Recaps

Auntie Yu visited Xiao Lingyan on Noble Consort Cen’s behalf and learned that he could not consummate the marriage while recovering. Xiao Lingyan insisted Zhao Ruxi live in another courtyard because male attendants and physicians regularly entered his rooms, leaving her to visit him each day.

• Zhao Ruxi tended to Xiao Lingyan as Auntie Yu arrived to check on his health.
• Xiao Lingyan reassured Auntie Yu that Noble Consort Cen need not keep sending her to watch over him.
• Auntie Yu asked whether Zhao Ruxi would stay in Xiao Lingyan’s room, and Xiao Lingyan clarified that he was incapable of intercourse while ill.
• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi to choose another courtyard because his care required frequent visits from male attendants and physicians.
• Zhao Ruxi agreed to live elsewhere and visit Xiao Lingyan daily, while Auntie Yu promised to tell Noble Consort Cen it had been his decision.

Xiao Lingyan insisted on remaining paralyzed despite Zhao Ruxi’s concern, while secretly hoping to protect her from the dangers and pressure of childbirth. Zhao Ruxi settled into the Prince of Qi’s Residence and returned to her family home, where Qi Xuan mocked her marriage.

• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi he wished he could recover but said he would stick to his plan, and Zhao Ruxi urged him to put his health first.
• Xiao Lingyan secretly considered Zhao Ruxi’s youth and the risks she would face from childbirth, and chose to remain paralyzed rather than expose her to pressure to bear an heir.
• Noble Consort Cen decided not to send Auntie Yu to live at the Prince of Qi’s Residence, and Zhao Ruxi moved into a courtyard near the main one.
• Xiao Lingyan could not accompany Zhao Ruxi on her customary return visit, so Auntie Yu went with her to the Earl of Suiping’s Residence.
• Xiao Ge sent Princess Xiangyang and Lu Shanchu to the south, while Qi Xuan mocked Zhao Ruxi for marrying a paralyzed prince.

The Old Madam Duchess of Wei decided that Qi Xuan would marry her fiancé on the originally planned date after her continued misbehavior and the decline of his family made the match an easier way to distance her from the capital. At the Earl of Suiping’s Residence, Zhao Ruxi reassured her family about the Prince of Qi’s household and considered whether to resume official service while he was ill.

• The Old Madam Duchess of Wei punished Qi Xuan for speaking carelessly, then decided she would marry her fiancé as planned despite his family’s political misfortunes.
• Lady Zhu arrived while Zhao Ruxi was speaking with the old madam and asked about her married life at the Prince of Qi’s Residence.
• Zhao Ruxi explained that the Prince of Qi had sent his wet nurse to live comfortably in her hometown and that few servants remained in their residence.
• Zhao Yuanxun asked whether Zhao Ruxi could return to public service, and she said the Prince of Qi would support either choice.
• Zhao Ruxi said she was unsure about serving as an official while the Prince of Qi was in poor health, since her absence could invite gossip.

Zhao Ruxi reassured her family and Kang Shilin that she was content despite Xiao Lingyan’s condition, and described her plan to serve nominally at the Ministry of Works while improving farming tools from home. She explained that her earlier agricultural and waterworks projects needed time to show their full results.

• Zhao Ruxi told Zhao Yuanxun, the old madam, and Lady Zhu that she planned to take a nominal post at the Ministry of Works and work on farming tools at home.
• Lady Zhu privately asked Zhao Ruxi whether Xiao Lingyan could consummate the marriage, and Zhao Ruxi confirmed that he could not and that they did not share a room.
• Zhao Ruxi returned to the Prince of Qi's Residence, and ten days later she saw Zhao Yuanxun and his party off before inviting Kang Shilin to visit.
• Kang Shilin visited Xiao Lingyan and then met Zhao Ruxi, who reassured him that she was content and intended to keep working as an official from home.
• Zhao Ruxi told Kang Shilin that her improved farming tools and Nanyang waterworks would need time before their benefits became fully apparent.

Zhao Ruxi explained that she wanted the court to invite her back into office after her farming innovations proved their value, and Kang Shilin agreed to help. They discussed her senior brothers’ fortunes, including Gong Cheng’s promotion to minister of works and Wu Zong’s news that Xiao Ruotong was pregnant.

• Zhao Ruxi told Kang Shilin she would wait for her farming tools and irrigation works to impress the court before accepting an official post, and asked him to guide the emperor’s response.
• Kang Shilin told Zhao Ruxi that Gong Cheng had become minister of works after the emperor approved his appointment that morning.
• Kang Shilin suggested that Gong Cheng could recommend Zhao Ruxi for a Ministry of Works position if the emperor expected her to serve the court.
• Zhao Ruxi explained that she wanted to return to office to serve as a role model for women, not simply for her own benefit.
• Kang Shilin told Zhao Ruxi that Wu Zong had written to say Xiao Ruotong was pregnant, and Zhao Ruxi celebrated the news.

Zhao Ruxi’s farming tools spread among farmers and greatly increased the land reclaimed for cultivation. Xiao Ge learned of their impact and saw them as a way to improve the people’s lives and expand food production.

• Kang Shilin asked Zhao Ruxi about her wine, and she sent someone to Nanyang to check on it after learning it was made but still needed more time to age.
• As spring plowing began, farmers who had tried Zhao Ruxi’s tools spread the word, and the tools gradually replaced older ones in fields across the country.
• Xiao Ge asked Qi Xugu about spring plowing, and Qi Xugu credited the tools with easing the shortage of draft oxen.
• Duan Chen found the Ministry of Revenue’s memorial, which reported that winter land reclamation had reached 2.5 times the area of previous years.
• Xiao Ge praised Zhao Ruxi’s tools and said they brought him closer to his hope that everyone in Great Jin could eat white flour and rice.

Qi Xugu reported to Xiao Ge that Zhao Ruxi had built an ingenious irrigation network in Nanyang that could protect harvests and residents from ordinary floods and droughts. He revealed that the project cost the government nothing and earned it money through a deal with Grand Princess Shangde, leaving Xiao Ge eager to hear how it worked.

• Qi Xugu presented Xiao Ge with a memorial describing Zhao Ruxi’s irrigation works in Nanyang.
• Qi Xugu explained that the linked lakes, waterways, dams, and waterwheels could store and regulate water, protecting Nanyang from floods and droughts.
• Xiao Ge praised Zhao Ruxi’s ingenuity and devotion, while regretting that she could no longer serve as an official.
• Qi Xugu told Xiao Ge that Zhao Ruxi’s irrigation project had cost the government nothing and had brought in a large sum.
• Qi Xugu explained that Grand Princess Shangde paid to build dams in return for five years of free use, after which she would pay an annual fee.

Emperor Xiao Ge considered bringing Zhao Ruxi into the Ministry of Revenue and sought advice on how to overcome court gossip about her serving as an official. After deciding to make the request through formal visits, he asked his ministers for their opinions, and Zhang Changshen supported the proposal.

• Qi Xugu asked Xiao Ge to appoint Zhao Ruxi to the Ministry of Revenue, where she could oversee accounts and guide staff.
• Xiao Ge summoned Grand Princess Shangde and discussed expanding textile mills to fund waterworks, then asked her about Zhao Ruxi returning to official service.
• Grand Princess Shangde advised Xiao Ge to have officials make three formal requests so Zhao Ruxi could accept without inviting gossip.
• The next day, Xiao Ge asked the Grand Secretaries what they thought of appointing Zhao Ruxi, and Zhang Changshen was the first to approve.

Xiao Ge’s ministers unanimously approved Zhao Ruxi’s return to office, though he sent Eunuch Xie to ask whether she wanted the post. At the Prince of Qi’s Residence, Xu Xue told Zhao Ruxi that she and Zhao Jing'an planned to marry, and Zhao Ruxi congratulated them.

• Zhang Changshen led the ministers in unanimously agreeing to Zhao Ruxi taking office again.
• Wu Huaisi suggested asking whether Zhao Ruxi wished to accept the post, and Xiao Ge sent Eunuch Xie to the Prince of Qi's Residence to ask her.
• Xu Xue told Zhao Ruxi that Zhao Jing'an had confessed his feelings and would propose after finishing the county examination.
• Xu Xue explained that she and Zhao Jing'an grew close while she helped him learn to write storybooks, which he published to support himself.
• Zhao Ruxi congratulated Xu Xue and Zhao Jing'an on their relationship.

Xu Xue asked Zhao Ruxi whether marrying Zhao Jing'an was a good choice, and Zhao Ruxi reassured her that the match suited them. After Xu Xue left, Zhao Ruxi refused the emperor’s offer of a Ministry of Revenue post, prompting Gong Cheng and Qi Xugu to debate inviting her to an honorary post in the Ministry of Works instead.

• Xu Xue told Zhao Ruxi that Zhao Jing'an had agreed not to take concubines, and Zhao Ruxi assured her the marriage was a good match.
• Xu Xue explained that she had rejected a juren partly because she feared he wanted to use her connection to Zhao Ruxi.
• Eunuch Xie told Zhao Ruxi that the emperor and Qi Xugu had invited her to serve in the Ministry of Revenue, but she declined, saying the Prince of Qi was ill.
• Eunuch Xie reported Zhao Ruxi’s refusal to Xiao Ge, while Gong Cheng argued that she should instead receive an honorary post in the Ministry of Works.
• Qi Xugu objected to Gong Cheng’s proposal and insisted Zhao Ruxi should choose which ministry she wished to join.

Xiao Ge offered Zhao Ruxi a nominal court post, and she asked to wait until Xiao Lingyan’s condition improved. Later, Cen Peixuan witnessed Noble Consort Cen confront Consort Xian and the new palace consorts over their complaint about Zhao Ruxi receiving palace brocade.

• Xiao Ge asked Eunuch Xie to offer Zhao Ruxi a nominal post in either the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue, and Zhao Ruxi asked to think it over while Xiao Lingyan remained unwell.
• Noble Consort Cen praised Zhao Ruxi’s consideration for Xiao Lingyan and ordered Auntie Yu to send her favored Jiangnan brocade.
• Noble Consort Cen told the heavily pregnant Cen Peixuan to leave the palace and warned that Xiao Lingpu should visit her instead; Cen Peixuan left feeling isolated and bored with her quiet life at home.
• Cen Peixuan saw Consort Xian lead several new consorts to challenge Noble Consort Cen for choosing brocade for Zhao Ruxi before the others received theirs.
• Noble Consort Cen defended Zhao Ruxi’s farming implements and accused Consort Xian of inciting the consorts to undermine her and protect the sixth prince’s position.

Cen Peixuan witnessed Noble Consort Cen shut down Consort Xian’s attempt to assert herself, then returned to the Prince of An’s Residence, where Xiao Lingpu discussed the palace intrigue with his retainers. At the Prince of Qi’s Residence, Zhao Ruxi urged Xiao Lingyan to recover and guessed he was staying ill to delay her pregnancy.

• Noble Consort Cen ordered a eunuch to report Consort Xian’s scheme to His Majesty, and Consort Xian begged her to let the matter go.
• Cen Peixuan left the palace in distress, while Nanny Chen reassured her that Noble Consort Cen had Consort Xian under control.
• At the Prince of An’s Residence, Lu Fei and Liu Tingrun discussed Consort Xian’s impatience, and Xiao Lingpu said Xiao Lingyan’s illness did not seem feigned.
• After hearing Nanny Chen’s report, Xiao Lingpu told her to warn Cen Peixuan about palace secrets and keep her away from the palace, then went to visit Xiao Lingyan.
• Zhao Ruxi returned to Xiao Lingyan after Xiao Lingpu left, urged him to get better soon, and asked if he was avoiding recovery because he did not want her to become pregnant yet.

Zhao Ruxi helped Xiao Lingyan plan a gradual recovery and studied medical books while keeping watch over political threats. After reading dozens of books, she produced a prescription that astonished the imperial physicians, leaving hope that Xiao Lingyan could recover.

• Zhao Ruxi confronted Xiao Lingyan about making himself paralyzed to avoid having children, and he agreed to recover.
• Xiao Lingyan asked Zhao Ruxi to study medicine so the imperial physicians would not receive credit for his recovery, and she agreed to keep her role discreet.
• Zhao Ruxi took time away from her duties to read medical books and earn points for Great Jin's development.
• Zhao Ruxi asked the system about threats from the Prince of An and the sixth prince, and the system said neither posed an immediate danger to Xiao Lingyan.
• After reading thirty or forty medical books, Zhao Ruxi presented a prescription from a modern physician, and the imperial physicians declared it brilliant.

After Zhao Ruxi helped Xiao Lingyan recover, Noble Consort Cen asked her to delay consummating their marriage for his health. Zhao Ruxi took a nominal post at the Ministry of Works and began working with its craftsmen on new designs.

• Five days after Zhao Ruxi’s treatment began, Xiao Lingyan regained sensation, moved his fingers, and gradually learned to sit, eat, and walk with support.
• Noble Consort Cen thanked Zhao Ruxi for helping Xiao Lingyan and asked her to delay consummating their marriage for six months; Zhao Ruxi agreed and realized Xiao Lingyan had arranged the request for her sake.
• Zhao Ruxi told Xiao Lingyan she planned to work at the Ministry of Works, and he warned her not to overwork herself.
• Qi Xugu asked Xiao Lingyan to persuade Zhao Ruxi to join the Ministry of Revenue, but Xiao Lingyan refused because Zhao Jingli was already working there.
• Gong Cheng asked Zhao Ruxi to take a post at the Ministry of Works, and she agreed; Xiao Ge appointed her to a nominal Principal Sixth Rank position.
• Zhao Ruxi visited the Ministry of Works, discussed farming implements with its craftsmen, and gave them drawings to build.

Zhao Ruxi tested a new harvester before Ministry of Works officials and imperial representatives, with thirty strong farmhands harvesting rice by hand in a parallel trial. The machine overtook the workers in less than a quarter of an hour, and the test was still underway.

• Xiao Ge felt reassured when Zhao Ruxi joined the Ministry of Works and hoped she would help Great Jin by developing new machinery.
• Zhao Ruxi told Gong Cheng that she had built a harvester and invited him to watch its test; Xiao Ge sent Eunuch Xie to represent him.
• Zhao Ruxi arranged a comparison between the harvester and thirty experienced farmhands, while Qi Xugu, Zhao Jingli, and other officials came to observe.
• At Eunuch Xie's signal, the farmhands began cutting rice by hand as Zhao Ruxi's team set the horse-drawn machine in motion.
• The harvester gathered and separated the rice, then moved ahead of the farmhands in less than a quarter of an hour.

Zhao Ruxi’s harvester decisively outperformed thirty men in a rice-harvesting trial, impressing the officials and Xiao Ge. When Xiao Lingyan asked what reward she wanted, Zhao Ruxi said she wanted nothing, though he teased her about her reputation for loving money.

• Zhao Ruxi explained to Qi Xugu that the horse-drawn harvester cost about eight taels, saved substantial labor, and could be adapted into models pulled by oxen or mules.
• The harvester cut and threshed rice far faster than the thirty men, who had harvested only a little over half their area when it finished.
• Eunuch Xie reported the successful trial to Xiao Ge, who celebrated and asked what reward Zhao Ruxi should receive.
• Eunuch Xie suggested that Xiao Ge ask the Prince of Qi what Zhao Ruxi wanted, rather than promoting her father again.
• Zhao Ruxi told Xiao Lingyan she wanted no reward because serving Great Jin was her duty, and he teased her about her reputation as a lover of money.

Zhao Ruxi proposed partnering with Xiao Ge to sell her sealed-jar wine, while refusing to profit from farm tools meant to help ordinary farmers. After Xiao Lingyan recovered, Madam Tao requested a visit with Noble Consort Cen.

• Xiao Lingyan sent Xiao Liuzi to tell Xiao Ge that Zhao Ruxi wanted to discuss a business deal, and Eunuch Xie clarified that she was not seeking to profit from harvesters.
• Zhao Ruxi served Eunuch Xie her Nanyang wine, and he praised its quality and potential health benefits.
• Zhao Ruxi proposed partnering with Xiao Ge in the sealed-jar wine business and said she would present the wine to him before anyone else.
• Eunuch Xie reported Zhao Ruxi's proposal and her refusal to profit from farm tools, moving Xiao Ge and strengthening his resolve to pass the throne to Xiao Lingyan.
• Xiao Ge ordered farm tools to be manufactured and sold at uniform prices, then rewarded Zhao Ruxi with an estate and a shop instead of a share of the profits.
• After Xiao Lingyan fully recovered, a palace maid told Noble Consort Cen that Madam Tao had sent a calling card requesting a visit.

Noble Consort Cen considered whether Tao Tao might become Xiao Lingyan’s secondary consort, hoping to secure the Tao family’s support while balancing Zhao Ruxi’s interests. When she raised the proposal with Xiao Lingyan, he refused and reaffirmed that he would not take a concubine.

• Madam Tao brought Tao Tao to visit Noble Consort Cen, who liked the girl but received no direct marriage proposal from her.
• Noble Consort Cen considered Tao Tao as a possible secondary consort for Xiao Lingyan, while Auntie Yu warned that a disruptive concubine could distract Zhao Ruxi from her work.
• Noble Consort Cen summoned Xiao Lingyan after court and told him she thought he could consider Tao Tao after consummating his marriage with Zhao Ruxi.
• Xiao Lingyan coldly reminded Noble Consort Cen that he had promised not to take a concubine and told her to reject all such proposals.

Xiao Lingyan refused to take concubines, telling Xiao Ge he would rather give up the throne than risk a divided household and another bloody succession struggle. Xiao Ge agreed not to force him to take concubines if Zhao Zhiwei bore a son, while the birth of Xiao Lingpu and Cen Peixuan’s daughter gave Xiao Lingyan and Zhao Ruxi more time in peace.

• Xiao Lingyan left Noble Consort Cen and told Xiao Ge that he would not take concubines, citing the previous winter’s fratricidal conflict and his wish to build a harmonious family with Zhao Zhiwei.
• Xiao Ge asked what Xiao Lingyan would do if Zhao Zhiwei could not bear a son or if a son were required for him to become Crown Prince, and Xiao Lingyan said Xiao Ge should choose someone else.
• Xiao Ge agreed not to force Xiao Lingyan to take concubines as long as Zhao Zhiwei could bear a son.
• Xiao Lingyan told Zhao Ruxi what had happened, and they agreed they could live freely without pursuing the throne if they had no son.
• The system told Zhao Ruxi that Cen Peixuan had given birth to a daughter, and Xiao Lingyan noted that Xiao Ge could not use a son of Xiao Lingpu’s to pressure him.
• Xiao Ge waited until the New Year for Xiao Lingyan to reconsider, but Xiao Lingyan showed no sign of changing his mind, and ministers gradually stopped urging the emperor to name a Crown Prince.

Xiao Lingyan convinced Xiao Lingpu that the throne brought burdens rather than happiness, then discussed with Zhao Ruxi how they might turn Great Jin into a constitutional monarchy. They planned to use an industrial revolution to build the forces needed for reform.

• Xiao Lingpu visited Xiao Lingyan and urged him not to give up the throne, but Xiao Lingyan listed the dangers and hardships of being emperor and argued that the Cen Family wanted power for its own benefit.
• Xiao Lingpu left the Prince of Qi's Residence shaken by Xiao Lingyan's arguments about the life of a prince without imperial duties.
• Zhao Ruxi teased Xiao Lingyan for misleading his brother, and Xiao Lingyan admitted that he regretted the struggle for power and wanted a simpler life.
• Zhao Ruxi proposed establishing a constitutional monarchy, and Xiao Lingyan welcomed the idea but worried that it would face resistance.
• Zhao Ruxi suggested an industrial revolution could create capitalists strong enough to challenge the great clans, and Xiao Lingyan asked her to gather information so they could prepare for reform.

Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan discussed political reform and industrial development, while Xiao Lingyan delayed consummating their marriage to protect her from pressure to bear an heir. After Imperial Physician Shao declared him too weak to do so, Xiao Lingyan returned to the residence, where Zhao Ruxi learned he had arranged the diagnosis and thanked him for enduring the delay.

• Zhao Ruxi wrote down the materials she had received, and Xiao Lingyan read and destroyed them over more than half a month.
• Xiao Lingyan explained that the conditions were not right for constitutional monarchy and said they would slowly introduce steam power and agricultural machinery.
• Noble Consort Cen summoned Xiao Lingyan to the palace and urged him to consummate his marriage with Zhao Ruxi and have a son.
• Imperial Physician Shao examined Xiao Lingyan and told Noble Consort Cen that he remained too weak and needed more time to recover.
• Xiao Lingyan returned to the Prince of Qi's Residence, admitted to Zhao Ruxi that he had arranged the diagnosis, and she thanked him for shielding her from pressure to bear children.

Zhao Ruxi enjoyed a quiet New Year while Grand Princess Shangde and the Princess of Zhennan discussed her refusal to entertain political maneuvering around her. When Prince Jingping’s household asked whether Zhao Ruyu should be elevated to principal wife, Zhao Ruxi left the choice entirely to them, and Grand Princess Shangde delivered her answer.

• Zhao Ruxi spent the days before New Year practicing calligraphy, painting for points, and sharing her composting method, which helped winter wheat grow around the capital.
• Xiao Ge avoided a grand palace New Year celebration, while Zhao Ruxi kept away from most social gatherings and the titled ladies who wanted to criticize her.
• The Princess of Zhennan asked Grand Princess Shangde about the Consort of Prince of Jingping’s request to elevate Zhao Ruyu, and Grand Princess Shangde explained Zhao Ruyu’s history with Zhao Ruxi.
• Grand Princess Shangde visited Zhao Ruxi, who said Prince Jingping’s household could decide for itself whether Zhao Ruyu deserved to become the heir’s principal wife.
• Grand Princess Shangde relayed Zhao Ruxi’s answer to the Consort of Prince of Jingping, who remained unsure what it meant.

The Prince and Princess of Jingping agreed to wait until Zhao Ruyu gave birth before deciding whether to raise her to principal wife, recognizing her connection to the Consort of the Prince of Qi could benefit their family. Meanwhile, Zhao Ruxi’s Nanyang liquor was declared tribute wine and prepared for sale at a high price, and a calling card arrived from Madam Tao.

• The Princess of Jingping told the Prince of Jingping that she disliked Zhao Ruyu and opposed making her Xiao Sijie’s principal wife.
• Xiao Sijie revealed that Zhao Ruyu was pregnant and asked his parents to raise her to principal wife, citing her cousin’s status as Consort of the Prince of Qi.
• The Prince of Jingping explained how Zhao Ruyu’s family connection could benefit their future, and he and the Princess of Jingping agreed to wait for the birth and judge her conduct before deciding.
• Zhao Ruxi’s Nanyang liquor was praised by Xiao Ge and Eunuch Xie and formally declared tribute wine.
• Zhao Ruxi showed Grand Princess Shangde the liquor, priced each small bottle at twenty taels, and Qingfeng delivered a calling card from Madam Tao of the Minister of War’s residence.

Grand Princess Shangde warned Zhao Ruxi that Madam Tao had previously tried to arrange for Tao Tao to become the Prince of Qi’s secondary consort. When Madam Tao visited, she offered to sell the Yu Clan’s glutinous rice to Zhao Ruxi at a discount, but Zhao Ruxi declined, explaining that her own estates supplied all the rice she needed.

• Grand Princess Shangde cautioned Zhao Ruxi about Madam Tao’s earlier attempt to place Tao Tao in the Prince of Qi’s household, and Zhao Ruxi assured her she knew about it.
• Madam Tao visited Zhao Ruxi without Tao Tao and tested her by making polite conversation until Zhao Ruxi directly asked why she had come.
• Madam Tao explained that the Nanyang Yu Clan, through her elder sister, wanted to sell Zhao Ruxi glutinous rice at a twenty percent discount for her sealed-jar wine.
• Zhao Ruxi refused the offer, saying her estates produced enough rice and she did not intend to expand wine production.
• Madam Tao realized her research had led her to misjudge Zhao Ruxi’s need for rice, despite having persuaded the Yu Clan to agree to the deal.

Zhao Ruxi rejected Madam Tao’s attempt to curry favor and discussed consummating her marriage with Xiao Lingyan, whose health had improved. Xiao Ge ordered the imperial physicians to check Xiao Lingyan and prepare to name him crown prince, while Zhao Ruxi and Xiao Lingyan agreed they could no longer delay consummation.

• Madam Tao offered to supply Zhao Ruxi with glutinous rice, but Zhao Ruxi declined and sent her away.
• Xiao Lingyan heard about Madam Tao’s visit, and Zhao Ruxi explained that Madam Tao had been trying to make amends and gain access to the Prince of Qi’s residence.
• News of Zhao Ruxi’s refusal spread, discouraging titled ladies from seeking her favor or sending daughters to become Xiao Lingyan’s secondary consorts.
• Xiao Ge reflected that refusing all factions and desires could keep an emperor free from political pressure, then ordered an imperial physician to examine Xiao Lingyan and asked the Directorate of Astronomy to choose a day for the couple to consummate their marriage.
• Zhao Ruxi urged Xiao Lingyan to consummate their marriage because his health had recovered and the physicians could not keep covering for him; Xiao Lingyan reassured her that cesarean sections had saved more than a dozen women, with a reported seventy-percent success rate.