Recaps

Qi Yu sought comfort from Qi Xiao after claiming he feared ghosts, then quietly brought his father sweet soup the next morning. He kept to himself a dream of being left alone on a cold, empty plain, while Qi Xiao continued to care for him.

• Qi Yu claimed he feared fox spirits and asked Qi Xiao to watch over him through the night.
• Qi Xiao let Qi Yu sleep beside him and gently covered him when he kicked off the quilt.
• Qi Yu stirred in his sleep, and Qi Xiao watched over him until morning before leaving for court.
• After court, Qi Yu brought Qi Xiao snow fungus and lotus seed sweet soup but hesitated to speak.
• Qi Yu remembered a dream in which he stood alone on an empty plain with an extinguished rabbit lantern and kept the dream to himself.

After an awkward encounter with Qi Xiao left him embarrassed, Qi Yu avoided Xuanzheng Hall for two days and buried himself in his lessons. Qi Xiao summoned him for dinner, and their reunion ended with Qi Yu staying overnight in the imperial bedchamber.

• Qi Yu returned to Yuning Hall after leaving Xuanzheng Hall, withdrew from everyone, and admitted that he wished someone other than his father had caught him.
• Qi Yu skipped meals and avoided Xuanzheng Hall for two days, though he attended lessons and studied unusually diligently.
• Qi Xiao learned that Qi Yu had been staying away and ordered him to come for dinner, threatening to confiscate his braised ribs.
• Qi Yu went to Xuanzheng Hall, confessed that he had been avoiding Qi Xiao because he was embarrassed, and joined him for dinner.
• Qi Yu fell asleep reading in Xuanzheng Hall, and Qi Xiao carried him to the imperial bed while De'an tucked him in.

Qi Yu woke in Qi Xiao’s bedchamber and returned to Xuanzheng Hall with two rabbits, which he settled in the West Warm Pavilion beneath Qi Xiao’s desk. By afternoon, Qi Yu had returned to read beside the rabbits, while Qi Xiao continued reviewing memorials nearby.

• Qi Xiao quietly left the bedchamber while Qi Yu slept and ordered breakfast to be kept warm for him.
• Qi Yu ate breakfast, read his illustrated storybook, and returned from the West Warm Pavilion to Yuning Hall with the remaining osmanthus cakes.
• Qi Yu brought both rabbits back to Xuanzheng Hall, saying Qi Xiao had agreed to let him keep them there.
• Qi Xiao returned from morning court, saw the rabbits beneath his desk, and resumed reviewing memorials without objecting.
• Qi Yu left the rabbits at lunchtime, then returned that afternoon with a cotton pillow and read beside them beneath the desk.

The Xiao Family's old madam decided to send Xiao Wan toward the Fourth Prince to win his favor and restore the family's standing. The family struggled to find a way to reach him, while De'an learned of their plans and quietly tightened security around the prince.

• The old madam told Xiao Wenshan and Zhou-shi that Xiao Wan should seek the Fourth Prince's affection to help the Xiao Family regain influence.
• Xiao Wenshan and Zhou-shi left the old madam, and Xiao Wenshan said she had her own plans.
• Xiao Wan received the decision with her head lowered and did not dare refuse or agree.
• The Xiao Family asked old contacts about the Fourth Prince and learned that His Majesty had carefully chosen everyone around him.
• A purchasing eunuch reported the Xiao Family's inquiries to De'an, who decided to monitor the situation and increase checks on deliveries to Yuning Hall.

Qi Yu resumed his usual routine after recovering, visiting Qi Ling in the Eastern Palace before preparing to dine with their father. At Yuning Hall, A Ping noticed that the newly assigned maid A Rong seemed out of place and decided to investigate her background.

• Qi Yu distracted himself during Grand Tutor Sun's lesson, then left Qin Wei with his book bags and hurried to the Eastern Palace.
• Qi Yu asked Qi Ling about Gu Hengsheng's letter and Sun Qiwen's stalled investigation into the copper mine accounts.
• Qi Yu checked the ripening persimmons, changed clothes at Yuning Hall, and left for Xuanzheng Hall to dine with his father.
• A Ping met the unfamiliar maid A Rong in the tea room and learned that the Imperial Household Department had assigned her that morning.
• A Ping suspected A Rong's arrival was unusual and decided to question Chun He or his godfather De'an.

Qi Yu attended a dinner with his father, Qi Xiao, and Jiang Baolin, whose attention to Qi Xiao left him unsettled. Back at Yuning Hall, he struggled to sleep and asked A Ping whether Qi Xiao would keep someone close if he liked her.

• Qi Yu noticed that Jiang Baolin had been invited to dinner at Xuanzheng Hall and watched her play the qin and serve Qi Xiao.
• Jiang Baolin massaged Qi Xiao’s shoulders while Qi Yu barely ate and left early.
• Qi Yu returned to Yuning Hall in a gloomy mood, and A Ping told Chun He about Jiang Baolin’s dinner with Qi Xiao.
• A Rong helped Qi Yu wash and bathe while Chun He watched her with suspicion.
• Unable to sleep, Qi Yu asked A Ping whether Qi Xiao would keep someone close if he liked her, and A Ping reassured him that Qi Yu was different from other people.

A Rong tried to use Qi Yu’s troubled mood to get close to him, but Chun He caught her and barred her from the bedchamber. Chun He and A Ping suspected the Xiao Family had planted A Rong in Yuning Hall and prepared to investigate and remove her.

• A Rong brought tea and osmanthus cakes to Qi Yu’s bedchamber and secretly touched his hand and shoulder while he slept.
• Chun He caught A Rong beside Qi Yu’s bed, scolded her for breaking the rules, and ordered her not to enter the bedchamber again without permission.
• Qi Yu woke briefly, drank the hot milk Chun He brought him, and fell asleep again after mumbling about dreaming of his father and a zither.
• Chun He told A Ping what A Rong had done, and A Ping suspected the Xiao Family had arranged her placement in Yuning Hall.
• Chun He ordered A Ping to recheck everything Qi Yu ate, wore, or used and obtain A Rong’s transfer records so she could be removed.
• A Ping resolved to visit his godfather in the morning and waited in the corridor for daybreak.

After Qi Yu left the emperor’s dinner, Qi Xiao dismissed Jiang Baolin without explanation, and she returned to Lanyue Pavilion believing her chance to gain favor had failed. The next morning, Qi Xiao learned that Qi Yu had barely eaten and began planning to coax him back with his favorite dishes.

• Jiang Baolin massaged Qi Xiao and played the zither, but Qi Xiao stopped her and had the dinner cleared after Qi Yu left.
• Qi Xiao resumed reviewing memorials while Jiang Baolin waited until De'an escorted her out.
• Jiang Baolin returned to Lanyue Pavilion and told Pei'er to put away her pomegranate-red gown because she would not wear it again.
• De'an delivered the customary rewards to Jiang Baolin, who accepted them while realizing she might wait indefinitely for the emperor’s attention.
• Qi Xiao asked De'an how much Qi Yu had eaten and learned that he had only taken a bowl of Tremella Soup and had tossed in bed.
• Qi Xiao ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare Qi Yu’s favorite dishes, including ribs, sweet-and-sour fish, and Osmanthus Cake, and considered how to coax him.

Qi Xiao rushed to Yuning Hall after learning that Qi Yu had fainted from fright when a maid was found naked in his bed. After Imperial Physician Zhou treated Qi Yu, Qi Xiao learned the maid was tied to the Xiao Family and ordered the family out of the capital.

• A Ping ran to Xuanzheng Hall and told Qi Xiao that Qi Yu had fainted after finding A Rong naked beside him.
• Qi Xiao hurried to Yuning Hall, where he found Qi Yu unconscious and the palace servants kneeling in fear.
• Imperial Physician Zhou examined Qi Yu and began acupuncture to treat his shock.
• Qi Xiao ordered De'an to bring A Rong in and learned that she was the Xiao Family's old madam's personal maid.
• Qi Xiao left Qi Yu's bedside and declared that the Xiao Family could no longer remain in the capital.

Qi Xiao punished the Xiao Family for its scheme against the Fourth Prince, while Xiao Luo refused to defend her clan and prepared to visit her son. The Xiao Family began leaving the capital, and Qi Xiao turned his attention to comforting the recovering Fourth Prince.

• Qi Xiao issued decrees stripping Xiao Wenshan of office, confiscating the Xiao Residence, expelling the clan from the capital, and barring its collateral branches from examinations and official service for three generations.
• Xie Ting and Wang Hengshan learned of the Xiao Family’s downfall, and Wang Hengshan said the family had brought the emperor’s wrath upon itself.
• At court, officials presented evidence against Xiao Wenshan, the Minister of Justice reported that he was in custody, and Qi Xiao promoted Jiang Baolin to Lady Jieyu.
• Xiao Luo heard how the old madam had sent A Rong to the Fourth Prince, asked about his recovery, and sent him wild ginseng while ordering De'an to report that she had not pleaded for the Xiao Family.
• Imperial guards removed the Xiao Residence’s lanterns as the family packed to leave the capital.
• Qi Xiao learned that the Fourth Prince had awakened and decided to consider how to comfort him.

The Xiao Family left the Capital City in disgrace, while Qi Xiao ordered officials to watch over them but spare their lives. Qi Yu remained withdrawn after his fright, and Qi Xiao visited him in Yuning Hall, leaving their relationship quiet and close.

• The Xiao Family departed the Capital City, and Qi Xiao ordered local officials to keep watch over them without taking their lives.
• De'an learned that Qi Yu was awake and eating, though he remained unusually quiet, and reassured A Ping that he needed time to recover.
• De'an arranged A Rong's execution and sent her uninvolved relatives silver and a travel permit to return home.
• At morning court, Qi Xiao glanced toward the empty curtain where Qi Yu sometimes watched, then continued hearing the Minister of Revenue's report.
• Qi Xiao visited Qi Yu, checked his temperature, retied his robe, and told him that osmanthus cakes made with less sugar were being kept warm.

Qi Yu recovered in bed after the palace maid frightened him, and Qi Xiao comforted him and promised to choose his servants personally. Qi Yu and his father agreed to share their troubles, and Qi Yu felt safe again with him nearby.

• Qi Xiao asked Qi Yu whether the palace maid had hurt him, then promised that no one would foist anyone on him again.
• Qi Yu asked about A Rong, and Qi Xiao confirmed that she was dead.
• Qi Xiao admitted he had been remiss and told Qi Yu to speak to him instead of hiding his worries.
• Qi Yu asked Qi Xiao to share his troubles too, and Qi Xiao nodded.
• Qi Yu said he was no longer afraid with his father there, then echoed Qi Xiao's words as he listened to the familiar sounds of the palace.

Qi Xiao coaxed Qi Yu to eat breakfast and encouraged him to speak about his hurt over Jiang Baolin. Qi Yu asked him not to let anyone else massage his shoulders and offered to learn how himself.

• Qi Xiao had breakfast brought to Yuning Hall and fed Qi Yu porridge before giving him Osmanthus Cake.
• Qi Xiao told Qi Yu to speak up when something troubled him, and Qi Yu raised his concerns about Jiang Baolin playing the zither and massaging Qi Xiao.
• Qi Xiao admitted he had not thought things through and promised Jiang Baolin would not massage his shoulders again.
• Qi Yu said he did not want Jiang Baolin to play the zither and offered to learn massage from Imperial Physician Zhou.
• Qi Xiao agreed to Qi Yu's request.

After recovering from his fright, Qi Yu avoided his lessons and went to soak in the bathing pool at Xuanzheng Hall. He fell asleep in the water, and Qi Xiao carried him to bed and cared for him.

• Qi Yu refused to read his lecture notes and told Chun He he wanted to bathe in Qi Xiao's pool.
• Qi Yu soaked in the warm pool while Chun He and the attendants washed him.
• Chun He discovered Qi Yu had fallen asleep and could not wake him, so De'an went to inform Qi Xiao.
• Qi Xiao hurried to the bathing chamber, lifted Qi Yu from the pool, and carried him to the imperial bed.
• Qi Xiao dried Qi Yu's body and hair, dressed him in nightclothes, and tucked him beneath the quilt.

Qi Yu woke briefly while Qi Xiao reviewed memorials beside his bed, and the two talked about court, his recovery, and ginseng soup. Qi Xiao continued working as Qi Yu fell asleep, planning to attend court at dawn while his son rested.

• Qi Yu woke and found Qi Xiao reviewing memorials beside the bed.
• Qi Yu asked Qi Xiao to skip morning court, but Qi Xiao refused and recalled a winter when they had built a snowman together.
• Qi Xiao told Qi Yu to finish ginseng soup at breakfast, and Qi Yu negotiated for two red dates.
• Qi Yu wished Qi Xiao good night and fell asleep beneath the quilt.
• Qi Xiao returned to reviewing memorials and planned to rise for morning court while Qi Yu slept in.

Qi Yu woke beside Qi Xiao before morning court and asked his father to say good morning before Qi Xiao left. After returning to Yuning Hall, Qi Yu prepared breakfast and sent Qi Xiao a clean handkerchief for his wet cuff.

• Qi Xiao rose before dawn, covered Qi Yu with the quilt, and quietly dressed for morning court.
• Qi Yu woke when Qi Xiao tucked his exposed ankle under the quilt and asked him to say good morning.
• Qi Yu returned to Yuning Hall, dressed himself, and arranged breakfast with an extra bowl and chopsticks.
• Qi Yu ate the ginseng soup and smiled at the softened red dates.
• Qi Yu gave Chun He a clean handkerchief to deliver to Qi Xiao after court, explaining that his father's cuff had gotten wet.

Unable to sleep, Qi Yu went to Xuanzheng Hall, where he discussed the Ministry of Revenue’s tax accounts with Qi Xiao and kept him company while he worked. Qi Yu fell asleep in the West Warm Pavilion, and Qi Xiao let him stay nearby as he continued reviewing memorials.

• Qi Yu noticed Qi Xiao was absent at dinner and went to Xuanzheng Hall because he could not sleep.
• Qi Yu explained what he had learned about fire consumption and the Ministry of Revenue’s autumn tax accounts, and Qi Xiao offered to have the minister explain it to him the next day.
• Qi Yu told Qi Xiao he would wait until he finished his remaining memorials, despite Qi Xiao urging him to sleep first.
• Qi Yu fell asleep in his chair, and Qi Xiao covered him with his cloak and moved a candlestick away from his hand.
• Qi Xiao ordered De'an to let Qi Yu sleep in the pavilion and raise the charcoal fire, then resumed reviewing memorials.

Qi Xiao noticed that Qi Yu was irritable after a restless night and realized he was overtired. He settled Qi Yu in bed, and Qi Yu asked him to stay beside him.

• Qi Yu kicked the threshold, hurt his toe, and snapped at a young eunuch while fidgeting restlessly in Xuanzheng Hall.
• A Ping told Qi Xiao that Qi Yu had stayed awake until nearly eleven and tossed and turned for over an hour.
• Qi Xiao carried Qi Yu to the inner chamber, removed his boots and outer robe, and tucked him into bed.
• Qi Xiao patted Qi Yu's tense back and told him that sleep would help him feel better.
• Qi Yu's eyelids drooped, and he asked Qi Xiao to stay with him.

After learning that several members of the exiled Xiao Family had died on the road, Qi Ling ordered officials to provide the survivors with basic aid and proper burials, while refusing to reverse the family’s punishment. He also rewarded officials who had helped bring down the Xiao Family, leaving the court’s political game under the emperor’s control.

• Xie Chen delivered Qi Ling a report that the Xiao Family’s old madam and two other relatives had died during their journey south.
• Qi Ling recognized that officials along the route had gone beyond the emperor’s intentions in mistreating the Xiao Family.
• Qi Ling ordered relay stations to provide the Xiao Family with food and hot water and local officials to bury the dead properly.
• Qi Ling circled two supporters’ names on a candidate list and arranged for younger members of their families to enter service in the Eastern Palace.
• Qi Ling warned that anyone who imposed further unauthorized punishment on the Xiao Family would be punished.

Qi Yu and Xie Ning tried to raise money for a girl selling herself to bury her mother, then sought help from their fathers. The girl received enough money for the burial and support, while Qi Yu insisted on repaying the amount his father gave him.

• Qi Yu and Xie Ning found a girl in the East Market selling herself to bury her mother, and Xie Ning gave her two hundred taels while promising to find the rest.
• Xie Ning told Xie Ting what had happened, and Xie Ting sent him to ask his mother for five hundred taels.
• Qi Yu asked Qi Xiao for four hundred and fifty taels, and Qi Xiao ordered De'an to bring a thousand taels so the girl could also settle down.
• Qi Yu insisted that he repay the money through deductions from his monthly allowance, then kissed Qi Xiao on the cheek before leaving.

Qi Yu and Xie Ning gathered money to give Xiao Ya’s mother a proper burial, then brought Xiao Ya to the Jinghai Marquis Residence without making her a servant. After helping her settle there, the two boys parted, feeling they had accomplished something important.

• Qi Yu and Xie Ning returned to Xiao Ya with more than fifteen hundred taels, arranged a better coffin, and brought her hot buns.
• Qi Yu and Xie Ning attended Xiao Ya’s mother’s burial, where Xiao Ya kowtowed in the rain.
• Xiao Ya offered to serve Xie Ning for life, but he invited her to the Jinghai Marquis Residence without requiring a bond of servitude.
• Qi Yu and Xie Ning escorted Xiao Ya to the residence, where Madam Xie arranged for her to bathe and change.
• Qi Yu and Xie Ning laughed together outside the residence before heading back to the palace and the household.

Qi Yu faced his father’s examination after helping a young woman at the East Market, struggling to explain his studies but earning Qi Xiao’s approval for his compassion. Qi Xiao gave him a light swat for a factual mistake, then stayed with him as he rested, promising fresh chestnuts the next day.

• Qi Ling explained his proposal for transporting salt overland, Qi Ming recited from Zizhi Tongjian, and Qi Zhao described the history of the five punishments.
• Qi Yu told Qi Xiao about helping a young woman bury her mother and admitted he had given her five hundred taels from the silver his father had provided.
• Qi Yu stumbled through questions about Emperor Xuan of Han, then described how Xie Ning had taken the young woman to the Jinghai Marquis Residence without making her a servant.
• Qi Xiao asked Qi Ming to hear Qi Yu’s account, and Qi Ming praised his brother’s kindhearted actions.
• Qi Yu recited the establishment of the Protector General of the Western Regions, and Qi Xiao lightly struck him once with the ruler after correcting a year.
• Qi Xiao offered to have fresh chestnuts roasted for Qi Yu, eased the pressure as Qi Yu rested, and covered him with the quilt when he fell asleep.

After Qi Xiao treated the injury he had given Qi Yu, the two talked about new nightclothes before Qi Yu fell asleep. Qi Xiao arranged food and clothes for his son, leaving the story with Qi Yu resting and recovering.

• Qi Xiao gently applied medicinal oil to Qi Yu’s injured backside after the imperial physician confirmed there was no serious damage.
• Qi Yu complained that the ruler had hurt and asked for black nightclothes like Qi Xiao’s.
• Qi Xiao tucked Qi Yu in and watched him sleep, thinking of his cold chestnuts, lessons, and storybooks.
• Qi Xiao told De'an to arrange four sets of black silk nightclothes with dark gold trim and qilin embroidery.
• Qi Xiao ordered De'an to have the Imperial Kitchen reheat Qi Yu’s chestnuts and prepare Osmanthus Cake and ginseng soup for him.

Xiao Ya settled into the Jinghai Marquis Residence while Madam Xie observed her and considered where she belonged. The chapter left Xiao Ya uncertain about her future, though she thought well of Xie Ning.

• Nanny Zhou taught Xiao Ya the household rules and helped her change into a maid's clothes and arrange her hair.
• Madam Xie continued observing Xiao Ya without assigning her a specific post, while the maids speculated about why Xie Ning had brought her home.
• Xie Ning encountered Xiao Ya carrying tea and asked how she was settling in, but he showed no special interest in her.
• Nanny Zhou reported Xiao Ya's conduct to Madam Xie, who decided to watch her a little longer.
• Xiao Ya kept learning the rules and wondered what work the household would give her.

Madam Xie decided that fifteen-year-old Xie Ning should have a bedchamber maid and sought his consent. She chose Xiao Ya for the role and planned to tell her first, with the arrangement to take place after winter.

• Madam Xie recalled how Xie Chen's bedchamber maid Lin Shi had become a concubine and considered arranging a maid for Xie Ning.
• Madam Xie summoned Xie Ning from the Drill Ground and told him she wanted to choose a bedchamber maid for him.
• Xie Ning blushed, said he would leave the choice to his mother, and hurried out of the room.
• Madam Xie decided Xiao Ya was suitable because she was diligent, proper, and did not seem to displease Xie Ning.
• Madam Xie instructed Nanny Zhou to explain the arrangement to Xiao Ya and wait until after winter to proceed.