Chapter Summaries

Qi Xiao kept vigil through the night as Qi Yu’s fever slowly subsided, while palace residents sent food and gifts to Yuning Hall. After Imperial Physician Zhou confirmed that the fever had broken, Qi Yu woke and urged his exhausted father to rest, leaving Qi Xiao to check his forehead once more before departing.

• Qi Xiao stayed beside the feverish Qi Yu all night, while De'an reported that the morning court session had been canceled.
• The empress, Consort Jing, Noble Lady Ying, and other consorts sent soup, food, and gifts to Yuning Hall, and De'an turned away Concubine Li when she tried to visit.
• Qi Xiao fed Qi Yu bitter ginseng soup, and the half-conscious prince asked for osmanthus cake instead.
• Imperial Physician Zhou examined Qi Yu at noon and told Qi Xiao that the fever had broken and one more dose would complete his recovery.
• Qi Yu woke in the afternoon, noticed Qi Xiao’s exhaustion, and sent him to get osmanthus cake before pretending to fall asleep.
• Qi Xiao checked that Qi Yu’s fever had not returned and left the bedchamber.

After recovering from his cold, Qi Yu left Yuning Hall to keep Qi Xiao company while he reviewed memorials, bringing his rabbit to the warm pavilion and sharing a quiet day with his father. After dinner, Qi Yu followed Qi Xiao to his bedchamber and settled on the bed as he changed for the night.

• Qi Xiao excused Qi Yu from lessons for a few days, and Grand Tutor Sun arranged for Qin Wei to deliver lessons to Yuning Hall.
• Bored in Yuning Hall, Qi Yu dressed and went to Xuanzheng Hall to sit with Qi Xiao while he worked.
• Qi Yu shared honey-preserved kumquats with Qi Xiao and talked with him about fresh lychees in Lingnan.
• Qi Xiao refused Qi Yu braised ribs because he was still recovering, so Qi Yu ate porridge and vegetables instead.
• Qi Xiao allowed A Ping to bring Qi Yu's light gray rabbit to the warm pavilion, where Qi Yu played with it while his father finished the memorials.
• After dinner, Qi Yu followed Qi Xiao to his bedchamber and sat barefoot on the bed while Qi Xiao changed into his nightclothes.

The chapter recounts how Xiao Luo refused to help the Xiao Family, whose fortunes declined because the emperor and court officials kept their distance. It ends with Xiao Luo quietly reading a book marked by Yang Ning’s old ink stain as the osmanthus blossoms fell.

• The Xiao Family’s attempts to gain influence through Xiao Luo failed, and its sons remained stuck in low-ranking posts.
• The old matriarch visited Xiao Luo and asked her to intercede, but Xiao Luo reminded her that the matriarch had allowed someone to push her into an icy river and refused to do more than offer tea.
• The Xiao Family sought help from Xie Ting and the Duke of Min, but both declined to assist them.
• The Xiao Family’s younger members gave up on prospects in Capital City, while Xiao Luo told Fu Shun not to report the family’s troubles to her.
• Xiao Luo read her old book, touched the ink stain Yang Ning had left on its pages, and watched osmanthus petals fall.

Gu Hengsheng and Sun Qiwen passed the Autumn Examination, and Qi Yu helped Qi Xiao assess the leading candidates’ policy essays before the palace examination. Qi Xiao set the essay about drought-stricken Henan Circuit apart for the palace examination list, while Qi Yu fell asleep over it after watching the examination.

• Gu Hengsheng placed seventeenth in the Autumn Examination, and Xie Chen arranged his lodging and preparation for the palace examination.
• Sun Qiwen placed sixth, prompting his superior at the Ministry of Revenue to retrieve the Copper Mine Ledger.
• Qi Yu identified errors in two recommended policy essays, then praised the essay describing hardship and tax relief in Henan Circuit.
• Qi Xiao placed the Henan essay apart for the palace examination list, which later included Gu Hengsheng and Sun Qiwen.
• Qi Yu watched the palace examination from behind a curtain, then returned to the West Warm Pavilion and fell asleep over the Henan essay.
• Qi Xiao removed the drool-stained essay from beneath Qi Yu, stored it in his desk, and carried Qi Yu to the couch.

Gu Hengsheng placed first in the palace examination and received an appointment in the Ministry of Works’ Waterways Bureau, while Sun Qiwen prepared to audit the Yunnan copper mine accounts. As the graduates paraded through Chang'an Street, Qi Yu wondered whether Gu Hengsheng would become a high official, and Qi Xiao remained silent when asked if he had once slept beneath a stone lion.

• Gu Hengsheng’s first-place result spread through the Capital City, and Xie Chen brought him from the inn to the Eastern Palace with a new pair of boots.
• Sun Qiwen told Qi Ling that he had retrieved three years of original Yunnan copper mine records despite resistance from the Ministry of Works, and Qi Ling told him to bring any objections to the Eastern Palace.
• Qi Ling questioned Gu Hengsheng about missing tax-relief funds in Henan Circuit and assigned him to the Waterways Bureau to oversee river and embankment work.
• Qi Xiao rejected the minister of rites’ request to place the Xiao Family candidate in the second class, and the Xiao young man prepared to leave.
• Gu Hengsheng rode in the mounted parade as the top graduate, passing the stone lion where he had once slept while spectators showered him with flowers.
• Qi Yu told Qi Xiao that Gu Hengsheng might become a high official and asked if Qi Xiao had slept beneath a stone lion as a child; Qi Xiao did not answer, and Qi Yu offered him osmanthus cake.

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.