Recaps

Tang Zhuyun prepared to visit the Xue Family with the Prince of Jin after Xue Shanting invited her, while Tang Mingfan confronted his guilt over how he had treated her mother. The Prince of Jin beat Xue Lie, and Tang Zhuyun set out to get medicine for them both.

• Xue Shanting invited Tang Zhuyun to visit her maternal grandmother, and the Prince of Jin offered to accompany her.
• Xue Lie challenged the Prince of Jin over his place in the Xue Family, and the two went outside to fight as the Xue Family watched eagerly.
• Tang Zhuyun stayed to speak with Tang Mingfan, who wept as he admitted he had failed to understand how badly his mother had mistreated Huainiang.
• Tang Zhuyun comforted Tang Mingfan and persuaded him to wait until later to visit the Xue Family.
• Xiu'er cheered as the Prince of Jin returned after beating Xue Lie, and Tang Zhuyun offered to find medicine for both men.

Tang Zhuyun accompanied the Prince of Jin and Xue Lie to the Xue Family, where Old Madam Xue tearfully embraced her as her daughter Susu’s child. The Prince of Jin watched anxiously as Tang Zhuyun was pulled into the family’s grief.

• Tang Zhuyun left Xiu'er in charge of the household and went with the Prince of Jin and Xue Lie to the Xue Family.
• On the carriage ride, the Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun not to defend her father and to let her grandmother express her grief for Susu.
• Xue Lie tried to keep close to Tang Zhuyun, but Nanxing and Song Jingyang blocked him until the Prince of Jin said she was resting.
• At the Xue Family residence, Old Madam Xue reached for Tang Zhuyun and embraced her, mourning her daughter Susu.
• The Xue Family members escorted Tang Zhuyun into the courtyard while the Prince of Jin followed, worried as Old Madam Xue held her tightly.

Tang Zhuyun reconciled with the Xue Family and discovered that Old Madam Xue was nearly blind, while the Prince of Jin helped smooth over the family’s reunion. After returning to the Tang residence, he predicted that the Meng Family would delay its visit and challenged Tang Zhuyun to bet on it.

• The Prince of Jin urged Old Madam Xue to let Tang Zhuyun return, and Old Madam Xue invited her to visit after Sister Yuan’s third-day bathing banquet.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Xue Shanting and Old Madam Xue to temper their grief and accept her as their granddaughter, then examined Old Madam Xue and said she might restore some of her sight.
• The Prince of Jin promised to summon an imperial physician and told Tang Zhuyun that she was not the woman tangled in the Xue and Tang families’ past.
• The Prince of Jin instructed the governor of the capital to report the night’s events and escorted Tang Zhuyun back to the Tang residence.
• The Prince of Jin predicted that the Meng Family would wait before visiting and asked Tang Zhuyun to make a bet.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin made a bet about their marriage, while he worried that Xue Lie and the Xue Family could interfere with their future together. When Tang Zhuyun returned home, she found Tang Mingfan and Tang Baixin still sitting awake together.

• The Prince of Jin promised Tang Zhuyun that she could name any terms after their marriage if she won their bet, and she agreed to the arrangement.
• Tang Zhuyun picked up Jiaojiao and joked with the Prince of Jin about the tiger cub's timidity and Xue Lie's cuteness.
• The Prince of Jin asked Song Jingyang about Xue Lie and revealed his fear that the Xue Family might disrupt his marriage to Tang Zhuyun.
• Song Jingyang reassured the Prince of Jin and reminded him that Wang Fu sided with Tang Zhuyun.
• Tang Zhuyun returned home and found Tang Mingfan and Tang Baixin still awake, while the household had been anxiously waiting for her.

Tang Zhuyun struggled to choose between acknowledging the Xue Family and protecting the Prince of Jin’s future, while caring for her feverish father. As the prince helped her cook, she asked what he would do if the Xue Family welcomed her as their granddaughter.

• Tang Zhuyun soothed Tang Mingfan to sleep after he grieved over her mother, then discussed acknowledging the Xue Family with Tang Baixin.
• Tang Baixin warned Tang Zhuyun that ties to the militarily powerful Xue Family could endanger the Prince of Jin, whose kindness to her and Linlin he praised.
• Tang Mingfan developed a high fever before the third-day bathing ceremony, and the household rushed to care for him.
• The Prince of Jin came to help, tended the kitchen fire, and told Tang Zhuyun about his childhood training and his nickname, the fire-tending general.
• Tang Zhuyun asked the Prince of Jin what he would do if she were the Xue Family’s granddaughter and they treated her well.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin discussed the Xue Family’s reconciliation and its likely opposition to their marriage before Old Madam Xue arrived for Sister Yuan’s third-day bathing ceremony. Yanran realized the Xue Family had deliberately ignored the Prince of Jin’s marriage to her mother and went inside with Jiaojiao to cling to Tang Zhuyun.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that the Xue Family seemed sincere toward her, but he expected them to oppose their marriage and try to find her another match.
• The Prince of Jin arranged for Tang Mingfan to stay at his residence and waited with Tang Zhuyun for the Duke Meng’s household to visit.
• Meng Yulan reassured Tang Zhuyun that the Duke Meng’s household would come and advised her not to let people mistake kindness for weakness.
• Old Madam Xue arrived with several members of the Xue Family, comforted Tang Zhuyun, and urged Meng Yulan to rest while the family doted on Sister Yuan.
• Yanran noticed that the Xue Family had brought no gift for her and asked the Prince of Jin whether they rejected his marriage to Tang Zhuyun.
• Yanran declared that Tang Zhuyun was her mother, then went inside with Jiaojiao to cling to her.

Yanran tried to impress the Xue Family by showing off how well the Prince of Jin treated Tang Zhuyun, but Old Madam Xue remained opposed to the marriage. After Tang Zhuyun came outside, she suddenly felt faint, and the Prince of Jin caught her.

• Yanran brought Jiaojiao into the Xue Family gathering, showed off the tiger, Tang Zhuyun’s dragon-pearl ring, and plans with the Prince of Jin, then received a jade pendant from Old Madam Xue.
• Yanran went to find her brother while the Prince of Jin waited anxiously outside, wondering whether the Xue Family would accept his marriage to Tang Zhuyun.
• Xiu'er told the Prince of Jin that Old Madam Xue had rejected the marriage and suspected Yanran had been coached to praise him.
• The Prince of Jin resented the Xue women calling him a simp, then smiled and beckoned Tang Zhuyun over when she came outside.
• Tang Zhuyun wiped dust from her shoe, then suddenly grew dizzy and collapsed into the Prince of Jin’s arms.

Tang Zhuyun welcomed the Xue Family for Sister Yuan’s celebration while tensions between the family and the Prince of Jin grew. When the people from Duke Meng’s Residence arrived, Meng Yuqian insulted Tang Zhuyun’s family and dowry in front of everyone, prompting Meng Yulan to challenge her.

• Tang Zhuyun nearly fainted from low blood sugar, and the Prince of Jin misunderstood her request for candy before Xiu'er gave her some.
• The Xue Family welcomed Sister Yuan, while the Prince of Jin and the Xue men grew hostile toward each other.
• Tang Zhuyun stopped Tang Baixin from defending their father to the Xue Family, deciding the family rift would need time to mend.
• Xiu'er persuaded Tang Mingfan to stay in his room, where Tang Zhuyun had prepared a meal for him.
• Duke Meng's Wife and Meng Yuqian arrived late, and Tang Zhuyun took them to Meng Yulan's room.
• Meng Yuqian mocked Tang Zhuyun's family and questioned her dowry, and Meng Yulan rebuked her.

Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er humiliated Meng Yuqian over the lavish dowry the Prince of Jin and the Xue Family provided, then celebrated Yuan’s third-day bathing ceremony with the Xue family. After the feast, Tang Zhuyun refused to leave with the Xue family that night, and the Prince of Jin insisted that he was not drunk.

• Xiu'er told the Prince of Jin that Meng Yuqian had mocked Tang Zhuyun for lacking a dowry, so he sent her a hundred thousand taels and Xue Shanting ordered a lavish dowry from the Xue storeroom.
• Xiu'er flaunted the gifts before Meng Yuqian, while Tang Zhuyun and Meng Yulan kept the gathering outwardly civil.
• Yanran reminded Tang Zhuyun to honor her grandmother during Yuan’s third-day bathing ceremony, and the Xue women offered incense and mourned her.
• Xue the Little Overlord and his brothers challenged the Prince of Jin to drink, but the Xue men became drunk while the prince remained sober.
• Tang Zhuyun elbowed Meng Yuqian when she tried to bump into her, then dismissed her taunts about the Prince of Jin favoring someone else.
• The Xue family urged Tang Zhuyun to stay with them, but she promised to visit the next day, and the Prince of Jin told her he was not drunk.

The Prince of Jin confessed his love to Tang Zhuyun while drunk, and she admitted that her feelings had been stirred but warned that the future was uncertain. He left with Song Jingyang and the sobering soup while Tang Zhuyun planned to speak with her father.

• The Prince of Jin pinched Tang Zhuyun's ear and confessed that he loved her, but she told him he was drunk and urged him to sleep it off.
• The Prince of Jin said he would not force Tang Zhuyun to love him, though he hoped she would love only him; Tang Zhuyun admitted she had feelings for him but said no one knew what tomorrow would bring.
• The Prince of Jin clung to Tang Zhuyun and insisted he was not drunk until Tang Baixin and Xiu'er interrupted them and arranged for Song Jingyang to take him back with the sobering soup.
• Old Madam He told Xiu'er that Qin Sang was looking for her, while the Prince of Jin stopped Tang Zhuyun from going to see Qin Sang.
• Tang Zhuyun sent Linlin to carry the soup to the Prince of Jin and said she still needed to speak with her father.

After Tang Zhuyun admitted her feelings had been stirred, the Prince of Jin was delighted, while she remained embarrassed and unsure about taking things further. Before visiting the Xue Family, she reassured Tang Mingfan and prepared to leave, with the Prince of Jin waiting to give her advice.

• Xiu'er advised Tang Zhuyun not to give the Prince of Jin her heart too quickly, then left to meet Qin Sang at a teahouse.
• Yanran teased Tang Zhuyun about kissing the Prince of Jin and asked if she had a little brother in her belly.
• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun to stay and talk, but she left after he said he would miss her when she went to the Xue Family.
• Tang Zhuyun told Song Jingyang that Xiu'er would stay home, and he eagerly went to tell the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Mingfan urged Tang Zhuyun to show filial devotion to the Xue Family and not defend him, and she promised to return after two or three days.
• Song Jingyang told Tang Zhuyun that the Prince of Jin wanted to speak with her before her visit, then hurried off to see Xiu'er.

Tang Zhuyun discussed the Xue Family visit with the Prince of Jin, while Qin Sang explained why she had given up hoping to be with Tang Mingfan. After Qin Sang broke down in Xiu’er’s arms, Song Jingyang walked in and mistook the moment for a romantic rivalry.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun not to reveal her medical skills at the Xue Family and asked why she had felt dizzy.
• Qin Sang told Xiu’er she had left the pleasure quarters and taken over a small rouge shop.
• Xiu’er asked whether Qin Sang wanted to be with Tang Mingfan, and Qin Sang said she had chosen to retreat rather than damage his reputation and devotion to his late wife.
• Qin Sang explained that she had admired Tang Mingfan ever since the Court of Judicial Review cleared her name in a case involving a patron’s death.
• Xiu’er encouraged Qin Sang to move on, and Qin Sang cried as she embraced her.
• Song Jingyang entered and wondered whether Qin Sang was competing with him for Xiu’er.

Xiu'er and Song Jingyang escorted Qin Sang home, and Tang Zhuyun prepared to visit the Xue Family while leaving her children in Xiu'er's care. That night, the Prince of Jin visited Tang Zhuyun and teased her about a medicine bottle, only to discover it was meant to stimulate milk production.

• Song Jingyang accompanied Xiu'er as she walked Qin Sang home, and Qin Sang watched them leave together.
• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun she felt sad for Qin Sang, and Tang Zhuyun said a short pain was better than a long one.
• Tang Zhuyun arranged for Xiu'er and Lüzhu to care for Meng Yulan and the children while she visited the Xue Family for three days.
• Tang Zhuyun reassured Yanran that her father would stay home with her while Tang Zhuyun was away.
• The Prince of Jin climbed over the wall and visited Tang Zhuyun after she put the children to bed.
• The Prince of Jin teased Tang Zhuyun about a green porcelain bottle, and she told him it was medicine to stimulate milk production.

Tang Zhuyun teased the Prince of Jin about his feelings, then accepted his gift of palace-made candy while keeping him from taking liberties. After finally sending him away, she wondered whether he might climb over the Xue Family’s wall while she was visiting them.

• Tang Zhuyun admitted that she had feelings for the Prince of Jin, but urged him to return to bed and stop talking.
• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun to take Nanxing to the Xue Family, then gave her a pouch of palace-made candy.
• Tang Zhuyun shared a piece of candy with the Prince of Jin, who tried to get closer; she ducked away and warned him not to paw at her.
• Tang Zhuyun coaxed the Prince of Jin into leaving, then lay in bed laughing at him and remembered she had not told him to avoid climbing over the Xue Family’s wall.

Tang Zhuyun settled into the Xue Family residence, met her grieving grandmother, and received a warm welcome from her eldest aunt. When Xue Lie brought her a prized fawn as a gift, she immediately suggested roasting it, leaving him stunned.

• Tang Zhuyun treated Old Madam Xue’s eyes with acupuncture and gave her a prescription while the old woman mourned Tang Zhuyun’s mother.
• First Madam Xue showed Tang Zhuyun her courtyard, assigned Xiaoying as her maid, and left the courtyard plaque for Tang Zhuyun to name.
• Nanxing told Tang Zhuyun that Second Madam and Third Madam had privately discussed asking whether she was willing to marry the Prince of Jin, and Tang Zhuyun said she would agree if asked.
• Xue Lie brought Tang Zhuyun a fawn and its keeper, expecting her to admire the deer.
• Tang Zhuyun suggested preparing roast venison from the fawn, leaving Xue Lie dumbfounded.

Tang Zhuyun bonded with the Xue brothers over a venison feast, while Xue Lie later asked whether she truly wanted to marry the Prince of Jin. She said she was willing to marry him, though she admitted she did not know whom she wanted to marry and thought the Prince of Jin would do.

• Tang Zhuyun organized a venison barbecue and invited the Xue brothers to eat with her.
• The Xue brothers fussed over Tang Zhuyun, while Xue Lie complained that she favored Second Brother and learned she had given him extra meat because his name was unfortunate.
• After the feast, Xue Lie stayed behind to talk with Tang Zhuyun and asked whether she regretted marrying the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun told Xue Lie she was willing to marry the Prince of Jin, and the hidden Prince of Jin was overjoyed.
• Tang Zhuyun added that she did not know whom she wanted to marry, but if she had to marry someone, the Prince of Jin would do.

Tang Zhuyun reaffirmed that she was willing to marry the Prince of Jin, while Xue Lie tried to persuade her to stay with the Xue Family. The Prince of Jin secretly visited her, but when Xue Lie came fleeing his mother, both men ended up hiding under Tang Zhuyun's bed as Lady Deng called from the courtyard.

• Tang Zhuyun told Xue Lie she was willing to marry the Prince of Jin, and Nanxing called him a fool for proposing that she marry a cousin.
• Xue Lie left to tell Grandmother about Tang Zhuyun's decision, then asked her to make him a pouch.
• The Prince of Jin climbed over the wall and joined Tang Zhuyun, who cooked him noodles and applied ointment to his mosquito bites.
• When Xue Lie shouted for help outside, the Prince of Jin hid under Tang Zhuyun's bed, and Xue Lie rushed into the room to escape his mother.
• Xue Lie crawled under the bed just as Lady Deng called out to Tang Zhuyun from the courtyard.

Tang Zhuyun tried to conceal Xue Lie and the Prince of Jin as they fought beneath her bed, but Lady Deng discovered them and misunderstood what was happening. After Lady Deng took Xue Lie away, the Prince of Jin kissed Tang Zhuyun’s forehead and left, while Lady Deng promised to keep the incident quiet before hurried footsteps approached.

• Tang Zhuyun tried to hide Xue Lie from Lady Deng, who had come looking for him after he tangled her cherished Persian cat in thread.
• Xue Lie and the Prince of Jin tumbled out from under the bed and wrestled, prompting Lady Deng to mistake their struggle for improper behavior.
• Xue Lie insisted he had been protecting Tang Zhuyun from the Prince of Jin, but Lady Deng dragged him away and told him to stop causing trouble.
• The Prince of Jin teased Tang Zhuyun, kissed her forehead, and said he would wait for her to return the next night.
• Lady Deng returned and promised not to tell anyone about the incident, but hurried footsteps sounded outside as she finished speaking.

The Prince of Jin confronted the Xue Family after sneaking into Tang Zhuyun’s courtyard, and Xue Shanting took the trespass to the emperor. The marriage was confirmed, while Tang Zhuyun learned the Xue Family planned to surrender its military authority partly for her sake.

• The Prince of Jin defended his visit to the Xue Family residence by saying his daughter had missed Tang Zhuyun, while Xue Lie and Xue Shanting accused him of trespassing and defying the imperial marriage decree.
• Tang Zhuyun assured Xue Shanting that the Prince of Jin had only come to sit with her, and Xue Shanting sent him away before declaring he would ask the emperor to judge the matter.
• The Prince of Jin returned the next evening and told Tang Zhuyun that he and Xue Shanting had each lost three months’ salary, but the emperor had ordered the marriage to proceed as planned.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that the Xue Family planned to surrender its military authority, partly because of her and partly to withdraw before the court could turn against them.

Tang Zhuyun learned that the Xue Family would relocate to the northwest under the Prince of Jin’s arrangement, while the families secured their shared interests through Linlin. The Xue Family agreed to support the Prince of Jin only on the condition that Linlin would be his heir if he ever appointed one.

• The Prince of Jin promised Tang Zhuyun he would make arrangements for the Xue Family and urged her to return home soon.
• Tang Zhuyun kissed the Prince of Jin before Xue Lie arrived and called for him at the courtyard gate.
• Xue Lie told Tang Zhuyun that Xue Shanting had agreed the family might leave Liaodong for the northwest at the Prince of Jin’s request.
• Tang Zhuyun realized the Xue Family had surrendered military power and would rebuild their standing in the Prince of Jin’s territory.
• Xue Lie revealed that the Prince of Jin had told Xue Shanting about Linlin’s parentage and had agreed that Linlin must be his heir if he appointed one.

Tang Zhuyun told Old Madam Xue she would marry from the Tang Family home and promised to approach her marriage to the Prince of Jin cautiously. After returning home, she reunited with Yanran and visited Meng Yulan and Sister Yuan, while a delivery arrived for the prince's residence.

• Xue Lie told Tang Zhuyun that the Xue Family wanted to know whether she would marry from their home, and she said she would discuss it with Old Madam Xue.
• Tang Zhuyun told Old Madam Xue she should marry from the Tang Family home and said she would treat the Prince of Jin as he treated her.
• Old Madam Xue urged Tang Zhuyun not to suffer or feel indebted to the Xue Family, and Tang Zhuyun promised to visit her every other day.
• Tang Zhuyun returned home, where Yanran welcomed her and Xiu'er remarked on her haggard appearance.
• Tang Zhuyun visited Meng Yulan and Sister Yuan, then Yanran told her that someone had arrived with a delivery for the prince's residence.

Tang Zhuyun received seafood from the Prince of Jin and discussed the terms of their future marriage with him. He accepted her demand for a faithful, exclusive relationship, and they ended the night teasing each other.

• The Prince of Jin sent Tang Zhuyun baskets of drunken shrimp, drunken crab, and salted fish from Tang Bay.
• Tang Zhuyun ate the raw drunken crab and shared the seafood with the Prince of Jin when he secretly visited that night.
• Tang Zhuyun suggested they visit Tang Bay together with Linlin and Yanran, and the Prince of Jin agreed.
• Tang Zhuyun told the Prince of Jin she would remain his princess consort only if he stayed faithful, and that she would leave if he refused or forced her.
• The Prince of Jin agreed to let Tang Zhuyun have her way, and she joked that she would confiscate his tool of the crime if he tried to force her.

The Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun teased each other while discussing her wedding dress, but he told her he had to leave for Gannan on a secret imperial assignment. He departed to investigate the governor, leaving Tang Zhuyun waiting for his safe return and their wedding.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun he would grant her anything she asked, and they joked about her wedding dress and the scar she had stitched on him.
• The Prince of Jin revealed that the emperor had ordered him to leave for Gannan immediately, and Tang Zhuyun learned he would be gone for about a month.
• The Prince of Jin explained that he had to investigate whether the governor of Gannan was colluding with foreign enemies, then embraced Tang Zhuyun and promised to return for their wedding.
• The Prince of Jin left without looking back, while Tang Zhuyun worried about his safety and the wedding proceeding in his absence.
• Xiu'er later asked whether the Prince of Jin had visited, and Tang Zhuyun told her that he and Song Jingyang had left the capital.

As her wedding approached, Tang Zhuyun learned that Tang Mingfan feared Linlin would feel displaced if she had more children and wanted him to stay in the Tang household. She revealed that Linlin was the Prince of Jin’s biological son, then urged her father to stay out of the prince’s troubles, before Tang Mingfan changed the subject to his treasured locust-wood box.

• Tang Zhuyun complained about the heat and her wedding dress as Tang Mingfan returned home early to speak with her.
• Tang Mingfan praised Tang Zhuyun and said he wanted Linlin to remain with the Tang Family so he would not feel neglected by her future children.
• Tang Zhuyun knelt and confessed that Linlin was the Prince of Jin’s biological son, though they had no way to prove it and did not plan to acknowledge the relationship publicly.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Tang Mingfan and her elder brother not to take sides in any future conflict involving the Prince of Jin, but Tang Mingfan said he would stand up for him.
• Tang Mingfan asked whether Tang Zhuyun had noticed his locust-wood box, leaving her to suspect it might contain the Four Books for Women.

Tang Mingfan revealed that the emperor had once entrusted the Prince of Jin to his care and gave Tang Zhuyun the old letter documenting the favor. He hinted that the letter was more valuable than immunity from death, but had not yet explained why.

• Tang Zhuyun broke the tiny key while trying to open Tang Mingfan's old box, so she split it open with an axe and found a letter.
• Tang Mingfan explained that the emperor had written him the letter when falsely accused of rebellion, asking him to help the Xiao Family raise the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Mingfan said the eldest commandery princess, daughter of the emperor's enemy, had revealed important information that helped him resolve the emperor's crisis.
• Tang Mingfan recalled that the emperor had offered him a gold medal of immunity from death, but he had repeatedly refused it.
• Tang Mingfan gave Tang Zhuyun the letter and said it was more important than a gold medal of immunity from death, then began to explain its significance.