Recaps

Jia Heng refused Jia Zhen’s offer to buy out his marriage and beat him before drawing his sword and publicly condemning his conduct. He left the Green and Red Pavilion, while a well-dressed young man ordered Boyan to keep watch on him.

• Jia Zhen and Jia Lian offered Jia Heng silver and another marriage in exchange for giving up his arranged match, but Jia Heng told Jia Zhen to divorce You-shi instead.
• Jia Zhen attacked Jia Heng, who seized him and slapped him repeatedly before overturning the table.
• Jia Heng drew his sword and warned Jia Zhen to stop harassing him, then split the table with a single strike as Jia Rong, Jia Lian, and the servants tried to intervene.
• Jia Zhen fainted, and Jia Heng asked Jia Lian to bear witness before leaving the private room.
• A young man watching from the third floor asked Boyan to keep an eye on Jia Heng.
• Jia Heng left the pavilion, exhausted and wanting to return home for a bath and sleep.

A garbled report that Jia Zhen was dying shocked Lady Jia’s household, but the servant’s claim that his face had swollen revealed that the news had been exaggerated. Feng-jie suspected Jia Zhen had simply drunk himself unconscious, and the servant was dragged away for spreading panic.

• Lady Jia played dominoes while Baoyu and the girls composed verses, and Madam Wang urged the others to let Baoyu rest for his tutor.
• A servant shouted that Jia Zhen was beyond saving, alarming Lady Jia and leaving You-shi devastated.
• Feng-jie questioned the servant, who said Jia Zhen had fainted after being carried back from the Green and Red Pavilion and that Jia Lian was with him.
• The servant reported that Jia Zhen’s face had swollen, confusing You-shi and making the report sound absurd.
• Feng-jie explained that Jia Zhen had been drinking and likely passed out, and Lady Jia ordered the servant punished for frightening everyone.

After learning Jia Zhen had been beaten by Jia Heng over a disputed marriage, Lady Jia calmed the women and postponed confronting Jia Heng until morning. In the Eastern Mansion, Jia Zhen swore revenge while Jia Lian warned him against provoking the dangerous young man again.

• Zhao'er reported that Jia Zhen had awakened and suffered only superficial injuries from the beating.
• Xifeng and You-shi explained that Jia Zhen had tried to make Jia Heng break his childhood engagement so Jia Rong could marry the girl.
• Lady Jia grew angry at both men’s conduct but agreed to wait until morning before summoning Jia Heng.
• Xifeng and You-shi went to the Eastern Mansion while Jia Zhen lay injured and humiliated in the reception hall.
• Jia Zhen vowed to kill Jia Heng and have him punished, but Jia Lian urged him to avoid provoking the hot-tempered young man.

After Jia Heng beat Jia Zhen, the Rongguo family debated whether to report him while worrying about Yuan-chun’s prospects in the palace. Jia Heng prepared for the Old Madam’s questioning and arrived at Rongguo Mansion carrying his Precious Sword.

• You-shi and Feng-jie learned that Jia Heng had offered to dismiss You-shi in exchange for ending the engagement, provoking the fight with Jia Zhen.
• Jia Zhen demanded that Jia Heng be reported, but Jia Lian urged caution because Yuan-chun’s position in the palace made a public scandal risky.
• Jia Heng planned how to answer the Old Madam and how to reassure the Qin Family, then went to bed after writing part of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
• The next morning, Lin Zhixiao summoned Jia Heng to Rongguo Mansion to explain himself to the Old Madam.
• Jia Heng took his Precious Sword and followed Lin Zhixiao through Rongguo Mansion, where servants whispered about his fight with Jia Zhen.

Jia Heng arrived at Rongqing Hall armed with his sword while Lady Jia, Jia Zhen, and the others gathered inside. When a servant told him weapons were forbidden, Jia Heng challenged the restriction and left, refusing to enter unless Lady Jia herself forbade his sword.

• Baoyu and the young women discussed Baoyu's new tutor and Jia Heng's sword-wielding actions at the Green and Red Pavilion.
• Lin Zhixiao announced Jia Heng's arrival to Lady Jia, while Jia Zhen and You-shi waited inside to see him.
• Lady Jia summoned Jia Heng and had the breakfast dishes removed as he approached the hall.
• Lin Zhixiao's wife told Jia Heng that weapons were not allowed in Rongqing Hall.
• Jia Heng defended carrying his sword and turned to leave, saying he would return another day if Lady Jia forbade it.

Jia Heng defended himself before Lady Jia, accusing Jia Zhen of trying to seize his arranged marriage and abusing his authority as clan head. He left the family elders facing his charge that Jia Zhen was a disgrace to the Jia family.

• Yuanyang brought Jia Heng into Rongqing Hall after Lady Jia agreed to hear him.
• Jia Heng insulted Jia Zhen and explained that Jia Zhen had used Brother Rong and servants to pressure him into giving up his marriage to the Qin Family.
• Jia Lian confirmed that Jia Zhen had asked him to mediate and had offered to arrange Jia Heng’s marriage, while avoiding taking sides.
• Jia Heng argued that Jia Zhen had struck first and accused him of trying to steal his marriage, prompting Lady Jia and the others to fall silent.
• Jia Heng told Lady Jia that his late mother had wished for him to marry into the Qin Family and declared that Jia Zhen was unfit to lead the clan.

Jia Heng confronted Jia Zhen and challenged his fitness to lead the clan, while Lady Jia tried to contain their feud and protect the Jia Family’s reputation. The dispute remained unresolved as both men continued trading barbs and Lady Jia threatened to take the matter to the Empress.

• Jia Heng denounced Jia Zhen as unfit to lead the clan, and his words moved Daiyu and impressed Tanchun.
• Jia Heng invoked the Dukes of Ningguo and Rongguo, prompting Lady Jia to defend her handling of the household and then criticize Jia Zhen for obstructing Jia Heng’s marriage.
• Lady Jia learned that Ning Mansion had failed to help at Jia Heng’s mother’s funeral and rebuked Jia Zhen before urging the men to stop fighting for the clan’s reputation.
• Wang Xifeng tried to lighten the atmosphere, and Lady Jia ordered Jia Heng and Jia Zhen to accept her settlement and hold no grudge.
• Jia Heng and Jia Zhen continued accusing each other of endangering the clan, and Lady Jia threatened to report the family’s conduct to the Empress.
• Jia Lian urged Jia Heng to say less, while You-shi pulled Jia Zhen aside.

Jia Zhen and Jia Heng agreed to stop their dispute after Lady Jia warned of the danger of bringing it before the authorities. Lady Jia sent Qingwen to serve Jia Heng, while Jia Zhen left still intent on revenge.

• Lady Jia ended the quarrel between Jia Zhen and Jia Heng, and Jia Lian and the others left Rongqing Hall.
• Lady Jia explained to Feng-jie that Jia Zhen’s bride-snatching scandal could attract censors, then ordered Yuanyang to send Qingwen to serve Jia Heng.
• Jia Heng reflected that showing strength had made Lady Jia cautious and wondered why she was offering him a maid from the Lai Family.
• Yuanyang told Jia Heng that Qingwen would be sent to him, and he accepted the gift while promising to thank Lady Jia.
• Jia Zhen left with You-shi, Jia Lian, Jia Rong, and the others, declaring that the matter was not over.

Jia Zhen blamed Jia Rong and Jia Heng for the dispute, but You-shi objected to his attempt to turn Jia Heng’s words into a stain on her reputation. Jia Heng caught You-shi when she nearly fell, then met Qingwen as Yuanyang brought her and her servitude document to him.

• You-shi challenged Jia Zhen for endangering her reputation, then left to seek Lady Jia’s judgment.
• Jia Zhen struck and kicked Jia Rong until Jia Lian intervened and pulled him away.
• Jia Heng caught You-shi as she stumbled at the corridor steps and warned her to watch where she was going.
• You-shi left without continuing to Lady Jia, while Jia Heng waited for Yuanyang.
• Yuanyang introduced Qingwen to Jia Heng, and Qingwen showed her displeasure at being sent to serve him.
• Yuanyang handed Jia Heng Qingwen’s folded bond of servitude.

After Jia Heng secured the Jia family's support against Jia Zhen, he returned home and prepared to formalize his marriage to Qin Keqing. He arranged household help with money from his writing and left to buy betrothal gifts for the Qin family.

• Jia Heng thanked the Old Lady through Yuanyang and left the Jia residence with Qingwen, still wary of Jia Zhen and the Qin family's resolve.
• Jia Heng brought Qingwen to his courtyard and asked Aunt Cai to prepare a room for her.
• Jia Heng wrote a betrothal letter for Qin Keqing and planned to present it with gifts to the Qin family.
• Aunt Cai offered to handle household chores, but Jia Heng gave her ten taels to hire a trustworthy maid for rough work.
• Jia Heng explained that he had earned fifty taels selling a manuscript and set off to buy gifts for the Qin family.

Jia Heng reassured Qingwen about her new life in his household, then left to present betrothal gifts to the Qin Family. At the Qin Residence, Qin Keqing learned that Jia Heng had beaten Master Zhen because of her, deepening her troubled feelings about their engagement.

• Jia Heng asked Qingwen about her former allowance and promised to provide her one while explaining that a maid was needed before his marriage.
• Jia Heng returned to writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms and reflected on how publishing it could advance his literary reputation.
• Li Dazhu arrived, and Jia Heng left for the Qin Family with the betrothal letter after asking Qingwen to tell Aunt Cai where he had gone.
• Qingwen watched Jia Heng leave and wondered at his gentle, protective manner toward her.
• Baozhu told Qin Keqing that Jia Heng had beaten Master Zhen at the Green and Red Pavilion because of her, leaving Qin Keqing stunned.

Qin Keqing worried that Jia Heng’s impulsiveness would make their marriage disastrous, but Jia Heng delivered the betrothal letter and Qin Ye accepted him as his son-in-law. Qin Keqing overheard Jia Heng admit that he had beaten Jia Zhen after rejecting his attempt to buy out the engagement, leaving Qin Ye alarmed and uncertain how to respond.

• Qin Keqing feared Jia Heng might threaten her family if she tried to end their engagement, so she went with Baozhu and Ruizhu to hear him speak with her father.
• Jia Heng delivered the betrothal letter, and Qin Ye accepted it and welcomed him as his son-in-law.
• Qin Ye asked whether Jia Heng planned to pursue the imperial examinations and why he also practiced martial arts.
• Qin Keqing overheard Jia Heng tell Qin Ye that Jia Zhen had offered a thousand taels to buy out the marriage agreement and that Jia Heng had beaten him.
• Qin Ye rebuked Jia Heng for striking a powerful third-rank official, while Jia Heng defended himself for refusing to sell his wife for advancement.

Jia Heng reassured Qin Ye that the Eastern Mansion could not retaliate over his confrontation with Jia Zhen, but Qin Keqing questioned his past and livelihood. After struggling with her doubts, she chose to honor their marriage agreement and accept whatever fate awaited her.

• Jia Heng explained to Qin Ye that Lady Jia had settled the dispute and that Jia Zhen had little means to harm him.
• Baozhu and Ruizhu questioned Jia Heng about his livelihood and his reputation for favoring weapons and fighting.
• Qin Keqing came out from behind the curtain and admitted that she doubted Jia Heng because of his past.
• Jia Heng asked whether Qin Keqing would abandon her promise because of street gossip, then fell silent when she said she still had doubts.
• Qin Keqing decided to honor the agreement and marry Jia Heng, accepting him as her fate.
• Qin Ye awkwardly comforted Jia Heng by saying that good things came only after many trials.

Jia Heng reassured Qin Ye about his intentions and impressed him with his new position at the Imperial College and his calligraphy. After Jia Heng left, Qin Ye urged Qin Keqing to stop wavering, and she resolved to accept the marriage and judge Jia Heng by how he treated her.

• Jia Heng and Qin Ye shared lunch, and Jia Heng explained that he understood Qin Keqing's doubts about marrying him.
• Jia Heng told Qin Ye that he had been recommended as keeper of books at the Imperial College's Literary Gathering Pavilion, and Qin Ye's misgivings eased.
• Qin Ye learned Jia Heng had written the marriage proposal letter himself and praised his calligraphy.
• Jia Heng left the Qin Mansion to visit the Imperial College, and Qin Ye escorted him out.
• Qin Ye found Qin Keqing in the rear hall and rebuked Baozhu and Ruizhu for encouraging her doubts.
• Qin Keqing read Jia Heng's letter and resolved to accept her fate, as long as he treated her well.

Qin Ye and Qin Keqing reconsidered Jia Heng’s behavior and suspected he had planned the dispute at the Jia household in advance. Jia Heng reached the Imperial College with Han Hui’s recommendation and met Registrar Song about applying for a bookkeeper’s position.

• Qin Ye told Qin Keqing that Jia Heng’s handling of the dispute seemed calculated rather than impulsive.
• Qin Keqing grew flustered while wondering what Jia Heng thought of her, and Qin Ye warned Baozhu not to spread rumors about the maid he had received.
• Jia Heng arrived at the Imperial College and presented Han Hui’s recommendation to the gatekeeper.
• The gatekeeper escorted Jia Heng to the Literary Gathering Pavilion, where Song Yuan recognized him as the applicant for the bookkeeper’s position.
• Song Yuan read Han Hui’s letter of recommendation, explained why Jia Heng had come, and led him into a side room to talk.

Jia Heng began his Canon Clerk post at the Imperial College, learned about the Capital’s examination schedule, and chose the courtesy name Ziyu. He left the college with Han Hui, Yu Zhen, and Song Yuan to dine at the Drunken Wind Tower.

• Song Yuan hired Jia Heng as a Canon Clerk, gave him his token, and showed him his workplace in Section A of the Literary Gathering Pavilion.
• Song Yuan explained that the Capital held its county and prefectural examinations in the eleventh month, and Jia Heng considered taking the examinations soon.
• Song Yuan showed Jia Heng his lodging and the Imperial College before instructing him to study the catalogues and ask questions as needed.
• Han Hui and Yu Zhen visited Jia Heng, and Han Hui invited him out to eat.
• Jia Heng asked Song Yuan to call him Ziyu, explaining that his courtesy name used the character for a golden spear, and Han Hui adopted the name too.
• Jia Heng, Han Hui, Yu Zhen, and Song Yuan left the Imperial College and headed to the Drunken Wind Tower.

Jia Heng accepted Song Yuan’s help preparing for the examinations and settled back into his household routine, writing late into the night. Qingwen remained uncertain about her place in his home, but Jia Heng’s considerate behavior left her slowly adjusting to serving him.

• At the Drunken Wind Tower, Jia Heng agreed to study with Song Yuan, while Yu Zhen offered him examination essays and annotated classics.
• Jia Heng returned home late and told Aunt Cai he would spend his days at the Imperial College; Aunt Cai said she was still searching for a reliable maid.
• Qingwen and Aunt Cai prepared Jia Heng’s bath, and Jia Heng went to his study to continue writing Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
• Jia Heng told Qingwen to wash and sleep rather than attend him in the bath, leaving her uncertain about his intentions and her future in the household.
• After Qingwen brought him tea late at night, Jia Heng stopped writing and told her he was used to looking after himself; Qingwen replied that serving people was what she had learned.

Jia Heng began his busy study schedule and offered to teach Qingwen to read, encouraging her to develop interests beyond her work. Qingwen accepted his offer, and they went to breakfast together.

• Jia Heng exercised at dawn while Qingwen watched and asked about his plans for the day.
• Jia Heng told Qingwen he would attend the Imperial College and stay there for lunch because the journey home took too long.
• While finishing his illustrated-book manuscript, Jia Heng offered to teach Qingwen to read after she admitted she could not recognize the characters.
• Jia Heng wrote Qingwen’s name for her and gave her a copy of the Thousand Character Classic to study gradually.
• Qingwen agreed to learn from Jia Heng, and they went to breakfast together.

Jia Heng settled into his Canon Clerk work at the Literary Gathering Pavilion, reorganizing its books and devising a more efficient way to help scholars find them. He presented his plan to Song Yuan, who admired his administrative talent and teased him for trying to save more time for study.

• Jia Heng ate breakfast with Qingwen, accepted her umbrella, and promised to teach her to read when he returned that night.
• Jia Heng reached the Imperial College, met Song Yuan, and began his duties as a Canon Clerk in Section A of the Literary Gathering Pavilion.
• Jia Heng memorized the catalog registers and spent the morning putting misplaced books back in their proper shelves.
• A student asked Jia Heng where to find Selected Works of Xiao Tong and marveled when Jia Heng gave him the correct location.
• Jia Heng drafted an illustrated catalog guide and proposed bookcase signs and a third-floor return point to reduce the clerks' workload.
• Jia Heng brought his plan to Song Yuan, who praised his keen administration and joked that he was working so hard to make more time for reading.

Jia Heng and Song Yuan discussed practical learning and Jia Heng’s novel, which impressed Song Yuan with its talent and prose. Song Yuan offered to help Jia Heng with his examinations and urged him to publish through the Imperial College, but Jia Heng had already promised the manuscript to the Ink and Brush Studio.

• Song Yuan agreed to put up signs for Jia Heng’s plan at the Literary Gathering Pavilion and offered to share his carriage home.
• Song Yuan encouraged Jia Heng to study the classics for the examinations and praised his practical abilities, while Jia Heng shared a maxim about learning and human relations.
• Song Yuan asked about Jia Heng’s novel, read its first two chapters, and praised its writing.
• Song Yuan urged Jia Heng to print the novel through the Imperial College, but Jia Heng explained he had already promised it to the Ink and Brush Studio for two taels per chapter.
• Song Yuan arranged for his servant to take Jia Heng home and invited him to visit the next day.

Jia Heng returned home after Song Yuan offered him a ride and reflected on his plans for marriage, study, and martial training. He began teaching Qingwen to read and write, ending with her wondering whether she had written her own name.

• Song Yuan invited Jia Heng to dinner and sent him home by carriage through the rain.
• Jia Heng arrived at the Jia Residence and found Aunt Cai and Qingwen waiting for him.
• Jia Heng began teaching Qingwen characters from the Thousand Character Classic, and she memorized sixteen of them.
• Qingwen asked to learn to write her name, but struggled to hold the brush correctly.
• Jia Heng guided Qingwen's hand as they wrote her name, and she asked, "Did... I write this?"

Jia Heng’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms impressed Song Yuan, Han Hui, and Yu Zhen, who believed the Ink and Brush Studio had offered him too little. Jia Heng chose not to break his agreement, but left open the possibility of negotiating better payment.

• Eldest Princess Jinyang admired the opening verse of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and ordered Liu Tong to urge Jia Heng to send the manuscript pages he had completed.
• Jia Heng gave Song Yuan the first three chapters, and Song praised the work’s prospects while noting that the Ink and Brush Studio had paid too little.
• Han Hui and Yu Zhen arrived, read the manuscript, and Han Hui said the story could spark interest in the Three Kingdoms.
• Han Hui examined Jia Heng’s contract and found it offered two taels per chapter without a formal breach penalty clause.
• Song Yuan urged Jia Heng to pay the hundred-tael breach settlement and print the book through the Imperial College, but Jia Heng decided to honor his agreement and seek a chance to renegotiate.

Jia Heng considered how to renegotiate his book contract with the Ink and Brush Studio and learned that its owner was Elder Princess Jinyang. He planned to finish two more installments before seeking her, then visited Song Yuan’s home, where Song praised his composure and Jia asked for help with his upcoming examinations.

• Han Hui advised Jia Heng to negotiate directly with the Ink and Brush Studio’s owner, and revealed that she was Elder Princess Jinyang.
• Jia Heng decided to write two more installments before visiting the Elder Princess to discuss the contract.
• Jia Heng showed Han Hui and Yu Zhen his Book-Searching Compass catalog entries, earning their praise.
• Jia Heng rode with Song Yuan to the Song residence and drank with him over dinner.
• Song Yuan praised Jia Heng for associating with prominent people without servility or haughtiness, and Jia asked him for help with the county and prefectural examinations.

After returning from the Song residence, Jia Heng accepted two refugee sisters as maidservants and reflected on the hardships and financial burdens facing the realm. He then found Qingwen waiting in her room and teased her before agreeing to teach her to read after his bath.

• Jia Heng returned home from the Song residence and learned that Aunt Cai had bought two sisters, Bi'er and Yan'er, as maidservants.
• Bi'er explained that she and her mute elder sister had fled famine in Shandong and been sold by their father, and Jia Heng decided to keep them both.
• Jia Heng thought about the disasters, taxes, and financial strain affecting the Chen Han Court.
• Jia Heng discovered that Qingwen had stayed in her room, and Aunt Cai said she had refused supper.
• Jia Heng teased Qingwen about adding honey to his tea, then promised to teach her to read after his bath and test her on the characters she had learned.

Jia Heng handled Qingwen’s jealousy and offer to attend his bath while keeping his promise to respect his fiancée, Qin Keqing. After three days of routine, he went to the Qin home to settle the wedding date and bride-fetching arrangements.

• Jia Heng asked Qingwen why she had skipped dinner, and she admitted her feelings were tied to the two new maids.
• Qingwen offered to attend Jia Heng while he bathed, but he sent her away and asked Bi'er to bring her food.
• Qingwen warned Bi'er to stop dreaming of rising in status and to address Jia Heng as “young master.”
• Jia Heng reflected that he would avoid intimacy with Qingwen before marrying Qin Keqing, then reviewed character cards with Qingwen.
• After three days of traveling between the Imperial College and home, Jia Heng prepared gifts and visited the Qin family to discuss the wedding date.
• Qin Ye waited at home, hoping Jia Heng would arrange a proper wedding and not slight Keqing.