Chapter Summaries

Wen Yunmian awoke reborn before entering the imperial palace and realized her half-sister Wen Leyan had also returned from their previous lives. After Wen Leyan chose the Childbearing Pill, Wen Yunmian let her take it and planned to pursue a different path to power.

• Wen Yunmian woke during a matrons’ examination and recognized it as the time before she and Wen Leyan entered the palace.
• Marquis Wen Fu'an presented the sisters with a Childbearing Pill and a Beauty Pill, telling them to choose one each.
• Wen Leyan chose the Childbearing Pill, unlike in Wen Yunmian’s previous life, when she had chosen the Beauty Pill.
• Wen Leyan and Madam Meng urged Wen Yunmian to take the Beauty Pill, and Wen Yunmian realized that Wen Leyan had been reborn too.
• Wen Yunmian decided to let Wen Leyan have the Childbearing Pill and resolved to win power without relying on bearing the emperor’s children.

Wen Yunmian and Wen Leyan entered the palace with opposing ambitions, as Wen Yunmian used her Beauty Pill and carefully prepared to reclaim her former influence. On her first night serving the emperor, Wen Yunmian was selected, and she realized an old acquaintance—not the emperor—had chosen her portrait.

• Wen Yunmian chose the Beauty Pill while Wen Leyan took the Childbearing Pill, believing she would rise through bearing the emperor's children.
• After the Beauty Pill enhanced Wen Yunmian's appearance, the palace named her Attendant Yun and Wen Leyan Joyous Promise, and Wen Yunmian agreed to let Wen Leyan take Nanny Luo.
• Wen Yunmian and Wen Leyan entered the palace, where Wen Yunmian moved into the Peony Pavilion in the Palace of Eternal Joy.
• Wen Yunmian deliberately wore unflattering makeup for her portrait, planning to make a stronger impression when she appeared in person.
• On the night of serving the emperor, Wen Yunmian's name tablet was turned over first, and she suspected that an old acquaintance had selected her portrait.

Wen Yunmian used ugly moles and a staged beating by Consort Shu to draw the emperor’s attention. He rescued her from the hot spring, and after her makeup was removed, he saw her true beauty.

• Wen Yunmian drew large black moles on her face before the Phoenix-Luan Spring Favor Carriage took her to the palace.
• Consort Shu mistook Wen Yunmian for an ugly rival, then ordered her servants to beat her beside the hot spring.
• When the emperor arrived, Wen Yunmian escaped Consort Shu’s grasp, collided with him, and fell into the pool with him.
• The emperor carried Wen Yunmian out, sent Consort Shu away, and summoned an imperial physician to treat her superficial injuries.
• After Wen Yunmian’s makeup was wiped away, the emperor saw her beautiful face and found himself unable to forget it.

Wen Yunmian concealed the consort’s abuse and claimed she loved Jun Chenyu, deliberately stirring his interest while reassuring him she would not interfere with his relationship with the consort. Jun Chenyu ordered her to keep the events at Chanyang Palace secret, while Wen Yunmian planned to let his desire and restraint conflict.

• Wen Yunmian apologized to Jun Chenyu and refused to accuse the consort of hurting her.
• Wen Yunmian told Jun Chenyu she understood the consort’s jealousy and claimed she had once felt the same pain.
• When Jun Chenyu asked whether she had loved someone before entering the palace, Wen Yunmian confessed that she loved him.
• Wen Yunmian praised Jun Chenyu and said she had admired him since seeing him at the Temple of Protecting the Nation.
• Jun Chenyu told Wen Yunmian to keep the events at Chanyang Palace secret and said he would pretend not to have heard her confession.

Wen Yunmian spent the night in Jun Chenyu’s chamber, where he restrained his desire and let her stay without touching her. The next morning, Wen Leyan gathered other palace newcomers to mock Wen Yunmian over the missing Ruyi Harmony Fan, then tried to hurt her while pretending to welcome her.

• Jun Chenyu told Wen Yunmian to stay the night and preserve her dignity, but her awkward attempts to undress him stirred his desire.
• Jun Chenyu ordered a maid to help him change, and Wen Yunmian changed behind a screen while he caught sight of her silhouette.
• Wen Yunmian declined to share Jun Chenyu’s bed and slept on the couch, then left the next morning with her wounds treated.
• Wen Leyan waited with Nanny Hong and other newcomers, expecting Wen Yunmian to return humiliated without the Ruyi Harmony Fan.
• Wen Leyan questioned Wen Yunmian about the missing fan in front of Noble Lady Wei, Attendant Hui, and Answering Lady Su.
• Wen Leyan pulled Wen Yunmian down to sit and pressed hard on her injured arm, expecting her to cry out.

Wen Yunmian received the Ruyi Harmony Fan and was promoted to Noble Lady Yun after attending the emperor, shocking Wen Leyan and the other palace women. Wen Leyan left vowing to win the emperor’s favor and make Wen Yunmian suffer.

• Wen Leyan tried to expose scars on Wen Yunmian’s arm but found her skin unmarked, then accidentally revealed that she expected the emperor to have favored her.
• An imperial eunuch announced the emperor’s decree promoting Wen Yunmian to noble lady and granting her the Ruyi Harmony Fan.
• Wen Yunmian accepted the promotion, recognizing it as both a reward and a warning not to reveal what happened with the consort.
• Noble Lady Wei congratulated Wen Yunmian, while the Imperial Household Department began furnishing the Peony Pavilion and Wen Leyan seethed with jealousy.
• Wen Leyan accused Wen Yunmian of pretending the emperor favored her, but Nanny Hong warned her to mind her words and led her away.
• Wen Leyan vowed to capture the emperor’s heart and predicted Wen Yunmian would suffer after the newcomers paid their respects to the empress.

Wen Yunmian tightened her control over the Peony Pavilion and set a trap to identify the spy from her previous life. At Fengyi Palace, she faced Consort Chun’s pointed insult as the consorts gathered to pay respects to the Empress.

• Wen Yunmian warned her servants against abusing their positions, rewarded them with silver, and reminded Eunuch Zhou to keep a low profile.
• Wen Yunmian had Yun Yang and Yun Fei separately promise six servants better positions, and Yun Yang discovered that someone from elsewhere in the palace was trying to bribe them for information.
• Wen Yunmian told Yun Yang to watch Shukui and Qiukui to learn which woman was more eager to advance, since she suspected one of them was the spy from her past life.
• Wen Yunmian chose a rose-pink dress for the audience at Fengyi Palace, explaining that dressing too plainly could draw more resentment than dressing appropriately.
• At Fengyi Palace, Consort Chun called Wen Yunmian a fox spirit in human form, and Wen Yunmian recognized her as the emperor’s formerly disfavored, ignorant consort.

Wen Yunmian attended the empress’s morning audience, where Consort Shu challenged her and then turned her attention to Wen Leyan. Consort Shu ordered Wen Leyan to leave and copy Buddhist scriptures, leaving Wen Leyan in trouble after Wen Yunmian refused to help.

• Consort Shu confronted Wen Yunmian about her promotion and beauty, but Wen Yunmian answered her with a flattering remark.
• Wen Leyan arrived dressed in plain white, drawing attention and provoking Consort Shu with Consort Xian’s praise of her.
• The consorts entered Fengyi Palace and paid their respects to the empress, whom Wen Yunmian remembered fondly from her previous life.
• Consort Shu ordered Wen Leyan to copy Buddhist scriptures at her palace, and Consort Chun and Attendant Hui pressed her to go at once.
• Wen Leyan quietly asked Wen Yunmian to help her stay and see the emperor, but Wen Yunmian ignored her; Consort Shu accused Wen Leyan of disregarding her.

Wen Yunmian defended herself against Consort Chun’s accusations and earned Consort Shu’s punishment, then used the situation to draw Jun Chenyu toward her. Jun Chenyu left Consort Shu and arrived at Peony Pavilion, where Wen Yunmian tricked him into falling into the hot spring with her.

• Consort Xian and Consort Chun insinuated that Wen Yunmian and Wen Leyan would cause chaos in the harem, and Wen Yunmian and Answering Lady Su answered them.
• The empress ended the argument, and Consort Shu ordered Wen Yunmian to copy Lessons for Women and Admonitions for Women thirty times.
• After hearing why Consort Shu had punished Wen Yunmian, Jun Chenyu left Consort Shu waiting and departed Chanyang Palace.
• Wen Yunmian went to the hot spring pool at Peony Pavilion while Jun Chenyu came to see her under cover of night.
• Wen Yunmian appeared to slip into the pool, then pulled Jun Chenyu into the water and told him he had fallen for her trick.

After Wen Yunmian pretended to be drunk and seduced Jun Chenyu, he carried her back to the Peony Pavilion but left for the night. She then prepared medicine in secret while resolving to protect the empress from the death she remembered from her previous life.

• Jun Chenyu found Wen Yunmian by the water, and she pretended to be drunk before kissing and embracing him, then fell asleep in his arms.
• Jun Chenyu carried Wen Yunmian back, ordered Yun Yang to change her clothes and prepare sobering soup, and left the Peony Pavilion.
• Wen Yunmian revealed to Yun Yang and Yun Fei that she had only been acting drunk and reflected on how she had used what she learned from her former male favorites.
• After hearing Jun Chenyu had visited Wen Yunmian, Consort Shu grew furious, and Noble Lady Yu proposed a scheme against her.
• Wen Yunmian secretly obtained medicinal ingredients and told Yun Fei to conceal her knowledge of medicine, intending to protect the empress from the death she remembered.

Wen Yunmian brought medicine and candied plums to the ailing empress, then received palace gifts while remaining wary of possible traps. As Wen Leyan grew desperate to win Consort Shu’s favor, she arranged to use Wen Yunmian as a stepping-stone that night.

• Wen Yunmian visited the empress with a medicinal decoction and candied plums, earning a warmer response from Her Majesty.
• Eunuch Huang delivered fine chrysanthemums, silk, and incense to Peony Pavilion, and Wen Yunmian inspected them cautiously.
• Wen Yunmian practiced writing with her right hand and ordered Yun Fei to burn those practice sheets while keeping her left-handed writing.
• Noble Lady Wei and then other palace women attended His Majesty, while Wen Leyan remained overlooked and resolved to join Consort Shu’s camp.
• Wen Yunmian rejected a letter asking her to help Wen Leyan, recognizing that Madam Meng had forged Wen Fu'an’s handwriting.
• Wen Leyan told Ming Cui that everything was ready and planned to use Wen Yunmian to win Consort Shu’s favor.

Consort Chun led a nighttime search of Peony Pavilion, accusing Noble Lady Yun of an affair, while Consort Rong challenged her authority and demanded grounds for the search. A voice from inside seemed to confirm the accusation, and Consort Chun rushed into the bedchamber to expose Wen Yunmian.

• Consort Chun arrived at Peony Pavilion with guards and accused Noble Lady Yun of having an affair with a guard.
• Yun Yang and Yun Fei protested, but Consort Chun slapped Yun Yang and ordered the guards to break down the door.
• Consort Rong arrived and questioned Consort Chun's right to search, but Consort Chun said she had the Noble Consort's orders and had informed His Majesty.
• Consort Rong asked what Consort Chun would do if Noble Lady Yun proved innocent, and Consort Chun said she would accept His Majesty's punishment.
• A sultry voice pleaded for someone to stop, and Consort Chun believed Wen Yunmian had confirmed the affair.
• Consort Chun entered the bedchamber and ordered the guards to drag Noble Lady Yun out.

Wen Yunmian turned Consort Chun’s attempt to expose her into a trap, winning Jun Chenyu’s protection and intimacy while Consort Chun was punished. The next morning, Wen Yunmian learned that Wen Leyan had been taken to Consort Shu, who likely blamed her for the failed scheme.

• Consort Chun barged into Wen Yunmian’s bedchamber and discovered Jun Chenyu there, then knelt and apologized.
• Jun Chenyu declared the incident a misunderstanding, confined Consort Chun to the Palace of Gathered Purity, and cut her stipend for three months.
• Wen Yunmian reassured Jun Chenyu that the guard had entered her residence by mistake, and Jun Chenyu promised to tighten security at the Peony Pavilion.
• Wen Yunmian flirted with Jun Chenyu, and they spent the night together.
• Yun Yang told Wen Yunmian that Joyous Promise had been taken into the Palace of Prolonged Happiness and had not come out.
• Wen Yunmian concluded that Consort Shu had likely punished Wen Leyan after believing Wen Leyan and Wen Yunmian had set a trap for Consort Chun.

Wen Yunmian explained how she anticipated Jun Chenyu’s arrival and confronted Wen Leyan over the scheme to frame her. Wen Leyan learned that Jun Chenyu had spent the night with Wen Yunmian, and the chapter ended with Wen Yunmian demanding she answer for the danger she had caused.

• Wen Yunmian told Yun Yang that Jun Chenyu came because it was the anniversary of the commoner woman he had loved, and Wen Yunmian resembled her.
• Consort Xian heard that Wen Leyan had returned to the Rose Pavilion and dismissed her maid’s concerns about Wen Leyan’s temper.
• Wen Leyan revealed to Nanny Hong that she had arranged for the guard to be in the Peony Pavilion, but had never expected Jun Chenyu to arrive there.
• Nanny Hong told Wen Leyan that Jun Chenyu had stayed overnight with Wen Yunmian, leaving Wen Leyan shocked and eager to seek the noble consort’s help.
• Wen Yunmian entered Wen Leyan’s room, slapped her after Wen Leyan challenged her, and demanded to know whether Wen Leyan had considered the consequences of her scheme.

Wen Yunmian confronted Wen Leyan over her schemes and warned her that the Wen family’s fate affected them both. After Consort Shu spent the night with Jun Chenyu, she grew jealous and fearful that Wen Yunmian was winning his favor.

• Wen Yunmian slapped Wen Leyan and explained that the Wen family could suffer if Wen Leyan’s affair with a guard brought disgrace upon them.
• Wen Leyan rejected Wen Yunmian’s warning and insisted that Wen Yunmian should help her gain Jun Chenyu’s favor.
• Wen Yunmian returned to the Peony Pavilion and ordered Yun Fei to watch Wen Leyan’s movements.
• Yun Fei told Wen Yunmian that Jun Chenyu had ordered her pear soup set aside while Consort Shu’s soup was brought to him.
• Consort Shu accompanied Jun Chenyu as he reviewed memorials, then spent the night with him and worried that he had lost interest in her because of Wen Yunmian.

Jun Chenyu investigated the plot against Wen Yunmian and used a precious gift and Eunuch Lu to test her response to Consort Shu’s involvement. Wen Yunmian pretended to faint rather than reveal her family’s intentions, and Jun Chenyu summoned her to Chanyang Palace that night.

• Jun Chenyu learned that Consort Shu had arranged the Peony Pavilion incident and ordered the investigation kept secret.
• Jun Chenyu sent Wen Yunmian his Dragon-Patterned Jade Pendant and instructed Eunuch Lu to tell her Consort Shu was responsible.
• Wen Yunmian realized Jun Chenyu was testing whether her family would oppose Consort Shu’s clan, so she pretended to faint from fear.
• Eunuch Lu reported Wen Yunmian’s reaction, and Jun Chenyu summoned her to Chanyang Palace that night.
• Yun Fei told Wen Yunmian about the summons, and Wen Yunmian worried that she was being called to attend Jun Chenyu in bed.

Wen Yunmian defended herself against the consorts’ accusations at Fengyi Palace and won the Empress’s approval with her sincerity and a gift of preserved plums. Back at the Peony Pavilion, she resumed practicing calligraphy until Yun Fei discovered someone in the side room.

• Consort Shu, Consort Xian, Noble Lady Yu, and Wen Leyan accused Wen Yunmian of using improper means to win the Emperor’s favor, but Wen Yunmian argued that the Emperor alone decided where he wished to go.
• The Empress rebuked Consort Shu and let Wen Yunmian rise, then smiled back at her sincere expression.
• Wen Yunmian sent preserved plums to the Empress, who felt that Wen Yunmian understood her and had offered the gift without seeking anything in return.
• Wen Yunmian heard that Wen Leyan had stayed behind to ask the Empress for help attending the Emperor, and predicted that the Emperor would not summon her.
• Wen Yunmian returned to the Peony Pavilion, drank tea, and practiced calligraphy until Yun Fei shouted that someone was in the side room.

Wen Yunmian went to Chanyang Palace to meet Jun Chenyu and acted as though she longed for home, hoping to convince him she was separate from the Marquis's Residence. Jun Chenyu promised to protect her, while Wen Leyan planned to ask her father to remind the emperor of her.

• Wen Yunmian ate Sweet Cheese and left the Peony Pavilion in the Phoenix-Luan Spring Favor Carriage to serve Jun Chenyu.
• Wen Leyan resented Wen Yunmian's favor and, on Nanny Hong's advice, decided to write to her father and ask him to mention her to the emperor.
• Wen Yunmian recalled how her father and the Duke of State Protection had plotted against the emperor in her previous life, and resolved to make Jun Chenyu believe she opposed the Marquis's Residence.
• Wen Yunmian made herself cry when Jun Chenyu entered Chanyang Palace, then told him she missed home and asked whether he would always protect her.
• Jun Chenyu called Wen Yunmian his woman and promised to protect her.

Wen Yunmian told Jun Chenyu that her father had beaten her mother, and Jun promised to intervene before the two spent the night together. The next morning, Jun bestowed the title Yan on Wen Yunmian, but Eunuch Zhou arrived at Peony Pavilion with alarming news.

• Wen Yunmian told Jun Chenyu that Wen Fu'an had beaten Madam Wen after remembering that she had lost a son, and Jun promised to ensure justice for her.
• Wen Yunmian and Jun Chenyu kissed and spent the night together, while Wen Yunmian reflected on her love for him and how his past suspicions had broken her heart.
• Jun Chenyu left Wen Yunmian asleep and ordered the attendants not to disturb her, allowing her to return to Peony Pavilion when she woke.
• Eunuch Lu escorted Wen Yunmian back to Peony Pavilion, where Jun Chenyu's decree bestowed on her the honorary title Yan.
• Eunuch Zhou rushed to Peony Pavilion and told Wen Yunmian that something terrible had happened.

After Jun Chenyu collapsed during court, Consort Shu took charge of his care and assigned Wen Yunmian a turn at his bedside, drawing the harem’s resentment. Consort Hui confronted Wen Yunmian afterward, but her attempt to provoke her ended with Wen Yunmian silently staring at her.

• Eunuch Zhou told Wen Yunmian that Jun Chenyu had collapsed during morning court and been taken to Chanyang Palace.
• The imperial physician reported that Jun Chenyu had suffered obstructed qi and blood but faced no immediate danger, and Consort Shu claimed the first three days of bedside care.
• Consort Shu assigned Noble Lady Yan to care for Jun Chenyu after her own turn, provoking resentment from the other consorts and an argument with Consort Hui.
• Yun Yang warned Wen Yunmian that Consort Shu might be plotting against her, and Wen Yunmian decided to wait and see.
• Consort Xian stirred Consort Hui’s jealousy by saying the palace compared Wen Yunmian to her younger self, so Consort Hui confronted Wen Yunmian and demanded to know why she was staring.