Recaps

Jiang Yingcheng helped expose corruption, dealt with visiting rulers and a suspected poison plot, and learned that Luo Fuying would threaten Jiang Qiuyu and Jiang Xingran in the future. The arc ended with Luo Fuying insulting Jiang Yingcheng at the Academy, prompting her to prepare a response.

• Jiang Yingcheng exposed Wan Pu’s criminal schemes and helped Lu Yao seize his shops, while her staged fall helped him take Hou An into custody.
• Jiang Yingcheng revealed that Linyan Prefecture officials were aiding bandits and that officials were involved in abducting women, prompting Jiang Yanchuan to send troops and the officials to scramble to protect themselves.
• Kan Ruifeng and Wu Leyong lured One-Eye’s bandits into a trap and surrounded them with government soldiers.
• Jiang Yingcheng welcomed Sheng Shixu and revealed through her thoughts that the Fourth Prince would betray Great Rui, while Sheng Wenli pursued a marriage alliance with Jiang Yanchuan and a match between Jiang Yingcheng and Sheng Shixu.
• Jiang Yingcheng exposed Qiu Ji’s fake tribute and gave Jiang Yanchuan Guan Xi’s map of suspicious groups, then led Qiu Ji and visiting rulers on an expensive shopping trip.
• Jiang Yingcheng accompanied Lu Yao to investigate Shao Xuan’s meeting with the Ruler of Danxia and helped the rulers identify the mark that exposed the Ruler’s secret identity.
• Jiang Yanchuan found Jiang Yingcheng after her investigation, warned her how worried he had been, and promised to take her on a tour after the New Year’s Banquet if she stayed safe.
• At the Academy, Jiang Yingcheng learned that Luo Fuying would help the Fourth Prince poison and attack Jiang Qiuyu and Jiang Xingran, then bristled when Luo Fuying called her fat.

Jiang Yingcheng led the children into a hidden passage, uncovered Prince Xin’s secrets, and exposed several foreign rulers’ schemes. At the New Year’s gathering, she overheard a plot against her and faced Chi Yimian with a stockpile of hidden weapons.

• Jiang Yingcheng baited Luo Fuying into the Cold Palace game, then led the children into the Secret Chamber, where they found a treasure room and Prince Xin’s concealed passage.
• Poisonous smoke forced Jiang Yingcheng, Liaochen, Yu Xingmian, and the children through the underground tunnels, and they escaped through a dry well before Jiang Yanchuan caught up with them.
• Jiang Yingcheng identified Xing Hengyi as Prince Xin’s spy, and Jiang Yanchuan discovered a note revealing Prince Xin’s true parentage and Consort Shu’s hidden plea.
• Jiang Yingcheng shared medicine ideas with Kan Ruifeng, then helped the officials use Lei Zhixin’s staged injury to unsettle the ruler of Yanchu at the New Year’s Banquet.
• Jiang Yingcheng exposed plots involving the rulers of Danxia, Jianggu, and Tiansheng, and learned that Prince Jing and Kou Qiwen planned to target the Crown Prince.
• Jiang Yingcheng and the children overheard Noble Consort Rou pressuring Luo Fuying’s mother to help eliminate the Eleventh Princess, then Chi Yimian intercepted them as they tried to escape.
• Jiang Yingcheng fired Poison Needles at Chi Yimian, then armed herself and the other children with hidden weapons as Chi Yimian advanced.

Jiang Yingcheng exposed threats against Great Rui’s royals and guests during the New Year’s Banquet, while several foreign rulers and court officials were caught in schemes. The banquet ended with Kou Qiwen framed over Jiang Tinghuai’s sachet and Duke Wang requesting to leave the capital with the Eleventh Princess.

• Chi Yimian and Luo Fuying were struck by Poison Needles after Jiang Yingcheng and the others drove Chi Yimian away, and Emperor Mingze demoted Noble Consort Rou to Consort Shu.
• At the New Year’s Banquet, Jiang Yingcheng exposed plans to poison Jiang Tinghuai, revealed Noble Consort Rou’s demotion, and disrupted Pan Jifeng’s effort to free the Fourth Imperial Prince.
• Xu Suxue challenged the Great Rui princesses to a sword dance, and Jiang Yingcheng’s revelations about her future poisonings led Jiang Yuexi to resolve to protect Consort Lan.
• Jiang Tinghuai offered to marry Xu Suxue, while Jiang Yanchuan rejected the alliance and named Tan Zhining as the chosen crown princess, prompting Jiang Yingcheng to reveal Tan Zhining loved Wang Bingxu.
• Sheng Wenli sought a childhood betrothal between Sheng Shixu and Jiang Yingcheng, but Jiang Yingcheng’s claim that she was a fake princess startled the court before she warned that Shao Xuan was disguised among them.
• Jiang Yingcheng helped expose Shao Xuan’s attempt to poison the Ruler of Zhujin Kingdom and connected him to a disguised woman through the Ruler of Danxia’s black mole and a Jade Pendant.
• The Ruler of Danxia threatened Qiao Yunbai, who shot him with Poison Needles, while Jiang Yingcheng hurried to stop Kou Qiwen from poisoning Jiang Tinghuai.
• Jiang Yingcheng accused Kou Qiwen of switching Jiang Tinghuai’s sachet and, with Zhong Chengwang’s help, produced three Gold Beans in Kou Qiwen’s matching Sachet, after the banquet, Duke Wang asked Emperor Mingze to let him retire with the Eleventh Princess.

Jiang Yanchuan took Jiang Yingcheng and a group of officials to Jiangnan, where they uncovered Gu Ruizhou’s past and exposed a rebel sect operating in Qu Chun. The trip ended with Lu Yao revealing his identity and the corrupt County Magistrate of Quchun being seized.

• Jiang Yanchuan confronted the officials about concealing the Fake Princess matter and revealed Fang Yiwan’s portrait as the little one’s birth mother.
• Jiang Yanchuan bought residences around the Lin Residence to watch Fang Yiwan, then selected officials to accompany him and Jiang Yingcheng to Jiangnan.
• Jiang Yanchuan’s disguised caravan reached Qu Chun, where Gu Ruizhou, the innkeeper, was recognized as the supposedly dead former Chancellor.
• Jiang Yingcheng revealed Gu Ruizhou’s ties to Prince Jing and Duke Wang, and Jiang Yanchuan appointed Gu County Magistrate of Quchun.
• Jiang Yanchuan and the officials followed Jiang Yingcheng’s discovery of rebel activity to the Heavenly Origin Sect’s courtyard, where the leader preached about a supposed treasure.
• Jiang Yingcheng exposed the sect’s plans to rebel and the magistrate’s protection scheme, but the magistrate accepted a bribe and ordered arrests.
• The Heavenly Origin Sect leader and the County Magistrate of Quchun turned on Jiang Yanchuan’s group, but Lu Yao revealed his Embroidered Uniform Guard token and had the magistrate brought down.