Recaps

Jiang Xiaobai agreed to cooperate with Liu Guanlan and deliberately enjoyed the Elder Princess’s shoulder massage despite knowing who she was. After leaving Guanlan Tower with Tang Ningshuang, he promised to write Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio for her.

• Jiang Xiaobai agreed to help the Little Princess if she needed anything, and Liu Guanlan promised to look into information for him.
• Jiang Xiaobai stayed at Guanlan Tower and had the Elder Princess continue massaging his shoulders, then asked Liu Guanlan to tell her he wanted her to do it again.
• Liu Guanlan coaxed the Elder Princess into smiling for Jiang Xiaobai before escorting him and Tang Ningshuang out.
• After Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang left, the Elder Princess clenched her hands in anger while insisting she was fine.
• Tang Ningshuang asked why Jiang Xiaobai had provoked the Elder Princess, and he said he wanted to enjoy the massage before she resumed her true identity.
• Jiang Xiaobai promised to write Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio when they got home, though Tang Ningshuang doubted the latter would keep her awake.

Jiang Xiaobai wrote the frightening tale Painted Skin for Tang Ningshuang, who fled from the story but later read it to the end and was too scared to sleep alone. She went to Jiang Xiaobai’s bedside in the middle of the night and glared at him as he woke in surprise.

• Zhang Xinnian reported that Jiang Xiaobai’s wine had reached nearly half the Capital City’s shops, and Jiang Xiaobai told him to expand distribution and reward the workers with wine.
• Jiang Xiaobai began writing Painted Skin after Tang Ningshuang insisted she wanted to read a story that would keep her awake.
• Tang Ningshuang became frightened as Jiang Xiaobai wrote about the woman removing and painting her human skin, then hurried out of the room.
• Tang Ningshuang returned, read the manuscript to the end, and went to Jiang Xiaobai’s room because she was afraid to sleep alone.
• Jiang Xiaobai woke to find Tang Ningshuang glaring at him beside his bed.

Jiang Xiaobai found a letter from Lake Pavilion Guest, the Hidden Edge Mountain Sect Master, who had entered his room unnoticed to apologize and ask about his music. He showed the letter to Tang Ningshuang, who recognized the sender and was shocked.

• Tang Ningshuang denied being frightened by Jiang Xiaobai’s stories, then returned to sit beside his bed after pretending to leave.
• Jiang Xiaobai found a letter on his writing table after waking and realized Lake Pavilion Guest had entered his room without either of them noticing.
• Jiang Xiaobai watched Tang Ningshuang practice her sword and asked whether she had noticed anyone in the room overnight.
• Jiang Xiaobai handed the letter to Tang Ningshuang, who recognized Lake Pavilion Guest as the expert from the lake pavilion.

Jiang Xiaobai prepared music scores to attract the mysterious Lake Pavilion Guest, while Tang Ningshuang tried to catch her visiting. The guest entered undetected, read the scores, and left a letter and a box, leaving Jiang Xiaobai curious about her gift.

• Jiang Xiaobai asked Tang Ningshuang to watch for the Lake Pavilion Guest and continued expanding his liquor business and writing the Numerical Calculation Method.
• Jiang Xiaobai wrote out A Laugh Amidst the Vast Sea, also titled The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, and prepared the score for High Mountains and Flowing Water.
• Tang Ningshuang heard a faint sound and went outside, but she found no one; when she returned, the scores had vanished and an envelope had appeared.
• The next morning, Tang Ningshuang gave Jiang Xiaobai the guest's letter, which praised the music and asked him to name the second piece.
• Tang Ningshuang admitted she had sensed the guest but never seen her, then handed Jiang Xiaobai an exquisitely made box the guest had left.

Jiang Xiaobai received a scented sachet from the Lake Pavilion Guest, along with a promise of help from the ninth-rank master. After arranging liquor deliveries and urging Pei Shen to investigate Du Chong, Jiang Xiaobai learned that Zhang had been detained.

• Jiang Xiaobai opened the box and found a scented sachet and a note offering help from the Lake Pavilion Guest if he ever faced difficulties.
• Tang Ningshuang was shocked that Jiang Xiaobai had earned the favor of a ninth-rank master with his musical scores.
• Jiang Xiaobai arranged for Zhang Xinnian to distribute liquor around the Capital City and sent Pei Shen a reminder to investigate Du Chong if the Ministry of Rites yielded no leads.
• A servant reported that Pei Shen had only replied that he understood, leaving Jiang Xiaobai unsure whether the investigation was progressing.
• An officer from the Marquis's Residence rushed in and told Jiang Xiaobai that Thousand-household Commander Zhang had been detained.

After the Ministry of Justice detained Zhang Xinnian, Jiang Xiaobai rejected his father’s cautious approach and ordered all thirty thousand Northern Guardian Marquis’s Estate soldiers in the capital to assemble. Tang Ningshuang warned that the confrontation could spiral out of control, but Jiang Xiaobai insisted on making a major show of force and expected someone else to end the crisis.

• An officer told Jiang Xiaobai that the Ministry of Justice had seized Zhang Xinnian after its expert subdued him at a restaurant.
• Jiang Xiaobai refused the officer’s suggestion to involve his father and the emperor, criticizing the Marquis’s cautious response to past provocations.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered every soldier of the Northern Guardian Marquis’s Estate stationed in the capital to muster within two hours.
• Tang Ningshuang warned Jiang Xiaobai that assembling thirty thousand soldiers could make the situation difficult to contain.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Tang Ningshuang he would not back down and planned to make the confrontation big enough that someone would bring it to a close.

Jiang Xiaobai assembled thirty thousand soldiers from the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate and led them toward the Ministry of Justice to demand the release of Zhang. Jiang Jingcheng chose not to restrain him, trusting that his son had a plan.

• A general told Jiang Jingcheng that Jiang Xiaobai had assembled the estate's soldiers after the Ministry of Justice detained Thousand-household Commander Zhang.
• Jiang Jingcheng decided to stay out of the affair and pretended to be gravely ill so the general would not expect him to intervene.
• Jiang Jingcheng told Shen Yun he trusted Jiang Xiaobai and believed the boy had his own plans.
• Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang faced the assembled thirty thousand soldiers outside the Marquis's Residence.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the army to march to the Ministry of Justice and called on them to fight.

Jiang Xiaobai led thirty thousand soldiers of the Marquis's Residence out of the capital, riding with Tang Ningshuang at the head of the army. As they marched toward their target, Tang Ningshuang grew eager for battle, while Jiang Jingcheng watched them depart and pretended to be unconscious when a physician arrived.

• The soldiers echoed Jiang Xiaobai's calls to fight, and Tang Ningshuang helped him mount her horse before leading the army out.
• Jiang Xiaobai clung to Tang Ningshuang as the horse charged forward, then held her waist as she steadied it.
• The thirty thousand soldiers marched through the streets, frightening the commoners and prompting several Wulin People to hide their weapons and pretend to be ordinary people.
• Tang Ningshuang felt that the army was where she belonged and began looking forward to a real battlefield, while Jiang Xiaobai reveled in the army's strength.
• Jiang Jingcheng watched the troops depart and praised Jiang Xiaobai's flair, then a physician arrived and was told to write a prescription for the supposedly unconscious Marquis.

The Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate mustered thirty thousand troops under Jiang Xiaobai and marched toward the Ministry of Justice, alarming the capital's officials and imperial family. At the Ministry, Zhang Xinnian endured abuse and refused to sign a confession as officials mocked Jiang Xiaobai and threatened to detain him.

• A messenger told Liu Guanlan and the Elder Princess that the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate had mustered thirty thousand troops, and they hurried to find out where the army was going.
• An Imperial Guards officer told Xiao Jinxuan that the troops were headed for the Ministry of Justice, so Xiao Jinxuan set out there with Xiao Qingheng and Xiao Zijing following.
• Li Bingzhang learned that Jiang Xiaobai was leading the troops and hurried to the Ministry of Justice.
• At the Ministry of Justice, Zhao Sheng warned a fair-faced official that arresting Zhang Xinnian was rash, but the official insisted he could arrest anyone he wanted.
• Zhang Xinnian refused to sign a confession admitting he had coerced merchants into buying wine and warned the official that Jiang Xiaobai would retaliate.
• After the official mocked Jiang Xiaobai and threatened to detain him, Zhang Xinnian sprang up and was kicked into a wall by a young Ministry of Justice man.

Jiang Xiaobai arrived at the Ministry of Justice with thirty thousand soldiers from the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate to rescue Zhang Xinnian. He disarmed the Ministry's guards and promised to get Zhang Xinnian justice, leaving the Fair-skinned Man and Zhao Sheng shocked by the force outside.

• The Fair-skinned Man ordered his man to keep beating Zhang Xinnian until he put his fingerprint on a document.
• A servant announced that people from the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate had arrived, and the Fair-skinned Man told them to wait.
• Thirty thousand soldiers surrounded and entered the Ministry of Justice as Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang arrived on horseback.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the Ministry's guards to throw down their weapons, and they surrendered.
• Jiang Xiaobai found the bruised Zhang Xinnian and promised to get him justice, shocking him, the Fair-skinned Man, and Zhao Sheng by revealing he had brought thirty thousand troops.

Jiang Xiaobai confronted the Ministry of Justice over Zhang Xinnian’s detention and used deadly force against those who had mistreated him. He waited for the Emperor to arrive while Zhao Sheng tried to avoid becoming his next target.

• Jiang Xiaobai asked Zhang Xinnian who had hit him, and the fair-skinned official admitted he had ordered the beating.
• Jiang Xiaobai shot and killed the man who had struck Zhang Xinnian, then told the horrified official he had done it because he felt like it.
• When the official threatened to accuse him of rebellion before the Emperor, Jiang Xiaobai shot him in the leg and said he wanted to make him howl.
• Zhang Xinnian fetched a stool for Jiang Xiaobai and kicked the wounded official as he passed.
• Jiang Xiaobai sat down, had Tang Ningshuang massage his shoulders, and questioned Zhao Sheng, who began howling before Jiang Xiaobai could shoot him.

Jiang Xiaobai held the Ministry of Justice under guard after wounding Cheng Xiao and killing an official, then confronted Minister Zheng Yu and Zhao Bintian. The Imperial Guards arrived, and Jiang Xiaobai waited to see whether the Emperor would intervene.

• Jiang Xiaobai spared Zhao Sheng but refused to spare Cheng Xiao, who vowed revenge.
• Zheng Yu entered the hall and demanded to know why Jiang Xiaobai had brought soldiers to the Ministry of Justice.
• Zhao Bintian rushed to Cheng Xiao, expressed concern for his wound, and accused Jiang Xiaobai of committing capital crimes.
• Jiang Xiaobai challenged Zhao Bintian and Cheng Xiao to wait for the Emperor to arrive.
• The Imperial Guards approached the hall, and Jiang Xiaobai remarked that someone able to stand up for them had arrived.

Jiang Xiaobai confronted Xiao Jinxuan after the Marquis's soldiers refused to yield to the Imperial Guards, then accused the Ministry of Justice of unjustly arresting his people and falsely alleging rebellion. He demanded that the person responsible be executed, leaving Xiao Jinxuan to decide how to answer amid the army's show of force.

• The Marquis's soldiers refused to move for Xiao Jinxuan, saying they obeyed military orders, and the officer went to summon Jiang Xiaobai.
• Xiao Jinxuan arrived at the Ministry of Justice, while Chen Zhanqiu urged him to punish Jiang Xiaobai and the Elder Princess predicted he would have to soften the matter.
• Jiang Xiaobai told the officer to invite Xiao Jinxuan inside and urged Zheng Yu and the others to lodge complaints against him.
• Xiao Jinxuan entered the hall and saw the corpse and the Fair-skinned Man's bloody legs before Jiang Xiaobai asked him to uphold justice.
• Jiang Xiaobai accused the Ministry of Justice of arresting Marquis's Residence people without cause and falsely accusing the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate's 800,000-Strong Army of rebellion, then demanded the culprit's execution.

Jiang Xiaobai confronted Emperor Xiao Jinxuan over the Ministry of Justice’s treatment of the Northern Guardian Marquis’s Estate and forced the emperor to reject accusations of rebellion. He then accused Ministry officials of colluding with northern enemies and asked for authority to investigate the Ministry of Justice, leaving its defenders afraid to speak.

• Jiang Xiaobai demanded that Xiao Jinxuan uphold justice for the Northern Guardian Marquis’s Estate and its 800,000-strong army, while Cheng Xiao accused the estate’s men of bullying commoners.
• Zhao Bintian and Zheng Yu accused Jiang Xiaobai of rebellion for surrounding the Ministry of Justice with 30,000 troops and killing an official, but Xiao Jinxuan affirmed the estate’s loyalty to Great Hua.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed Cheng Xiao and the dead official had ties to hostile forces beyond the northern border, and Zhang Xinnian backed his accusation as a witness.
• Zheng Yu and Zhao Bintian vouched for Cheng Xiao, so Jiang Xiaobai accused them of possible complicity and requested a decree to investigate the Ministry of Justice.
• Zhao Sheng and Chen Zhanqiu abandoned their attempts to defend the officials, fearing Jiang Xiaobai would implicate them as well.

Jiang Xiaobai forced the emperor to order an investigation into both the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, then killed Cheng Xiao after the court party departed. He spared Zhao Bintian and Zhao Sheng for now, withdrew his troops, and left the Ministry of Justice shaken by his ruthless maneuvering.

• Xiao Jinxuan ordered Jiang Xiaobai to investigate the Ministry of Justice for colluding with an enemy nation and commanded him to withdraw the Marquis's Residence troops.
• After Xiao Jinxuan and the others left, Jiang Xiaobai shot Cheng Xiao dead when he took too long to answer.
• Zhao Bintian swore revenge, but Jiang Xiaobai spared him so he could investigate the assassins Zhao Bintian had sent after him.
• Jiang Xiaobai urged Zheng Yu to retire and warned Zhao Sheng that he was being spared out of respect for Elder Lin.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered Zhang Xinnian to take the troops home, while Zhao Sheng left the Ministry of Justice wary of Jiang Xiaobai's methods.

Jiang Xiaobai returned to the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate after strengthening his political position, and he predicted that assassins would come that night. None appeared, but he found a mysterious note the next morning that shocked Tang Ningshuang.

• The Elder Princess and Liu Guanlan discussed Jiang Xiaobai's shrewd handling of the Ministry of Justice and left the rooftop.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Li Bingzhang that his actions had made the Emperor more wary but also less willing to openly seize the Northern Guardian Marquis's Estate's military authority.
• Jiang Xiaobai returned to the estate, sent Zhang Xinnian to resume distributing goods, and warned Tang Ningshuang that assassins might come that night.
• Tang Ningshuang guarded Jiang Xiaobai through the night, but no assassins appeared.
• Jiang Xiaobai found a sheet of paper on the table the next morning and handed it to Tang Ningshuang, who was shocked by its contents.

Jiang Xiaobai attended Morning Court with Tang Ningshuang, where several ministers warmly approached him after his recent actions against the Ministry of Justice. Emperor Xiao Jinxuan arrived accompanied by Meng Chief Grand Secretary, leaving Jiang Xiaobai wary that they might be plotting against him.

• Tang Ningshuang wondered why the mysterious master had helped Jiang Xiaobai, and Jiang Xiaobai guessed the emperor had summoned him for an unpleasant reason.
• Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang arrived at the Imperial Court, where Dong Qian, Lü Fang, and the Ministers of Works and War greeted Jiang Xiaobai and invited him to visit their ministries.
• Li Bingzhang arrived, drawing the ministers' attention and allowing Jiang Xiaobai to slip away from their conversation.
• Jiang Xiaobai noticed Chen Zhanqiu glaring at him and saw Zheng Yu looking dispirited.
• Xiao Jinxuan entered Morning Court with Meng Chief Grand Secretary beside him, and Jiang Xiaobai grew wary that they might be discussing how to deal with him.

At court, Zheng Yu sought to retire, but Xiao Jinxuan postponed his request until the Ministry of Justice investigation was complete. Meng Xiutang then proposed that Jiang Xiaobai receive delegations from Northern Yu and Qi, putting him in a potentially dangerous position.

• Xiao Jinxuan ordered the Ministry of Works to repair Wenxuan Bridge and instructed Chen Zhanqiu to continue preparing for the Autumn Sacrifice.
• Zheng Yu asked to retire and recommended Feng Quan as his successor, but Xiao Jinxuan delayed the decision until the Ministry of Justice investigation was over.
• Meng Xiutang announced that delegations from Northern Yu and Qi would arrive in half a month to discuss border markets.
• Meng Xiutang proposed that Jiang Xiaobai receive the delegations because of his Four Strategies and scholarly reputation.
• Li Bingzhang warned that Northern Yu resented the Jiang Family and that Jiang Xiaobai could be endangered, but Meng Xiutang argued the visit could help Jiang investigate hostile forces.

Jiang Xiaobai accepted Xiao Jinxuan’s order to receive the delegations from Qi and Northern Yu, but demanded permission to strike if they provoked him and to investigate Meng Xiutang if he succeeded. The emperor appointed him Two-State Reception Envoy and threatened to strip his posts and make him a live-in son-in-law if he failed.

• Meng Xiutang argued that Jiang Xiaobai should receive the Northern Yu delegation as a chance to investigate suspected collusion.
• Xiao Jinxuan appointed Jiang Xiaobai to receive the delegations, and Jiang accepted while asking permission to strike if provoked.
• Jiang Xiaobai accused Meng Xiutang of harboring selfish motives and asked to investigate him, prompting Xiao Jinxuan to stop their quarrel.
• Xiao Jinxuan authorized Jiang Xiaobai to deal with deliberate provocations but warned him not to damage Great Hua’s diplomatic relations.
• Xiao Jinxuan appointed Jiang Xiaobai Two-State Reception Envoy for the delegations arriving in half a month and threatened to make him a live-in son-in-law if he failed.
• Jiang Xiaobai agreed and asked to investigate Meng Xiutang if both delegations left satisfied.

Jiang Xiaobai secured Xiao Jinxuan’s approval to receive the Qi and Northern Yu delegations, tying the assignment to his chance to investigate Meng Xiutang. After warning him about Northern Yu’s feud with the Jiang Family, Li Bingzhang learned Jiang Xiaobai had no plan yet, and a palace maid approached him outside the court.

• Jiang Xiaobai accused Meng Xiutang of resisting scrutiny, and Meng agreed to an investigation if Jiang successfully handled the delegations.
• Xiao Jinxuan approved the assignment, and Jiang Xiaobai promised to receive the delegations well so he could investigate Meng.
• After court was dismissed, Meng challenged Jiang to prove he could receive the delegations properly, and Jiang replied that Meng should worry about the investigation.
• Li Bingzhang and Tang Ningshuang warned Jiang that Northern Yu’s blood feud with the Jiang Family made the assignment dangerous, but Jiang said he would think of a solution.
• A palace maid approached Jiang outside the court hall and asked whether he was Heir Jiang, Lord Jiang.

Jiang Xiaobai was summoned to meet the Little Princess and a self-proclaimed talented gentleman at a palace pavilion, where he discovered the Elder Princess was also present. Fang Tong introduced himself as a disciple of Pavilion Elder Shen and claimed to have answered Jiang Xiaobai’s Four Couplet Riddles, but Jiang Xiaobai admitted he had no interest in seeing the lines.

• A palace maid invited Jiang Xiaobai to meet the Little Princess and a talented gentleman, and Tang Ningshuang followed to protect him.
• The palace maid led Jiang Xiaobai and Tang Ningshuang to a garden pavilion, where Xiao Zijing, the Elder Princess, and three young people awaited them.
• Fang Tong stepped forward and introduced himself, but Jiang Xiaobai said he did not know him or Pavilion Elder Shen.
• Fang Tong claimed he had composed matching lines for Jiang Xiaobai’s Four Couplet Riddles and had displayed them at the Clear Pavilion.
• Jiang Xiaobai recalled hearing that the riddles had been solved but told Fang Tong he was not curious about the answers.

Fang Tong presented matching lines for Jiang Xiaobai’s four couplets and challenged him with a difficult new one. Jiang Xiaobai answered immediately with several matching lines, leaving Fang Tong stunned.

• Fang Tong showed Jiang Xiaobai four couplets he had spent a week matching and sought his praise.
• Jiang Xiaobai called Fang Tong’s couplets good, then praised him more earnestly after Tang Ningshuang explained Fang Tong wanted admiration.
• Fang Tong wrote a new couplet about stars, constellations, and the moon, giving Jiang Xiaobai three days to answer.
• Jiang Xiaobai said the challenge was easy and immediately offered three matching lines.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Fang Tong whether the challenge had really been difficult.

Jiang Xiaobai stunned Fang Tong by effortlessly matching his couplets and then gave him a five-element line he could not solve. Afterward, Jiang Xiaobai recognized the Elder Princess as the supposed deaf-mute palace maid and asked Xiao Zijing to have her massage his shoulders.

• Jiang Xiaobai matched Fang Tong's opening line with three couplets, leaving Fang Tong humiliated despite Xiao Zijing's praise.
• Fang Tong demanded a difficult line, and Jiang Xiaobai wrote, "Smoke Locks Willow by the Pond."
• Fang Tong and his companions realized the line cleverly incorporated the five elements and struggled to find a match.
• Xiao Zijing poured tea for Jiang Xiaobai and called them family, while Jiang Xiaobai pretended to ask who the Elder Princess was.
• Xiao Zijing claimed the Elder Princess was her personal palace maid, and Jiang Xiaobai asked her to have the woman massage his shoulders again.

Jiang Xiaobai humiliated Fang Tong with a succession of difficult couplet openings while making the Elder Princess massage his shoulders. Fang Tong finally recognized the gulf between their abilities, and Jiang Xiaobai offered to give him more lines.

• Jiang Xiaobai made the Elder Princess massage his shoulders, and she squeezed them in anger while Xiao Zijing watched tensely.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked why Fang Tong had missed the Orchid Pavilion Tower, and the young man claimed they had traveled to Tongzhou before visiting Xiao Zijing.
• Jiang Xiaobai downplayed his famous writings as a little display of his abilities, leaving Fang Tong and his companions stunned.
• Fang Tong gave up on completing “Smoke Locks Willow by the Pond,” then challenged Jiang Xiaobai to give him another couplet.
• Jiang Xiaobai gave Fang Tong several more difficult couplet openings, and Fang Tong grew increasingly defeated as he failed to solve them.
• Fang Tong accepted the gap between his talent and Jiang Xiaobai's, while Jiang Xiaobai asked whether he wanted another.

Jiang Xiaobai learned that the Visiting Scholars from Northern Yu and Qi were joining forces and might challenge the capital in literary and martial contests. As he left the Elder Princess’s residence, Xiao Zijing unexpectedly told him he could have the Elder Princess.

• Fang Tong conceded defeat to Jiang Xiaobai in their matching couplets contest and mentioned the Azure Robe Society had another talented member.
• A young man from the Azure Robe Society warned Jiang Xiaobai that Northern Yu and Qi’s Visiting Scholars had joined forces and were expected to reach the capital soon.
• Jiang Xiaobai learned the Visiting Scholars might challenge the capital in both literary and martial pursuits, and said he would consider taking part in martial challenges if killing was allowed.
• Jiang Xiaobai decided to leave after hearing the warning, joked with Xiao Zijing about taking her maid, and started out with Tang Ningshuang.
• Xiao Zijing stopped Jiang Xiaobai and told him he could have the Elder Princess.