Recaps

Jinse revealed that she was Si Jinse, the last heir of Nanyue’s Si Family, and used Sound Attack to defeat the ambushers surrounding Ren Yingying. Jinse collapsed from the strain but survived, while Wu Zhenhai hurried off again to search for Mingzhu.

• When armed men surrounded the carriage, Jinse told Ren Yingying that she was from Nanyue and revealed her identity as Si Jinse, the last heir of the Si Family.
• Jinse used her pipa and Sound Attack to incapacitate the attackers, while Ren Yingying and Qu Nian covered their ears.
• Jinse grew pale, stopped playing, and collapsed after spitting blood as Wu Zhenhai arrived and fought the remaining attackers.
• Ren Yingying gave Jinse medicine and helped her into the carriage, where Jinse explained that a treasure Ren Yingying had given her had limited her injuries.
• After learning that Ruanruan was separated from them, Wu Zhenhai turned his horse around and rushed back to search for Mingzhu.

Ren Yingying survived an attack by remnants of the Zhou Family, while Jinse was injured protecting her and later revealed her identity. Wu Zhenhai confirmed Mingzhu was safe but faced her suspicion, and the chapter ended with Ren Yingying drinking wine as Jinse explained why she had chosen to marry Qu Nian.

• Jinse told Ren Yingying to stop shaking her and rested with her head in Ren Yingying's lap.
• Wu Zhenhai saw Mingzhu with Cui Run and the children, then told the Prince of Jin that Ren Yingying was safe after an assassin attack.
• Mingzhu questioned Wu Zhenhai's timely arrival, and Wu Yu awkwardly said goodbye to his father when Yanran prompted him.
• Tang Zhuyun examined Jinse, and the prince's residence learned that remnants of the Zhou Family had attacked Ren Yingying after mistaking her for Mingzhu.
• Jinse revealed her identity and said she had volunteered to marry Qu Nian, while Ren Yingying raised a drink to their meeting.

Mingzhu learned that Cui Run’s mother, Madam Gao, had arrived unexpectedly, raising fears that she might oppose Mingzhu and Cui Run’s relationship. Tang Zhuyun and the others prepared to find out what Madam Gao wanted, while Mingzhu braced herself to protect her dignity if she was rejected.

• Wu Zhenhai stayed away for three months, struggling with jealousy as Mingzhu and Cui Run grew closer.
• Tang Zhuyun, Xiu'er, and Yanran discussed the approaching New Year, Wu Yu, and Wu Zhenhai’s long absence.
• Mingzhu told Tang Zhuyun that Cui Run’s mother had arrived suddenly without warning him.
• Mingzhu worried that Madam Gao might dislike her, and Tang Zhuyun promised to stand up for her if she treated Mingzhu poorly.
• Xiu'er and Yanran went to find out what Madam Gao’s arrival meant.

After Lady Gao’s arrival exposed Cui Run’s family troubles, Mingzhu waited for him to take a stand. When Cui Run finally met her, he ended their relationship, leaving them both heartbroken.

• Mingzhu and Tang Zhuyun discussed the different personalities of the three babies, and Tang Zhuyun said she would leave having another daughter to fate.
• Xiu'er reported that Lady Gao had confronted Cui Run about a woman in his life, and Cui Run had only denied that anyone was seducing him.
• Mingzhu agreed to wait for Cui Run to make his position clear, but he did not contact her for many days.
• On Little New Year, Cui Run sent Mingzhu a note asking to meet and told her they were not suited and should break up.
• Mingzhu asked whether Cui Run had ever truly liked her and whether he was certain; Cui Run said their status did not match and wished her a good husband.
• Mingzhu wished Cui Run success and turned away in tears.

Tang Zhuyun and the others discussed why Cui Run had ended his connection with Huo Mingzhu and the pressures he faced from filial duty. Lady Gao confronted Cui Run, rejecting Huo Mingzhu and urging him to protect his future, while Cui Run defended Mingzhu’s reputation.

• Tang Zhuyun warned Yanran not to bring up Cui Run again because it could make Huo Mingzhu sadder, and explained that Cui Run could not easily abandon his mother.
• Ren Yingying worried that she would have to serve Princess Consort Min after Qu Nian died, and Tang Zhuyun advised her to keep in touch with her family and show concern for Qu Nian.
• Qu Nian, saddened by his circumstances, decided to seek out the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun suspected Lady Gao would soon hear about Cui Run and Huo Mingzhu, unaware that Lady Gao already knew.
• Lady Gao told Cui Run that Huo Mingzhu would not do and urged him not to let a woman hold back his future; Cui Run insisted there was nothing between them and asked her not to damage Mingzhu’s good name.

Cui Run broke up with Mingzhu and pretended he could not perform to distract Lady Gao from her matchmaking efforts. Meanwhile, Linlin asked the Prince of Jin for permission to go to the Xia Kingdom, and his father agreed to publicly acknowledge him as his son if he went.

• Cui Run told Lady Gao to conceal her actions, then resolved to stay unmarried while she was alive and parted ways with Mingzhu.
• Cui Run claimed he could not perform, prompting Lady Gao to seek doctors and force him to take medicine; Tang Zhuyun ordered others not to discuss the matter with Mingzhu.
• On Lantern Festival, Qu Nian stayed behind with the Prince of Jin while the women of the residence went out to see the lanterns.
• Linlin asked the Prince of Jin to let him go to the Xia Kingdom to gain experience, saying Uncle Song would protect him.
• The Prince of Jin said he would consider Linlin's request and promised to publicly declare him his son if he went.

The Prince of Jin’s family celebrated the Lantern Festival together while Qu Nian brooded over his life as Dog Meat. The festivities ended abruptly when Qu Nian jumped out of the window.

• The Prince of Jin agreed to Linlin’s request for practical experience and took him and Qu Nian to see the lanterns.
• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying discussed Wuxian’s unusual intelligence, while Linlin played with his little brother.
• The Prince of Jin joined the family, and Tang Zhuyun noticed that Xiyou and Mingzhu avoided looking at each other before Xiyou left.
• Ren Yingying tried to get Dog Meat’s attention, but Qu Nian jumped out of the window, prompting her to shout his name.

Qu Nian was shot while protecting the Prince of Jin and passed out as Tang Zhuyun treated his wound. He woke in his own room on the Nanyue border, back in his original body and asking to see his parents.

• Qu Nian spotted a suspicious Northern Yi man and chased after him, prompting the Prince of Jin to follow.
• An unseen archer shot Qu Nian, who took the arrow meant for the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun treated Qu Nian while Ren Yingying wept and the Prince of Jin asked whether he had any last wishes.
• Qu Nian concealed from Ren Yingying that he had taken the arrow for the Prince of Jin, then lost consciousness.
• Qu Nian awoke in his room on the Nanyue border and called for his father and mother.
• Wencui heard Qu Nian speak and rejoiced that the heir had recovered.

Qu Nian regained his ability to speak and warned his parents that his recovery might not last, while urging them to support the Prince of Jin. His father misunderstood the warning and asked when Qu Nian was leaving.

• Qu Nian ordered Wencui out, then questioned the system about whether his return to human form would last, but the system said it did not know.
• Princess Consort Min and the Prince of Min hurried to see Qu Nian, who embraced his mother and apologized for worrying his parents.
• Qu Nian asked everyone else to leave, then told his parents his soul might be unstable and that he could return to his previous condition.
• Qu Nian urged his parents to choose the Prince of Jin if they had to take sides, and the Prince of Min agreed.
• The Prince of Min asked when Qu Nian was leaving, and Qu Nian clarified that he might not leave at all.

Qu Nian persuaded his parents to let him travel to the northwest to investigate what had happened to him and be with Ren Yingying. Meanwhile, Dog Meat woke up and clung to Ren Yingying as Tang Zhuyun treated his reopened wound, just as the Prince of Jin arrived.

• Qu Nian told Princess Consort Min and the Prince of Min that Ren Yingying had helped him return and reassured them that she was his heir's consort.
• Qu Nian persuaded his parents to let him leave for the northwest the next day, with the Tiger and Leopard Battalion, and asked them to watch over Qu Hua.
• Princess Consort Min admitted that she and the Prince of Min already knew Qu Hua was too close to her guards and could not control her.
• Dog Meat woke up, recognized Ren Yingying, and hurt himself trying to rush to her.
• Tang Zhuyun treated Dog Meat's reopened wound and said he needed to recover, while Ren Yingying stayed by his side.
• A maid announced the arrival of the Prince of Jin at the residence.

The Prince of Jin worried that Qu Nian had vanished from Dog Meat’s body, while Ren Yingying watched Dog Meat recover and noticed his behavior changing. After Dog Meat went into heat, Ren Yingying brought dogs for him to choose from, and the Prince of Jin arrived to find a chaotic mating scene.

• The Prince of Jin saw that Dog Meat no longer acted like Qu Nian and sent a letter south asking whether Qu Nian had returned to normal.
• As Dog Meat recovered, Ren Yingying noticed he relieved himself carelessly and wanted daily walks again, while Eighth Master tried to warn her that the dog had changed.
• The Prince of Jin failed to find a mate for Dog Meat and continued waiting for Qu Nian to return.
• Dog Meat went into heat, so Ren Yingying brought several dogs for him to choose from, including two males.
• The Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun found Dog Meat mating with a female dog amid several other pairs, and the Prince ordered everyone to keep quiet and asked Tang Zhuyun about dog contraception.

Tang Zhuyun pressed the Prince of Jin to explain Dog Meat’s strange behavior and learned that Qu Nian was the person currently inhabiting the dog. She struggled with whether to tell Ren Yingying, while the Prince of Jin said Qu Nian had not yet recovered and urged her to keep quiet until they heard back.

• Tang Zhuyun questioned the Prince of Jin about his connection to Dog Meat, and he admitted Dog Meat was a person but not himself.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that the current Dog Meat was still Dog Meat, while the situation would become clearer later.
• Tang Zhuyun asked about danger, and the Prince of Jin mentioned the Northern Yi stirring and Linlin preparing to leave for the Xia Kingdom.
• Tang Zhuyun deduced that Qu Nian was the person connected to Dog Meat, and the Prince of Jin confirmed it without directly naming him.
• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun not to tell Ren Yingying because Qu Nian had not recovered and might become a good match for her.

Ren Yingying learned that Qu Nian had recovered and held a meeting with her four concubines to plan how to deal with him. Qu Nian secretly listened outside and was enraged by their apparent relief at the thought of his death.

• The Prince of Jin received a letter from Qu Nian and told Tang Zhuyun that Qu Nian had returned and seemed to be better.
• Ren Yingying told Tang Zhuyun that Dog Meat had hidden her drawings of handsome men, then planned to find a handsome man for her book’s cover.
• The next day, Ren Yingying spotted a striking man riding a white horse and decided to have him found.
• After Tang Zhuyun hinted that Qu Nian had recovered, Ren Yingying gathered her four concubines to discuss plans for dealing with him.
• Ren Yingying sedated Dog Meat before the meeting, allowing Qu Nian to eavesdrop as Hua Cha, Jinse, Yuanyang, and Jinjin reacted to the supposed terrible news about the heir.

Ren Yingying and the concubines discussed how to survive Qu Nian’s recovery, while Qu Nian secretly listened and later met the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Jin began to tell Qu Nian news about his offspring, leaving him alarmed that Ren Yingying might be pregnant.

• Ren Yingying proposed that the concubines fake their deaths, then decided she would send them away only if Qu Nian proved dangerous.
• The concubines suggested negotiating with Qu Nian and discussed using sound attacks or poison, but Ren Yingying planned to meet him first.
• Qu Nian left after eavesdropping, relieved that Ren Yingying had no immediate plan to flee, and went back to rest.
• Qu Nian met the Prince of Jin the next day, and they discussed captured spies and trouble at the border.
• Ren Yingying prepared to visit the Prince of Jin, while the Prince of Jin told Qu Nian that he had news concerning Qu Nian’s offspring.
• Qu Nian sat up in alarm and wondered whether Ren Yingying was pregnant despite their not having been together.

The Prince of Jin and Qu Nian fought after the Prince teased him about having children. Ren Yingying walked in on them wrestling, mistook it for an affair, and attacked Qu Nian with a broom before learning he was her husband.

• The Prince of Jin told Qu Nian the story about offspring, leaving Qu Nian ashamed and furious.
• Qu Nian challenged the Prince of Jin to a fistfight, and the two sparred while the guards watched.
• Ren Yingying entered the courtyard alone and saw the bare-chested Prince of Jin pinning Qu Nian down.
• Mistaking the sparring for a sexual encounter, Ren Yingying struck Qu Nian with a broom and accused him of pursuing the Prince of Jin.
• The Prince of Jin identified the man as Qu Nian, the Heir to the Prince of Min and Ren Yingying's husband.

Ren Yingying confronted Qu Nian after he returned, while Dog Meat attacked him and reignited their hostility. Fearing Qu Nian had come for her, Ren Yingying asked Tang Zhuyun to find out why he had come to the Prince of Jin’s residence.

• Qu Nian demanded that Dog Meat be killed, but the Prince of Jin refused and left in high spirits.
• Ren Yingying told Qu Nian she had freed his four concubines, and they argued over their relationship.
• Dog Meat charged at Qu Nian, and the two rolled around fighting until Ren Yingying pulled Dog Meat away.
• Ren Yingying ran to Tang Zhuyun’s courtyard and begged for help escaping, but Tang Zhuyun questioned her feelings about Qu Nian.
• Ren Yingying admitted she was overwhelmed and asked Tang Zhuyun to find out from the Prince of Jin why Qu Nian had come.

Ren Yingying resisted Qu Nian’s attempt to speak with her alone, while Qu Nian sought advice from the Prince of Jin about winning her over. He accepted that Ren Yingying cared more for Dog Meat than for him, then joined the Prince of Jin for a drink, where Yanran arrived crying.

• Ren Yingying sat with Dog Meat and her four concubines as bodyguards, refused to speak privately with Qu Nian, and watched him leave.
• Qu Nian asked the Prince of Jin about Ren Yingying and learned that she and Tang Zhuyun were human souls from another world.
• The Prince of Jin advised Qu Nian to cherish Ren Yingying and suggested winning over Dog Meat, Ren Yingying’s favorite dog.
• Qu Nian admitted he was not even as important to Ren Yingying as Dog Meat and agreed to drink with the Prince of Jin.
• Yanran arrived crying while Qu Nian and the Prince of Jin were drinking.

Yanran begged the Prince of Jin to let her go to the Xia Kingdom with her brother, but he refused, and Cui Xiaoqiu later helped comfort her. Cui Xiaoqiu proposed involving Yanran’s birth father to ease the lingering hurt in her heart, leaving the Prince of Jin to consider the idea.

• Yanran argued that she should be allowed to gain battlefield experience like her brother, but the Prince of Jin refused because he feared for her safety.
• Qu Nian told the Prince of Jin that he planned to approach Ren Yingying by first winning over Dog Meat and then her associates.
• The Prince of Jin decided to find ways to cheer Yanran up and considered asking Cui Ling for advice.
• Cui Xiaoqiu told the Prince of Jin he had comforted Yanran, then suggested that her birth father should be allowed to treat her well.
• The Prince of Jin objected to Cui Xiaoqiu’s proposal, but fell silent when Cui Xiaoqiu asked whether her birth father should remain a knot in Yanran’s heart.

Yanran remained upset that she could not go to the Xia Kingdom, while Tang Zhuyun tried to cheer her up and discussed Ren Yingying’s marriage with Xiu'er. As Yanran went out to ride, Xiao Pang stopped her and asked to talk, leaving their father-daughter conversation about to begin.

• Tang Zhuyun offered Yanran horseback riding and fed her mutton buns, while Xiu'er reassured her that Yanran would soon recover from her anger.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed Ren Yingying’s marriage to Qu Nian and agreed that making peace with the marriage was better than trying to escape it.
• Yanran met Cui Xiaoqiu and Cui Run, learned they were going to study with Xiyou, and said she would find Sanbao and ride a horse.
• Cui Run remembered refusing to leave Cui Xiaoqiu and discussing his estrangement from his mother over Mingzhu.
• Xiao Pang stopped Yanran at the main gate and invited her to sit with him, then began speaking to her.

Yanran defended her adoptive parents to Xiao Pang, and their relationship began to heal as he accepted that she was better off with them. Meanwhile, Qu Nian confronted Ren Yingying over the money she had taken from the prince’s residence, leaving her stunned by how much he knew.

• Yanran told Xiao Pang that her parents had refused to let her go to the battlefield because they wanted to protect her, and she did not blame him for their separation.
• Xiao Pang said he had overcome his drug dependence and credited the prince and princess consort, while Yanran reassured him that her mother would listen to him.
• Xiao Pang and Yanran parted on warmer terms, and he later arranged to run into her often as their relationship gradually became more natural.
• Qu Nian sought out Ren Yingying to collect the money she had taken from the prince’s residence and named the precise amount of silver and copper coins.
• Qu Nian also revealed that he knew about the chest Ren Yingying and the others had fished from the lotus pond, then claimed she was the only one who believed people who said they disliked him.
• Ren Yingying denied that anyone had told Qu Nian about the chest and insisted that her companions loved her, not him.

Qu Nian confronted Ren Yingying about her past misdeeds and demanded the chest she had hidden with Hua Cha. After she handed it over, Dog Meat chose to leave with Qu Nian so they could uncover who had caused him to turn human, while Ren Yingying secretly went to investigate the chest's contents.

• Qu Nian confronted Ren Yingying with what he knew about her fantasies and demanded the chest she had brought to the northwest.
• Ren Yingying went to retrieve the chest while Dog Meat stayed behind with Qu Nian, who persuaded him to work together to find the culprit behind his transformations.
• Ren Yingying returned with several concubines and handed Qu Nian the chest, but Dog Meat followed Qu Nian despite her calling him back.
• Ren Yingying warned Yuanyang, Jinse, and Jinjin not to be fooled by Qu Nian, then went to secretly look inside the chest.

Qu Nian and Ren Yingying examined the mysterious chest from the lotus pond, but an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction made her storm out. Ren Yingying vented to Mingzhu, who confirmed she was done with Cui Run and resolved not to make herself unhappy for anyone again.

• Qu Nian and Dog Meat inspected the seamless, patterned chest, and Qu Nian noticed Ren Yingying eavesdropping outside.
• Ren Yingying joined Qu Nian to look at the chest, then accused him of being a pervert when she saw his torn trousers.
• Qu Nian realized his trousers had split and panicked about what Ren Yingying had seen as she left with Dog Meat.
• Ren Yingying visited Mingzhu, complained about Qu Nian, and learned Mingzhu was sorting her possessions to repay Wu Zhenhai.
• Mingzhu told Ren Yingying that things with Cui Run were over and that she would no longer make herself unhappy for anyone.

Ren Yingying and Mingzhu discovered that the pomegranate’s hidden pattern matched the Prince of Min’s chest, but neither Qu Nian nor the Prince of Jin could open it. The Prince of Jin discussed his plans to drive back Northern Yi with Qu Nian and warned that Consort De’s ambitions posed a threat, leaving Qu Nian ready to help once he married.

• Ren Yingying noticed that the damaged pomegranate revealed a flower matching the pattern on the Prince of Min’s chest, and she sent it to Tang Zhuyun instead of Qu Nian.
• The Prince of Jin and Qu Nian tried to use the pomegranate to open the chest, failed, and decided to ask Qu Nian’s father and Madam Yan about their origins.
• The Prince of Jin told Qu Nian that he had secured the Wen Family’s support through Huaishang and could provision his army for another year.
• The Prince of Jin proposed driving Northern Yi back in one stroke before he became occupied with other affairs.
• The Prince of Jin warned Qu Nian that Consort De had taken the Eighth Prince under her name and was becoming a rival, and Qu Nian offered to help after his marriage.

Qu Nian and Ren Yingying argued over their relationship while Tang Zhuyun urged them to resolve their ambiguous situation. Wu Zhenhai learned that Mingzhu’s match with Cui Run had fallen through, and the chapter ended with him seeing Qu Nian following Ren Yingying.

• The Prince of Jin teased Qu Nian about Ren Yingying’s wedding and advised him not to marry her again, while Qu Nian said he would help only if she chose to follow him willingly.
• Tang Zhuyun urged Ren Yingying to speak plainly with Qu Nian, but Ren Yingying said their relationship had no future and complained about his threats involving his concubines.
• Wu Zhenhai visited Wu Yu and was pleased that the boy was studying under Great Confucian Scholar Kong.
• Wu Zhenhai saw Mingzhu’s bruised eye and learned from the back-gate keeper that her match with Cui Run had fallen through.
• Wu Zhenhai saw Qu Nian following Ren Yingying and realized the heir was the man she had been arguing with.

After Mingzhu rejected Wu Zhenhai’s renewed pursuit and returned the money he had lent her, he began courting her publicly despite her continued refusal. A Northern Yi spy then offered Wu Zhenhai Mingzhu as a reward for helping them capture the border city, and Wu Zhenhai reported the offer to the Prince of Jin.

• Wu Zhenhai learned that Mingzhu had parted ways with Cui Run and visited her, while Qu Nian rebuked him for involving himself in the prince’s residence’s affairs.
• Mingzhu returned Wu Zhenhai’s money and told him she had no intention of marrying him or getting back together, but he insisted he would pursue her.
• Wu Zhenhai showered Mingzhu with gifts and made his pursuit public across the border city, though she remained cold toward him.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Wu Zhenhai was investigating spies and that she should stay out of his pursuit of Mingzhu.
• A Northern Yi spy offered Wu Zhenhai Mingzhu if he helped them capture the border city, and Wu Zhenhai pretended to agree before reporting the offer to the Prince of Jin.
• The Prince of Jin said Wu Zhenhai would not betray his country, prompting Tang Zhuyun to recall that the Xiao Family had once colluded with the Northern Yi.