Recaps

Tang Zhuyun discovered that someone had stolen the river lanterns and later endured the Seventh Prince’s harassment during the mourning for the Prince of Jin. She lured the Seventh Prince to the mourning hall and threw him over her shoulder, while the Prince of Jin watched from hiding.

• Tang Zhuyun went to retrieve the river lanterns, found them missing, and glimpsed a shadow near the lake before hurrying back.
• Tang Zhuyun received mourners the next day and used chili water to make herself cry as she worried about the children.
• The Seventh Prince complimented Tang Zhuyun and stayed in the residence despite repeated requests that he leave.
• Tang Zhuyun sent the children to bed and led the Seventh Prince to the mourning hall, while the hidden Prince of Jin watched with Song Jingyang.
• The Seventh Prince grabbed Tang Zhuyun’s chin, and she threw him over her shoulder.

Tang Zhuyun exposed the Seventh Prince’s attempt to assault her, leading the emperor to banish him and strip him of his title. After hearing Nanny Rong’s words, the emperor unexpectedly promoted Tang Zhuyun to the Prince of Jin’s principal consort.

• Tang Zhuyun beat the Seventh Prince, while Xiu'er raised the alarm and helped stage the discovery of his assault in the mourning hall.
• Tang Baixin arrived with the guests and took Tang Zhuyun to seek the emperor’s justice.
• The emperor banished the Seventh Prince from the capital without a title and reprimanded Consort Rong.
• The emperor questioned Tang Zhuyun about the incident, and Nanny Rong hinted that her promotion would be appropriate.
• The emperor decreed that Tang Zhuyun would become the Prince of Jin’s principal consort.

Tang Zhuyun tried to reassure her family that becoming a princess consort had not ruined her life, then spent the evening comforting Yanran and Linlin. After she saw what looked like the Prince of Jin’s face by the river, the children noticed that one dumpling had vanished from the offering bowl.

• Meng Yulan told Tang Zhuyun that her father and eldest brother were deeply worried about her becoming a princess consort, and Tang Zhuyun promised to speak with her father after the New Year.
• Tang Mingfan arranged for Linlin to stay at the prince's residence over the New Year, and Tang Zhuyun welcomed the company for herself and Yanran.
• Tang Zhuyun comforted Yanran by suggesting they float river lanterns, and she, Yanran, and Linlin wrote another letter to the Prince of Jin.
• As they floated lanterns, Linlin said she had dreamed the Prince of Jin came back, and Tang Zhuyun saw what appeared to be his resentful face across the river before falling into the water.
• After Tang Zhuyun and the children returned indoors, Yanran and Linlin noticed that one of the nine dumplings set out as an offering for the Prince of Jin was missing.

The Prince of Jin secretly watched Tang Zhuyun and wondered why he felt drawn to her despite believing she only valued his title. After deciding to postpone his visit to the Great Xiangguo Temple, he remained hidden at Song Jingyang’s place as Xiu’er arrived.

• Yanran believed the Prince of Jin had eaten a dumpling, while Tang Zhuyun guessed that a servant or animal had taken it.
• The Prince of Jin sneezed after seeing Tang Zhuyun’s river-lantern drawing, retrieved the lantern, and kept her note as evidence of her supposed crimes.
• The Prince of Jin ate the food Tang Zhuyun had sent to Nanny Rong and asked why the Emperor had made Tang Zhuyun his consort.
• Nanny Rong urged the Prince of Jin to live happily, and he decided to delay his trip to the Great Xiangguo Temple because Tang Zhuyun had plans.
• The Prince of Jin admitted to himself that he anticipated being with Tang Zhuyun and wondered whether he was ill.
• When Xiu’er called for Song Jingyang, Song Jingyang fussed over his appearance and asked the Prince of Jin to hide.

Tang Zhuyun asserted her authority over the Prince of Jin’s household by summoning its servants and ordering punishment for those who failed to appear. The chapter ended as she considered how to test the servants’ loyalty.

• Xiu'er told Song Jingyang to gather a hundred tall, young, strong guards for Tang Zhuyun, and the Prince of Jin ordered him to obey.
• Tang Zhuyun reviewed the household attendance and threatened to sell every absent servant to the mines.
• Song Jingyang brought in the nearly sixty missing servants, and Tang Zhuyun ordered the old kitchen woman who had missed the summons sold immediately.
• Tang Zhuyun rejected another servant’s excuse about her sick daughter and ordered her sold as well.
• Tang Zhuyun decided to sell all the remaining absentees, then paused to think of a way to test the servants’ loyalty.

Tang Zhuyun exposed and punished the servants stealing from the Prince of Jin’s residence, then grew uneasy when a book moved overnight. In the mourning hall, she discovered that the supposedly dead Prince of Jin was alive and hiding nearby.

• Tang Zhuyun made the servants report one another under rules that punished false accusations and protected those who named more thieves than named them.
• The guards questioned the servants, and by evening only eighty-six remained while almost all the stolen goods had been recovered.
• After finding her book inexplicably closed, Tang Zhuyun visited the mourning hall and urged the Prince of Jin to stop haunting her if he was alive.
• Tang Zhuyun called out that she could see the Prince of Jin, prompting Xiu'er to rush in with a peachwood sword.
• Xiu'er exposed the Prince of Jin behind the curtain and cried that he had no shadow, so he knocked her unconscious.
• Tang Zhuyun asked whether the Prince of Jin had just climbed out of the coffin, nearly making him faint.

Tang Zhuyun discovered that the Prince of Jin had faked his death and struggled to adjust to being tied to his dangerous secrets and political troubles. The chapter ended with Linlin mistaking her distress for grief and suggesting she might have a posthumous child.

• The Prince of Jin revealed himself to Tang Zhuyun, who scolded him for pretending to be dead and worried about the consequences of his return.
• Song Jingyang carried the unconscious Xiu'er away after the Prince of Jin knocked her out.
• Tang Zhuyun left without learning what had happened, then realized she had forgotten to ask whether the Prince of Jin had taken the ice lantern, frightened her by the river, eaten the dumplings, or closed the book.
• Tang Zhuyun reconsidered her plans after realizing she was tied to the Prince of Jin's conflict with the other princes, but felt Yanran would benefit from having her father alive.
• Yanran and Linlin tried to comfort the despondent Tang Zhuyun, and Linlin suggested she could give birth to a posthumous child.

Tang Zhuyun learned that the Prince of Jin had faked his death and confronted him after he returned to eat her food. She identified the well-tended horses in the stables as the flaw in his scheme, but the Prince of Jin insisted she was already too involved to leave.

• Tang Zhuyun sent Linlin and Yanran to study with Tang Baixin while Xiu'er remained convinced she had seen the Prince of Jin's corpse come back to life.
• The Prince of Jin climbed through Tang Zhuyun's window, admitted he had taken her river lantern, dumplings, and book, and demanded meatballs.
• Tang Zhuyun made the Prince of Jin mutton soup and asked him to explain his actions.
• Tang Zhuyun said she had suspected the Prince of Jin was alive because the horses in the stables were unusually well cared for despite the household's disorder.
• Tang Zhuyun asked whether the emperor knew the truth, and the Prince of Jin told her to let Nanny Rong visit the Great Xiangguo Temple without asking questions.
• Tang Zhuyun asked to be released from the marriage when the Prince of Jin came back to life, but he said he needed her to care for his children.

Tang Zhuyun spent New Year's Eve with the children before the Prince of Jin secretly returned to eat with her. When he refused to leave, she proposed that they live together without sharing a bed, and he rose and approached her.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that he planned to leave the capital after the Lantern Festival, then hid when Xiu'er returned with talismans.
• Tang Zhuyun spent New Year's Eve teaching the children to play cards, and they fell asleep before midnight.
• The Prince of Jin appeared beside the brazier, ate the food Tang Zhuyun had saved, and refused to return to his coffin.
• Tang Zhuyun proposed that the Prince of Jin bring other women into the residence while she managed the household, as long as he did not share her bed.
• The Prince of Jin challenged Tang Zhuyun about whether she disliked men or only him, then stood and walked toward her.

The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun out at night, despite her worries about the children and Huaishang. After introducing her to his horse Racing Thunder, he lifted her onto the horse and rode off with her.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun to dress warmly and come with him, while Huaishang stayed behind to watch Yanran and Linlin.
• Tang Zhuyun questioned whether Huaishang could be trusted, but the Prince of Jin dismissed her concerns and made her leave with him.
• The Prince of Jin introduced Tang Zhuyun to Racing Thunder and gave her candy to let the horse recognize her.
• Racing Thunder licked the candy from Tang Zhuyun’s palm, and the Prince of Jin lifted her onto the horse behind him.
• The Prince of Jin urged Racing Thunder forward and rode away with Tang Zhuyun.

The Prince of Jin brought Tang Zhuyun to the Great Xiangguo Temple to meet his deceased mother, Lady Xiao, and reveal the truth about his family. Tang Zhuyun recognized the memorial tablet despite pretending she could not read it, and the chapter ended as Nanny Rong hurried to retrieve something before they left.

• The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun to a courtyard at the Great Xiangguo Temple and had her kneel with him before his mother's covered memorial tablet.
• The Prince of Jin introduced Tang Zhuyun to his mother as his daughter-in-law, and they kowtowed before Nanny Rong brought them tea.
• A breeze uncovered the tablet, revealing the name Lady Xiao, and Tang Zhuyun pretended she had not seen or recognized it.
• The Prince of Jin ordered Tang Zhuyun to copy the Hundred Family Surnames a hundred times and made her read the tablet aloud.
• Tang Zhuyun connected Lady Xiao's surname to a remark about Yanran resembling Xiao, while Nanny Rong explained that they had meant to reveal the truth that day.
• The Prince of Jin said he would take Tang Zhuyun back because the children were at the residence, but Nanny Rong hurried to a chest in the corner.

Tang Zhuyun received the Prince of Jin’s late mother’s coral bracelet, though she planned to keep it only for Yanran, and Master Hong'en invited her for tea and gave her prayer beads. Nanny Rong learned that the Prince of Jin considered Tang Zhuyun different from other women, while Tang Zhuyun remained unaware of his feelings.

• Nanny Rong gave Tang Zhuyun the Prince of Jin’s mother’s coral bracelet after the Prince of Jin agreed she should accept it, and Tang Zhuyun said she would keep it for Yanran.
• A young novice monk invited Tang Zhuyun alone to visit Master Hong'en, and she followed him after giving him candy and patting his head.
• Master Hong'en shared tea with Tang Zhuyun, gave her wooden prayer beads, and praised her good fortune; she offered him homemade candy and promised to send vegetarian dishes.
• Nanny Rong asked whether the Prince of Jin blamed her for giving Tang Zhuyun the bracelet, and he said he did not.
• The Prince of Jin admitted Tang Zhuyun was different, delighting Nanny Rong.

Tang Zhuyun returned from Great Xiangguo Temple with Buddhist beads and spent the New Year observing mourning with the Prince of Jin's household. After waking with a severe allergic reaction, she recovered and teased Huaishang about finding a wife, only to learn he was twenty-three and had no idea where to look.

• The Prince of Jin and Nanny Rong discussed Tang Zhuyun's responsibility, and Tang Zhuyun returned with Buddhist beads from Master Hong'en.
• The Prince of Jin carried Tang Zhuyun back to the residence, where she told him to leave unnoticed and went to sleep.
• Tang Zhuyun woke with swollen eyes from an allergic reaction and prepared medicine while Linlin and Yanran assumed she had cried over missing the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun learned that nobody visited the residence for New Year's, then laughed with Xiu'er and Song Jingyang over gambling winnings and maid prices.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Huaishang about finding a partner, and he admitted that he was twenty-three and did not know where to look.

The Prince of Jin revealed himself to Linlin and Yanran on Linlin’s birthday, reuniting with his children after faking his death. Meanwhile, a drunken conversation raised the possibility that Linlin might be the Prince of Jin’s son from a night at a pleasure boat years earlier.

• Song Jingyang told Tang Zhuyun that Huaishang’s mother had sent Huaishang off to find a wife, then fought with Huaishang in the courtyard.
• Tang Zhuyun celebrated Linlin’s birthday, and Linlin wished for the Prince of Jin’s safety.
• The Prince of Jin entered the inner room and embraced Linlin and Yanran, revealing that he was alive.
• Tang Zhuyun went to cook while the Prince of Jin explained himself to the children, and Song Jingyang, Huaishang, and Nanny Rong shared a feast nearby.
• Huaishang recalled arranging for the Prince of Jin to meet a courtesan years earlier, and Song Jingyang wondered aloud whether Linlin could be the Prince of Jin’s son.

Nanny Rong, Huaishang, and Song Jingyang wondered whether Tang Zhuyun had been the woman who spent a night with the Prince of Jin, making Linlin his son. They found the possibility plausible but had no proof, so Nanny Rong planned to quietly investigate the princess consort and Xiu'er before telling the prince.

• Huaishang objected that the chance Tang Zhuyun had been on the flower boat was too small, but Song Jingyang and Nanny Rong considered whether Linlin might be the Prince of Jin's son.
• Nanny Rong scolded Huaishang for not remembering who had been with the prince, and Huaishang explained that he had chosen a heavily made-up woman in the dark and kept her from seeing the prince.
• Huaishang worried that the woman might have been the princess consort, and Nanny Rong concluded the prince might not have recognized her either because of the darkness and his heat poison.
• Nanny Rong ordered Huaishang to sound out the princess consort and Song Jingyang to question Xiu'er, while insisting they gather evidence before telling the prince.
• When Xiu'er returned with a meat dish, the three concealed their discussion, and she revealed she had won two hundred taels from Song Jingyang.

On Linlin’s birthday, Tang Zhuyun told the children a story while the Prince of Jin stayed on the kang, and the family ended up sleeping crowded together. The next morning, after Tang Zhuyun accidentally kissed the Prince of Jin, he promised not to touch her without consent and suggested they get along well after his trip, but she responded with ominous superstitions that angered him.

• The Prince of Jin gave Linlin permission to choose a horse for his birthday, while Tang Zhuyun promised to prepare a gift for Yanran’s upcoming birthday.
• Yanran persuaded Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin to lie on the kang and listen to a story, and Tang Zhuyun told them about Harry Potter.
• Tang Zhuyun dozed off while telling the story, and Linlin teased the Prince of Jin about appearing because Tang Zhuyun had missed him.
• Yanran switched places with the Prince of Jin, leaving him beside Tang Zhuyun, who slept with her leg across him while he stayed awake all night.
• Tang Zhuyun accidentally kissed the Prince of Jin when she woke, then tried to quietly move her leg before going to the kitchen.
• The Prince of Jin promised not to touch Tang Zhuyun without her consent and said they should get along after his trip, but Tang Zhuyun warned him against saying such things, making him demand that she repeat herself.

Huaishang investigated Linlin’s origins and began to suspect that Tang Zhuyun had been on the pleasure boat years earlier. After Tang Baixin’s reaction seemed to confirm his guess, Huaishang confronted Tang Zhuyun, who threatened him to keep quiet.

• Tang Zhuyun spoke with the Prince of Jin, then learned from Xiu'er that Nanny Rong had questioned her about her past.
• Huaishang asked Tang Zhuyun about Jiangzhou and the Qinyang River, and she denied ever visiting the river.
• Huaishang carefully helped Linlin choose a horse, prompting Tang Zhuyun to worry that he was investigating Linlin’s background.
• Huaishang questioned Tang Baixin about Linlin smashing the mourning basin and mentioned the princess consort’s visit to a pleasure boat; Tang Baixin’s angry response convinced Huaishang that his suspicion was correct.
• Huaishang confronted Tang Zhuyun about the pleasure boat, and she warned him to keep the matter secret.

Tang Zhuyun warned Huaishang against claiming kinship with Linlin, then told Tang Baixin that Huaishang was Linlin’s biological father. Nanny Rong began to suspect something was being overlooked and went to speak with Tang Zhuyun as she asked Linlin what he would do if his father came to claim him.

• Tang Zhuyun threatened Huaishang and insisted Linlin would remain a child of the Tang family.
• Tang Baixin asked Tang Zhuyun why she was being investigated, and she revealed that Huaishang was Linlin’s biological father.
• Tang Baixin offered to stop investigating the Prince of Jin’s death, while Tang Zhuyun said she had frightened Huaishang and might accuse him of molesting her if needed.
• Tang Zhuyun told Tang Baixin that Linlin would stay with her until he turned fifteen, and asked him not to get involved unless she needed help.
• Huaishang complained to Nanny Rong, who told him to keep quiet and stay away from Tang Zhuyun; he explained that the Prince of Jin had gone with Song Jingyang to investigate a new development.
• Nanny Rong went to find Tang Zhuyun, who was asking Linlin what he would do if his biological father came to claim him.

Tang Zhuyun and Linlin discussed Linlin’s birth father, while Nanny Rong mistakenly concluded that the Prince of Jin was Linlin’s father. Tang Zhuyun waited to tell the prince the truth, but he and Song Jingyang remained missing for three days, and Xiu’er arrived with alarming news.

• Linlin told Tang Zhuyun he would never acknowledge his unknown birth father, and she agreed to tell him the truth only if he ever wanted to know.
• Nanny Rong overheard them and mistakenly decided that the Prince of Jin was Linlin’s birth father, then told Huaishang to wait for the prince to resolve the matter.
• Tang Zhuyun decided to tell the Prince of Jin about Linlin and waited for him to return, while Nanny Rong eagerly anticipated sharing her mistaken good news with him.
• The Prince of Jin and Song Jingyang failed to return, so Huaishang gathered trusted men to search for them.
• After three days without the prince, Song Jingyang, or Huaishang returning, Xiu’er rushed to Tang Zhuyun with news that something was wrong.

Tang Zhuyun welcomed Hongfu, a pregnant courtesan who claimed to be carrying the Prince of Jin’s child, and arranged for her to stay near the residence while Tang Baixin investigated. That night, Huaishang and Song Jingyang returned with the gravely wounded Prince of Jin, who urgently asked Tang Zhuyun whether Linlin was his child.

• Hongfu arrived at the Prince of Jin’s residence and claimed she was pregnant with his child, naming a date Tang Zhuyun connected to the prince’s visit to Qingfeng’s establishment.
• Tang Zhuyun persuaded Nanny Rong to take Hongfu’s claim seriously and arranged a nearby courtyard with attendants while they investigated her story.
• Tang Baixin volunteered to investigate Hongfu, and Tang Zhuyun warned him to avoid contact with her and protect the child.
• Huaishang and Song Jingyang returned at night carrying the Prince of Jin, whose abdomen was torn open and intestines were spilling out.
• The Prince of Jin urgently asked Tang Zhuyun whether Linlin was his child.

Tang Zhuyun treated the Prince of Jin’s severe wound while denying that Linlin was his son, but she revealed that Huaishang had paid for her on a pleasure boat. The Prince of Jin realized Linlin was his child and, uncertain whether he would survive surgery, asked to see him.

• The Prince of Jin demanded to know whether Linlin was his son as Tang Zhuyun ordered supplies for his treatment.
• Tang Zhuyun claimed Linlin was Huaishang’s child, and Huaishang and Song Jingyang rushed to fetch what she needed.
• Tang Zhuyun examined the Prince of Jin’s wound, found that it had missed his vital organs, and began treating it.
• The Prince of Jin questioned how Tang Zhuyun had met Huaishang, and she said he had paid ten taels for her on a pleasure boat.
• The Prince of Jin realized Linlin was his son, asked whether he would survive, and demanded to see Linlin.

Tang Zhuyun treated the Prince of Jin’s severe wound while he insisted that Linlin was his son. After the Prince of Jin revealed that they had been together years earlier, Tang Zhuyun struggled to believe him and was left reeling over Linlin’s parentage.

• Tang Zhuyun warned the Prince of Jin to choose between seeing Linlin and staying alive, then began treating his wound.
• Tang Zhuyun operated on the Prince of Jin with Song Jingyang, Huaishang, and Xiu'er helping restrain him.
• Tang Zhuyun stitched the Prince of Jin’s wound over several hours, and Huaishang left to find Nanxing.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Linlin was his son, but she thought he was saying it to get access to the child.
• The Prince of Jin revealed that he had been the man on the pleasure boat with Tang Zhuyun and that Huaishang had arranged their meeting.
• Tang Zhuyun reluctantly accepted the Prince of Jin’s claim about Linlin, then privately panicked that she had slept with him.

Tang Zhuyun treated the badly wounded Prince of Jin and Nanxing, then collapsed from exhaustion, while the prince learned that Linlin was his son. As Tang Zhuyun woke, the Prince of Jin became convinced that her miraculous skills and drastic change meant she was a yaoguai.

• Tang Zhuyun struggled to understand that Linlin was the Prince of Jin's legitimate eldest son and wondered how to explain it to him.
• Linlin and Yanran visited Tang Zhuyun, and she told them the Prince of Jin had gone to rest.
• Song Jingyang and Huaishang returned with the gravely injured Nanxing, and Tang Zhuyun treated him for several hours after saving the prince.
• The Prince of Jin woke to find Linlin and Yanran beside him and learned from Xiu'er that Tang Zhuyun had fainted after treating Nanxing.
• Tang Zhuyun woke later and went to check on her patients while Xiu'er told her the prince was acting strangely and repeatedly asking about Linlin's childhood.
• The Prince of Jin reflected on Tang Zhuyun's impossible medical skills and concluded that a yaoguai had possessed her on the day of the flower-viewing banquet.

The Prince of Jin puzzled over Tang Zhuyun’s transformation while she arranged meat for his and Nanxing’s recovery. Meng Yulan visited with Linlin’s chickens and urged Tang Zhuyun to consider the threat posed by Hongfu’s unborn child, leaving Tang Zhuyun facing a choice she could not bring herself to make.

• The Prince of Jin wondered whether Tang Zhuyun was a spirit and decided he would eventually discover the truth.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Huaishang to find meat for the recovering Prince of Jin and Nanxing.
• Meng Yulan arrived with four of Linlin’s treasured chickens, saying Linlin missed them.
• Meng Yulan confronted Tang Zhuyun for not telling her about Hongfu’s claim that she carried the Prince of Jin’s child.
• Tang Zhuyun said she would not let Hongfu enter the residence, but Meng Yulan argued that Hongfu’s child could be regarded as the prince’s heir and insisted the child could not be allowed to live.

Tang Zhuyun warned the Prince of Jin that Hongfu and her child would never be allowed into the residence, then pressed him to acknowledge Linlin. As he hesitated, he asked Linlin what he thought of his birth father.

• Meng Yulan warned Tang Zhuyun that the inner household could be ruthless and urged her to protect herself and Linlin from Hongfu and her child.
• Tang Zhuyun refused to let Hongfu enter the prince's residence and told the Prince of Jin she would leave with Linlin if he brought them there; he said he had never met Hongfu.
• Tang Zhuyun demanded that the Prince of Jin acknowledge Linlin, but he said he was still considering it.
• Linlin arrived and suggested killing a chicken each day to help the Prince of Jin recover, while Yanran joined Tang Zhuyun in making chicken soup.
• The Prince of Jin called Linlin over and asked what he thought of his birth father.