Chapter Summaries

After the imperial marriage decree made Shen Zhiwei Xiao Heng’s crown princess, the Su Family appealed to the empress to stop the match. Xiao Heng brought Shen Zhiwei to Kunning Palace for an audience, where Su Wan and the empress confronted them over the marriage.

• Shen Zhiwei received the marriage decree and Xiao Heng explained that he had waited until he could better protect her from the Su Family.
• A maid reported that Su Wan had caused a scene and the head of the Su Family had gone to petition the empress.
• Xiao Heng vowed that no one could change his decision to make Shen Zhiwei his crown princess.
• The empress summoned Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei to Kunning Palace as palace servants spread rumors disparaging Shen Zhiwei.
• Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei entered Kunning Palace and found Su Wan kneeling before the displeased empress, beginning a confrontation over their marriage.

Xiao Heng defended Shen Zhiwei’s claim to marry him before the empress and exposed Su Wan’s role in poisoning the well. The empress approved the marriage, but Shen Zhiwei suspected Su Wan’s confinement would not end the conflict.

• The empress urged Xiao Heng to marry Su Wan for political advantage, while Su Wan pleaded that he reconsider.
• Xiao Heng shielded Shen Zhiwei and told the empress he loved her, then accused Su Wan of attempting to kill her.
• Xiao Heng presented the bribed matron, who confessed that Su Wan had ordered the well at the Quiet Reflection Pavilion poisoned.
• Su Wan admitted she acted out of jealousy, and the empress ordered guards to confine her at the Su Residence.
• The empress accepted Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei’s marriage, and Shen Zhiwei left the palace wary that the conflict was not over.

Shen Zhiwei and Xiao Heng rejected the Su Residence’s suspicious apology gift and learned that Su Wan and her family were secretly organizing support and meeting an unknown martial-world outsider. Xiao Heng increased surveillance and protection as their wedding approached.

• Shen Zhiwei set aside the Su Residence’s apology gift until Xiao Heng returned.
• Xiao Heng examined the jade hairpin and letter, judged them a test, and ordered the gift returned.
• Xiao Heng reassured Shen Zhiwei that he had placed the Su Residence under surveillance and strengthened palace security.
• A trusted guard reported that Su Wan was secretly contacting senior officials’ families and that the Su family was meeting an unknown outsider from the martial world.
• Xiao Heng ordered the guard to gather solid evidence discreetly and to protect the Quiet Reflection Pavilion around the clock.
• Xiao Heng comforted Shen Zhiwei and promised to protect her and keep their wedding on course.

Shen Zhiwei discovered that her calming medicinal soup had been poisoned with a drug meant to slowly destroy her mind, but the culprit escaped before she could be caught. Xiao Heng vowed to gather evidence against the Su Family and make the first move against them.

• A maidservant brought Shen Zhiwei calming medicinal soup, but sweet osmanthus petals turned black after falling into it, and Shen Zhiwei spilled the bowl.
• Shen Zhiwei had Wanqing secretly alert Xiao Heng’s guards, who found a chronic mesmerizing drug in the medicinal soup.
• Wanqing reported that the palace maid who delivered the soup had vanished, leaving Shen Zhiwei without a witness to prove the Su Family’s involvement.
• Xiao Heng returned to the Quiet Reflection Pavilion, comforted Shen Zhiwei, and learned how she had discovered the poison.
• Shen Zhiwei warned Xiao Heng that attacking the Su Family without evidence would provoke its allies at court, but Xiao Heng resolved to collect evidence of its corruption and private schemes.

Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei attended the empress’s family banquet despite suspecting a trap, where Su Wan tried to intervene in a toast to Shen Zhiwei. The discovery of evidence against the Su family brought Xiao Heng’s investigation to a head, and he declared that the family’s downfall had begun.

• Xiao Heng secretly gathered evidence of the Su family’s corruption and tightened security around Shen Zhiwei.
• The empress invited Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei to a family banquet at Kunning Palace, and Xiao Heng gave Shen Zhiwei a protective charm and warned her to stay beside him.
• Shen Zhiwei and Xiao Heng arrived at the banquet and found Su Wan there despite her confinement.
• The empress offered Shen Zhiwei a cup of wine, and Su Wan tried to take the goblet from her before Xiao Heng blocked her.
• A guard reported that account books proving the Su family’s embezzlement had been found, and Xiao Heng declared that the family’s crimes would bring its downfall.

Xiao Heng exposed the Su Family’s crimes at the palace banquet, and the Empress ordered the family punished according to the law. With Su Wan defeated and the danger ended, Shen Zhiwei and Xiao Heng left the palace looking forward to their wedding and a peaceful future.

• A guard reported that Xiao Heng’s secret guards and the Ministry of Justice had found evidence of the Su Family’s embezzlement, bribery, and collusion.
• Su Wan accused Xiao Heng of plotting against her family, and Xiao Heng listed the Su Family’s crimes and blamed its downfall on its own actions.
• Ministry of Justice officials announced that Old Master Su and the Su Family had been arrested, and the Empress ordered an impartial investigation with no mercy.
• Su Wan collapsed after seeing Xiao Heng’s devotion to Shen Zhiwei and realizing her family and status were gone.
• Shen Zhiwei and Xiao Heng left the palace together, and Xiao Heng promised her peace as their wedding approached.

With her wedding to Xiao Heng approaching, Shen Zhiwei received the empress’s jewelry and shared a tender moment with the crown prince. An urgent report of a possible invasion at the Northern Frontier threatened to delay their wedding, and Shen Zhiwei promised to wait for Xiao Heng if he had to go.

• Shen Zhiwei looked over wedding robe patterns and told Xiao Heng she could hardly believe they had reached a peaceful time together.
• The empress sent Shen Zhiwei a lavish box of wedding jewelry and conveyed her acceptance of the future crown princess.
• Xiao Heng placed a phoenix hairpin in Shen Zhiwei’s hair and praised her appearance.
• The commander of the Eastern Palace guards reported that barbarians were massing troops and provoking along the Northern Frontier.
• Xiao Heng read the urgent report and considered that he might be ordered to inspect the border, delaying the wedding.
• Shen Zhiwei told Xiao Heng to put the country first and promised to wait for him, and he embraced her gratefully.

Xiao Heng was ordered to lead troops to the Northern Frontier as nomadic forces threatened the border, forcing the postponement of his wedding to Shen Zhiwei. Shen Zhiwei accepted the separation and promised to wait for his safe return.

• The emperor summoned Xiao Heng to discuss urgent reports that thirty thousand nomadic cavalry had gathered near the Northern Frontier.
• The ministers debated whether to send reinforcements or avoid provoking war, and the emperor proposed that Xiao Heng lead the mission.
• Xiao Heng agreed to go despite the approaching wedding, and the emperor ordered him to depart in three days with two thousand elite troops.
• Xiao Heng told Shen Zhiwei that their wedding would be postponed, and she encouraged him to go and promised to wait.

With an invasion forcing Xiao Heng to lead troops to the frontier, he and Shen Zhiwei postponed their wedding and said goodbye before his departure. Shen Zhiwei began sewing him a peace pouch, and Xiao Heng promised to return and marry her.

• Shen Zhiwei looked at her wedding gown as Xiao Heng explained that the frontier invasion had made him postpone their wedding.
• Xiao Heng embraced Shen Zhiwei, warned her about lingering political threats, and told her to rely on the Empress or his guards while he was away.
• After Xiao Heng left to discuss provisions and troop deployments, Shen Zhiwei began embroidering a peace pouch for him.
• Xiao Heng returned that night and found Shen Zhiwei asleep beside the unfinished pouch, so he covered her with an outer robe and promised to return in triumph and marry her.

Xiao Heng marched from Capital City to defend the Northern Frontier, while Shen Zhiwei gave him a finished Peace Pouch and asked him to return safely. He promised to come back and marry her, leaving Shen Zhiwei to wait for him in the Eastern Palace.

• Shen Zhiwei woke to find Xiao Heng gone and read his note saying he had left to prepare the troops and would return for their wedding.
• Xiao Heng accepted the emperor’s tiger tally and vowed to defend the Northern Frontier and defeat the Hu invaders.
• Shen Zhiwei met Xiao Heng before his departure and gave him the Peace Pouch she had finished sewing.
• Xiao Heng promised Shen Zhiwei he would return safely, marry her, and never fail her.
• Xiao Heng led the troops out of Capital City, and Shen Zhiwei watched them disappear before vowing to wait for his return.