Chapter Summaries

Su Qiao concealed her intentions while telling Jin Moli that her younger brother had run away to start a business, and Jin Moli left after offering her reassurance. As Su Qiao walked with Jin Canghan, she reflected on Jin Moli’s schemes and her plan to avoid the fate she suffered in her previous life.

• Su Qiao told Jin Moli that her unruly younger brother had left home to pursue a business with his friends and that her family could not control him.
• Jin Moli comforted Su Qiao, then left with Chief Steward Qi to attend to state affairs.
• Su Qiao walked along the lake with Jin Canghan, who offered her his arm, while she recalled that Jin Moli was testing her and trying to endanger the Su family.
• Su Qiao resolved to act like a virtuous, tolerant Imperial Consort so Jin Moli could not use his old methods against her.
• Jin Canghan praised Su Qiao for what she had done, and she turned to ask what he meant.

Su Qiao appointed Little Yu chief eunuch of Jingren Palace and staged a conversation about the Emperor’s favor so Consort Wan would overhear. After learning Chief Physician Yu was treating Su Qiao’s pregnancy, Jin Canghan suspected a plot and resolved to kill him.

• Jin Canghan warned Su Qiao that promoting her younger brother could make the Su family a target and that palace promises were not trustworthy.
• Su Qiao named Little Yu the chief eunuch of Jingren Palace, and the palace staff accepted her order despite Ren Dong’s dislike of him.
• Su Qiao noticed Consort Wan nearby and pretended to praise the Emperor for promising her younger brother a post in the Ministry of Revenue before promoting him to Right Vice Minister.
• Jin Canghan played along with Su Qiao’s praise, and she mentioned that Chief Physician Yu had been assigned to protect her pregnancy.
• Jin Canghan cautioned Su Qiao about taking medicine while pregnant and decided to find a way to kill Chief Physician Yu.

Su Qiao reassured Jin Canghan that she trusted him to protect her and her unborn child, while secretly spreading medicine on Ren Dong. After confirming the Emperor had promised to promote Su Qiao’s younger brother to Right Minister, Consort Wan sent Chuxue to deliver him a message.

• Su Qiao told Jin Canghan she felt safe and at ease with him, and he promised to protect her and her child.
• Consort Wan overheard Su Qiao and Jin Canghan, then asked Chuxue to find Ren Dong.
• Su Qiao secretly sprinkled medicine on Ren Dong whenever she came to serve her.
• Su Qiao learned from Little Four that Ren Dong had met Chuxue, while she distractedly played chess with Jin Canghan.
• Chuxue confirmed that the Emperor had promised to promote Su Qiao’s younger brother to Right Minister, so Consort Wan sent her to deliver a message to the Emperor.

Consort Wan invited Jin Moli to Minghe Palace and served him medicinal dishes, drawing him into a night together. Afterward, Jin Moli noticed she could not sleep and asked whether someone had bullied her.

• Jin Moli happily went to Minghe Palace after Consort Wan invited him to eat.
• Consort Wan served Jin Moli medicinal dishes she said she had prepared with recipes from her mother and advice from Chief Physician Yu.
• Jin Moli praised Consort Wan's care, and she spoke casually about her family while serving him.
• Jin Moli asked to stay the night, and Consort Wan agreed after the attendants left the hall.
• After they spent the night together, Jin Moli asked why Consort Wan could not sleep and whether someone had bullied her.

Gu Wanting sought Jin Moli’s help with her younger brother, but her refusal to let him intervene made him question her motives. Su Qiao’s plan succeeded in making Gu Wanting anxious, though Gu Wanting remained unaware of the trap.

• Gu Wanting told Jin Moli she was worried about her mischievous younger brother and her frail mother.
• Jin Moli offered to ask Gu Wanting’s father about her mother’s illness and to find a solution for her brother, but Gu Wanting urged him not to trouble himself.
• Jin Moli recalled that Gu Wanting had also rejected his earlier offers to make her Empress and help her younger brother, and began to doubt her intentions.
• Su Qiao lost her third secret contest against Gu Wanting, who had fallen into Su Qiao’s trap without realizing it.
• Su Qiao and her host discussed Gu Wanting’s anxiety over being childless and losing her standing in the inner palace.

Su Qiao went to Yonghe Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, where she arrived amid rumors about the Emperor’s unexplained absence from court. The Empress Dowager welcomed her and then summoned Eunuch Wen from the Bureau of Imperial Household Affairs.

• Su Qiao predicted a good show for the next day, then went to sleep while 444 pressed her to explain.
• Su Qiao dressed in a golden-threaded cloud-satin gown and went to Yonghe Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
• A eunuch reported that the Emperor had missed court without informing the ministers, and the Empress Dowager angrily wondered where he had spent the night.
• The imperial concubines speculated that the Emperor might have stayed with Consort Ying before Su Qiao entered Yonghe Palace.
• The Empress Dowager greeted Su Qiao warmly, commented on the child in her belly, and ordered Nanny Qin to fetch Eunuch Wen from the Bureau of Imperial Household Affairs.

The Empress Dowager learned that the emperor had missed morning court because he had supposedly fallen ill, then discovered the real cause and ordered Consort Wan seized. The chapter ended with Eunuch Liu heading to Minghe Palace to bring her to the Empress Dowager.

• Su Qiao expressed concern that the emperor might be ill after hearing he had missed morning court.
• Chief Steward Qi told the Empress Dowager that the emperor had become dizzy and weak, and that the imperial physician had ordered him to rest.
• The Empress Dowager dismissed the consorts and warned them not to disturb the emperor.
• After questioning Eunuch Liu, the Empress Dowager learned the truth and angrily ordered him to bring Consort Wan to her.
• Eunuch Liu led eunuchs and palace women toward Minghe Palace to seize Consort Wan.

The Empress Dowager blamed Gu Wanting for Jin Moli’s lack of an heir and for the troubles in the royal family, while Su Qiao considered why no one had conceived. After hearing that Jin Moli had fallen ill, Su Qiao’s party wondered whether to visit him.

• The Empress Dowager regretted allowing Gu Wanting into Jin Moli’s residence and told Nanny Qin that she wanted Jin Moli to sever his attachment to her.
• Su Qiao speculated that Jin Moli’s lack of an heir was due to his devotion to Gu Wanting, the inner court’s Secret Medicine, and infighting among the consorts.
• Su Qiao suspected the late Empress had not truly died from childbirth complications and concluded that the Empress Dowager had tampered with Gu Wanting’s chances of becoming pregnant.
• Jin Canghan noticed Su Qiao was distracted and asked if she was all right.
• Ren Dong said Jin Moli had suddenly fallen ill and asked whether Su Qiao’s party should visit him.

Su Qiao returned to Jingren Palace after Jin Canghan learned she was carrying twins and might be unwell, then went to Yonghe Palace when the Empress Dowager summoned her. The Empress Dowager began addressing accusations involving Consort Wan and Ren Dong.

• Jin Canghan carried Su Qiao to a sedan chair and ordered the palace attendants to prepare for her care.
• Imperial Physician Liu examined Su Qiao and found her unharmed, but Jin Canghan kept him at Jingren Palace until evening.
• The Empress Dowager summoned Su Qiao to Yonghe Palace, and Jin Canghan sent Imperial Physician Liu with her.
• Su Qiao entered Yonghe Palace and found Consort Wan, her two maids, and Ren Dong kneeling before the Empress Dowager and the emperor.
• The Empress Dowager apologized for making Su Qiao travel and said the others had made wild accusations, prompting the emperor to interrupt her.

The Empress Dowager confronted Su Qiao over Consort Wan’s accusation that Ren Dong had drugged her and caused the Emperor’s illness. Su Qiao brought palace servants to answer questions, then rebuked Ren Dong for ignoring palace protocol as the inquiry began.

• The Empress Dowager pressed Jin Moli to punish Consort Wan and defend his conduct before the court and his ancestors.
• Jin Moli said he had felt unwell and argued that the matter had not been fully investigated.
• The Empress Dowager explained that Consort Wan accused Ren Dong of drugging her, and that medicinal herbs had been found in Ren Dong’s pouch.
• Su Qiao summoned two palace maids and two eunuchs to be questioned as witnesses.
• Su Qiao reproached Ren Dong for continuing to call her “Miss” and instructed the witnesses to tell the truth.

The Empress Dowager confronted Ren Dong over her secret dealings with Minghe Palace, and witnesses testified that Consort Wan’s maids had paid her. Ren Dong blamed Su Qiao, but her story collapsed, leaving her pleading for help as the Empress Dowager turned her attention to Consort Wan’s maids.

• The Empress Dowager questioned the palace maids and eunuchs, who described seeing Ren Dong meet with Chuxue and Yixue from Minghe Palace.
• Ren Dong claimed Su Qiao had ordered her to act, but a little eunuch said he had seen Chuxue give Ren Dong a bulging purse.
• The little eunuch and three other witnesses swore that their testimony was true, leaving Ren Dong unable to defend herself.
• Ren Dong crawled to Su Qiao and begged her to save her, but Su Qiao reminded her that she had already offered to send her out of the palace.
• Nanny Bai kicked Ren Dong away, and the Empress Dowager asked Chuxue and Yixue what they had to say.

Chuxue and Yixue killed themselves to protect Consort Wan, and Jin Moli comforted her despite the Empress Dowager’s objections. Su Qiao questioned Ren Dong about poisoning the wedding wine, and Ren Dong’s glance toward Consort Wan made Jin Moli suspect her involvement.

• Chuxue and Yixue confessed to acting without Consort Wan’s knowledge, then threw themselves against a pillar and died.
• Consort Wan mourned the maids and blamed herself, and Jin Moli held her while the Empress Dowager insisted she remain under suspicion.
• Su Qiao asked Ren Dong why she had put Muscle-weakening Powder in the wedding wine and how she had obtained it.
• Ren Dong looked toward Consort Wan instead of answering, and Jin Moli stared at Consort Wan in disbelief.

Su Qiao revealed that Ren Dong had been bribed to drug her and Jin Moli on their wedding night, then exposed the harmful ingredients in Consort Wan’s medicinal soup. The Empress Dowager struck Consort Wan after hearing Su Qiao’s accusation.

• Su Qiao told Ren Dong and Consort Wan that Ren Dong had been bought off before the wedding and had drugged Su Qiao and Jin Moli.
• Consort Wan denied involvement, while the Empress Dowager stopped Su Qiao from discussing the wedding night further.
• Jin Moli ended the matter and claimed he had not been drugged, but was merely overworked.
• Su Qiao said Consort Wan had prepared Jin Moli’s dinner and added Atractylodes to sparrow meat soup, which could harm his health.
• The Empress Dowager angrily slapped Consort Wan.

Consort Wan faced execution after giving Jin Moli a medicinal dish that harmed him, but Imperial Physician Wang testified that he had warned her about the forbidden ingredients. After Consort Wan fainted while trying to take her own life, Imperial Physician Wang revealed that she was pregnant, leaving Jin Moli and the Empress Dowager stunned.

• The Empress Dowager ordered Consort Wan executed, and Consort Wan pleaded with Jin Moli, claiming she had not meant to harm him.
• Imperial Physician Wang testified that he had warned Consort Wan not to combine Atractylodes with herring or sparrow meat, and Imperial Physician Liu and Imperial Physician Wen confirmed he had given her the list of contraindications.
• Consort Wan admitted fault and tried to throw herself against a pillar, but Jin Moli stopped her and she fainted.
• Imperial Physician Wang examined Consort Wan and announced that she was pregnant, shocking Jin Moli and the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager ordered Imperial Physicians to examine Jin Moli after learning he had consumed harmful food, and they found his condition was not serious. When Jin Moli tried to protect the pregnant Gu Wanting from punishment, the Empress Dowager reminded him of the earlier poisoning cases, and he realized the woman he had loved had deceived him.

• The Empress Dowager ordered Imperial Physician Wang, Imperial Physician Liu, and Imperial Physician Wen to examine Jin Moli, and they found he had a mild deficiency that medicine could treat.
• Jin Moli hesitated to punish Gu Wanting because he loved her and she was carrying his child.
• The Empress Dowager reminded Jin Moli that the poisonings of Consort Ying and the nuptial wine culprit had not been discovered.
• Jin Moli looked at Su Qiao with resentment over the humiliation of his wedding night, then realized Gu Wanting had likely been behind it.
• Jin Moli concluded that Gu Wanting had been calculating and deceptive, and his joy over her pregnancy gave way to disappointment.

Jin Moli demoted Consort Wan and ordered Ren Dong executed after the palace plot, while Su Qiao accepted the outcome and returned to Jingren Palace. There, she sent a secret note to her younger brother Su Zimo and settled down to eat and drink.

• Jin Moli demoted Consort Wan to Noble Lady and ordered Ren Dong executed, though the Empress Dowager thought the punishment too lenient.
• Su Qiao reassured Jin Moli and left Yonghe Palace with Jin Canghan, who thanked her for helping expose the plot.
• Su Qiao's attendants discussed Ren Dong's betrayal and worried that it had hurt their mistress.
• Su Qiao sent a secret note to Su Zimo, who was researching glass and colored glaze outside the capital.
• Su Qiao ate and drank peacefully at Jingren Palace.

After Jin Moli missed court to stay with Consort Wan, ministers criticized him, and he went to Su Qiao’s Jingren Palace to reassure her. Su Qiao warmly excused his actions while implying that she understood her lesser standing beside Consort Wan.

• Jin Canghan finally relaxed after worrying that the previous day’s events had frightened Su Qiao and upset her.
• Ministers criticized Jin Moli for missing court after spending the night at Consort Wan’s residence.
• Jin Moli considered visiting Consort Wan but went instead to Su Qiao’s Jingren Palace.
• Su Qiao welcomed Jin Moli, ate with him, and accepted his offer to have more pickled vegetables prepared for her.
• Jin Moli tried to discuss the previous day, and Su Qiao said he had been right to protect Consort Wan and avoid stirring up trouble.
• Su Qiao reminded Jin Moli that she had been in the palace for only two months and could not match Consort Wan’s merits or affection for him.

Su Qiao reassured Jin Moli about the court’s reaction, then secretly prepared to test how much he would endure for Gu Wanting. After Jin Moli left, she invited Jin Canghan to dine and began telling him how devoted Jin Moli was to Consort Wan.

• Jin Moli explained that court memorials and the Grand Tutor had urged him to reconsider, while the hidden Jin Canghan glared at him for holding Su Qiao’s hand.
• Su Qiao reassured Jin Moli that the ministers would understand and urged him to return to rest after their meal.
• After Jin Moli left, Su Qiao ordered a new table of dishes, dismissed the servants, and called Jin Canghan down from the rafters.
• Su Qiao invited Jin Canghan to eat with her, and he happily accepted.
• Su Qiao sighed and told Jin Canghan that Jin Moli seemed deeply devoted to Consort Wan and willing to neglect his health to protect her.

Su Qiao ate with Jin Canghan and confided her doubts about entering the palace, while he struggled to comfort her without revealing his identity. She let him believe he would help raise her child, but privately remembered that she was not pregnant and could only maintain the deception for about another month.

• Su Qiao told Jin Canghan she regretted entering the palace and felt something was wrong with the person she had come for.
• Jin Canghan tried to comfort Su Qiao, then stopped her from eating spicy beef and fussed over which foods were safe for pregnancy.
• Jin Canghan explained that he had studied pregnancy after learning Su Qiao was expecting, and she praised his thoughtfulness.
• Su Qiao said Jin Canghan could teach her child martial arts and other skills after the birth, making him overjoyed.
• Su Qiao privately recalled that she was not pregnant and estimated she could keep up the deception for only one more month.

Jin Moli worried that Consort Ying had grown distant from him and, after speaking with Qi Kun, went to visit Consort Xian. 444 later reported that Jin Moli failed to consummate the night with Consort Xian and then left Consort Shu as well.

• 444 wondered what Consort Wan would do after losing her rank, stipend, and longtime attendants, Chuxue and Yixue.
• Jin Moli accidentally headed toward Minghe Palace and asked Qi Kun whether Consort Ying had been angry with him.
• Qi Kun said Consort Ying seemed distant and noted that Consort Wan remained suspicious despite Imperial Concubine Yu being blamed for the poisoning.
• Qi Kun suggested Jin Moli visit Consort Xian, and Jin Moli went with him to Yushu Palace.
• 444 reported that Jin Moli left Consort Xian angrily after being unable to perform, then went to Consort Shu and left again.