Chapter Summaries

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.

The Prince of Jin revealed to Linlin that he was his biological father and explained how Linlin had been conceived. After Linlin considered the truth, he accepted him as his father, while the Prince of Jin promised to protect him and Tang Zhuyun.

• Linlin told the Prince of Jin that he rejected his irresponsible biological father but trusted and cared for the Prince of Jin.
• The Prince of Jin asked Linlin whether he would forgive a serious mistake, then admitted that he was Linlin's biological father.
• The Prince of Jin explained the circumstances of his and Tang Zhuyun's encounter and said he regretted missing Linlin's childhood.
• Linlin said he could not acknowledge the Prince of Jin because doing so might endanger his family and expose them to political trouble.
• The Prince of Jin promised to protect Linlin and Tang Zhuyun, and Linlin tearfully called him "Father."

The Prince of Jin and Linlin shared an emotional moment after Tang Zhuyun left them alone. Tang Zhuyun then checked on the injured Nanxing and made clear that she and the Prince of Jin had no romantic feelings, leaving her focused on her own future and her son.

• The Prince of Jin sent Tang Zhuyun away, then comforted Linlin as they both cried over their reunion.
• Tang Zhuyun prepared chicken soup while Yanran worried that Nanxing was being left to suffer, and Tang Zhuyun decided to treat Nanxing because she had saved the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun found Huaishang with Nanxing and teased him about Xiu'er before examining Nanxing's wound.
• Nanxing apologized for her past disrespect, but Tang Zhuyun told her that Linlin's parentage did not mean she loved the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun explained that she and the Prince of Jin were joined only by their child and an imperial decree, and resolved to focus on making money and outliving him.

Tang Zhuyun struggled to answer the Prince of Jin’s questions about Linlin’s early childhood, then encouraged Yanran to learn riding, swimming, and archery. Xiu'er brought up Huaishang’s long-standing claim to one hundred taels of silver, leaving Tang Zhuyun reluctant to pay him.

• Nanxing asked Song Jingyang whether Tang Zhuyun disliked her, and Song Jingyang said Tang Zhuyun had already treated her well by saving her life.
• The Prince of Jin questioned Tang Zhuyun about Linlin’s childhood, but she claimed she could not remember much.
• Yanran asked the Prince of Jin how he survived falling into the river, and he explained that he swam to the bank and found someone waiting for him.
• Tang Zhuyun urged Yanran to learn practical skills and promised to swim with her in the lotus pond, while the Prince of Jin offered to teach her.
• Xiu'er, Song Jingyang, and Huaishang confronted Tang Zhuyun about Huaishang’s hundred taels of silver, and Xiu'er urged her to return it.

Tang Zhuyun stopped Xiu'er from provoking the Prince of Jin and told Yanran the little mermaid story, using it to teach her about choosing a partner and valuing family. The Prince of Jin ended the night wondering whether Tang Zhuyun was a mermaid princess who had become human for a lover.

• Xiu'er took the hundred-tael banknote Tang Zhuyun offered Huaishang and added one tael of her own, prompting Tang Zhuyun to pull her aside and warn her not to provoke the Prince of Jin.
• Tang Zhuyun explained to Xiu'er that they should stand up for themselves without opposing the Prince of Jin over everything.
• Yanran asked Tang Zhuyun to finish the little mermaid story, and Tang Zhuyun guided her through what she would do in the mermaid's place.
• Tang Zhuyun gave Yanran advice about love, family, and not sacrificing herself for a man, while Linlin persuaded her not to think of marrying her brother.
• The Prince of Jin wondered whether Tang Zhuyun was a mermaid princess who had become human for someone she loved.

Tang Zhuyun refused to engage with Hongfu when she came demanding entry to the residence, and the Prince of Jin ordered Song Jingyang to take her away and watch her. He explained that Hongfu was useful as a target and bait, but the next day Huaishang found himself caught up in the matter too.

• Huaishang brought frozen seafood to the residence, and Tang Zhuyun eagerly cooked and ate it, strengthening the Prince of Jin’s suspicion that she came from the sea.
• The Prince of Jin tried to coax Tang Zhuyun into drinking wine, but she refused, so he abandoned his plan to get her drunk and make her reveal the truth.
• Tang Zhuyun asked to take the children onto the roof to watch the Lantern Festival, and the Prince of Jin agreed.
• Hongfu arrived demanding to enter the residence because she was carrying the Prince of Jin’s child, but Tang Zhuyun chose not to meet or argue with her.
• The Prince of Jin ordered Song Jingyang to take Hongfu away and stay to look after her, then told Yanran that Hongfu was useful as a target and bait.
• Huaishang was relieved to avoid dealing with Hongfu, but the next day he could no longer be happy.

Song Jingyang returned with Hongfu’s lavish gifts and a thousand taels, but Tang Zhuyun rejected the jewels and the Prince of Jin directed his men to keep watch over Hongfu and her unborn child. The chapter ended with Tang Zhuyun, the Prince of Jin, and the children celebrating the Lantern Festival together.

• Song Jingyang brought back a treasure box of jewelry from Hongfu and kept the thousand taels she had paid him, but Tang Zhuyun refused to accept the gifts.
• The Prince of Jin ordered Song Jingyang to return the jewelry and told him and Huaishang to treat Hongfu with concern while keeping an eye on her pregnancy.
• The Prince of Jin rewarded Huaishang with a thousand taels and gave him another five hundred taels for Yao Jinhua.
• Tang Zhuyun privately decided Hongfu had no place in the household, since the child was not the Prince of Jin’s.
• On the Lantern Festival, Song Jingyang took Linlin and Yanran onto the roof to watch the crowds, while Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin shared fried yuanxiao below.

Tang Zhuyun played drunk to win the Prince of Jin’s eastern pearls, but he saw through her act and questioned her sudden change in temperament. She refused to reveal her secret and asked whether he still planned to leave once his injury healed.

• Song Jingyang brought a box of festival snacks, and Tang Zhuyun shared some with him and Xiu'er.
• The Prince of Jin offered Tang Zhuyun eastern pearls if she got drunk on fermented-rice tangyuan, and she pretended to pass out after eating a bowl.
• The Prince of Jin tested Tang Zhuyun by asking if she wanted to go home or return to the sea, and she broke character laughing at his mermaid theory.
• The Prince of Jin accused Tang Zhuyun of having changed and knowing things she had not known before, but she claimed she had simply kept her abilities hidden.
• Tang Zhuyun teased the Prince of Jin about his suspicions and asked whether he would leave on the second day of the second month after recovering from his injury.

Tang Zhuyun learned that Tang Baixin was going to Jiangbei for disaster relief and worried about his safety, so she asked the Prince of Jin to protect him. The Prince of Jin agreed to consider helping and left Tang Zhuyun wondering what repayment he would demand.

• The Prince of Jin ordered Tang Zhuyun to leave, then spent the night furious over their confrontation.
• Huaishang told the Prince of Jin that several groups had broken into Hongfu's residence amid the previous night's chaos.
• Tang Baixin told Tang Zhuyun he was going to Jiangbei to provide disaster relief and promised to resume investigating the Prince of Jin's case when he returned.
• Tang Baixin explained that he hoped his service would help Meng Yulan become his principal wife, and Tang Zhuyun offered to care for the family while he was away.
• The Prince of Jin warned that Jiang Beihan might exploit Tang Baixin's trip, so Tang Zhuyun begged him to arrange guards for her brother.
• The Prince of Jin said he would discuss Tang Zhuyun moving home after the funeral procession and asked how she would repay him for keeping Tang Baixin alive.

Tang Zhuyun refused the Prince of Jin’s offer to trade two guards for a dog for Linlin, explaining why keeping one was unsafe while the children were young. The Prince of Jin later arranged help for Tang Baixin anyway, and Tang Zhuyun learned of it when Tang Baixin thanked him.

• The Prince of Jin asked Tang Zhuyun to get a dog for Linlin in exchange for two guards, but she explained her concerns about dirt, disease, allergies, and injuries.
• The Prince of Jin dropped the dog request, then refused to provide guards; Tang Zhuyun argued that he should repay Tang Baixin for raising Linlin and helping the family.
• Tang Zhuyun left to change Nanxing’s dressing, and the Prince of Jin decided to arrange the guards for Tang Baixin without telling her.
• Two days later, Tang Zhuyun learned of the Prince of Jin’s help when Tang Baixin thanked him.
• With Linlin and Yanran visiting the Tang family, Tang Zhuyun made tiger-head shoes for her expected niece or nephew while the Prince of Jin questioned her needlework.

Tang Zhuyun worried about Madam Wang after she came to visit and then disappeared, while the Prince of Jin speculated about her motives. Madam Wang returned to the Wang residence, but just as Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin sat down to eat, Xiu'er announced that something had happened there.

• Tang Zhuyun learned that Madam Wang had come to see her but left before they could meet, and she sent Xiu'er to find out why.
• Tang Zhuyun and the Prince of Jin considered whether Madam Wang's visit involved danger, personal trouble, or aid for disaster victims.
• When Xiu'er could not find Madam Wang at the Wang residence, Tang Zhuyun ordered a search, and the Prince of Jin approved.
• Xiu'er later reported that Madam Wang had returned to the Wang residence, so Tang Zhuyun went to prepare eight-treasure duck.
• As the Prince of Jin began eating, Xiu'er announced that something had happened at the Wang residence.