Recaps

Yanran met Cui Xiaoqiu at the Great Xiangguo Temple, while Xue Lie confessed his interest in Nanxing and accepted that she did not return it. When Yanran later met Cui Xiaoqiu’s grandmother, Old Madam Cui reacted strangely to her, leaving Madam Cui wondering why she was angry.

• Yanran met Cui Xiaoqiu at the temple and joked that her feelings might change again, while Tang Zhuyun recalled a childhood friend who had once asked her to marry him.
• Lady Deng discussed Xue Lie’s marriage with Meng Yulan, and Xue Lie told Tang Zhuyun that he liked Nanxing but knew she was not willing to be with him.
• Xue Lie said he hoped Nanxing would find someone good and asked whether she liked Kong Xiyou, while Tang Zhuyun said she did not know.
• Yanran went to the back mountain with Linlin, Nanxing, Jiaojiao, and the guards, then waited for Cui Xiaoqiu after Linlin left to study.
• Cui Xiaoqiu arrived with Old Madam Cui and Madam Cui, and Old Madam Cui stared at Yanran before explaining that she had never seen a live tiger.
• After Old Madam Cui and Madam Cui left for Master Hong'en’s scripture lecture, Madam Cui asked about Old Madam Cui’s behavior, but Old Madam Cui said they would talk at home.

Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu wandered through the woods after Madam Cui and Old Madam Cui went to hear Master Hong'en's lecture. Yanran brushed off Old Madam Cui's coldness and continued playing with Cui Xiaoqiu, but their outing was interrupted by a guard spotting someone nearby.

• Madam Cui worried that Old Madam Cui was displeased with her, but Old Madam Cui reassured her and invited her to hear Master Hong'en's lecture.
• Yanran accused Cui Xiaoqiu of lying about why his grandmother disliked her, and he promised to ask Old Madam Cui about it.
• Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu left Yushu behind and walked farther into the woods, where they picked and ate sour jujubes with Jiaojiao.
• Yanran suggested that Jiaojiao catch a deer, but Cui Xiaoqiu reminded her that they were on Buddhist grounds; Yanran said she would hunt with her brother another day.
• A guard shouted after noticing someone nearby.

Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu escaped an ambush, but Cui Xiaoqiu was struck by an arrow while shielding her. As Tang Zhuyun treated him, Cui Xiaoqiu tearfully asked whether he would still be able to hold a writing brush.

• Yanran watched the guards fight four masked attackers until eight more figures in blue arrived and overwhelmed them.
• Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu fled on Jiaojiao, but an arrow struck Cui Xiaoqiu in the right arm.
• Xue Lie met them with other guards, and Yanran sent him after the assassins while she stayed to care for Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Tang Zhuyun began treating Cui Xiaoqiu's wound, and Yanran went outside at his request.
• After Yanran left, Cui Xiaoqiu cried and asked Meng Yulan whether he would still be able to hold a writing brush.

Tang Zhuyun removed the arrow from Cui Xiaoqiu and discovered it was coated with a subtle, slow-acting poison, which she treated before sending him home with the Cui family. The assassins were dead, leaving their master unknown, while Xue Lie complained that his blood-soaked appearance had ruined his mother's matchmaking plans.

• Cui Xiaoqiu trusted Tang Zhuyun, drank the anesthetic, and asked her to tell his family that the assassins had targeted him if he did not wake up.
• Tang Zhuyun found poison on the arrow and treated Cui Xiaoqiu's wound more deeply to save his life.
• Old Madam Cui and Madam Cui arrived, and Tang Zhuyun explained the attack and offered to continue treating Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Cui Xiaoqiu reassured Yanran as his family carried him away, while Tang Zhuyun planned a generous gift for the Cui family.
• Xue Lie told the Prince of Jin that his mother had brought him to meet a prospective bride, but the attack had left him covered in blood.

After an attempt on Yanran’s life, the Prince of Jin continued investigating while Tang Zhuyun returned to the residence and worried over who might be targeting her daughter. Nanny Jing arrived to report on the household and ask Tang Zhuyun for guidance on a difficult matter.

• The Prince of Jin dropped the subject of Xue Lie’s prospective bride and returned to investigating the attack on Yanran.
• Yanran reassured Tang Zhuyun that Cui Xiaoqiu would still be able to write and called him a true friend.
• Tang Zhuyun returned to the prince’s residence with the Prince of Jin, who continued investigating instead of taking her to see Xiao Pang.
• Tang Zhuyun wondered who wanted Yanran dead and learned that the Prince of Jin planned to find Xue Lie a match.
• Nanny Jing visited Tang Zhuyun to report on the residence and ask her for guidance on a thorny matter.

Tang Zhuyun prepared to attend the Qiao Family's wedding and discussed Xiu'er's marriage and the Prince of Jin's generous house gift to Song Jingyang. Yanran returned from visiting Cui Xiaoqiu with a jade pendant and questions about its meaning.

• Tang Zhuyun learned that Qiao Qiao's wedding was set for the end of the month and decided to send five hundred taels of silver and attend the feast.
• Tang Zhuyun and Nanny Jing confirmed that Xiu'er and Song Jingyang would marry at the beginning of the twelfth month and continue serving in the prince's residence.
• Nanny Jing worried that the Prince of Jin's gift of a valuable three-courtyard residence to Song Jingyang would cause resentment, but Tang Zhuyun said he should keep it.
• Tang Zhuyun discussed Xiu'er's dowry and wondered whether Yanran should have visited Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Yanran returned holding a jade pendant that Cui Xiaoqiu had sent her.

Yanran accepted a lotus-seedpod pendant from Cui Ling and resigned herself to being kept apart from him while he recovered. Old Madam Cui opposed their friendship because Yanran resembled a woman she feared, while Cui Ling privately hoped the pendant would convey his feelings.

• Xiu'er and Tang Zhuyun discussed the ordinary jade pendant Cui Ling had sent Yanran, and Yanran said she would keep it because he had asked her to.
• Yanran accepted that she might not see Cui Xiaoqiu again soon, while Tang Zhuyun promised to take her to apologize to the Cui Family after the assassins were investigated.
• Old Madam Cui told Madam Cui to keep Cui Ling away from Yanran because Yanran resembled Xiao Wu, whose return and rumored connection to the Prince of Jin worried her.
• Madam Cui stayed with the recovering Cui Ling and decided she would not send him away, despite Old Madam Cui's suggestion.
• After his mother left, Cui Ling asked Mujin about Yanran's response to the pendant and learned that Yanran had accepted it and wished him well.
• Cui Ling revealed that the pendant he kept was identical to Yanran's, and told Mujin he would explain if the old master discovered the resemblance.

Cui Ling resolved to become strong enough to protect Yanran and gave thought to a jade pendant that might help her and the Cui Family. The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that the Emperor had taken back the Golden Scale Guard after Huaishang reported his use of it to investigate the imperial harem.

• Cui Ling remembered how Yanran had become his only friend and how Old Master Cui had supported their closeness before recently advising him to see her less.
• Cui Ling felt powerless to help Yanran, then began studying from his sickbed so he could protect the people he cared about.
• Old Madam Cui worried that the Cui Family might be implicated in the Prince of Jin's affairs, but Old Master Cui reassured her that they had little to fear.
• The Prince of Jin returned late, and Tang Zhuyun noticed his unusual urgency when he carried her to bed without eating.
• Tang Zhuyun asked whether the Golden Scale Guard had uncovered something, and the Prince of Jin revealed that the Emperor had taken it back because Huaishang reported his investigation of the imperial harem.

The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Xiao Wu wanted his help gaining power, and they agreed to seek a fief and leave the capital. He then visited Linlin and told Nanxing that Xiao Wu had returned, leaving her to choose what to do.

• The Prince of Jin explained that the emperor intended to make Xiao Wu a noble consort and that she wanted him to help her rise to power.
• The Prince of Jin said he had handed over the Golden Scale Guard and agreed with Tang Zhuyun to ask the emperor for a fief so they could leave the capital.
• Tang Zhuyun welcomed the plan to escape the capital’s affairs, and the Prince of Jin went to handle preparations while she went to sleep.
• The Prince of Jin visited Linlin’s courtyard and told Nanxing that Xiao Wu had returned and she could make her choice.
• The Prince of Jin found Linlin awake and reading, and Linlin explained that he was sorting books to decide which ones to take when they left the capital.

Linlin and the Prince of Jin discussed their coming departure from the capital, the dangers surrounding Xiao Wu, and the people who might accompany them. Afterward, Nanxing confronted the Prince of Jin about Huaishang, then beat Huaishang the next day.

• Linlin admitted he was reluctant to leave his grandfather and father, and asked whether his teacher and senior brother could travel with them; the Prince of Jin told him to decide for himself.
• The Prince of Jin warned Linlin not to meet Xiao Wu alone and agreed to warn Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er that Xiao Wu might summon them.
• Linlin showed the Prince of Jin the lotus-pod jade pendant Cui Ling had given Yanran, and the Prince of Jin said Cui Ling knew what it meant.
• Nanxing asked whether Xiao Wu was the reason the Prince of Jin had treated Huaishang harshly, then asked him to give Huaishang another chance.
• The Prince of Jin left Nanxing to act as she wished, and the next day he learned she had beaten Huaishang after he refused to change his mind.

Nanxing asked Tang Zhuyun to let her remain at the Prince of Jin’s residence and warned her about Noble Consort Jia. Tang Zhuyun was lured into the palace, where Noble Consort Jia had her slapped, and she retaliated by slapping Noble Consort Jia.

• Nanxing told Tang Zhuyun that her loyalty was to the Xiao Family, not Noble Consort Jia, and asked her to speak for her to the prince.
• Xiu'er reported that Tang Mingfan had fallen ill after the Qiao Family wedding banquet, but he insisted on returning to work before recovering.
• Zhang Zheng tricked Tang Zhuyun into going to Noble Consort Jia instead of the outer court.
• Tang Zhuyun realized she had been deceived and tried to escape, but Noble Consort Jia's people restrained her and dragged her into the palace.
• Noble Consort Jia ordered Tang Zhuyun to be slapped, and Tang Zhuyun struck Noble Consort Jia in return.

Tang Zhuyun fought back against Noble Consort Jia, but was seized and beaten after secretly giving the consort a pill. When Noble Consort Jia ordered the beating to continue despite learning Tang Zhuyun might be pregnant, the Prince of Jin forced his way in and saw blood beneath Tang Zhuyun.

• Tang Zhuyun stuffed a pill into Noble Consort Jia's mouth and slapped her repeatedly before guards dragged her away.
• Nanny Rong stopped the beating briefly to remove Tang Zhuyun's outer clothes, then quietly told her the Prince of Jin was on his way.
• Nanny Rong noticed blood on Tang Zhuyun's clothes, and Tang Zhuyun pretended she had lost her child before fainting.
• Noble Consort Jia ordered the guards to beat Tang Zhuyun despite Nanny Rong warning that it would worsen her rift with the Prince of Jin.
• As rain poured down, the guards resumed beating Tang Zhuyun until a eunuch announced that the Prince of Jin had forced his way in.
• The Prince of Jin arrived, saw the blood beneath Tang Zhuyun, and his eyes turned scarlet.

The Prince of Jin arrived at the palace and found Tang Zhuyun injured after Noble Consort Jia’s trap, then carried her to safety and tended to her. As Noble Consort Jia demanded to see him, Tang Zhuyun warned him not to let her hurt him, but she fainted after recognizing the handkerchief he used to wipe her face.

• Nanxing told Xiu'er that Noble Consort Jia had set a trap for Tang Zhuyun, and they waited for the Prince of Jin at the palace gates.
• The Prince of Jin rushed to Tang Zhuyun, carried her into a room, and comforted her while she insisted that she had not been pregnant and was not badly hurt.
• The Prince of Jin changed Tang Zhuyun's clothes and examined her bruises, but he insisted that she had been pregnant.
• Nanny Rong summoned the Prince of Jin to Noble Consort Jia, and Tang Zhuyun warned him not to let his mother beat him and said she had a way to settle the matter.
• The Prince of Jin wiped Tang Zhuyun's face with a handkerchief, and she recognized it as one she had given him before fainting.

The Prince of Jin slaughtered the palace servants who had restrained Tang Zhuyun and nearly killed Noble Consort Jia before Xiu'er and Nanny Rong stopped him. He sent Tang Zhuyun back to the residence and, after telling Xiu'er to claim she had miscarried, went to face the emperor.

• After Tang Zhuyun fainted, the Prince of Jin ordered Xiu'er to care for her and went outside with Nanxing.
• The Prince of Jin and Nanxing killed the palace servants who had helped restrain Tang Zhuyun, then he entered Noble Consort Jia's room and killed her maids.
• The Prince of Jin confronted Noble Consort Jia over her role in his father's and elder brother's deaths and pointed his sword at her.
• Xiu'er and Nanny Rong begged the Prince of Jin to spare Noble Consort Jia, while Nanxing returned carrying Zhang Zheng's severed head and Noble Consort Jia fainted.
• The Prince of Jin sent Tang Zhuyun back to the residence, told Xiu'er to say she had suffered a miscarriage, and asked her to have a physician examine Tang Zhuyun.
• After the officials saw him covered in blood, the Prince of Jin asked Tang Mingfan to look after A-Yun and said he would go see the emperor.

Tang Zhuyun woke at the prince's residence and learned that the Prince of Jin had killed everyone around Noble Consort Jia except Nanny Rong, claiming Tang Zhuyun had miscarried. As she tried to stay calm and plan how to help him, her father and elder brother arrived.

• Tang Zhuyun woke in pain and asked Xiu'er where the Prince of Jin had gone.
• Nanxing told Tang Zhuyun that the Prince of Jin had taken her to teach Noble Consort Jia a lesson, and that everyone around the consort except Nanny Rong was dead.
• Xiu'er recounted how she had stopped the Prince of Jin from killing Noble Consort Jia and explained that he had entered the palace without Song Jingyang.
• Tang Zhuyun decided to trust the Prince of Jin, have a doctor confirm her supposed miscarriage, and consider how she could help him.
• A maid announced that Tang Mingfan and Tang Baixin had arrived, and Xiu'er hurried to welcome them.

Tang Zhuyun discussed the Prince of Jin’s uncertain fate with Tang Mingfan and Tang Baixin, while learning that even the emperor did not know the truth about Noble Consort Jia and the Xiao Family’s past. She decided to stay by the prince and considered whether her father’s letter could help save him, regretting that her choices had worried her family.

• Tang Zhuyun told Tang Mingfan and Tang Baixin that her miscarriage had been faked, and they agreed the Prince of Jin had acted impulsively to defend her.
• Tang Zhuyun asked about Xiao Wu, and Tang Mingfan explained that the emperor still did not know what role Noble Consort Jia had played in the Xiao Family’s alleged rebellion.
• Tang Mingfan warned that the Prince of Jin might lose his rank or be banished, though he believed his life was probably not in danger.
• Tang Baixin vowed to gather people and petition to clear the Prince of Jin, while Tang Zhuyun worried about implicating her family.
• After her father and brother left, Tang Zhuyun realized she had mistaken the letter Tang Mingfan gave her for a way to leave her husband, when it might instead help save him.

Tang Zhuyun learned that the Prince of Jin had made plans before his arrest, including arranging Song Jingyang’s transfer to Qingzhou, and she began trying to protect the people around her. The chapter ended with Nanxing missing, and Xiu'er feared she had gone to break the Prince of Jin out of prison.

• Tang Zhuyun considered using Tang Mingfan’s letter to save the Prince of Jin, but Xiu'er urged her to use it because he had sacrificed so much for her.
• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that Song Jingyang had given her jewelry and said she would soon be a regional commander's wife.
• Song Jingyang revealed that the Prince of Jin had arranged for him to become regional commander of Qingzhou after Qin Sang obtained compromising evidence against the Prince of Yong.
• Song Jingyang warned that the Prince of Jin and Nanxing could face trouble for entering the palace armed, and said Nanxing had refused to leave.
• Tang Zhuyun sent Song Jingyang to learn news of the Prince of Jin and asked Xiu'er to bring Nanxing to her.
• Xiu'er returned unable to find Nanxing and feared she had gone to break the Prince of Jin out of prison.

Tang Zhuyun and Meng Yulan prepared for the Prince of Jin’s possible downfall by planning to protect Linlin, preserve household valuables, and shelter Qin Sang. Nanxing remained missing, and Tang Zhuyun wondered whether she had gone to protect Linlin, though she was wrong.

• Tang Zhuyun ordered the search for Nanxing to continue while she and Xiu'er worried about her disappearance.
• Meng Yulan discussed Noble Consort Jia with Tang Zhuyun, who feared that Jia might claim Linlin if she learned he was the prince's son.
• Meng Yulan urged Tang Zhuyun to stand by the Prince of Jin and helped her plan how to protect the household's assets, including hiding valuables in the tunnel to the Tang Family home.
• Tang Zhuyun told Meng Yulan that Qin Sang might be in danger from the Prince of Yong, and Meng Yulan agreed to find a way to protect her.
• Tang Zhuyun considered sending Linlin to Master Hong'en as a last resort, while Meng Yulan advised keeping him home and planning together.
• Tang Zhuyun guessed that Nanxing might have gone to protect Linlin, but she was mistaken.

Nanxing went to Marquis Champion's Residence to find Pei Shen and ask him to save her. After six years apart, Pei Shen welcomed her inside, and she revealed that she needed his help.

• Nanxing arrived at Marquis Champion's Residence and told the guards that Vermilion Bird had come to see Pei Shen.
• Mo Ting recognized Nanxing's name and alerted Pei Shen, who hurried out to meet her.
• Pei Shen welcomed Nanxing through the main gates and led her to his study.
• Pei Shen offered Nanxing honey water and calmly told her not to panic when she asked him to save her.
• Nanxing recalled Pei Shen's ties to the emperor and his past investigation into the Xiao Family's alleged treason.

Nanxing told Pei Shen that she had killed people in Jiaren Palace and asked him for help, then used her desire for him to rekindle their intimacy. She returned to the prince's residence, leaving Pei Shen confident that she would come back to him.

• Nanxing reflected on her guilt over the Xiao Family and learned that Pei Shen had known she was back in the capital.
• Nanxing told Pei Shen she had gone on a killing spree in Jiaren Palace and explained what had happened; he agreed to help her.
• Nanxing asked Pei Shen for himself, and they spent the day and night together.
• Nanxing said she needed to return to the prince's residence and would hide there while Pei Shen handled the danger.
• Pei Shen watched Nanxing leave and believed she would return to him.

Nanxing returned to the prince’s residence and reassured Tang Zhuyun, who was preparing for the next stage of the Prince of Jin’s plan. Xiu'er told Nanxing that she had decided to stay with Tang Zhuyun rather than go with Song Jingyang to Qingzhou, though she struggled with the choice.

• Nanxing returned to the residence and met with Tang Zhuyun, who told her to hide in the tunnel if anyone came looking for her.
• Tang Zhuyun confirmed that she had carried out the Prince of Jin’s plan by having a physician declare that she had miscarried, while Song Jingyang planned to take things to the Prince of Jin in prison.
• Xiu'er teased Nanxing about the marks on her neck, then spoke with her privately over tea.
• Xiu'er told Nanxing that Song Jingyang was going to become the regional commander of Qingzhou, but she had decided to stay with Tang Zhuyun.
• Nanxing warned Xiu'er that Tang Zhuyun might be away from the capital for years and asked whether Song Jingyang knew of her decision, making Xiu'er’s eyes redden.

Xiu'er explained why she had decided to stay with Her Highness rather than leave with Song Jingyang, despite loving him and fearing the separation. After confiding in Nanxing, she planned to think about how to tell Nanny Jing first and put off telling Song Jingyang until she had recovered.

• Nanxing urged Xiu'er to go with Song Jingyang, but Xiu'er recalled how Her Highness had given her and her mother shelter when they had nowhere else to turn.
• Xiu'er said she could not leave Her Highness during the years ahead, even though she loved Song Jingyang and wished him happiness.
• Nanxing tried to comfort Xiu'er by suggesting the prince might return soon or Song Jingyang might wait, but Xiu'er refused to keep him waiting.
• After crying and talking through her decision, Xiu'er told Nanxing she would consider how to tell Nanny Jing and leave telling Song Jingyang for later.
• Xiu'er asked whether Nanxing's man could help the prince, and Nanxing said he probably could not.

Nanxing and Xiu'er discussed their feelings for Pei Shen and Song Jingyang, and Nanxing explained her plan to turn Pei Shen against Noble Consort Jia. Tang Zhuyun prepared to visit the Prince of Jin in the imperial prison by arranging for him to fall ill, while Xiu'er and Song Jingyang remained uncertain about their parting.

• Xiu'er gave Nanxing contraceptive medicine, and the two joked about Nanxing staying with Pei Shen and Xiu'er leaving Song Jingyang behind.
• Xiu'er said she would stop asking about Song Jingyang and try to let him go, while Nanxing urged her to wait and hear what he had to say.
• Nanxing told Xiu'er how she had first approached Pei Shen on a mission and described her plan to provoke his anger at Noble Consort Jia by staging her own injury.
• Song Jingyang came to collect supplies for the Prince of Jin, and Tang Zhuyun said she would visit him in prison herself.
• Tang Zhuyun hinted that she would tamper with the Prince of Jin's food so a physician would be summoned, then reassured Xiu'er that she had done what she could and would leave the outcome to the emperor.

As Tang Zhuyun prepared to leave the capital with the Prince of Jin, she arranged matters for Xiu'er and questioned Nanny Jing about the prince’s childhood. Nanny Jing’s account of his mother’s cruelty left Tang Zhuyun wondering whether the Prince of Jin was truly Xiao Wu’s son.

• Yanran learned that she and her brother would leave the capital, then went to find Cui Xiaoqiu, whose grandfather she hoped to learn from.
• Tang Zhuyun tried to discuss Xiu'er's dowry, but Xiu'er insisted that she handle everyone else’s arrangements first and kept her decision to stay secret.
• Nanny Jing asked whether Song Jingyang could give up his new post in Qingzhou to help the Prince of Jin, and Tang Zhuyun told her to follow the prince’s plan.
• Nanny Jing recalled how Xiao Wu had mistreated the Prince of Jin as a child and how he had worked hard to win her approval.
• After Nanny Jing said the rest of the Xiao Family had treated the prince well, Tang Zhuyun wondered whether he was Xiao Wu’s son but still had Xiao Family blood.

Song Jingyang told Tang Zhuyun that the Prince of Jin had planned to earn merit by defeating Xia’s champion and clear his crimes, though he would still leave the capital with her to investigate the past. Tang Zhuyun learned the champion was an old acquaintance who would let the Prince of Jin win, and Song Jingyang said she need not worry about finding people to plead for him.

• After several groups searched the prince’s residence for Nanxing without finding her, Song Jingyang returned from visiting the Prince of Jin in prison and reported that he was well.
• Song Jingyang explained that envoys would arrive in the eleventh month and that Xia’s greatest warrior would challenge the court, giving the Prince of Jin a chance to earn merit and clear his crimes.
• Song Jingyang said the Prince of Jin still planned to leave the capital with Tang Zhuyun to investigate past events, while Xiu'er fell silent and Nanxing looked at her with pity.
• Tang Zhuyun worried about whether the Prince of Jin could defeat the formidable Xia warrior, but Song Jingyang revealed the warrior was an old acquaintance who would make his defeat convincing.
• When Tang Zhuyun wondered whom they could ask to plead for the Prince of Jin, Song Jingyang said she did not need to worry about that either.