Chapter Summaries

On the Ghost Festival, the Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun to the Great Xiangguo Temple to pay respects to their mothers, then revealed why Wei Xuan had asked him to be a matchmaker. He explained that the woman Wei Xuan liked was connected to his maternal family, and that his uncle Qiao Geng had once been his mother’s fiancé.

• Tang Zhuyun woke to find the Prince of Jin gone, then learned in the morning that he had visited Wei Xuan to discuss acting as his matchmaker.
• The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun to the Great Xiangguo Temple, where they offered incense to his birth mother, Xiao Wu, and later paid respects to Tang Zhuyun’s birth mother.
• Nanny Rong told the Prince of Jin that she had found new scratches on the back of Xiao Wu’s memorial tablet, and he agreed to speak to the temple staff.
• The Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun could not meet Master Hong'en because he was in seclusion, so they returned to their residence.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Wei Xuan’s prospective bride was the daughter of his maternal uncle, Qiao Geng, who had once been engaged to Xiao Wu.
• The Prince of Jin explained that Xiao Wu had broken off her engagement after falling in love with the emperor, and that Qiao Geng had eventually given way despite the family’s opposition.

The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun about his mother, Xiao Wu, and Qiao Geng, and Tang comforted him before inviting him to swim. Their innocent outing was interrupted by an urgent summons, and a misunderstanding soon sparked rumors blaming Tang for demanding the prince’s attention.

• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun how Qiao Geng had cared for Xiao Wu and later adopted twin daughters, while Tang urged him not to blame himself for the past.
• The Prince of Jin revealed that his mother’s mind had been unclear for much of his childhood, and Tang comforted him and encouraged him to repay Qiao Geng without bearing the old family burdens.
• Tang Zhuyun invited the Prince of Jin to swim in the wooden tub, and he watched her happily show off her swimming skills.
• Song Jingyang asked Xiu'er how to summon the prince about an urgent Golden Qilin Guard matter, and Xiu'er shouted for him to attend to his business.
• People inside and outside the residence misinterpreted Xiu'er's shout, spreading rumors that Tang Zhuyun had an insatiable appetite and was forcing the prince to fulfill his marital duties.
• Unaware of the rumors, Tang Zhuyun continued teaching Yanran to swim.

Tang Zhuyun waited with the children for the Prince of Jin, then treated his bitten hand after he returned. She guessed Xiao Pang had bitten him and grew angry on the prince’s behalf, while the prince quietly cherished her concern.

• Tang Zhuyun kept Yanran indoors until her hair dried, then waited with Yanran and Linlin for the Prince of Jin to return.
• Tang Zhuyun wrote in her diary about the prince staying out, while Xiu'er showed her a third skirt she had made.
• The Prince of Jin returned with Song Jingyang, concealing his injured right hand, and Xiu'er left after chiding him to care for Tang Zhuyun himself.
• The Prince of Jin showed Tang Zhuyun deep bite marks on his hand and joked that no woman had bitten him.
• Tang Zhuyun guessed Xiao Pang had bitten the Prince of Jin, fetched medicine, and treated his wound as he watched her tenderly.

The Prince of Jin feigned pain in his hand so Tang Zhuyun would feed him, then comforted her by honoring the family she had lost in her previous life. The next day, Tang Zhuyun learned that gossip had named her one of the capital’s four wicked women, alongside Madam Wang.

• The Prince of Jin pretended his injured hand kept him from eating, so Tang Zhuyun fed him and later helped clear away the dishes.
• The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun to the garden river, where they burned paper money and sent out lanterns for her deceased family.
• The Prince of Jin promised Tang Zhuyun’s family that he would care for her, and the two returned to bed and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
• The next day, Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that rumors accused her of clinging to the Prince of Jin and called her one of the capital’s four wicked women.
• Xiu'er revealed that Madam Wang was another of the four, leaving Tang Zhuyun surprised.

Tang Zhuyun learned who shared her place among the capital’s so-called wicked wives and decided to visit the Xue Family with Yanran. As their carriage stopped at a commotion near the candied fruit shop, someone nearby had fainted.

• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed the other women called wicked wives: Madam Qin, who remarried Qin Li, and Madam Yan, who chased General Yan with a rolling pin.
• Tang Zhuyun joked about meeting the women and agreed with Xiu'er that she should show more restraint and act as a role model for Yanran.
• Tang Zhuyun learned Yanran was in the garden hunting deer with Jiaojiao and decided to visit the Xue Family to see Old Madam Xue and check her eyes.
• Tang Zhuyun, Yanran, and Xiu'er set out in a carriage, planning to buy candied fruit for Old Madam Xue and rose pastries for Yanran's brother.
• A cry that someone had fainted rose near the candied fruit shop, and the driver reined in the horses as Tang Zhuyun caught Yanran.

Tang Zhuyun investigated Xiyou’s sudden fainting and found he had low blood sugar, then helped him recover at a pastry shop. After Xiyou left with Linlin and Nanxing, Tang Zhuyun headed for the Xue Family, but a man rushed toward her and reached for her chest.

• Tang Zhuyun stayed in her carriage at first, suspecting the fainting was a scheme, until she learned Xiyou had collapsed.
• Tang Zhuyun checked Xiyou’s pulse, gave him one of her candies, and realized he had fainted from low blood sugar.
• Xiyou woke, and Tang Zhuyun took him and Linlin into the pastry shop to rest and eat before they returned to their errands.
• Tang Zhuyun gave Linlin her pouch and some silver, then Xiyou left with Linlin and Nanxing after buying pastries.
• Tang Zhuyun left with Yanran and Xiu'er to visit the Xue Family, but a man rushed at her and reached for her chest.

Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er stopped a man from molesting Xiu'er, and Xue Lie and the Prince of Jin punished him after discovering he served the Prince of Yong. The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun into his carriage, where he asked whether she had been frightened and playfully sought his promised candy.

• Tang Zhuyun restrained the man who grabbed at Xiu'er, and Xiu'er slapped and scolded him to protect Tang Zhuyun's reputation.
• Xue Lie arrived to meet Tang Zhuyun, punched and kicked the man, and began beating him further.
• The Prince of Jin stopped Xue Lie, learned the man served the Prince of Yong, and stomped between his legs before ordering the Golden Qilin Guards to return him to his master's residence.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun to leave, and she joined him in his carriage while Xiu'er took Yanran in another carriage.
• The Prince of Jin pulled Tang Zhuyun onto his lap, asked if she was frightened, and teased her about the candy she had promised him.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin visited the Xue residence, where the women of the family advised her on having children and Old Madam Xue gave her the dowry she had prepared for Tang Zhuyun’s mother. Old Madam Xue also revealed that the family would leave for the northwest, leaving Lady Deng and Xue Lie in the capital, prompting Tang Zhuyun’s surprise.

• Tang Zhuyun teased the Prince of Jin in their carriage before asking whether he would face consequences for crippling the man who had provoked her.
• The Prince of Jin accompanied Tang Zhuyun to the Xue residence and stayed with her until Old Madam Xue sent Xue Lie to take him for a walk.
• Old Madam Xue and the Xue women advised Tang Zhuyun to have several sons to secure her position.
• Old Madam Xue privately gave Tang Zhuyun the dowry she had prepared for Tang Zhuyun’s mother.
• Old Madam Xue told Tang Zhuyun that the family would move to the northwest while Lady Deng and Xue Lie remained in the capital.

Old Madam Xue asked Tang Zhuyun to help persuade Lady Deng to stay in the capital and consider remarrying, but Lady Deng refused to marry and chose to stay to help find a wife for Xue Lie. Tang Zhuyun reunited with the Prince of Jin and Yanran, who proudly showed off the foal she had received.

• Old Madam Xue told Tang Zhuyun that she hoped Lady Deng would stay in the capital and accept a marriage proposal from a widowed former suitor, while Tang Zhuyun stressed that Lady Deng's wishes came first.
• Old Madam Xue asked Tang Zhuyun to help discipline Xue Lie if he caused trouble, and Tang Zhuyun agreed.
• Lady Deng told Tang Zhuyun that she would not remarry but would stay in the capital to help find a suitable wife for Xue Lie.
• Tang Zhuyun praised Meng Yulan as a reliable person to seek a match for Xue Lie.
• The Prince of Jin waited with Yanran, who showed Tang Zhuyun the white foal Eldest Uncle had given her and asked to ride it home.
• Xiu'er identified the foal as a filly, and Song Jingyang argued that both mares and stallions took to the Prince of Jin.

Tang Zhuyun worried that the Prince of Jin had been summoned to the palace over the day’s trouble, but Linlin guessed the emperor had called him for another reason. The Prince of Jin returned unharmed and revealed that his uncle had come back to the capital.

• Tang Zhuyun fretted over the Prince of Jin’s summons and offered to accompany him, but he told her to stay and make dinner.
• Linlin returned, and after Tang Zhuyun explained what had happened, he reasoned that the emperor was unlikely to punish the Prince of Jin over the dispute involving the Prince of Yong.
• Linlin told Tang Zhuyun that his teacher and senior brother had lived with the Wang Family of Langya because of his senior brother’s illness and a renowned physician there.
• Yanran announced that the Prince of Jin had returned, and he assured Tang Zhuyun that he had not crawled back.
• At dinner, the Prince of Jin said the emperor had summoned him for another matter and revealed that his uncle had returned to the capital.

Tang Zhuyun questioned the Prince of Jin about his mother’s betrothal and the emperor’s regrets, then learned he had brought back a snow lotus that could help the emperor’s heart ailment. After a passionate night left her exhausted, she woke that evening to find the Prince of Jin still teasing her.

• Tang Zhuyun asked whether the emperor had known Xiao Wu was betrothed, and the Prince of Jin explained that her title and status made secrecy unlikely.
• The Prince of Jin suggested that the emperor had transferred Qiao Geng to the capital because he regretted wronging him, and Tang Zhuyun wondered why he would want Qiao Geng near him.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun he had found a snow lotus while investigating the governor of Gannan, and she proposed saving it to make medicine for the emperor.
• The Prince of Jin carried the exhausted Tang Zhuyun from the bath, cared for her, and teased her as she begged him to let her sleep.
• The Prince of Jin went to court at dawn and told Xiu'er to let Tang Zhuyun sleep; she remained in bed until evening.
• Tang Zhuyun complained that the Prince of Jin was draining the pond to catch the fish, and he replied that they could develop sustainably if she drank more water.

Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin argued over intimacy and joked about paying him afterward, before she took a contraceptive pill and handled Yanran’s complaints about lacking a younger sibling. As preparations for the Mid-Autumn Festival loomed, Tang Zhuyun went looking for Nanny Rong but learned she was still at Great Xiangguo Temple.

• Tang Zhuyun explained that her refusals did not always mean yes, and the Prince of Jin gave her a day off after their disagreement.
• The Prince of Jin scolded Tang Zhuyun for comparing him to Qingfeng, and they teased each other before she fell asleep in his arms.
• Tang Zhuyun took a contraceptive pill, prompting Xiu'er to urge her to have another child soon.
• Yanran returned from fighting Cui Xiaoqiu and complained that Cui Xiaoqiu had an older sister, then asked Tang Zhuyun when she would have another child.
• Xiu'er took leave to bring Song Jingyang to visit her mother with a Mid-Autumn Festival gift.
• Tang Zhuyun went to find Nanny Rong for advice about festival preparations but learned she had gone to Great Xiangguo Temple and had not returned.

Tang Zhuyun treated the emperor after his heart ailment flared up, while the Prince of Jin waited outside the palace for her. The emperor regained consciousness, but the cause of his shock remained unknown.

• Tang Zhuyun learned that Nanny Rong intended to stay at the Great Xiangguo Temple and keep watch over her mistress's memorial tablet, and the Prince of Jin agreed to visit her with Tang Zhuyun.
• The Prince of Jin returned home drunk after seeing Qiao Geng, then spent the night with Tang Zhuyun and agreed to ask Master Hong'en to look after Nanny Rong.
• Wang Fu summoned Tang Mingfan to the palace, and the emperor canceled court for the day.
• The Prince of Jin learned that Tang Zhuyun had gone to the palace after Tang Mingfan supposedly fainted, then hurried toward the palace, suspecting the emperor's heart ailment had flared up.
• Tang Zhuyun treated the unconscious emperor with acupuncture and told Wang Fu that a sudden shock had triggered the attack.
• The Prince of Jin received Tang Zhuyun's message and waited at the palace gates for her, while the emperor eventually opened his eyes.

Tang Zhuyun confirmed that the emperor had recovered and learned that the Prince of Jin saw his command of the Golden Scale Guard as a trap that would leave him bearing the blame. She resolved that if the emperor meant to discard him, they would take what they wanted anyway.

• Tang Zhuyun told the emperor to guard his health, then left after he ordered her father, Jianbing, to stay behind.
• Tang Zhuyun met the Prince of Jin outside the palace, and they rode home while discussing the emperor's condition and their plan to visit Great Xiangguo Temple.
• The Prince of Jin explained that the Golden Scale Guard remained under the emperor's control and that its commanders had historically taken the blame.
• Tang Zhuyun realized the Prince of Jin had shaped his fearsome reputation to suit the emperor's wishes and declared they would take power if the emperor refused to give it to them.

Tang Zhuyun, the Prince of Jin, and Yanran visited the Great Xiangguo Temple and unexpectedly met Qiao Geng and his daughters, Qiao Jiao and Qiao Qiao. After they paid respects at Xiao Wu’s memorial tablet, Qiao Qiao asked Yanran about the brother she wanted to see, and Tang Zhuyun explained that he was her nephew living at the residence.

• The Prince of Jin took Tang Zhuyun and Yanran to the Great Xiangguo Temple, where they encountered Qiao Geng and his daughters on the road.
• Xiu'er warned Tang Zhuyun to be wary of romantic rivals among Qiao Geng's daughters, while Yanran said she had beaten Cui Xiaoqiu's older sister for calling Tang Zhuyun wicked.
• Tang Zhuyun and Yanran greeted Qiao Geng, Qiao Jiao, and Qiao Qiao at the temple.
• The group offered incense before Xiao Wu’s memorial tablet, and Qiao Jiao and Qiao Qiao kowtowed again at Qiao Geng’s request.
• Yanran asked to find her brother, and Qiao Qiao asked who he was; Tang Zhuyun said he was her nephew, who had been living at the residence.

Tang Zhuyun kept her distance from Qiao Jiao and Qiao Qiao after Qiao Qiao asked for her prayer beads, then visited Great Confucian Scholar Kong, who gave her a treasured set of Yunzi after she lost eighteen games of go. As Tang Zhuyun and the others examined the stones on the way home, Xiu'er found that a speck on one would not wipe off.

• Tang Zhuyun refused to give Qiao Qiao her prayer beads and left with Yanran, deciding to keep her distance from the Qiao cousins.
• Xiu'er suggested that Qiao Qiao might want to replace Tang Zhuyun as the Prince of Jin's consort, though Tang Zhuyun admitted this was only speculation.
• Great Confucian Scholar Kong welcomed Tang Zhuyun, discussed medicine with her, and invited her to play go.
• Tang Zhuyun lost eighteen games to Great Confucian Scholar Kong, who then gave her his treasured Yunzi set.
• Linlin explained the stones' fine materials and qualities, and Xiu'er tried unsuccessfully to wipe a speck from one of them.

Yanran told the Prince of Jin that she disliked his cousins, Qiao Qiao and Qiao Jiao, for coveting Tang Zhuyun’s belongings and possibly her husband. The Prince of Jin reassured Tang Zhuyun and decided to keep his distance from them, but the next morning she awoke to learn that Nanny Rong had returned.

• Xiu'er tried and failed to remove a white speck from a chess piece, while Linlin confirmed the flaw had been there before.
• Yanran told the Prince of Jin that she disliked his cousins and accused Qiao Qiao of wanting Tang Zhuyun’s things and attention from her husband.
• The Prince of Jin offered to speak to his uncle, but Tang Zhuyun discouraged him from turning the incident into a family dispute.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that Wei Xuan liked Qiao Jiao and promised he would not take either cousin as a wife or concubine.
• The Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun spent the night together, and Tang Zhuyun slept late.
• Xiu'er woke Tang Zhuyun the next morning and told her that Nanny Rong had returned, leaving Tang Zhuyun worried about what she would think.

Tang Zhuyun met with Nanny Rong, whose odd remarks and abrupt restraint left her suspecting that Nanny Rong was trying to warn her about something. After Nanny Rong left, Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er wondered what she had meant and how to find out.

• Tang Zhuyun took her contraceptive medicine and learned from Xiu'er that Nanny Rong had returned, claiming she would help with the Mid-Autumn Festival gifts.
• Nanny Rong urged Tang Zhuyun to stand by the prince, then asked about the gifts and mentioned that Tang Zhuyun's handkerchief had been swept away while she washed it.
• Nanny Rong raised the idea of inviting the Qiao sisters to the prince's residence, but Tang Zhuyun refused and explained that Qiao Qiao had upset her by asking for her prayer beads.
• After Tang Zhuyun said she had told the prince she would not blame Qiao Qiao because the girl lacked a mother to guide her, Nanny Rong reacted strongly and soon took her leave.
• Tang Zhuyun told Xiu'er that Nanny Rong's clumsy, provocative approach seemed unlike her usual skill, and decided she needed to discover what Nanny Rong had been trying to say.

Tang Zhuyun told the Prince of Jin about Nanny Rong’s remarks, and he reassured her that he would speak with Nanny Rong again. Later, Tang Zhuyun heard that Qiao Jiao had attracted Wei Xuan and was interested in the Prince of Jin, then examined Xiyou and found he had heatstroke.

• Tang Zhuyun told the Prince of Jin that Nanny Rong had returned and what she had said, and he said he would bring the matter up with her again.
• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun to decide on farewell gifts for the Xue Family and said he would see them off with her after the fifteenth.
• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that Wei Xuan had fallen for Qiao Jiao after she gave him an umbrella, and warned that Qiao Jiao had her eye on the Prince of Jin.
• Linlin brought Xiyou to Tang Zhuyun, who examined him and diagnosed heatstroke rather than a serious illness.
• Xiyou rested in Linlin's courtyard, and Xiu'er said Great Confucian Scholar Kong had been told not to worry.

Yanran sneaked out at night to visit Cui Xiaoqiu after overeating jujubes left her unable to sleep, but she overheard Nanny Rong speaking to someone inside a rockery. Nanny Rong came out and asked why Yanran was there, leaving the identity of the person she had been speaking with unknown.

• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that Huaishang liked Nanxing and had once bought her a silk flower for her birthday.
• Tang Zhuyun sent the recovered Xiyou home, and Linlin went with him and stayed the night.
• Yanran ate too many jujubes and suffered painful bloating that kept her awake.
• Yanran slipped out at night to find Cui Xiaoqiu, planning to call him out for a chat.
• Yanran heard Nanny Rong say that Tang Zhuyun was kindhearted and would save anyone, then heard footsteps inside the rockery.
• Nanny Rong emerged and asked Yanran why she was there, and Yanran innocently invited her to hide in the rockery together.