Chapter Summaries

Tang Zhuyun worried that Linlin’s sudden marriage to Lang Xuan had been rushed, but accepted his decision and began preparing the wedding. With no suitable person available to attend in Liaodong, Ren Yingying and Qu Nian decided to go there, visit Qu Hua, and help settle her relationship with Mu Ziyu.

• Tang Zhuyun questioned Emperor Wen about Linlin’s brief letter and considered going to Liaodong, but Emperor Wen urged her to trust their son.
• Tang Zhuyun agreed not to attend Linlin’s wedding herself and began arranging proper wedding gifts and preparations as the Ministry of Rites also got to work.
• Yanran volunteered to go to Liaodong, but Tang Zhuyun refused because she feared Yanran would cause trouble or put others in danger.
• Ren Yingying and Qu Nian argued about Qu Hua’s feelings for Mu Ziyu and her departure for Liaodong.
• Ren Yingying and Qu Nian decided to travel to Liaodong, see Qu Hua, and help resolve her marriage with Mu Ziyu.

Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying discussed the unresolved mystery of the woman who looked exactly like Tang Zhuyun, while Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu talked about Linlin's wedding. After Yanran got her first period, Cui Xiaoqiu confessed his feelings, leaving her stunned.

• Ren Yingying insisted she could travel to Liaodong while pregnant and stay through the winter, while Tang Zhuyun worried about her plans and the missing lookalike.
• Tang Zhuyun and Ren Yingying acknowledged that they still had no leads on the person Wuxian had seen.
• Yanran ate rice balls Cui Xiaoqiu brought and asked why his mother had started liking her.
• Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu discussed Linlin's engagement to Lang Xuan, and Cui Xiaoqiu tried to tell Yanran he loved her.
• Yanran realized she had started her period, and Cui Xiaoqiu gave her a pouch, shielded her with his cloak, and prepared red date tea.
• Cui Xiaoqiu confessed his long-held feelings to Yanran, who covered her face in shock.

Cui Xiaoqiu confessed his feelings to Yanran, who asked for time to think before returning to the palace. Restless as he waited for her answer, he sought out Cui Run, while Yanran arrived just as Tang Zhuyun was struggling to entertain the children and asked to speak with her privately.

• Yanran told Cui Xiaoqiu she needed time to consider his confession, and he agreed while asking whether they could remain friends.
• Cui Xiaoqiu visited Cui Run, who burned a painting, discussed Lady Gao, and listened as Cui Xiaoqiu admitted he was anxious about Yanran's answer.
• Cui Xiaoqiu arranged to drink wine with Cui Run while snow fell outside.
• Yanran returned to the palace and found Tang Zhuyun telling stories to the children, including Wuxian, who kept questioning her account of the Trojan Horse.
• Yanran played with her younger siblings, then asked their wet nurses to take them into the snow so she could speak privately with Tang Zhuyun.

Yanran told Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er that Cui Xiaoqiu had confessed his feelings, and she said she would be happy to be with him. Tang Zhuyun agreed that they could continue their relationship but asked them to wait several years before discussing marriage.

• Yanran told Tang Zhuyun that she had gotten her period and that Cui Xiaoqiu had said he liked her.
• Yanran said she thought a relationship with Cui Xiaoqiu could work because she was happy with him, and she explained that she would not be marrying into his family as a princess.
• Yanran told Tang Zhuyun that she would refuse Cui Xiaoqiu if her mother objected, since her family's happiness mattered more to her.
• Tang Zhuyun said she did not object to Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu being together but told Yanran to wait a few years before considering marriage.
• Tang Zhuyun stopped Yanran from visiting Cui Xiaoqiu that night because it was snowing and Yanran felt unwell, while Xiu'er noted that both families already knew how they felt.

Yanran agreed to court Cui Xiaoqiu after learning that Tang Zhuyun had approved, and she told him so when she found him at the Cui residence. She then asked Cui Xiaoqiu to help her attend her eldest brother’s wedding in Liaodong, and he promised to find a way.

• Little Tangyuan entertained the children by cracking walnuts with her bare hands while Yanran asked Xiu'er what she thought of her and Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Tang Zhuyun told Xiu'er she had not discussed Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu with the emperor, and Yanran had already left to tell Cui Xiaoqiu she agreed.
• Yanran climbed over the wall into the Cui residence and found Madam Cui, who assumed Yanran had come because Cui Xiaoqiu was hungover.
• Yanran told Cui Xiaoqiu she had agreed to court him and that Tang Zhuyun had agreed too; Cui Xiaoqiu promised to remain devoted while Yanran said they should let things take their course.
• Yanran asked Cui Xiaoqiu to help her attend her eldest brother’s wedding in Liaodong, and he said he would think of a way despite her parents’ objections.

Yanran teased Cui Xiaoqiu until he kissed her cheek, then learned he intended to accompany her to Liaodong. Cui Xiaoqiu sought Emperor Wen’s permission and revealed that four legendary treasures might be connected to Liaodong, leaving the fourth treasure’s location unconfirmed.

• Yanran teased Cui Xiaoqiu about being shy, and he kissed her cheek before they joked about what counted as a kiss.
• Cui Xiaoqiu told Yanran he would accompany her to Liaodong, and they entered the palace together.
• Emperor Wen made Cui Xiaoqiu wait in the snow before granting him an audience.
• Cui Xiaoqiu told Emperor Wen that the Cui Family had once held a jade pendant he gave Yanran, while two other treasures belonged to the Empress.
• Cui Xiaoqiu said the fourth treasure was an agate Buddha’s hand and guessed it might be in Liaodong, where Emperor Gaozu’s daughter had married into the ruling family.

Cui Xiaoqiu persuaded Emperor Wen to let Yanran accompany him to Liaodong, and the emperor summoned her to explain the journey and give her instructions. Yanran prepared to visit her mother before leaving, while the next day she carried food to Xiu'er, who had become ill with pregnancy symptoms.

• Cui Xiaoqiu persuaded Emperor Wen to let Yanran go to Liaodong with him, arguing that she should visit her brother while she still had the freedom to travel.
• Cui Xiaoqiu sent a message to Jiang'er that he had made the arrangements, while Emperor Wen reluctantly agreed and summoned Yanran.
• Yanran told Zhao Kuo that she and Cui Xiaoqiu had gotten together, and Zhao Kuo congratulated her while hiding his sadness.
• Emperor Wen told Yanran about the four treasures Cui Xiaoqiu had mentioned and instructed her not to interfere with her brother's choice of Lang Jiu.
• Emperor Wen told Yanran to ask her mother for instructions before leaving, and Yanran said Cui Xiaoqiu would look after things in Liaodong.
• The next day, Xiu'er stayed home after developing pregnancy symptoms, so Tang Zhuyun sent Yanran to bring her appetizing side dishes.

Yanran visited Xiu'er, where Baoxuan and her adoptive mother sought help after a Guo Family son died protecting Baoxuan and local officials took the family’s silver. Yanran planned to leave for Liaodong and offered to take Baoxuan into her service, then went to visit Jiang Ruo but learned she had moved out.

• Yanran brought treats to Xiu'er and learned Baoxuan and her adoptive mother had come to the capital seeking justice and a new home for Baoxuan.
• Baoxuan’s adoptive mother explained that someone had taken the Guo Family’s silver through threats and enticements, and a Guo son had died protecting Baoxuan.
• Yanran proposed taking the pair to the Court of Judicial Review, while Xiu'er decided to ask Her Majesty before arranging for Baoxuan to serve Yanran.
• Yanran told Xiu'er she planned to go to Liaodong and left to visit Jiang Ruo with pastries.
• Yanran arrived at the Third Princess’s residence and discovered that Jiang Ruo had moved out.

Yanran visited Jiang Ruo, teased her about reconciling with Wen Heng, and told her she was going to Liaodong for her brother’s wedding. Later, she met Cui Xiaoqiu and learned his former bedmaids now served his father, before Cui Run arrived with news concerning Yanran’s grandfathers.

• Yanran visited Jiang Ruo and learned that Wen Heng had told her he liked her; Jiang Ruo admitted their reconciliation began when she threw herself into his arms.
• Yanran told Jiang Ruo she was going to Liaodong because her brother was getting married, and Jiang Ruo urged her to keep an eye on Cui Ling.
• Yanran ate lunch with Jiang Ruo, then found Cui Xiaoqiu sorting books and asked about his two bedmaids.
• Cui Xiaoqiu explained that the bedmaids had gone to serve his father and promised he would have no women in his household unless Yanran brought them herself.
• Cui Run arrived with news he had overheard concerning Yanran’s paternal and maternal grandfathers.

Yanran returned to the palace after hearing that the retired emperor was gravely ill, while Tang Zhuyun confirmed that he had only days or weeks left. The retired emperor said farewell to Tang Mingfan, Pei Shen, and Emperor Wen, then asked to be buried with Xiao Wu.

• Yanran learned that Tang Mingfan had hurried to the palace and suspected the retired emperor was dying, so she postponed her departure to visit him.
• Zhao Kuo stopped Yanran from entering the retired emperor's chamber, and she waited in the tea room while Tang Zhuyun examined him.
• Tang Zhuyun told Emperor Wen that the retired emperor had little time left, then warned Yanran to act sad in front of her imperial father.
• The retired emperor thanked Tang Mingfan for his daughter's kindness and urged Pei Shen to serve Emperor Wen and protect the Yuwen Family's realm.
• The retired emperor asked Emperor Wen to bury him with Xiao Wu, and Emperor Wen agreed before the retired emperor closed his eyes to sleep.

Yanran welcomed Baoxuan into her household, while Yuan Yi warned Tang Zhuyun that people might send women to the capital to attract the emperor. Yanran left with Baoxuan, and ten days later the emperor emeritus died.

• Yanran agreed to let Baoxuan stay in the palace and assigned her to follow Jiang'er.
• Yuan Yi privately warned Tang Zhuyun about rumors meant to bring beautiful women to the emperor and urged her to stay alert.
• Yanran played with Doudou and Jiang'er, then comforted Baoxuan when she saw her watching Yuan Yi care for Doudou.
• Before leaving, Yanran decided to take Baoxuan with her, and Cui Xiaoqiu accepted the girl after hearing her story.
• Ten days after Yanran left, funeral bells rang as the emperor emeritus passed away.

After the late emperor’s death, Tang Zhuyun supported Emperor Wen through the mourning rites and worried over her gravely ill father. A month later, Yanran and Ren Yingying reached Liaodong, where Yanran learned Linlin was busy and wondered why no news about the retired emperor had arrived.

• Emperor Wen suspended court for a month, and Tang Zhuyun led the titled ladies in mourning while caring for the children in the palace.
• Tang Mingfan grieved so intensely for the late emperor that he fell gravely ill, and Emperor Wen asked Tang Zhuyun to bring Jinse when she visited him.
• Emperor Wen admitted that he felt a sadness he could not explain, and Tang Zhuyun comforted him in silence.
• Yanran and Ren Yingying arrived in Liaodong after a month on the road, and Zhao Qing told Yanran that Linlin was busy with military affairs and an envoy from Goryeo.
• Yanran asked Zhao Qing whether he had news about the retired emperor, but he said none had arrived; she questioned whether messages had been sent by express courier or Xiao Ye.

Yanran reunited with Linlin at the prince’s residence and asked about news from the capital, but he avoided answering. Meanwhile, Lang Xuan worried that Yuwen Duo’s gifts concealed a scheme, and Cui Xiaoqiu recognized that Linlin was pretending not to know about Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu’s relationship.

• Qu Nian took Ren Yingying to stay with Qu Hua, while Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu went to the prince’s residence.
• Yanran greeted Linlin warmly, and he welcomed her inside with Cui Xiaoqiu.
• Lang Xuan worried that Yanran’s presence would disrupt her plans against Wei Zihan and feared Yuwen Duo’s frequent gifts were part of a plot.
• Madam Lang urged Lang Xuan to appreciate Yuwen Duo’s gifts, but Lang Xuan asked her to tell him to stop sending them.
• Yanran asked Linlin about the retired emperor, and he claimed there was no news; Cui Xiaoqiu realized Linlin was deliberately changing the subject.

Yanran arrived in Liaodong and wondered whether Linlin had concealed news of the Imperial Grandfather’s death while deliberately advancing her marriage to Lang Xuan. In the palace, Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed Emperor Wen’s prolonged grief, the national mourning period, and contraception before Tang Zhuyun sent Hanxiang to check on Nanxing.

• Zhao Qing took Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu to their quarters, and Yanran questioned whether Linlin had agreed to her marriage with Lang Xuan on purpose.
• Cui Xiaoqiu concluded that Linlin had willingly helped arrange the marriage, while Yanran worried that Lang Xuan might suffer if they later divorced.
• Yanran told Zhao Qing she would rest in her courtyard and then write to Mother Empress about reaching Liaodong.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed Tang Mingfan’s poor health and decided to send children to visit him in hopes of lifting his spirits.
• Xiu'er reminded Tang Zhuyun to keep taking contraception during the mourning period, and Tang Zhuyun explained that she had a contraceptive implant.
• Tang Zhuyun sent Hanxiang to take medicine and tonics to Nanxing, and Jinse arrived shortly afterward with something to report.

Jinse warned Tang Zhuyun that Hanxiang had secretly met Emperor Wen twice, prompting Tang Zhuyun to confront her husband. Emperor Wen admitted he had not told her and teased her for being jealous, leaving her stunned.

• Jinse accepted Tang Zhuyun’s offer to teach music at the women’s academy and said she wanted to live openly and leave a mark.
• Jinse warned Tang Zhuyun that Hanxiang had met Emperor Wen privately twice without telling her, though Jinse had no proof of wrongdoing.
• Tang Zhuyun thanked Jinse and said she would ask Emperor Wen about it immediately, promising not to reveal Jinse as her source.
• Tang Zhuyun went to the imperial study and told Emperor Wen she had heard Hanxiang visited him privately twice.
• Emperor Wen admitted he had not told Tang Zhuyun about the visits and laughed, teasing her for being jealous.

Tang Zhuyun learned that Hanxiang had been pressured to give her a fertility drug during the mourning period, and Emperor Wen explained Hanxiang’s family ties to him. After hearing Xiu’er’s concerns, Tang Zhuyun decided to handle Hanxiang’s future herself.

• Tang Zhuyun demanded that Emperor Wen explain why Hanxiang had come to see him, and he revealed that his opponents had threatened Hanxiang’s mother to make Hanxiang give Tang Zhuyun a fertility drug.
• Emperor Wen told Tang Zhuyun that Hanxiang was Black Tortoise’s daughter and that he regarded her as a junior because her father had died protecting him.
• Tang Zhuyun warned Emperor Wen not to lower his guard, and he said he would eventually deal with those who opposed him.
• Tang Zhuyun told Xiu’er what had happened, and Xiu’er advised her to remove Hanxiang from her service by arranging a marriage for her.
• Tang Zhuyun declined Xiu’er’s offer to handle the matter and said she would deal with Hanxiang herself.

Tang Zhuyun confronted Hanxiang about her feelings for Emperor Wen and dismissed her from service with a month to choose a husband. Afterward, Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed the matter and Linlin’s future marriage to Lang Jiu, ending with Xiu'er beginning to explain why Linlin thought they suited each other.

• Tang Zhuyun confronted Hanxiang about loving Emperor Wen, and Hanxiang admitted her feelings and apologized.
• Tang Zhuyun ended their mistress-servant relationship on good terms, giving Hanxiang a month to choose a husband and go home to her mother.
• Xiu'er comforted Tang Zhuyun, who said she was unhappy that Hanxiang’s feelings had led to this.
• Tang Zhuyun and Xiu'er discussed Linlin’s marriage to Lang Jiu and recalled how Emperor Wen followed the selection-table rules by putting Tang Zhuyun’s name on every tablet.
• Tang Zhuyun asked why Xiu'er thought Linlin and Lang Jiu suited each other, and Xiu'er began to explain that Linlin himself thought so.

Tang Zhuyun learned that Linlin chose Lang Xuan because he valued her suitability and love for him more than romance, and she resolved not to restrict his choices. In Liaodong, Yanran cornered Lang Xuan, who began to tell her something about Wei Jun.

• Xiu'er told Tang Zhuyun that Linlin was too busy for romance and chose Lang Xuan because he considered her suitable and believed she loved him.
• Xiu'er explained that Lang Xuan might make a suitable empress because she was unlikely to let her emotions interfere or burden Linlin with palace intrigue.
• Tang Zhuyun accepted that she should avoid holding Linlin back and wondered about his preparations for the wedding in Liaodong.
• Yanran stopped Lang Xuan in the street and called her “sister-in-law,” startling her.
• Lang Xuan met Yanran in a teahouse and asked whether she knew Wei Jun, then began to tell her something about him.

Lang Xuan warned Yanran that Wei Jun might threaten Yuwen Duo, asking her to keep watch despite Yanran’s doubts. Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu then discussed the warning and suspected that the empress of Goryeo was secretly among the delegation.

• Lang Xuan asked Yanran to keep her suspicions about Wei Jun secret and watch his movements, and Yanran agreed.
• Yanran accompanied Lang Xuan home, shared a meal with the Lang family, and decided to investigate Lang Xuan’s concerns about Wei Jun.
• Cui Xiaoqiu said Lang Xuan did not seem like someone who would lie without reason and suggested asking Yuanyang about her.
• Cui Xiaoqiu told Yanran he suspected the empress of Goryeo was traveling with the delegation after he overheard a guard address a woman as “Your Majesty.”
• Yanran questioned how Cui Xiaoqiu had investigated the delegation, and he insisted the woman was undoubtedly the empress.

Yanran and Cui Xiaoqiu discussed why the empress of Goryeo wanted to meet Yuwen Duo, while Madam Lang persuaded Lang Xuan that Yuwen Duo had secretly cared for her. Lang Xuan then recognized Baoxuan at Yuanyang’s home and realized that people from her previous life were appearing early because of her rebirth.

• Cui Xiaoqiu told Yanran that the empress of Goryeo might seek Yuwen Duo’s help to gain power, possibly asking him to send troops in exchange for benefits.
• Madam Lang argued that Yuwen Duo had arranged for Yuanyang to protect Lang Xuan during their journey, prompting Lang Xuan to wonder whether he had looked after her in her previous life as well.
• The empress of Goryeo sent Lang Xuan a generous wedding gift, and Lang Xuan recognized Zhao Yingzhu from her previous life.
• Madam Lang sent Lang Xuan to bring pastries to Yuanyang, but Lang Xuan dropped the plate when she saw Baoxuan outside Yuanyang’s home.
• Lang Xuan realized that Zhao Yingzhu and Baoxuan had appeared earlier than they should have because of her rebirth.