Chapter Summaries

Wu Zhenhai abducted Mingzhu and sent her away from the border city to protect her, then revealed that the Northern Yi were advancing while the city was nearly undefended. Tang Zhuyun learned that only about ten thousand troops remained to face thirty thousand Northern Yi soldiers, and Qu Nian confirmed the danger.

• Wu Zhenhai knocked Mingzhu unconscious and carried her away, while Wu Yu secretly witnessed the abduction.
• Wu Yu told Yanran that his father had seized Mingzhu, and Yanran alerted Tang Zhuyun.
• Wu Zhenhai returned to collect Wu Yu and told Tang Zhuyun he had sent Mingzhu away because the Northern Yi were coming.
• Wu Zhenhai revealed that the Prince of Jin had taken almost all the soldiers, leaving the border city exposed to a thirty-thousand-strong army.
• Qu Nian confirmed the invasion and said the city had only around ten thousand troops, including old and wounded soldiers.

As the Northern Yi army threatened the city, Tang Zhuyun prepared to search for Mingzhu while Qu Nian insisted they should hold out. Mingzhu returned safely after escaping Wu Zhenhai’s men, and Ren Yingying left the room despite Tang Zhuyun’s warning to stay inside.

• Qu Nian told Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying that the defenders could not win outright but needed to delay the enemy, and he urged them not to evacuate.
• Tang Zhuyun decided to search for Mingzhu, while Wu Zhenhai argued that he only wanted her to survive.
• A maid announced that Mingzhu had returned, leaving Wu Zhenhai stunned as Mingzhu reassured Tang Zhuyun that she was unharmed.
• Wu Zhenhai questioned Dong Da and learned that Mingzhu had tricked her captors by pretending to leave to relieve herself, then escaped and returned to the city.
• Mingzhu explained that she had suspected Wu Zhenhai was behind her abduction, and Tang Zhuyun asked Xiu'er to tell her what was happening.
• Ren Yingying left the room, and Tang Zhuyun warned her not to leave the residence without guards.

Ren Yingying learned that Qu Nian planned to use his nine-hundred-man Tiger and Leopard Battalion to help them escape the Northern Yi, and worried about the soldiers who might die. Meanwhile, Mingzhu chose to set aside what happened with Wu Zhenhai and focus on the approaching enemy.

• Ren Yingying found Qu Nian and asked what he would do if the Northern Yi attacked; he revealed that he had brought the Tiger and Leopard Battalion.
• Qu Nian said his nine hundred elite soldiers could break through enemy lines and escort them away, though they might all die, including him.
• Ren Yingying thanked Qu Nian on Tangbao's behalf, offered to care for his parents, and promised to look after him if he became disabled.
• Mingzhu decided not to confront Wu Zhenhai because the Northern Yi threatened them, and Tang Zhuyun agreed they should focus on the enemy.
• Xiu'er suggested asking Qu Nian how to face the Northern Yi, while Tang Zhuyun remarked that his attitude seemed strange.

As the Northern Yi repeatedly attacked the city, Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying tended to wounded soldiers while Qu Nian kept the defenders inside and waited. Qu Nian and the Prince of Jin were stalling for time so they could strike the Northern Yi from within and without, but an overlooked remnant of the Zhou Family threatened their careful plan.

• Tang Zhuyun decided to help the defenders by treating wounded soldiers alongside Ren Yingying and the others.
• Qu Nian rejected Ren Yingying’s hints about leaving him an heir, then went to command the defense when the Northern Yi attacked.
• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying worked in the wounded soldiers’ camp as repeated Northern Yi assaults caused heavy casualties and growing panic.
• Qu Nian told Ren Yingying he was waiting for the Prince of Jin to return and help attack the Northern Yi from within and without.
• Cui Xiaoqiu reassured Yanran that Qu Nian was stalling for time, and Yanran went to tell her mother and Sanbao.
• The narration revealed that the Prince of Jin and Qu Nian had anticipated the attack, but had overlooked what the Zhou Family had left behind in the border city.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying stopped at a bun shop after a night tending wounded soldiers, but the shop proved to be a trap set by Northern Yi spies. The women were captured, leaving their fate unknown.

• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying watched Qu Nian ride out in silver armor to face the Northern Yi, and Dog Meat ran after him.
• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying entered a bun shop for breakfast with their guards.
• The shop assistant’s young master said his mother’s door would not open, then the assistant screamed upstairs.
• Two guards went upstairs to investigate and did not return, while someone shut the shop’s exit.
• Archers appeared on the second floor and identified Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying by their titles.
• The spies knocked Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying unconscious after ordering them to come with them.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying were kidnapped and held in an abandoned cottage, where their captor, Leertai, revealed that he wanted to speak with the Prince of Jin. The women remained bound as they waited for the prince, and Tang Zhuyun asked where they were.

• Tang Zhuyun woke bound beside the still-unconscious Ren Yingying in a dilapidated cottage.
• Tang Zhuyun warned Ren Yingying that they should each try to escape rather than become hostages used against the other.
• Ren Yingying and Tang Zhuyun discussed their fear and urged each other to stay alive until the Prince of Jin and the heir could rescue them.
• Leertai entered the cottage and said he had brought them there to talk with the Prince of Jin, claiming he did not intend to harm them.
• Ren Yingying recognized Leertai as the spy she had drawn, while Leertai refused to untie them and told them to wait for the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Leertai where they were.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying freed themselves and tried to escape through a small window, but Ren Yingying got stuck just as Leertai brought Qu Nian into the room. Qu Nian demanded to see them before negotiating, leaving the escape attempt interrupted.

• Leertai told his guards to ignore Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying, and the women reasoned that he wanted to negotiate rather than harm them.
• Tang Zhuyun untied herself using a knot trick the Prince of Jin had taught her, then freed Ren Yingying.
• The two women planned to escape through a high window, but Tang Zhuyun waited until night because she feared she would not fit through it.
• Ren Yingying climbed onto Tang Zhuyun's shoulders, squeezed through the window, and got stuck halfway.
• Qu Nian arrived with Leertai and insisted on seeing the women before discussing terms.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying were held by Leertai while Qu Nian negotiated with him, and Qu Nian helped free Ren Yingying after she got stuck. Ren Yingying was safe but mortified, and she refused to eat after asking Qu Nian for a chamber pot.

• Tang Zhuyun challenged Leertai over how he had treated them, while Qu Nian agreed to continue negotiations with him.
• Ren Yingying pretended she was enjoying being stuck above them, and Tang Zhuyun persuaded Qu Nian to leave her to handle the situation.
• After Leertai went outside, Tang Zhuyun told Qu Nian that Ren Yingying was stuck, and they worked together to free her.
• Qu Nian said he would return to talk about the situation and promised to arrange food, then Ren Yingying shouted that she needed a chamber pot.
• Ren Yingying refused to eat, saying she wanted to go on a hunger strike because Qu Nian would tease her about the incident.

Qu Nian escorted Ren Yingying and Tang Zhuyun back to the Prince of Jin’s residence, where Tang Zhuyun learned the prince was safe and still occupied after his victory. Ren Yingying then fainted after hitting her head while leaving the carriage, and Qu Nian panicked as Tang Zhuyun found her pulse was fine.

• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying wondered why the Prince of Jin had not come to rescue them, and Qu Nian arrived to take them home.
• Leertai apologized as Qu Nian escorted the women away in Tang Zhuyun’s carriage.
• Ren Yingying thought she heard a woman crying, while Tang Zhuyun worried about the Prince of Jin’s safety.
• At the residence, Xiu'er, Yanran, Cui Xiaoqiu, and Mingzhu welcomed Tang Zhuyun back, and Xiu'er said the Prince of Jin had won a great victory but was still busy outside.
• When Tang Zhuyun noticed Ren Yingying had not emerged from the carriage, Qu Nian found her unconscious after she hit her head; Tang Zhuyun checked her pulse and said she was fine.

Ren Yingying pretended to have amnesia while Qu Nian worried over her, and Tang Zhuyun learned that the Prince of Jin had been injured while trying to rescue her. She found him recovering in the outer study, then left to ask Ren Yingying for medicine.

• Ren Yingying decided to pretend she had lost her memory, while Qu Nian stayed by her bedside and Dog Meat returned exhausted.
• Tang Zhuyun asked Mingzhu where the Prince of Jin was and learned he had fallen off a cliff while heading to find her.
• Tang Zhuyun rushed to the outer study and found the Prince of Jin badly bandaged but out of danger.
• The Prince of Jin tried to joke with Tang Zhuyun about his injuries, but she scolded him for hiding them.
• Tang Zhuyun left to ask Ren Yingying for medicine.

Tang Zhuyun brought Ren Yingying to treat the Prince of Jin, then stayed with him as he revealed that his fall from the cliff had been deliberately arranged by someone he trusted. The Prince of Jin identified Duke Meng's Residence and Jiang Beihan as involved, leaving Tang Zhuyun to suspect Consort De and the start of a struggle for the throne.

• Tang Zhuyun dragged Ren Yingying to the Prince of Jin and had her treat and stitch his wound.
• Qu Nian confronted Ren Yingying about pretending to have amnesia, and the two resumed bickering.
• Tang Zhuyun stayed beside the Prince of Jin as they spoke about his injury and their time apart.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun that someone had deliberately led him onto the dangerous route and caused his fall.
• The Prince of Jin named Duke Meng's Residence and Jiang Beihan as involved, and Tang Zhuyun wondered if the struggle for the throne had begun.

Tang Zhuyun learned that the Prince of Jin was secretly planning to travel to the capital despite his injuries, and agreed to take charge of the border city while he was away. After they reunited, Mingzhu watched over the children and resolved to pray for the family’s safety.

• Tang Zhuyun pressed the Prince of Jin to explain why he had hidden his injuries, and he revealed that he planned to go to the capital.
• The Prince of Jin explained that Northern Yi’s threat had largely been dealt with and that he would leave the remaining border affairs to Qu Nian.
• Tang Zhuyun agreed to manage the border city and provide the Prince of Jin with a stable rear while he traveled to the capital.
• The Prince of Jin and Tang Zhuyun became intimate despite his injuries, and they tried to keep the matter hidden.
• Mingzhu checked on Yanran and the twins, sent Xiu'er to care for Guagua, and resolved to donate incense and oil for the family’s safety.

Wuxian nearly injured Wu Zhenhai while he secretly watched Mingzhu, who then heard Wu Zhenhai’s account of her eldest brother’s injury. The next evening, the Prince of Jin received Leertai, who arrived alone and claimed a profound connection to him.

• Wuxian woke and nearly poked Wu Zhenhai in the eye when he peered through a hole in the window paper.
• Mingzhu invited Wu Zhenhai to sit, asked how her eldest brother had been injured, and listened as he shared what he knew and suspected.
• Wu Zhenhai offered to help Mingzhu and asked her to think of him as an elder brother before leaving.
• News spread that the Prince of Jin was gravely wounded, but he received Leertai the following evening looking vigorous.
• Leertai claimed he had a profound connection to the Prince of Jin, while Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying thought of Xiao Wu and the prince remained calm.

Leertai recounted how his father Heman’s infatuation with Xiao Wu helped destabilize the Northern Yi and led to Heman’s downfall, then revealed his own claim to the throne and sought Central Plains support. The Prince of Jin challenged Leertai’s offer, and Leertai answered that he could command forty thousand troops through his uncle Xiu Yun.

• Leertai explained that Heman had fallen in love with Xiao Wu, whose family used their relationship to pursue an alliance with the Yanta Tribe.
• Heman’s actions alienated factions across the Northern Yi, and his rivals eliminated him and killed his wives, concubines, and children.
• Leertai revealed that Heman’s pregnant Central Plains lover had escaped with the help of his retainers and raised him in a border town, where he learned his identity and the Xiao Family’s secret tunnel.
• Leertai apologized to Tang Zhuyun and asked to cooperate with His Highness, explaining that he wanted Central Plains troops to help him reclaim the throne.
• The Prince of Jin objected that Leertai expected the Central Plains to fight without contributing troops of his own.
• Leertai said his uncle by marriage, Xiu Yun, commanded forty thousand troops that Leertai could call upon.

After negotiating a preliminary agreement with Leertai, the Prince of Jin prepared to leave for the capital while Tang Zhuyun questioned Leertai’s motives and listened to his instructions. The chapter ended when the Prince of Jin mentioned Linlin, alarming Tang Zhuyun.

• Leertai offered to cooperate, and the Prince of Jin and Qu Nian negotiated conditions with him through the night, reaching a preliminary agreement.
• Ren Yingying asked whether Leertai and Heman were connected, and Tang Zhuyun explained that Leertai was Heman’s posthumous son.
• Ren Yingying questioned why Leertai would seek revenge, and Tang Zhuyun suggested his stated motive was a pretext for gaining power.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun he planned to leave that night and that Qu Nian would take command against the Northern Yi and wanted Ren Yingying with him.
• The Prince of Jin began explaining what Tang Zhuyun should know about Linlin, and Tang Zhuyun anxiously asked what was wrong.

The Prince of Jin prepared Tang Zhuyun to manage the border city while he traveled to the capital, entrusting her with military authority and warning her to protect her independence. He also encouraged her to guide other physicians rather than exhaust herself treating everyone personally.

• The Prince of Jin reassured Tang Zhuyun that Linlin was safe in the Xia Kingdom and explained that Linlin and Song Jingyang could handle the situation there.
• The Prince of Jin planned to leave thirty thousand troops to guard the border city and send the rest against the Northern Yi under Qu Nian.
• The Prince of Jin gave Tang Zhuyun the tiger tally and his private seal, telling her not to hand them over to anyone, including Linlin, and naming Mr. Xu and Jiang Zhong as trusted advisers.
• The Prince of Jin told Tang Zhuyun about Wu Zhenhai's service and praised her for agreeing to care for Wu Yu and recognize Wu Zhenhai's efforts.
• The Prince of Jin advised Tang Zhuyun to open a clinic and train disciples by guiding other physicians instead of trying to treat everyone herself.

Tang Zhuyun said goodbye to the Prince of Jin and learned that Qiao Jiao could help him enter the capital unnoticed. She then discovered Ren Yingying planned to accompany Qu Nian to war against the Northern Yi, partly because she did not trust him around Tangbao.

• Tang Zhuyun urged the Prince of Jin to protect himself when he returned to the capital, and he said Qiao Jiao could help him sneak in through her ties to the Guo Family.
• Yanran interrupted their farewell, and Tang Zhuyun left to give her and the Prince of Jin time alone.
• Xiu'er speculated that Leertai might be a woman in disguise or already in love, while Tang Zhuyun wondered about the woman who had previously warned Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Tang Zhuyun told Ren Yingying that Qu Nian would lead the campaign against the Northern Yi and advised her to remain at the prince's residence.
• Ren Yingying insisted on going to war with Qu Nian because she did not trust him and wanted to keep him from harming Tangbao.

Qu Nian agreed to take Ren Yingying with his army to Northern Yi, misunderstanding her practical reasons as a sign of affection. After a brief return by the system and an encounter with Yanran and Wu Yu, Yanran went to speak privately with Tang Zhuyun.

• Qu Nian agreed to let Ren Yingying join the army as his personal guard, and she said Dog Meat would come too.
• The system returned and told Qu Nian he needed to have a child with Ren Yingying, then left to carry out another mission.
• Qu Nian saw Yanran walking with Wu Yu, who followed her as she went to visit Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Yanran visited Tang Zhuyun and asked to speak with her alone.

Yanran asked Tang Zhuyun to let her travel to the capital, insisting she wanted to protect her injured father and help him there. She revealed a plan involving Cui Xiaoqiu and the Cui Family, leaving Tang Zhuyun stunned.

• Yanran told Tang Zhuyun she wanted to go to the capital, and Tang Zhuyun initially assumed she wanted to have fun.
• Yanran insisted she needed to protect her father, who was badly injured and traveling to the capital in secret.
• Tang Zhuyun tried to refuse by saying the Prince of Jin made the important decisions, but Yanran argued that he listened to her mother.
• Yanran explained she was worried about her father's journey and said she had ideas to help him on the way and after he arrived.
• Yanran proposed taking Cui Xiaoqiu to the capital and tying the Cui Family firmly to her father's chariot, surprising Tang Zhuyun.

Yanran persuaded Tang Zhuyun to ask the Prince of Jin to let her travel to the capital with Cui Xiaoqiu, and he agreed. Before leaving, Yanran visited Xiao Pang, where she drunkenly made peace with him and called them friends.

• Yanran told Tang Zhuyun that she and Cui Xiaoqiu were willing to travel together, and Tang Zhuyun agreed to ask the Prince of Jin for permission.
• Tang Zhuyun persuaded the Prince of Jin to let Yanran go to the capital, and he agreed despite the extra day needed to pack.
• Xiu'er searched for Yanran and discovered she had gone to visit Xiao Pang.
• Yanran thanked Xiao Pang, told him she was leaving the next night, and admitted she no longer resented him as much.
• Yanran got drunk, asked Xiao Pang to make peace and be friends, and he gently touched her head after she fell asleep.