Recaps

Tang Zhuyun faced censors’ demands that Emperor Wen take consorts by defending her place as empress and planning a school for women. Meanwhile, Yanran found companionship with Cui Xiaoqiu, while Cui Run resisted his mother’s plan to have him adopted into another branch of the Cui Family.

• Lang Xuan followed Concubine Yun’s advice and went to show goodwill to Yuanyang as they traveled toward Liaodong.
• Censors attacked Emperor Wen’s exclusive favor for Tang Zhuyun and accused the empress of meddling in court, so Emperor Wen defended her and appointed Tang Baixin minister of personnel.
• Tang Zhuyun began planning a women’s school focused on practical skills and earning a living, despite knowing censors might use the project against her.
• Ren Yingying joined Tang Zhuyun in the palace to work on the school, while Yanran visited Cui Xiaoqiu after practicing martial arts and they planned to go out for food.
• Cui Xiaoqiu urged Cui Run to prepare for the spring examination and consider his third uncle’s offer to adopt him, but Cui Run refused because he wanted to continue his father’s line.

Cui Xiaoqiu urged Cui Run to resist Lady Gao’s control and consider being adopted, while Cui Xiaoqiu declared he would stay with Yanran rather than pursue a career in Liaodong. Later, Yanran attacked a man who insulted the empress and revealed herself when he recognized her as Princess Yongle.

• Cui Xiaoqiu advised Cui Run to consider adoption as a way to escape Lady Gao’s control, but Cui Run hesitated to disturb Mingzhu and was unsure what to do.
• Cui Run urged Cui Xiaoqiu to go to Liaodong and pursue his future, but Cui Xiaoqiu said he would stay by Yanran’s side and was willing to risk his prospects for her.
• Cui Xiaoqiu reminded Cui Run that his future was in his own hands, then met Third Madam Cui and followed through on a favor he had promised her.
• Cui Xiaoqiu and Yanran went out to eat near the Great Xiangguo Temple, where Yanran heard a man insult the empress and threw food at him.
• When the man charged at her, Yanran aimed her golden bow at his face, and he recognized her as Princess Yongle and begged for mercy.

Yanran beat a man who had insulted her mother, then mistook her upset stomach for menstrual pain before realizing the donkey meat flatbread had made her ill. At an entertainment house, she learned that Qu Hua had split from Mu Ziyu, who had disappeared.

• Yanran beat the man who had insulted her mother and warned the gossiping onlookers not to spread rumors about her.
• Yanran mistook her stomachache for menstrual pain and used Cui Xiaoqiu’s cotton supplies, then realized the donkey meat flatbread had upset her stomach.
• Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu went to an entertainment house, where they spotted Qu Hua.
• Qu Hua told Yanran that she had dumped Mu Ziyu, then revealed that he had disappeared.

Qu Hua learned that Mu Ziyu had returned to Liaodong without telling her, and she struggled to hide how hurt she felt. Qu Nian revealed that the Tatars were threatening Jinzhou, but Qu Hua dismissed the danger and insisted Mu Ziyu should never return.

• Yanran and Qu Hua worried that Mu Ziyu had disappeared, and Yanran urged Qu Hua to ask Qu Nian to investigate.
• Qu Hua found Qu Nian in the rear courtyard with Ren Yingying, then told him Mu Ziyu was missing.
• Qu Nian said Mu Ziyu had returned to Liaodong and told Qu Hua to let him go since she did not like him.
• Qu Hua angrily insisted Mu Ziyu should never come back, though Qu Nian sensed her loneliness.
• Qu Nian explained that the Tatars wanted to attack Jinzhou, but Qu Hua mocked the idea that Mu Ziyu was needed to turn the tide.

Qu Hua learned that Mu Ziyu had returned to Liaodong because the Tatars might attack Jinzhou, and she struggled with her worry and resentment over his departure. She and Yanran decided to seek permission to go to Liaodong, but Cui Xiaoqiu warned that Mu Ziyu’s position in his father’s household would make their arrival difficult.

• Qu Nian told Qu Hua that Mu Ziyu had gone to Liaodong after his mother, Xi Leyun, warned him that the Tatars planned to attack Jinzhou.
• Qu Hua admitted she resented Mu Ziyu for leaving without trusting her to share his burden, but she understood his duty and worried about his safety.
• Yanran and Qu Hua discussed the matching reports about a possible Tatar attack, and Yanran agreed to go with Qu Hua to Liaodong.
• Cui Xiaoqiu warned Yanran that the Crown Prince had assigned people to watch her, and Yanran decided to ask the emperor for permission to travel openly.
• Cui Xiaoqiu explained that Mu Ziyu likely feared Qu Hua would suffer under the Princess Consort of Liaodong, while Yanran and Qu Hua suggested making Mu Ziyu the prince; Cui Xiaoqiu said the emperor would oppose such a move.

Mingzhu decided to remain in the border city with her mother and Wu Zhenhai rather than accept a princess title, and she told Xiu'er she intended to build a family with Wu Zhenhai. After Xiu'er prepared to leave for the capital, Wu Zhenhai asked Mingzhu when she would marry him.

• Yanran learned that Qu Nian had placed Qu Hua under house arrest, while Tang Zhuyun urged Yanran to stay in the capital until Xiu'er returned.
• Xiu'er asked Mingzhu whether she would leave the border city, and Mingzhu firmly refused to accept a princess title or leave her mother and Wu Zhenhai.
• Mingzhu told Xiu'er she had written to her big brother and asked her to reassure him that Wu Zhenhai would guard the border loyally.
• Mingzhu said she wanted several children with Wu Zhenhai and promised to visit Xiu'er and her family in the capital.
• After Xiu'er left, Wu Zhenhai told Mingzhu he was happy she planned to bear his children and offered to take her to visit her family.
• Wu Zhenhai asked Mingzhu when she would marry him.

Mingzhu accepted Wu Zhenhai’s proposal, and Wu Zhenhai decided to prepare their wedding before Madam Song and the others left. The next day, Xiu'er brought Mingzhu a wedding gift from the empress, though its contents remained a surprise.

• Mingzhu agreed to marry Wu Zhenhai, and the two spent the night together.
• Wu Zhenhai said they would arrange the wedding in the coming days so Mingzhu could marry before Madam Song and the others departed.
• The next morning, Mingzhu learned Wu Zhenhai had ordered the residence to celebrate their upcoming wedding.
• Xiu'er visited Mingzhu, shared advice about having children, and revealed she had brought a wedding gift from the empress.
• Xiu'er urged Mingzhu to open the box, but the chapter ended before she saw what was inside.

Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er gave Mingzhu generous wedding gifts and comforted her as she prepared to marry Wu Zhenhai. After Xiu'er left to check on the children’s fight, Mingzhu remained behind with her gifts.

• Mingzhu received Tang Zhuyun’s glass bracelet and twenty thousand taels of silver, but Xiu'er persuaded her to accept them.
• Xiu'er gave Mingzhu a thousand taels, a peace talisman, and the proposed name Wu Di for her future son.
• Xiu'er's maid reported that Guagua, Wuji, and Wuxian were fighting over melon, and Xiu'er went to see what was happening.
• Mingzhu called out to someone outside and invited them in.

Mingzhu reassured Wu Yu about her marriage to Wu Zhenhai and learned that he feared their family would change. After Wu Zhenhai returned to arrange the wedding, Mingzhu set three rules for their marriage, and he promised he would never change his heart.

• Wu Yu timidly asked Mingzhu whether she was sure she wanted to marry his father, warning that Wu Zhenhai was not very good to women.
• Mingzhu realized Wu Yu feared that marriage would bring conflict and change, and he asked her to take him to the capital to see Yanran.
• Mingzhu told Wu Yu that Yanran would visit and that she might ask Wu Zhenhai to send him to the Imperial Academy when he was older.
• Wu Zhenhai returned late after overseeing wedding preparations, and Mingzhu told him she wanted to lay down three rules.
• Mingzhu said Wu Zhenhai must not use her connection to the emperor, must not change his heart, and must marry Huo Mingzhu rather than the emperor's younger sister.
• Wu Zhenhai embraced Mingzhu and promised to let the whole world know she was his wife.

Mingzhu reflected on her past with Cui Run and looked forward to marrying Wu Zhenhai, whose wedding celebrations were filled with family and laughter. As Wu Zhenhai carried her into the garrison commander's residence, Zhang Qun blocked the entrance and accused someone of deception, prompting Mingzhu to challenge him.

• Mingzhu remembered Cui Run’s provincial examination success and concluded that Wu Zhenhai was a better match for her, with no regrets about her past.
• On the wedding day, Madam Huo gave Mingzhu advice, and Wu Zhenhai arrived in red as the children celebrated and demanded red envelopes.
• Wu Zhenhai kowtowed to Madam Huo, carried Mingzhu from her room, and took her through the city to the garrison commander's residence.
• At the residence, Wu Zhenhai carried Mingzhu inside instead of kicking the sedan chair door, while the crowd cheered.
• Zhang Qun blocked the entrance and declared that he did not approve of the marriage because he would not let Wu Zhenhai be deceived.
• Mingzhu asked Zhang Qun who had deceived whom.

Mingzhu exposed her beauty to silence Zhang Qun’s challenge and completed her wedding to Wu Zhenhai. She suspected Zhang Qun had been coached to provoke her into revealing her relationship with Emperor Wen, so Wu Zhenhai began investigating.

• Zhang Qun denounced Mingzhu’s status and challenged her right to marry Wu Zhenhai, who tried to stop him.
• Mingzhu unveiled her face, stunning the crowd, and Wu Zhenhai covered her again before completing the wedding ceremony.
• In the bridal chamber, Mingzhu told Wu Zhenhai that Zhang Qun might have been manipulated to draw out her connection to her eldest brother, Emperor Wen.
• Wu Yu revealed that he had seen Zhang Qun dining with an unfamiliar man and said the man might have been an outsider.
• Mingzhu urged Wu Zhenhai to investigate the plot, warning that it might target Emperor Wen’s origins or bloodline.

After Wu Zhenhai and Mingzhu bid farewell to Xiu'er and the children, they discovered that Wu Yu had secretly gone with the group to the capital. On the journey, Xiu'er decided that her sudden craving for mutton soup meant she was pregnant.

• Wu Zhenhai and Mingzhu watched Song Jingyang, Xiu'er, and the children leave after their wedding.
• Wu Zhenhai prepared a family tribute and learned that Wu Yu was missing; Mingzhu found his letter explaining that he had gone with the group to the capital.
• Mingzhu asked Song Jingyang to look after Wu Yu and tell him to behave himself.
• Xiu'er welcomed Wu Yu into the group, then joined Song Jingyang and the children for a meal.
• Xiu'er noticed that mutton soup smelled appealing and announced to Song Jingyang that she must be pregnant.

Song Jingyang learned that Xiu'er was over two months pregnant, and the family celebrated while continuing their journey toward the capital. After Xiu'er and Song Jingyang stopped at an inn for the night, they opened a window to look outside and found an unexpected spectacle.

• Song Jingyang pretended he did not want another child, but Guagua and the boys said they would welcome a little sister.
• A doctor confirmed that Xiu'er was over two months pregnant and that the baby was doing well, making Song Jingyang overjoyed.
• Xiu'er planned to write to Her Highness and Mingzhu, while Song Jingyang agreed to travel by boat so she could rest comfortably.
• Xiu'er craved mutton soup, so Nanny Jing bought dozens of sheep for her and the others to share.
• Song Jingyang booked a riverside inn for the night, and Xiu'er asked him to open the window wider to see the view, where they found a spectacle.

While traveling, Xiu'er learned that six people had drowned trying to retrieve silver from a sunken boat and quietly sent aid to their families. After Wuji fell ill and recovered, she refused to take in an orphaned girl named Baoxuan but gave her family money, then resumed the journey to the capital.

• Xiu'er learned that locals planned to recover silver from a capsized boat and worried about their safety.
• After six people drowned, Xiu'er arranged for twenty taels of silver to be given quietly to each family.
• Wuji developed a high fever, and Xiu'er cared for him until a rash appeared and he recovered.
• A grieving woman asked Xiu'er to take her adopted daughter Baoxuan as a maid, but Xiu'er gave the family fifty taels instead.
• Xiu'er and Song Jingyang continued their journey back to the capital once Wuji recovered.

Xiu'er returned to the capital with Song Jingyang and the children, and Tang Zhuyun welcomed them before catching up with her in the palace. Their reunion ended with Tang Zhuyun asking about Linlin after Emperor Wen mentioned a problem in Liaodong.

• Tang Zhuyun and Emperor Wen met Xiu'er, Song Jingyang, and the children outside the capital, and Tang Zhuyun embraced Xiu'er.
• Yanran arrived and reunited with Xiu'er, while Wu Yu and the children joined the group.
• Tang Zhuyun took Xiu'er into the palace, where Xiu'er discussed the trouble surrounding Mingzhu's wedding and suggested Cui Xiaoqiu as a match for Yanran.
• A palace maid reported that Wuxian refused to eat, and Xiu'er went to comfort him.
• Emperor Wen complained that the children were not close to him, and Tang Zhuyun asked how Linlin was doing.
• Emperor Wen said a small problem had arisen in Liaodong but assured Tang Zhuyun that Linlin could handle it.

Emperor Wen and Tang Zhuyun learned how Linlin saved Jinzhou after the Prince of Liaodong’s brother-in-law betrayed the city, though a thousand soldiers were killed or wounded. With the Tatars expected to retreat and Madam Xi gravely wounded, Emperor Wen decided the Prince of Liaodong could no longer remain in power.

• Emperor Wen told Tang Zhuyun that the Prince of Liaodong’s brother-in-law had opened Jinzhou’s gates to the Tatars.
• Linlin used gunpowder to cut off Tatar reinforcements, close the gates, and wipe out the Tatars who had entered, while Jinzhou suffered a thousand casualties.
• Tang Zhuyun wondered how Linlin had acted so quickly, but Emperor Wen said the Tatars would withdraw because they relied on swift attacks and carried few supplies.
• Emperor Wen decided to remove the Prince of Liaodong, who had tried to shield his brother-in-law from punishment.
• Tang Zhuyun learned that Madam Xi had been gravely wounded defending Jinzhou and that Mu Ziyu had confronted the Prince of Liaodong over it.

Tang Zhuyun left Emperor Wen to go to the Marquis Champion's residence after Nanxing went into labor. Nanxing seemed calm as she ate noodles, but Tang Zhuyun's expression changed at the end of the chapter.

• Emperor Wen explained that Linlin had to reconcile Mu Ziyu and the Prince of Liaodong while managing the threat from outside Liaodong.
• Tang Zhuyun worried about Linlin and considered going to Liaodong to treat Madam Xi, but Emperor Wen told her that Qu Hua and a skilled physician were already there.
• Hanxiang told Tang Zhuyun that Nanxing had gone into labor, and Tang Zhuyun hurried to the Marquis Champion's residence.
• Tang Zhuyun found Nanxing eating noodles beside Pei Shen and learned that her water had broken and she felt only slight pain.
• Tang Zhuyun said she had thought Nanxing was about to give birth, then her expression suddenly changed.

Nanxing gave birth to a healthy boy, whom she named Pei Zheng, while Tang Zhuyun and Yanran celebrated with her. On the carriage ride back to the palace, Yanran shielded Tang Zhuyun from something cutting through the air, leaving them in danger.

• Tang Zhuyun examined Nanxing and found that she was already close to giving birth despite feeling only mild pain.
• Nanxing gave birth to a boy about a quarter of an hour later, and she named him Pei Zheng because she hoped he would grow up upright.
• Yanran arrived and held Pei Zheng, while Nanxing teased her about making him a future son-in-law and Yanran refused.
• On the ride back, Tang Zhuyun asked Yanran why she had stayed out late, and Yanran explained that she had walked by the river with Cui Xiaoqiu, who was upset over Madam Cui.
• Yanran suddenly threw Tang Zhuyun down and shielded her as something sliced through the air.

Tang Zhuyun and Yanran survived an ambush when their arrowproof carriage shielded them from the attackers. After returning to the palace, Emperor Wen investigated the attack while Yanran and the others wondered whether she had been the target; the chapter left the culprit unknown.

• Assassins fired arrows at Tang Zhuyun and Yanran, but Yanran activated the carriage’s iron defenses and the guards killed the attackers, capturing three who poisoned themselves.
• Emperor Wen met Tang Zhuyun and Yanran at the palace gates, then skipped morning court to investigate the assassination.
• Yanran questioned how the attackers could have anticipated Tang Zhuyun’s sudden departure and considered whether she had been the target.
• Xiu'er suggested the Cui Family or Cui Xiaoqiu’s mother might be behind the attack, but Yanran dismissed both possibilities.
• Tang Zhuyun told Xiu'er that Nanxing had given birth to a son named Pei Zheng, and recalled that the retired emperor continued to favor Pei Shen.

Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed family and children while Emperor Wen investigated the attack on Yanran, whose trail pointed to the Cui Family. The chapter ended with Emperor Wen spending time with the children and Tang Zhuyun learning that Mingzhu had received a generous title and fief.

• Tang Zhuyun thanked Pei Shen for keeping the retired emperor company and explained that he always returned home to care for Nanxing.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Xiu'er to help choose a childhood name for Pei Zheng, and they agreed to wait for Linlin to name him.
• After returning from the battlefield, Linlin considered Lang Xuan's warnings and the gunpowder that had helped defeat the Tatars.
• Emperor Wen told Tang Zhuyun that the evidence pointed to the Cui Family and Madam Cui in the attempt on Yanran, and that he had referred the case to the Court of Judicial Review.
• Emperor Wen invited the children to the palace, where Wuji and Wuji fought over a wooden ball while Tang Zhuyun struggled to manage them.
• Emperor Wen told Tang Zhuyun that he had sent Mingzhu her dowry and granted her a first-rank title with a fief of three thousand households in Jiangnan.

After Emperor Wen identified Madam Cui as the suspected assassin, Yanran met Cui Xiaoqiu and urged him to investigate his family while she tried to reassure him. Back in the palace, Tang Zhuyun gave Yanran a detailed puberty guide, leaving Yanran stunned by what Cui Xiaoqiu already knew.

• Yanran learned that Emperor Wen’s evidence pointed to Madam Cui and insisted that Cui Xiaoqiu’s mother could not have carried out the plot.
• Yanran summoned Cui Xiaoqiu to meet her at the palace gates, while Tang Zhuyun arranged for shadow guards to watch over her.
• Cui Xiaoqiu warned Yanran not to trust anyone from the Cui Family who might approach in his name, and Yanran promised to stall Emperor Wen while he investigated.
• Cui Xiaoqiu watched Yanran return through the closing palace gates and resolved to prove his family innocent so he would not lose the right to stand by her side.
• Tang Zhuyun gave Yanran a puberty guide and supplies for her first period, and Yanran realized Cui Xiaoqiu already knew far too much about them.

Yanran stayed in the palace while Tang Zhuyun investigated the attempt on her life, and she asked her mother to spare Madam Cui if she proved responsible. Yanran spent her time with her younger siblings and teaching Wu Yu archery and riding, while Xiu'er visited Nanxing and discussed family, children, and the investigation.

• Yanran told Tang Zhuyun that she would ask her to spare Madam Cui if she had targeted Yanran, and agreed to remain in the palace until the matter was investigated.
• Yanran played with Wuji and her other younger siblings, then ordered Wu Yu to begin martial arts training and taught him a horse stance.
• Xiu'er brought Nanxing food made by Yanran and told her that Song Jingyang had been made the Earl of Liyang, while worrying about pressure on him to have a son.
• Nanxing reassured Xiu'er that daughters were just as welcome as sons, and the two joked about their children and possible future marriages.
• Xiu'er said Cui Xiaoqiu would uncover the truth about the attempt on Yanran's life, but Nanxing remained unconvinced.

Cui Xiaoqiu visited his mother, who was confined in the Cui Family's Buddhist hall after being accused of plotting against Yanran. He reassured her that Yanran had pleaded for her and promised they would find the real culprit, leaving Madam Cui overwhelmed by Yanran's kindness.

• Xiu'er and Nanxing discussed how Cui Xiaoqiu needed to resolve his family troubles before he could pursue Yanran.
• Madam Cui lamented her confinement in the Buddhist hall but believed Cui Xiaoqiu should protect his future rather than speak up for her.
• Cui Xiaoqiu used Old Master Cui's token to enter the Buddhist hall and comfort his mother over food and wine.
• Cui Xiaoqiu told Madam Cui that Yanran had pleaded for her and that the emperor and empress had only relented after Yanran threatened to kill herself.
• Madam Cui realized Yanran had shown her kindness despite her past opposition, and Cui Xiaoqiu promised they would clear her name.

Cui Xiaoqiu comforted Madam Cui and presented his findings to Emperor Wen, who confronted the retired emperor and Dowager Consort De about her crimes. Dowager Consort De admitted her role and revealed that she had planted more sleeper agents near Emperor Wen.

• Cui Xiaoqiu reassured Madam Cui that he would investigate the accusations and asked her to rest while Yanran helped him.
• Cui Xiaoqiu presented his evidence to Emperor Wen, who dismissed him and went to meet the retired emperor at the Purple Tenuity Palace.
• Emperor Wen told the retired emperor he would replace Dowager Consort De’s attendants, provoking the retired emperor’s anger.
• Emperor Wen accused Dowager Consort De of arranging Mingzhu’s portrait to be sent to the Prince of Ding and ordering the attack on Yanran.
• Dowager Consort De admitted her actions and explained that jealousy over Xiao Wu’s favor had fueled her hatred.
• Dowager Consort De warned Emperor Wen that she had planted more than one sleeper agent near him.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying planned a women's academy, discussing its construction, funding, curriculum, and staffing. They left with plans to investigate the Lei Family’s unexpected support and prepare for the academy’s challenges.

• Tang Zhuyun, Yanran, and Xiu'er discussed Dowager Consort De’s death and the retired emperor’s condition, then joked about whether Yanran would marry.
• Ren Yingying showed Tang Zhuyun detailed plans for a three-hundred-mu women's academy, drawn by Lei Qun of the Lei Family.
• Ren Yingying explained that Lei Qun and his craftsmen would contribute their work for free, while Tang Zhuyun suggested privately investigating the family despite Qu Nian’s earlier inquiry.
• Ren Yingying proposed giving donors priority admission and inviting poor families to contribute labor; Tang Zhuyun discussed subjects, female teachers, and adding her own savings.
• Ren Yingying asked whether Zhou Yanhui would come to the capital with the foreign envoys, and Tang Zhuyun said she would not.