen his plans.

• The yamen runners told Zhou Lihua that her family’s four candidates had passed, and the old master paid them to deliver the news to Shahe Village.
• The old madam and villagers celebrated the Su Family’s success, while Xia Yubin’s family mourned his failure.
• A report told Feng Han that Zhou Tianyou had also failed after falling ill during the examination, and Feng Han was relieved he would not trouble him later.
• Feng Han arranged to send Su Qiao a signboard, books, and a congratulatory gift as an investment in her bookshop.
• Yuan Liu told Feng Han that the crossbows designed by Su Qiao were ready, and Feng Han ordered a test that night.

Su Qiao gave her father and Su Yichen books to help them prepare for their examinations, including her own compiled study guides. She learned that Xia Xiaodie had married unusually quickly, and 444 revealed that Madam Zhou had arranged the haste for reasons other than fear Zhou Tianyou would change his mind.

• Su Qiao brought five books with annotations and study materials to her father and Su Yichen, who eagerly began reading them.
• Su Qiao explained to 444 that she had compiled examination guides from past government papers and planned to give another set to her Fourth Maternal Uncle and third cousin.
• 444 told Su Qiao that Xia Xiaodie had married the day before, less than half a month after her engagement.
• Su Qiao questioned why Xia Xiaodie’s wedding had happened so quickly, and 444 said Madam Zhou had secretly pushed the groom’s family to hurry the marriage.

A matchmaker arrived to arrange Su Qiao’s marriage to Zhou Tianyou, but Su Qiao rejected the matchmaker’s glowing claims about him. The old madam asked for three days to consider, leaving the proposal unresolved.

• 444 agreed to investigate whether Xia Xiaodie’s family was hiding something.
• A matchmaker came to arrange Su Qiao’s marriage to Zhou Tianyou, someone she knew and had not expected.
• Su Qiao stayed calm, while 444 worried that her family might accept the proposal.
• Granny Fang praised Zhou Tianyou and his family to the old madam, claiming he would pass the exams and become an official.
• Su Qiao pointed out that Zhou Tianyou had failed the Student Licentiate exam, and she avoided Granny Fang when she tried to take her hand.
• The old madam told Granny Fang that they would consider the match and give her an answer in three days.

Granny Fang left after threatening to find another match for Su Qiao, while Su Qiao dismissed her and asked her system to investigate the Zhou family. At the family meeting, Su Qiao learned that her relatives were considering the County Magistrate's son as a way to marry her out of the family and avert danger from the capital.

• Granny Fang threatened to find another match for Zhou Tianyou if the Su family did not answer within three days.
• Su Qiao dismissed Granny Fang's insult and asked the system to investigate why the Zhou family had proposed, as well as Xia Xiaodie's husband's family.
• The old master told the family that accepting the proposal would not do for now because the capital was still watching them.
• Zhou Lihua praised the County Magistrate's son, but Su Qiao questioned his claimed illness and failure in the examination.
• Su Yaohui admitted he feared Su Qiao might lose a rare marriage opportunity, while the old master said marrying her out might thwart the capital's intentions but could also bring disaster.

Su Qiao persuaded her family to reject the Zhou Family’s proposed marriage by revealing Zhou Tianyou’s past pledge to Xia Xiaodie and warning them about Madam Zhou’s schemes. The family agreed not to discuss an engagement while the Su Family’s connection to Feng Han and its printing work could bring danger.

• Su Qiao told her family that Zhou Tianyou and Xia Xiaodie had pledged themselves to each other, and that Xia Xiaodie had been married off at Madam Zhou’s command.
• Su Qiao explained that Zhou Tianyou had been distraught over Xia Xiaodie’s marriage and warned that the proposed match could collapse and damage her reputation.
• Su Qiao argued that Madam Zhou looked down on country girls and might harm her if she married into the Zhou Family and became inconvenient.
• Su Qiao warned Old Master Xia that an engagement could draw suspicion to the Su Family’s bookstore and its secret Printing Technique and dictionary.
• Old Master Xia agreed that Su Qiao must not become engaged or marry for the time being.

Su Qiao helped her family reject a marriage proposal from the Zhou family and learned why Madam Zhou wanted to marry her off. The matchmaker later reported Su Qiao’s response to Madam Zhou, leaving her shocked that Su Qiao had mentioned Zhou Tianyou’s failed examination.

• Su Qiao convinced her family that Zhou Tianyou was a poor match, and they agreed to wait before arranging her marriage.
• Su Qiao learned Madam Zhou had proposed without Zhou Tianyou’s knowledge and had chosen a cruel future husband for Xia Xiaodie.
• Su Qiao agreed to watch Matchmaker Fang report back to Madam Zhou at the Zhou residence.
• Matchmaker Fang warned Madam Zhou that Su Qiao’s temperament seemed unpleasant and questioned why she wanted a country girl.
• Matchmaker Fang told Madam Zhou that Su Qiao had said Zhou Tianyou had not even passed the county-level scholar examination, and Madam Zhou reacted with shock.

Madam Zhou learned that the Su family had not accepted the marriage proposal and planned to visit them at Guyin Temple. Su Qiao remained certain the match would fail, while Feng Han happily received the clothes and boots she had sent before getting a message from Xiao Wu.

• Zhou Shirou angrily criticized Su Qiao for looking down on her brother, and Madam Zhou ordered her to return to her room.
• Matchmaker Fang told Madam Zhou that the Su family wanted three or four days to consider the proposal.
• Madam Zhou planned to visit Guyin Temple with Matchmaker Fang and meet the Su family in person.
• Su Qiao told 444 that the old master would never agree to the match, then went back to reading.
• Feng Han received Su Qiao's clothes and short boots, and Yuan Liu arrived with a carrier-pigeon message from Xiao Wu in a black tube.

Su Qiao confronted Xia Xiaodie over the Zhou family's marriage proposal, then learned that Madam Zhou, the County Vice-Magistrate, and Zhou Tianyou had arrived at her home. She hurried back to find out what they wanted.

• Feng Han learned that the Zhou family had proposed to Su Qiao and angrily vowed to stop anyone from marrying her off.
• Su Qiao returned to Liu Family Village to check on the proposal and encountered Xia Xiaodie, who accused her of ruining her marriage prospects.
• Su Qiao challenged Xia Xiaodie's accusations and told her to take care of herself.
• The Host warned Su Qiao that something had happened at home, where Madam Zhou, the County Vice-Magistrate, and Zhou Tianyou were waiting.
• Su Qiao learned Yuan Wu had been unable to keep the County Vice-Magistrate occupied because the mine's contents had been uncovered.

County Vice-Magistrate Zhou sought a marriage alliance with the Su family, but Old Master Su left the decision to Su Qiao. Su Qiao rejected Zhou Tianyou as an unsuitable match, irritating Madam Zhou.

• Su Qiao greeted Lord Zhou and Madam Zhou before sitting down.
• County Vice-Magistrate Zhou approved of Su Qiao and asked Old Master Su about joining their families through marriage.
• Old Master Su expressed reservations and explained that he had promised Su Qiao control over her own marriage.
• County Vice-Magistrate Zhou asked Su Qiao what she thought of his son despite Old Master Su's refusal.
• Su Qiao said Zhou Tianyou was good but that they were unsuitable for each other, and Madam Zhou became irritated.

Feng Han returned to the Su residence and interrupted the Zhou family’s attempt to arrange Su Qiao’s marriage to Zhou Tianyou. He confronted the Zhou family and questioned Su Qiao, who insisted she had been about to refuse.

• Su Qiao challenged County Vice-Magistrate Zhou to ask his son about the reason she considered the marriage inappropriate.
• Madam Zhou urged Zhou Tianyou to agree to marry Su Qiao, and he reluctantly said he was willing.
• Feng Han arrived and declared that Zhou Tianyou was not worthy of marrying Su Qiao.
• Feng Han ignored County Vice-Magistrate Zhou’s greeting, sat beside Su Qiao, and drank from her teacup.
• Feng Han questioned Su Qiao about the Zhou family’s proposal, and she said she had been about to refuse.

Feng Han rushed back after hearing that Su Qiao might be matched with the Zhou family, fearing she would break her promise to wait for him. After Su Qiao explained that Old Master Su had never intended to arrange the marriage, Feng Han apologized to him.

• Little Gui revealed that Feng Han had ridden for three days and nights, running six horses to death, to return after receiving Xiao Wu's letter.
• Su Qiao felt sorry that Feng Han had exhausted himself despite her promise to wait for him.
• Feng Han admitted he had rushed back because he was worried about parental orders and a matchmaker arranging Su Qiao's marriage.
• Feng Han confronted Old Master Su over rumors that he planned to marry Su Qiao into the Zhou family.
• Su Qiao defended her grandfather, explaining that he had opposed the match and wanted her to stay home for at least two more years.
• Feng Han accepted her explanation, apologized to Old Master Su, and let him stand up.

Feng Han proclaimed an Imperial Decree naming Su Qiao a County Princess, thwarting the Zhou Family’s attempt to arrange her marriage. After the Zhou family heard Feng Han’s plans and promises to Su Qiao, he decided they could not be allowed to live.

• Zhou Tianyou felt humiliated when he realized Su Qiao had never taken his marriage proposal seriously.
• Su Qiao dismissed her family and told Feng Han to send them away before discussing what came next.
• Feng Han had Little Gui present an Imperial Decree naming Su Qiao a County Princess for her wind-powered water wheel.
• Feng Han warned that Su Qiao’s marriage could not be decided by her family and that no one like Zhou Tianyou deserved to marry her.
• Su Qiao worried the Zhou Family might reveal what they had overheard, and Feng Han said they would be killed.

Su Qiao and Feng Han confronted County Vice-Magistrate Zhou and his family after Madam Zhou tried to arrange a marriage with Su Qiao. Su Qiao offered to spare them if they kept quiet, promising Zhou Tianyou would return within one or two years.

• County Vice-Magistrate Zhou and Madam Zhou begged Feng Han to spare their family after learning Su Qiao was his woman.
• Su Qiao asked whether County Vice-Magistrate Zhou was one of Feng Han's people, and Feng Han said he had spared him before because he had not been involved in the coal mine trouble.
• Su Qiao considered what to do and proposed either killing the Zhou Family or taking Zhou Tianyou hostage.
• Madam Zhou regretted targeting Su Qiao and explained that she had planned to use her to advance her husband's and son's futures.
• Su Qiao promised the Zhou Family would remain safe if they obeyed and stayed silent, and said Zhou Tianyou would return within one or two years.

Su Qiao forced Zhou Tianyou to leave with Yuan Wu, warning him that his family’s safety depended on their obedience. After Feng Han took Su Qiao with him to the other residence, her family questioned how she had become a County Princess and what her relationship with the Overlord was.

• Su Qiao secretly misled Zhou Tong and his wife about how long Zhou Tianyou would be gone, while 444 wondered why she had given them a one-to-two-year deadline.
• Zhou Tianyou agreed to go, and Su Qiao warned him that his parents and younger sister would be in danger if they disobeyed or tried anything.
• Feng Han sent Yuan Wu to take Zhou Tianyou away, and Su Qiao dismissed County Vice-Magistrate Zhou, Madam Zhou, and the Su Family.
• Su Qiao gave Feng Han two Qi-Boosting Pills and sent him to the other residence, agreeing to join him after speaking with her grandfather.
• Su Yaohui, his wife, and Grandpa questioned Su Qiao about becoming a County Princess and her relationship with Feng Han.

Su Qiao told her grandfather Feng Han’s identity and reassured him that she would not marry anyone else. After Feng Han fell asleep on the carriage ride home, Su Qiao carried him into the manor and settled him on a couch.

• Su Qiao pulled her grandfather aside and revealed Feng Han’s identity, securing his promise to keep the news secret and stop opposing him.
• Su Qiao massaged Feng Han’s head in the carriage and reassured him that she would not marry someone else.
• Feng Han fell asleep after Su Qiao covered his eyes and comforted him.
• Su Qiao carried Feng Han into the manor and placed him on a couch while Yuan Wu and Little Gui watched in surprise.

Su Qiao arranged for Feng Han to recover safely and ordered Yuan Wu to keep watch on Zhou Tong and his wife. After Feng Han woke, the two shared a meal and discussed his plan to leave the next day, with Su Qiao urging him to settle his affairs quickly.

• Su Qiao told Little Gui to prepare hot water and light food for Feng Han, then ordered Yuan Wu to have Zhou Tong and his wife watched and killed if they acted against Feng Han's plans.
• Su Qiao stayed by Feng Han's bed while he slept until evening.
• Feng Han woke feeling refreshed, and Su Qiao arranged for him to bathe and eat.
• Feng Han and Su Qiao took turns feeding each other porridge before drinking tea together.
• Feng Han said he had to return the next day, and Su Qiao urged him to finish his affairs quickly instead of bringing her along.

Feng Han revealed that he was the son of the former Empress and recounted how the Emperor destroyed his maternal family. Su Qiao discussed how his grandfather could have seized power, leaving Feng Han’s revenge against the Emperor unresolved.

• Su Qiao asked Feng Han whether he was a Prince or the son of a court official, and Feng Han questioned why she had not shown curiosity about him before.
• Feng Han said his mother was the former Empress and that, after she died in childbirth twenty-three years earlier, the Emperor accused her family of treason and executed them.
• Feng Han explained that his maternal grandfather, the Great General of the West, commanded eight hundred thousand soldiers and had feared surrendering his military authority would doom the Jiang Family.
• Su Qiao said Feng Han’s grandfather should have placed the Emperor under house arrest and forced him to pass on the throne.
• Feng Han admitted he wanted the Emperor to watch the empire and the people he loved fall, while Su Qiao argued that his grandfather should have usurped the throne.

Feng Han told Su Qiao how his mother saved him from the emperor’s plot, how he survived in the mountains, and why he infiltrated the palace to seek revenge. He planned to act when he returned to the capital, while Su Qiao stayed behind to protect the Su family from becoming his weakness.

• Su Qiao questioned whether Feng Han’s maternal grandfather could have seized the Murong name, and Feng Han said the man had been upright and blindly loyal.
• Feng Han explained that his mother replaced him with a stillborn baby and secretly smuggled him out when the emperor plotted against her and her unborn son.
• Feng Han said the current Empress pursued him and his protectors, until the wet nurse hid him in a mountain cave and drew the pursuers away.
• Feng Han recalled meeting Xiaobai in the cave, later discovering the wet nurse’s letter, and infiltrating the palace under the identity of a dead young eunuch to build power for revenge.
• Feng Han told Su Qiao he would make his move after returning and wished to take her with him, but she chose to stay because the Su family could become a weakness for them.

Su Qiao and Feng Han confessed their feelings before parting for the night, and Feng Han left urgently to deal with a serious situation. Su Qiao returned home to find the Su family waiting for her.

• Feng Han told Su Qiao he had long been drawn to her and admitted he had been upset when she put the Su family first.
• Su Qiao said Feng Han mattered more to her than the Su family, making him overjoyed.
• Feng Han insisted Su Qiao return home to protect her reputation, then saw her carriage off and hoped they would reunite soon.
• Feng Han ordered Little Gui to prepare the horses and rode away with five men in black after learning the situation elsewhere was serious.
• Su Qiao asked Little Four to monitor what was happening, then returned home to find the Su family waiting without questioning her.

After Su Qiao’s wind-powered water wheels spread through the region, she learned that Xia Xiaodie was trapped in an abusive marriage and chose not to rescue her. Five peaceful days later, 444 warned Su Qiao that her man had launched a rebellion and the palace was in chaos, so she rushed to alert her family.

• Su Qiao submitted the wind-powered water wheel plans to the imperial court and arranged for wheels to be built and sent to nearby villages, prompting officials to teach their construction.
• Xia Xiaodie’s husband beat and abused her, and Su Qiao learned that his injury left him unable to perform as a man and that he had tortured his previous wife and maids to death.
• Su Qiao decided not to help Xia Xiaodie because she feared Xia Xiaodie would blame and betray her.
• After five peaceful days, 444 told Su Qiao that the emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince were surrounded in Qingyuan Hall while the other members of the imperial family had been captured.
• Su Qiao learned that her man had secretly brought a hundred thousand troops into the capital and had another hundred thousand lying in ambush outside it.
• Su Qiao grabbed a backpack, ran to the main house, and pounded on the door to wake the old man.

Su Qiao hid her family in a concealed underground room and prepared to defend their home as a violent upheaval spread through the capital. By dawn, the palace and Guyin Temple fighting had ended, and Yuan Wu found Su Qiao safe in Willow Tree Village.

• Su Qiao warned Old Master Su to hide the household in the underground room, then scattered Poison Powder around the courtyard walls.
• Yuan Wu arrived with men in black, and Su Qiao gave him Poison Powder and Antidote Pills before sending him away with her knife.
• Intruders attacked the Su Family home, but Su Qiao and five men Yuan Wu left nearby killed or poisoned them.
• The palace and the Guyin Temple compound descended into fighting, which ended as dawn approached.
• Yuan Wu returned to find Su Qiao unharmed, and she told him to remove the corpses without alerting the villagers.

Su Qiao reassured her family after the attack and told them to stay home, while Yuan Wu’s men praised her skills and kept her background secret. Five days later, news of the Crown Prince’s failed rebellion reached the regions, leaving the fate of the royal family clearer but more reports still arriving.

• Su Qiao returned her knife to Yuan Wu, fetched detoxifying powder, and went to call the others from the Underground Room.
• Yuan Wu’s men discussed Su Qiao’s swordsmanship and poison, and Yuan Wu warned them not to discuss their master’s wife.
• Su Qiao reassured the old man that the danger had passed and told everyone to stay home without explaining what had happened.
• Five days later, news spread that the Crown Prince had rebelled, the Emperor had been gravely wounded, and the throne had passed to his five-year-old son.
• Reports said the Crown Prince’s men had killed one Prince and poisoned another, while the returning First Prince had helped prevent the Emperor and Princes from being killed.
• More news continued to arrive from the capital over the following days.