Recaps

An Ziran tried to use the betrothal token to make Fu Wutian honor the marriage agreement between Old Prince Fu and An Ziran’s grandfather, but Old Prince Fu’s failing memory prevented him from confirming it. An Ziran asked Fu Wutian to marry An Yuzhi as his principal wife, but Fu Wutian would only accept her as a secondary wife, so An Ziran left the Prince’s residence.

• An Ziran showed Old Prince Fu the jade pendant and reminded him of the marriage agreement, but Old Prince Fu mistook it for his wife Shan Xue’s pendant.
• An Ziran realized Fu Wutian already knew about the agreement and asked him to honor it by marrying An Yuzhi.
• An Ziran insisted that An Yuzhi become Fu Wutian’s principal wife so she would be protected from mistreatment.
• Fu Wutian said An Yuzhi could only enter the Prince’s residence as a secondary wife.
• An Ziran took back the jade pendant and left the Prince’s residence with Steward Su.

An Ziran told An Yuzhi that Prince Fu could offer her only the status of a secondary consort, but she still chose to marry him. At Prince Fu's Manor, Fu Wutian agreed to marry her as his princess consort after Old Prince Fu raised the question.

• An Ziran asked An Yuzhi whether she would marry Fu Wutian as a secondary consort and offered to cancel the marriage if she refused.
• An Yuzhi firmly said she still wanted to marry Fu Wutian, and An Ziran accepted her decision.
• Fu Wutian received a detailed report on the An Family, and Ge Qian'an recognized that An Ziran had sought to use Prince Fu's Manor as a patron.
• Fu Wutian said the An Family deserved the Mandarin Duck Jade Pendant and turned to address Old Prince Fu.
• Old Prince Fu asked whether Fu Wutian objected to marrying An Yuzhi as his princess consort, and Fu Wutian said he did not.

An Ziran received Fu Wutian’s invitation to discuss the marriage between their families and planned to use Old Prince Fu to secure An Yuzhi’s position as a principal wife. When An Yuzhi refused to visit Prince Fu’s Manor, An Ziran went there with Steward Su without her.

• Ge Qian'an delivered Fu Wutian’s invitation for An Ziran to visit Prince Fu’s Manor in two days and discuss the marriage.
• An Yuzhi asked An Ziran for permission to go out and buy things, and he agreed.
• An Ziran reviewed the An Family’s accounts and considered Prince Fu’s Manor essential to his future plans.
• An Yuzhi missed dinner, and Steward Su told An Ziran she had been examined by a doctor and was feeling unwell.
• When An Yuzhi again said she was unwell and refused to visit Prince Fu’s Manor, An Ziran left for the manor with Steward Su.

An Ziran challenged Prince Fu's Manor's treatment of him and insisted that his sister Yu Zhi be made Fu Wutian's principal wife under the marriage agreement. Fu Wutian accepted, and An Ziran left after they discussed the wedding arrangements, while Ge Qian'an was warned not to act on his own again.

• Steward Li received An Ziran with cold tea and mocked his family's status while An Ziran waited for Fu Wutian.
• An Ziran criticized the manor's servants, and Fu Wutian ordered Steward Li to bring hot tea for their guests.
• An Ziran told Fu Wutian that the An Family would not accept Yu Zhi becoming a secondary consort because Old Prince Fu had promised she would be the princess consort.
• Fu Wutian agreed to marry Yu Zhi as his princess consort, and he and An Ziran discussed the arrangements without further dispute.
• As An Ziran left with Steward Su, he passed Ge Qian'an, whom Fu Wutian later told not to act on his own again.

An Ziran learned that An Yuzhi’s health had improved and told her that Fu Wutian would take her as his consort within a month. Her reaction made him suspect that something had happened to her, but he could not uncover the cause.

• Qiulan told An Ziran that An Yuzhi had eaten well and looked rosy that morning.
• An Ziran began preparing An Yuzhi’s dowry list, then summoned her to the study.
• An Ziran told An Yuzhi that Fu Wutian had agreed to take her as his consort, but she grew pale and left, claiming she felt dizzy.
• An Ziran questioned Qiao'er and Xing'er, who said An Yuzhi had fallen while leaving a jewelry shop two days earlier.
• An Ziran found no clear explanation for An Yuzhi’s behavior and wondered if she was anxious about the wedding.

An Yuzhi hid her plans from An Ziran as preparations began for her marriage to Fu Wutian. After the emperor tried to challenge the match, Fu Wutian and Old Prince Fu secured his acceptance, while An Yuzhi prepared to elope the next day.

• An Yuzhi reassured Qiao'er and Xing'er that An Ziran could not learn what she was hiding, while Qiao'er insisted her future status would protect her.
• The wedding date was set for the seventeenth day of the fourth month, and Prince Fu's Manor sent betrothal gifts to the An Family's newly purchased residence.
• News of Fu Wutian's marriage caused a stir in Gentlemen City, and Emperor Fu Chong summoned him to the palace.
• Emperor Fu Chong objected to a landowner's daughter becoming Fu Wutian's princess consort, but Fu Wutian brought Old Prince Fu to meet him, and the emperor accepted their marriage contract.
• With seven days remaining before the wedding, An Yuzhi panicked because she planned to elope the next day.

With her wedding to Fu Wutian only days away, An Yuzhi decided she could not accept the marriage and fled with Qiao'er. An Ziran returned to find Xing'er waiting with the news that his sister was gone.

• An Yuzhi learned that the imperial decree had approved her marriage and asked what would happen if she refused, but she assured Xing'er and Qiao'er she was only asking casually.
• As the wedding preparations continued, An Yuzhi packed her belongings while An Ziran was away at Prince Fu's Manor.
• An Yuzhi told Qiao'er she intended to flee and persuaded her to come along, believing Brother would find a way to protect the An Family.
• An Yuzhi and Qiao'er slipped out through the back gate.
• An Ziran returned near sunset, and Xing'er told him that An Yuzhi was gone.

An Yuzhi fled the arranged marriage after being frightened by rumors about Fu Wutian, leaving An Ziran to contain the fallout. When Fu Wutian learned of her flight, he chose not to pursue her and waited to see what An Ziran would do.

• An Ziran calmed Little Bun, then read An Yuzhi’s letter saying she had left to pursue her own happiness and would not marry Fu Wutian.
• Xing'er confessed that An Yuzhi had heard rumors about Fu Wutian being disfigured and cruel, which likely frightened her into fleeing.
• An Ziran refused to send people searching for An Yuzhi, fearing that a public search would expose the flight and anger Fu Wutian.
• An Ziran asked whether a man could replace An Yuzhi in the marriage, leaving Steward Su and Xing'er dumbfounded.
• Ge Qian'an told Fu Wutian that An Yuzhi had fled, but Fu Wutian declined to send anyone after her and waited to see An Ziran’s response.

An Ziran rejected the idea of marrying Fu Wutian in An Yuzhi’s place and decided to sever ties with his sister after her selfish actions endangered the family. He chose to visit Prince Fu’s Manor with Steward Su to address An Yuzhi’s elopement directly.

• Steward Su worried that An Ziran intended to marry Fu Wutian, but An Ziran assured him he would not.
• An Ziran refused to use An Xueyan for a marriage alliance because her temperament would bring trouble to the An Family.
• An Ziran declared that he would no longer acknowledge An Yuzhi as his sister because she had ignored the danger her actions posed to her brothers.
• An Ziran told Steward Su to accompany him to Prince Fu’s Manor the next day so he could discuss An Yuzhi’s elopement with Fu Wutian.
• An Ziran and Steward Su arrived at the gates of Prince Fu’s Manor, where Steward Su realized An Ziran would not be dissuaded.

An Ziran told Fu Wutian that An Yuzhi had fled their arranged marriage and tried to protect the An Family from the fallout. Fu Wutian warned that the Emperor would discover the truth, then proposed that the wedding continue, and An Ziran agreed to cooperate.

• An Ziran confessed that An Yuzhi had run away from the marriage and promised Fu Wutian an explanation and the An Family’s greatest sincerity.
• Fu Wutian warned that the failed wedding would damage Prince Fu’s Manor’s reputation, and An Ziran proposed announcing that An Yuzhi had died of a grave illness.
• Fu Wutian explained that the Emperor’s approval meant canceling the wedding could provoke his wrath and endanger the An Family.
• Fu Wutian said the wedding should continue, and An Ziran agreed to cooperate.

An Ziran discovered that Fu Wutian intended him to marry into Prince Fu's Manor in An Yuzhi's place, and confronted him about the plan. After learning that the emperor had already approved the marriage, An Ziran agreed on the condition that Fu Wutian would help him leave and start over if the arrangement did not work out.

• Ge Qian'an delivered wedding clothes made for An Ziran and revealed that Fu Wutian had chosen him to marry in An Yuzhi's place.
• Steward Su believed An Ziran had sacrificed himself for the An Family and wept over his supposed fate.
• An Ziran went to Prince Fu's Manor to find Fu Wutian, then later received him in his study after Fu Wutian entered the An Family residence through the front gate.
• An Ziran demanded that Fu Wutian cancel the arrangement, but Fu Wutian said the emperor had already approved their marriage.
• Fu Wutian promised to help An Ziran assume a new identity and leave if the marriage did not work out, and An Ziran agreed.

On the day of Fu Wutian’s wedding, word spread through Gentlemen City that his intended consort was An Ziran, a man, shocking the public and prompting some to consider placing people at Fu Wutian’s side. An Ziran prepared to leave the An Family Compound while Steward Su struggled with worry, and the wedding procession arrived.

• A jewelry vendor told two women that Fu Wutian was rumored to be marrying An Ziran, the eldest young master of the An Family, rather than a landlord’s daughter.
• News that Fu Wutian would take a man as his princess consort spread through Gentlemen City, and some people began considering how to place others at his side.
• An Ziran came out in his wedding robe and urged Steward Su to be happy on his wedding day.
• The second young master laughed from his wet nurse’s arms, easing the somber mood in the courtyard.
• Fu Wutian’s wedding procession arrived at the An Family Compound with firecrackers and gongs.

An Ziran refused to wear a bridal veil and left the An Family residence for his wedding to Fu Wutian. Fu Wutian personally came to receive him, and the procession set off for Prince Fu’s Manor.

• An Ziran refused the wedding matron’s request to cover his head with a red veil and said he would take responsibility if the prince objected.
• An Ziran left without any An Family elders seeing him off, as his relatives had not been told about the marriage.
• The crowd stared at An Ziran as he emerged, and he noticed Fu Wutian waiting at the front of the procession.
• Fu Wutian offered An Ziran his hand and called him Princess Consort; An Ziran accepted it and climbed into the bridal sedan with Fu Wutian’s support.
• The wedding procession set off, and onlookers exclaimed that Fu Wutian was far more handsome than the rumors claimed.

Fu Wutian and An Ziran held a lavish wedding, and Fu Wutian carried his veiled male consort into Prince Fu's Manor. After the banquet, Fu Wutian summoned the guests to the bridal chamber, leaving them uneasy as they reached its door.

• Fu Wutian's grand wedding procession returned to Prince Fu's Manor, where he carried An Ziran inside with his face hidden by a sleeve.
• Fu Wutian and An Ziran performed the ceremonial bows before Old Prince Fu, who happily accepted the marriage.
• Hundreds of guests celebrated at the banquet, while Fu Wutian drank nearly two jars of wine without getting drunk.
• Guan Su spoke to Ge Qian'an about feelings he seemed to understand, but Ge Qian'an denied that anything was wrong and declined to join the bridal-chamber teasing.
• Fu Wutian invited the guests to follow him to the bridal chamber, where they fell silent outside the room.

On their wedding night, Fu Wutian introduced An Ziran to his subordinates and insisted they drink the wedding wine despite their agreement that the marriage was only an act. An Ziran drank, and Fu Wutian followed after a brief, unnoticed pause.

• Fu Wutian called An Ziran his Princess Consort and led him out to meet his subordinates.
• Shao Fei and the others introduced themselves to An Ziran, and Fu Wutian sent them away before they could tease the newlyweds.
• Shao Fei asked where Zhong Yue was, but Guan Su and the others avoided answering and hurried him away.
• Fu Wutian poured the wedding wine and argued that their marriage ceremony made them husband and wife despite his promise to An Ziran.
• An Ziran drank his cup, and Fu Wutian paused briefly before drinking his own without An Ziran noticing.

On their wedding night, An Ziran tried to keep Fu Wutian at a distance and believed the wine was harmless, but he gradually realized he had been drugged. Fu Wutian caught An Ziran reaching for him and teased him about sneaking a bite alone.

• An Ziran insisted that Fu Wutian sleep on the floor, but Fu Wutian refused because they were now husband and wife.
• Fu Wutian poured more wine, and An Ziran drank several cups without becoming intoxicated.
• An Ziran changed out of his wedding robes and lay on the outside of the bed with his back turned to Fu Wutian.
• As the room grew dark, An Ziran felt increasingly hot and realized the wine had contained a drug.
• An Ziran reached toward Fu Wutian, who caught his hand and teased him for sneaking a bite alone.

An Ziran woke late after his wedding night and tried to keep his distance from Fu Wutian as they prepared for the day. Fu Wutian styled An Ziran’s hair, leaving him flustered, and they set out together.

• An Ziran woke near nine in the morning and refused Fu Wutian’s help with washing up.
• An Ziran asked Fu Wutian to leave while he changed, and Fu Wutian agreed.
• Fu Wutian noticed An Ziran’s messy hair and led him back to the mirror to fix it.
• Fu Wutian styled An Ziran’s hair with a blue gemstone clasp and praised his appearance.
• An Ziran hid his discomfort and told Fu Wutian to leave with him.

An Ziran and Fu Wutian served tea to Old Prince Fu, who revealed that he had supplied the wine that affected their wedding night. At breakfast, Fu Wutian and his grandfather competed for An Ziran’s attention, while An Ziran resolved to keep losing weight despite Fu Wutian’s preference for him plump.

• An Ziran and Fu Wutian served tea to Old Prince Fu, who gave An Ziran a generous red packet and called him his grandson’s wife.
• Old Prince Fu teased Fu Wutian about their wedding night and revealed that he had provided the Extreme Sun Drunk wine.
• Old Prince Fu took An Ziran and Fu Wutian to breakfast, where An Ziran shared food with both of them.
• Fu Wutian peeled eggs for An Ziran, prompting Old Prince Fu to complain that his grandson favored his wife.
• Fu Wutian urged An Ziran to eat more and said he preferred him plump, but An Ziran resolved to continue losing weight.

An Ziran learned that the imperial family had largely snubbed his wedding and dealt with a servant who gossiped about him. He and Fu Wutian agreed to bring Little Bun into Prince Fu's Manor, and Fu Wutian agreed to accompany An Ziran on his return visit to the An Family.

• An Ziran overheard Ximei claim that Fu Wutian would eventually take concubines and noted that the Emperor's princes had skipped the wedding banquet.
• Fu Wutian demoted Ximei to cleaning latrines after learning she had gossiped about An Ziran.
• An Ziran returned to the An Family Compound with Fu Wutian and learned that Little Bun had cried through the night.
• An Ziran and Fu Wutian agreed that Little Bun would move into Prince Fu's Manor, and Fu Wutian agreed to accompany An Ziran to Anyuan County for his return visit.

An Ziran and Fu Wutian set out from Gentlemen City for An Ziran’s return visit to Anyuan County, leaving An Ziming in Fu Yi’s care. On the journey, Fu Wutian’s thoughtfulness moved An Ziran, while his public endearments embarrassed him.

• Fu Wutian asked Fu Yi to watch over Old Prince Fu and take special care of An Ziming while they were away.
• An Ziran and Fu Wutian left Prince Fu’s Manor with their attendants and a carriage full of gifts, heading for Anyuan County.
• An Ziran admired the fine horses pulling the carriage, and Fu Wutian explained that he had chosen them to make the return visit quicker.
• At a roadside tea stall, Fu Wutian called An Ziran his wife, embarrassing him in front of the waiter.
• An Ziran told Fu Wutian not to call him wife in public, and Fu Wutian said he would call him Ziran instead.

At a tea stall, An Ziran heard that farmers were fleeing repeated disasters in Prosper Prefecture and quietly asked Steward Su to learn more about the region. The convoy resumed its journey to Maple City after Steward Su shared buns with two displaced families and questioned them about their circumstances.

• Several farmers arrived at the tea stall with their children, and two travelers explained that floods and other disasters had driven people from Prosper Prefecture.
• A farmer's hungry child stared at Steward Su's leftover buns, so Steward Su gave them to him.
• Seeing another family also struggling with dry provisions, Steward Su asked An Ziran for permission to help, and An Ziran told him to distribute more buns and ask the families about Prosper Prefecture.
• Fu Wutian asked why An Ziran was interested in Prosper Prefecture, but An Ziran only said he was asking.
• Steward Su gave buns to both families and questioned them before the convoy set off again.

An Ziran returned to Anyuan County with Fu Wutian after learning the An Family had been troubled by An Changde’s visit. The household’s women reacted to news of An Yuzhi’s powerful engagement, while Wang Qinglan went out to greet An Ziran and was stunned by the man beside him.

• An Ziran arrived at the An Family residence with Fu Wutian and asked the gatekeeper whether anything major had happened in his absence.
• The gatekeeper told An Ziran that An Changde and his wife had visited and caused a scene, then An Ziran entered without asking for details.
• An Changde had tried to learn from Wang Qinglan and the others why An Ziran had gone to Gentlemen City, but they knew nothing; meanwhile, Prefect Jiang had shelved his plans against the An Family.
• Fang Junping and An Qiaoe resented that An Yuzhi had been promised to a noble figure, while Zheng Bi encouraged An Kexin to marry someone of higher rank than Prefect Jiang.
• Wang Qinglan hurried to greet An Ziran and was stunned to see Fu Wutian walking beside him.

An Ziran returned to the An Family with Fu Wutian and revealed that An Yuzhi had fled her marriage and been disowned. The household learned that Fu Wutian was An Ziran’s husband, leaving the women stunned.

• Fang Junping and Zheng Bi arrived with their daughters and mocked Fu Wutian, who told them he was an An Family son-in-law.
• An Ziran announced that An Yuzhi had fled her marriage and was no longer the An Family’s third young lady.
• Fu Wutian clarified that he was not An Yuzhi’s husband, prompting An Qiaoe and An Kexin to hope he might marry one of them.
• Ge Qian'an said Fu Wutian was a merchant, disappointing the young women, and Shao Fei revealed that Fu Wutian had already married An Ziran.
• Fang Junping, Zheng Bi, and the others were shocked to learn that An Ziran had married Fu Wutian two days earlier.

An Ziran defended his marriage to Fu Wutian when Wang Qinglan, Zheng Bi, and Fang Junping challenged him over the An Family’s inheritance and mourning customs. After silencing the women with family rules, An Ziran stayed in Anyuan County with Fu Wutian, and An Changde and his wife learned of his return.

• Zheng Bi accused An Ziran of marrying as a concubine, and Fu Wutian threatened to strip and parade her if she insulted his wife again.
• Fang Junping challenged An Ziran over mourning rules, and he explained that the hundred-day waiting period had passed and that he and Fu Wutian had not consummated their marriage.
• An Ziran warned the women that anyone who continued making trouble would be punished according to family rules, and they returned to their rooms.
• An Ziran stayed in Anyuan County for several more days with Fu Wutian rather than returning immediately to Gentlemen City.
• Steward Su reflected on the amended mourning laws, while the narrator explained that Emperor Fu Chong had reduced the mourning period after violating it himself.
• An Changde and his wife learned that An Ziran had returned for a post-wedding visit.

An Changde and Wu Zhi learned that An Ziran had married a merchant and revived their plan to seize the An Family's estate. They sent a groom to inform Prefect Jiang, while An Ziran received a report on their actions and discussed his capable informant Xiao Ye with Fu Wutian.

• An Xueyan told An Yaozong that An Ziran had married a merchant, and An Yaozong hurried to share the news with their parents.
• An Changde and Wu Zhi confirmed the report, sent An Xueyan away, and decided to notify Prefect Jiang after checking the story.
• An Changde and Wu Zhi hired Anyuan County's groom to travel to Yong Prefecture and tell Prefect Jiang the news.
• An Ziran read Xiao Ye's report on An Changde and Wu Zhi's activities, and Fu Wutian praised Xiao Ye's abilities.
• Fu Wutian teased An Ziran for complimenting another man, and An Ziran brushed off his jealousy.