Recaps

While Tang Zhuyun treated Niuniu’s recurring fever, Yan Ling recognized how little comfort and luxury he had provided Madam Yan compared with the Prince of Jin’s household. Yanran arrived to see Tang Zhuyun, but a tiger suddenly sprang into the courtyard and frightened Yan Ling and Madam Yan.

• Madam Yan rebuked Yan Ling for neglecting Niuniu, and he eventually said he believed their daughter would be all right.
• Tang Zhuyun was summoned after Niuniu developed another fever and stayed to keep watch; Yan Ling acknowledged that he owed the Prince of Jin for saving his daughter.
• Xiu'er visited Tang Zhuyun, and Yan Ling learned she was Song Jingyang’s wife as he compared her household’s comforts with Madam Yan’s circumstances.
• Tang Zhuyun invited Madam Yan to wash and offered her handmade soap, while Xiu'er revealed that it contained costly rosewater.
• Yanran arrived to wait for Tang Zhuyun, and a tiger suddenly sprang into the courtyard, startling Yan Ling and Madam Yan.

Yan Ling and Madam Yan stayed at the Prince of Jin’s residence while Niuniu recovered, and Yan Ling decided to embrace the rumors that he was the prince’s lackey. After Pei Shen returned from drinking with the Prince of Jin, the household learned that the prince had been hurt protecting him.

• Yanran visited Niuniu with precious toys, cheered her up, and went outside to knock down icicles.
• Yan Ling heard people call him the Prince of Jin’s lackey and resolved to make the accusation true, while helping Madam Yan care for Niuniu.
• Xiu'er and Nanxing discussed Nanxing’s improving menstrual cycle and joked about their future children.
• A maid mistakenly reported that Pei Shen had injured his groin, alarming Tang Zhuyun, Xiu'er, and Nanxing.
• Pei Shen brought the injured Prince of Jin back, and Tang Zhuyun found that he had a cramp and some scrapes from protecting Pei Shen.

Tang Zhuyun examined the Prince of Jin’s leg while he struggled to hide his desire, and Pei Shen tried unsuccessfully to draw Nanxing’s concern to his minor hand injury. The Prince of Jin revealed that Huaishang had caused the accident, while Pei Shen’s attempt to ask Tang Zhuyun for help arranging his marriage to Nanxing remained unresolved.

• Tang Zhuyun checked the Prince of Jin’s leg, mistook his flushed face for pain, and scolded him when he reacted to her closeness.
• Pei Shen staged concern over his scraped hand through Mo Ting, but Nanxing dismissed the injury and Xiu'er called out his behavior.
• The Prince of Jin’s bird, Eighth Master, loudly praised his prowess, so Tang Zhuyun carried him outside and hung him beneath the covered walkway.
• Tang Zhuyun asked the Prince of Jin why Pei Shen had sought him out, and he explained that Pei Shen wanted her help formally marrying Nanxing before he left the capital.
• The Prince of Jin said Huaishang had caused the accident and asked Tang Zhuyun not to open the door while he recovered.

After Huaishang unexpectedly attacked the Prince of Jin, Tang Zhuyun and the household tended to the prince and tried to understand what had happened. Pei Shen’s attempt to share Nanxing’s custard ended badly, and he asked her to hold a wedding before an uninvited guest arrived at the prince’s residence.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Huaishang had struck at him after seeing him knocked down, though he insisted Huaishang had not betrayed him.
• Tang Zhuyun reassured the household that the Prince of Jin was all right, and Nanny Jing visited him with pastries while defending Huaishang as incapable of attacking him.
• Pei Shen ate Nanxing’s milk custard to prove he was fine, then suffered stomach trouble because he still could not tolerate milk.
• Pei Shen asked Nanxing to marry him on the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth month, but she pointed out that he had already registered their marriage without telling her.
• An uninvited guest arrived at the Prince of Jin’s residence.

Yan Ling kept watch over Niuniu while Madam Yan rested, and Huaishang was brought to Tang Zhuyun after suddenly going mad. Tang Zhuyun identified poisonous mushrooms as the cause and said he would recover, while the Prince of Jin reflected on what Huaishang’s hallucinations revealed about his desires.

• Madam Yan told Yan Ling to stay out of the residence’s affairs and let her sleep while he watched Niuniu.
• Madam Yao brought Huaishang to Tang Zhuyun for help after he began acting irrationally.
• Huaishang mistook the brazier’s coals for gold and fought the Prince of Jin, who pinned him down and beat him with a feather duster.
• Tang Zhuyun checked Huaishang’s pulse and suspected poisonous mushrooms after Mianmian said she had found dried mushrooms in his treasure chest.
• Madam Yao explained that Huaishang had eaten mushrooms she had meant to throw away, and Tang Zhuyun said he would recover after the episode passed.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin managed Huaishang while he acted irrationally under the temporary effects of medicine, and Madam Yao took him home with Mianmian’s help. Afterward, the Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun he wanted to use a similar method to sound out Xiao Pang about the mystery of his origins.

• Madam Yao fretted over Huaishang’s condition, teased him about marriage, and tried to persuade Mianmian to stay with him.
• Xiu'er scattered soybeans on the couch, and Huaishang became distracted by the beans he mistook for gold.
• Madam Yao and Mianmian prepared to take Huaishang home, but he refused to leave until Xiu'er told him to hide his beans there.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er wondered whether Mianmian was a maid or a distant Huai relative.
• The Prince of Jin sent Xiu'er away and told Tang Zhuyun he wanted to use a similar method to test Xiao Pang, and Tang Zhuyun agreed to try.

Tang Zhuyun realized she was pregnant but kept the news to herself while the Prince of Jin brought Xiao Pang to the residence. When Xiao Pang again refused to reveal the truth about the Prince of Jin’s origins, Tang Zhuyun suggested they eat first.

• Tang Zhuyun discovered her period was late and realized she was pregnant, but she did not tell the Prince of Jin.
• Two days later, Tang Zhuyun sent Niuniu and her mother home after Niuniu’s condition stabilized.
• Madam Yan praised Tang Zhuyun’s medical skills to others, and Tang Zhuyun’s reputation as a divine physician spread among the capital’s noblewomen.
• The Prince of Jin brought Xiao Pang back to the residence while Linlin took Yanran to the Great Xiangguo Temple.
• The Prince of Jin asked Xiao Pang to tell the truth, but Xiao Pang refused, so Tang Zhuyun suggested they eat first.

Tang Zhuyun questioned Xiao Pang while he was hallucinating and learned the truth about Fourth Master Xiao, Bai Lu, and the Xiao Family’s rebellion. Afterward, the Prince of Jin realized Tang Zhuyun was pregnant, and she confirmed it.

• After eating the poisonous mushrooms, Xiao Pang mistook Tang Zhuyun for Mo'er and said he had promised to take her away from the Xiao Family because she would die if they stayed.
• Tang Zhuyun learned from Xiao Pang that Fourth Master Xiao had secretly rescued Bai Lu, A-Qi's birth mother, and had planned to leave to find and care for her.
• Xiao Pang revealed that Fourth Master Xiao knew the Xiao Family was doomed and had urged him to live as a wastrel; the Prince of Jin knocked Xiao Pang unconscious and had him taken away.
• The Prince of Jin noticed Tang Zhuyun had been protecting her belly and concluded she was pregnant.
• Tang Zhuyun confirmed that she was carrying their child and placed the Prince of Jin's hand on her abdomen.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin celebrated her pregnancy while discussing his uncertainty about searching for his birth mother, Bai Lu. He decided to speak openly with Xiao Pang, and the chapter ended with Yanran eagerly imagining how she would command her younger sibling.

• The Prince of Jin delightedly pressed his ear to Tang Zhuyun's belly, and they joked about whether their baby would be a son or a daughter.
• Tang Zhuyun recognized that the Prince of Jin was troubled by what Xiao Pang had revealed about Bai Lu and encouraged him to search for her.
• The Prince of Jin said he would speak openly with Xiao Pang and urged Tang Zhuyun to take care of herself and the baby.
• At dinner, the Prince of Jin announced Tang Zhuyun's pregnancy and warned Yanran not to throw herself into her mother's arms.
• Yanran celebrated having a younger sibling and planned to make a younger brother her foot soldier or have a younger sister help with embroidery.

Tang Zhuyun, Xiu'er, and Nanxing discussed Nanxing’s refusal to agree to a wedding with Pei Shen and then dealt with Zhou Yanhui, who insisted on seeing Tang Zhuyun. Nanxing went out to investigate a sudden commotion, but she had not returned when Yanran arrived.

• Nanxing told Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er that she had not agreed to marry Pei Shen because she hated being stared at, and Tang Zhuyun urged her to discuss the matter with him.
• A maid reported that Zhou Yanhui had come to see the Prince of Jin, and Tang Zhuyun refused to receive her.
• Gongs and drums sounded outside, prompting Nanxing to hurry out to see what was happening while Xiu'er wondered if Pei Shen had come to fetch a bride.
• Zhou Yanhui refused to leave and insisted that she needed to speak with Tang Zhuyun because the prince’s life was at stake.
• Tang Zhuyun became sick and threw up outside, while Nanxing remained away; Xiu'er considered going to look for her before Yanran called out to her mother.

Tang Zhuyun learned that the Heir to the Prince of Min was unconscious after the attack on Nanyue, and five women were being married to him to ward off misfortune. The Prince of Jin later explained the unusual history of the Prince of Min’s family, leaving Tang Zhuyun feeling that her own husband was not so bizarre after all.

• Yanran reported that the Prince of Min’s wedding procession was carrying off a bride, and Nanxing confirmed that the bride was bound inside her sedan.
• Nanxing explained that the Heir to the Prince of Min was unconscious and that a Gu family daughter and four concubines were being married to him because a fortune-teller prescribed five women with pure yin destinies.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er questioned the absurd wedding, while Yanran insisted that she and her mother consort could help if anyone came to them.
• The Prince of Jin returned and told Tang Zhuyun about the Prince of Min and Princess Consort Min, including how they brought their whole family to the capital rather than send their son there alone.

Tang Zhuyun teased the Prince of Jin about the Prince of Min’s daughter and learned she was his cousin, while he recalled his youthful rivalry with her brother, Qu Nian. Their nighttime conversation ended with Tang Zhuyun still pestering him for more details.

• The Prince of Jin explained that the Prince of Min’s family had once visited the capital, where Princess Consort Min conceived a daughter and named her Jinghua.
• Tang Zhuyun grew jealous that the Prince of Jin knew the girl’s personal name, but he explained that Princess Consort Min was his aunt and the girl was his younger female cousin.
• The Prince of Jin revealed that he and Qu Nian had been young rivals who competed in martial arts, and that Qu Nian’s life or death was now uncertain.
• The Prince of Jin tried to end the conversation so Tang Zhuyun could sleep, but she joked about his childhood and kept asking about Qu Nian.

Tang Zhuyun discussed Qu Nian, her pregnancy, and the Prince of Jin’s political connections with Xiu'er and Nanxing. Nanxing revealed that Huaishang had awakened and wanted to silence Mianmian, so she advised him to marry her.

• The Prince of Jin reassured Tang Zhuyun that Qu Nian was unharmed and told her to focus on caring for herself and their child.
• Xiu'er and Tang Zhuyun discussed having children and assessed the Prince of Jin’s ties with other families.
• Nanxing warned Tang Zhuyun that Zong Heng and Zhou Yanhui had grown close.
• Nanxing explained that she still resented Pei Shen for his past coldness when she was jealous of his younger paternal cousin.
• Nanxing told Tang Zhuyun that Huaishang had regained consciousness and wanted to kill Mianmian to silence her, so Nanxing had suggested he marry her.

Tang Zhuyun visited Xiu'er at the Four Seas Tower after hearing she had cried, only to learn that a meal had reminded Xiu'er of her late father. As they shared food and gossip, Zhou Yanhui arrived demanding to see Tang Zhuyun, who agreed to receive her alone.

• Tang Zhuyun and Nanxing discussed Mianmian's refusal to marry Huaishang, Linlin's efforts to invite Great Confucian Scholar Kong and Xiyou for the New Year, and Yanran's visit to Cui Xiaoqiu.
• After a maid reported that Xiu'er had cried at the Four Seas Tower, Tang Zhuyun went there with Nanxing to check on her.
• Xiu'er explained that eating fish had reminded her of her late father, and Tang Zhuyun joined Xiu'er and Nanny Jing for a meal.
• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that the rooster used in the Heir to the Prince of Min's wedding ceremony had defecated before a dog killed it, and Nanxing suspected someone was spreading the story to cause trouble for the heir's wife.
• Zhou Yanhui demanded to see Tang Zhuyun, who told the others to let her in alone.

Zhou Yanhui told Tang Zhuyun that Zong Heng planned to use her to get close to the Prince of Jin and drive Tang Zhuyun away. Tang Zhuyun learned the details of Zong Heng’s scheme and asked Zhou Yanhui whether she thought it would work.

• Zhou Yanhui asked Tang Zhuyun to dismiss her attendants, but Tang Zhuyun refused to meet her alone and revealed she already knew Zhou Yanhui’s secret.
• Tang Zhuyun said that she and the Prince of Jin had both discovered Zhou Yanhui was a woman but had kept it private, and she warned Zhou Yanhui to improve her disguise.
• Xiu'er teased Zhou Yanhui by revealing that Tang Zhuyun was pregnant, leaving Zhou Yanhui heartbroken.
• Zhou Yanhui explained that she had been seeking the Prince of Jin because Zong Heng planned to harm him.
• Zhou Yanhui said Zong Heng had promised to help her win the Prince of Jin and claim Tang Zhuyun for himself if she helped find Noble Consort Jia’s weakness.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Zhou Yanhui whether she believed Zong Heng’s plan would work.

Tang Zhuyun confronted Zhou Yanhui about his feelings for the Prince of Jin and urged him to put his duties as crown prince before an impossible romance. Just as Zhou Yanhui suggested they could be friends, Nanxing shouted a warning and shielded Tang Zhuyun.

• Zhou Yanhui explained that he had approached Noble Consort Jia because Zong Heng said she was attracted to men, and admitted he might sacrifice himself if necessary.
• Tang Zhuyun learned that Zhou Yanhui had wanted to see her to understand why the Prince of Jin favored her, and she affirmed that she was pregnant and irreplaceable to him.
• Tang Zhuyun urged Zhou Yanhui to stop pursuing the Prince of Jin, preserve his dignity, and focus on becoming empress of the Xia Kingdom.
• Zhou Yanhui reflected on how closely Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin understood one another, then suggested that he and Tang Zhuyun could be friends.
• Tang Zhuyun rejected the idea, and Nanxing shouted a warning as she moved in front of her.

Tang Zhuyun and Zhou Yanhui were caught together in a staged assassination attempt, but the Prince of Jin arrived in time to dispel suspicion. After they returned home, Tang Zhuyun learned that a strange dog had pawed at the Prince of Jin while he was upstairs.

• Xiu'er realized the assassins were trying to make onlookers think Tang Zhuyun and Zhou Yanhui were meeting in secret, and Zhou Yanhui suspected Zong Heng was behind it.
• Tang Zhuyun and Zhou Yanhui traded teasing offers while waiting for the Prince of Jin to arrive.
• The Prince of Jin joined Tang Zhuyun, and Xiu'er told the onlookers he was there, making them disperse.
• Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin left together, and Zhou Yanhui watched their hands intertwined.
• Tang Zhuyun asked about the dirt on the Prince of Jin's clothes, and he explained that a Shar-Pei from the Prince of Min's Residence had pawed at him.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin discussed Qu Nian’s consort, Ren Yingying, and the Shar-Pei that had clung to the prince. The prince arranged for the dog to be cared for, while Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er considered court intrigues and cautioned against letting the prince meet the consort alone; Yanran then arrived looking guilty.

• Tang Zhuyun learned from Xiu'er that Qu Nian’s consort had a facial birthmark and might be a concubine-born Ren daughter passed off as the legitimate bride.
• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun to look after the consort if they met, so she would not make Qu Nian lose face.
• The Prince of Jin wondered why the Shar-Pei had followed him, and Xiu'er discovered the dog was only a little over two years old.
• Xiu'er suggested the dog had followed the prince because he had dried meat in his pouch, and the prince arranged for servants at the Prince of Min's Residence to care for it.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed whether Zhou Yanhui and Zong Heng had coordinated events and agreed to stay watchful and prevent the prince from meeting the consort alone.
• Yanran entered with Jiaojiao, looking shifty, and asked Tang Zhuyun whether she had gone out that day.

Yanran explained how she had gotten into trouble with Jiaojiao and vowed to protect Cui Xiaoqiu, while Tang Zhuyun treated Niuniu after her fever returned. The chapter left Tang Zhuyun still wondering why a dog kept trying to follow the Prince of Jin.

• Yanran said she was practicing archery so she could protect Cui Xiaoqiu, whose injured arm kept him from holding his brush normally.
• Yanran recounted how Jiaojiao bit a dog that tried to enter the prince's residence and how the dog's owner, the Heir to the Prince of Min's wife, fell while trying to save it.
• Tang Zhuyun told Yanran not to take Jiaojiao out to frighten people, then wondered why the dog seemed intent on following the Prince of Jin.
• Madam Yan brought Niuniu to Tang Zhuyun after the child's fever returned, and Tang Zhuyun confirmed a relapse and prescribed medicine.
• Yanran offered to let Niuniu touch Jiaojiao, but Xiu'er scolded her for letting people rub the tiger's fur bald.

Yanran tried to teach Niuniu to write her name but needed to escape when she realized she did not know the correct characters. After Tang Zhuyun learned she was pregnant, the Prince of Jin met Xue Lie for drinks, where Xue Lie revealed his trouble finding a wife.

• Yanran wrote Niuniu's name incorrectly, then took her to find someone with better handwriting.
• Madam Yan asked Tang Zhuyun how to care for Niuniu and learned that Tang Zhuyun was expecting a child.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er ate dinner while the Prince of Jin stayed away from the residence.
• Xue Lie persuaded the Prince of Jin to drink with him at Four Seas Tower.
• Xue Lie told the Prince of Jin that he disliked every woman his mother had introduced and was asked whom he liked instead.

Xue Lie told the Prince of Jin that he loved a concubine in the Prince of Min’s Residence and wanted to prove himself in Liaodong so he could pursue her. The Prince of Jin agreed to try to help with her status, but the chapter ended with him asking whether Lady Deng would let Xue Lie go.

• Xue Lie confessed that he loved a woman who had entered the Prince of Min’s Residence as a concubine to bring good fortune to the heir, and Qu Nian listened from outside in his Shar-Pei form.
• Xue Lie explained that he wanted to go to Liaodong, make a name for himself, and show Lady Deng he did not need to rely on his wife’s family.
• The Prince of Jin questioned how Xue Lie would prove himself and resolve the woman’s status, while Qu Nian silently urged him to accept.
• The Prince of Jin said he would do his best to help Xue Lie, then asked whether Lady Deng would agree to his going to Liaodong.

Xue Lie asked the Prince of Jin to help him pursue a future with Tang Zhuyun, while Qu Nian, trapped in a shar-pei’s body, clung to the prince to escape Lady Ren. Lady Ren took Qu Nian away and revealed that she and the dog needed to find a way back, leaving Qu Nian confused about who she was.

• Xue Lie insisted that Lady Deng would support his decision, but the Prince of Jin said he needed to discuss it with Tang Zhuyun first.
• Qu Nian followed the Prince of Jin, hoping to investigate his transformation and avoid Lady Ren, who had named him Dog Meat.
• Xue Lie joked that the shar-pei would make good dog meat hotpot, while the Prince of Jin hesitated over whether Tang Zhuyun liked dog meat.
• Lady Ren arrived, picked up Qu Nian, and left despite his efforts to reach the Prince of Jin.
• The Prince of Jin bought the last two bags of roasted chestnuts for Tang Zhuyun, while Lady Ren threatened to have Qu Nian neutered if he misbehaved.
• Lady Ren told Qu Nian that they had to find a way back, prompting Qu Nian to wonder who she was and where she had come from.

The Prince of Jin discovered Cui Xiaoqiu secretly practicing swordsmanship, then discussed Xue Lie’s request and Niuniu’s illness with Tang Zhuyun. The next day, Tang Zhuyun learned that Nanxing had wanted to kill Zong Heng, while Xiu’er quietly missed her husband, Song Jingyang, who could not return for the New Year.

• The Prince of Jin overheard swordplay and saw Cui Xiaoqiu secretly training with Master Wu, who hurried away when Madam Cui arrived.
• The Prince of Jin brought Tang Zhuyun sugar-roasted chestnuts and told her about Xue Lie’s request; they agreed to respond positively while she continued seeking a better prescription for Niuniu.
• Nanxing asked whether Zong Heng had been identified as the instigator of the restaurant assassination attempt, and Tang Zhuyun admitted she had forgotten to ask.
• Xiu’er praised Pei Shen for dealing with Wang Chunqiu and Qiao Geng, but Nanxing revealed that Pei Shen had stopped her from killing Zong Heng.
• Xiu’er admitted she missed Song Jingyang and felt sad that he could not return for their first New Year together.

Tang Zhuyun appreciated Madam Yan’s valuable agate pomegranate and learned that Lady Deng had come to visit after discovering Tang Zhuyun was pregnant. Lady Deng then raised the subject of Xue Lie’s marriage, leaving Tang Zhuyun to face the family conflict she had feared.

• Tang Zhuyun admired the lifelike agate pomegranate Madam Yan had sent and discussed the Yan Family’s frugal lifestyle with Xiu'er and Nanxing.
• Yanran left with Jiaojiao to take Kitchen God candy to Cui Xiaoqiu, while Xiu'er teased Tang Zhuyun about how much she did for the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun noticed the tiny carving “Made by Lingao” on the pomegranate but assumed Lingao was a master carver.
• Lady Deng visited Tang Zhuyun, learned she was not yet two months pregnant, and urged her to keep the news private.
• After Xiu'er and Nanxing stepped outside, Lady Deng told Tang Zhuyun she wanted to discuss Lie'er's marriage.

Lady Deng explained to Tang Zhuyun that she had come to accept Xue Lie’s choice of Hua Cha, though she still wanted to judge the young woman for herself. She planned to remain in the capital and look after Hua Cha, while Tang Zhuyun promised to help care for Xue Lie and hoped to meet Hua Cha someday.

• Lady Deng told Tang Zhuyun that Xue Lie had gone to the prince about being sent to Liaodong, and admitted she knew he had lied about who raised the idea.
• Lady Deng explained that she opposed Xue Lie’s match because Hua Cha’s family had sold her to the Prince of Min’s Residence, but she would accept the marriage if Xue Lie remained devoted to her and worked to build a future.
• Tang Zhuyun promised to ask the prince to send more people to care for Xue Lie, and Lady Deng said she would stay in the capital to look after Hua Cha.
• Lady Deng asked Tang Zhuyun not to tell Xue Lie about their conversation, then went home to pack his bags after entrusting him to Tang Zhuyun’s care.
• After hearing the story, Xiu’er pointed out that Tang Zhuyun might never meet Hua Cha because she was the heir’s concubine, and told Tang Zhuyun to find a way herself.