Category: Recap

Episode 30 – Recap

Shiyi talks to the chief steward and lays a trap to catch the killer, which turns out to be the second steward. But before they can find out who’s the mastermind, the second steward is murdered by an arrow. Assassins storm the villa. Lingyi and his subordinates show up to save the day.

Back at the Xu manor, Lingkuan celebrates news of Lingyi’s wellbeing with alcohol, but gets wasted. Then he wakes up next to a maid (Xiaolan). Danyang holds her anger and makes the maid a concubine instead of sending her away. She also makes her friend (Xiaodie) her personal maid.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Lingyi makes up a story that Shiyi was actually helping him to lay a trap for the Ou family, and that’s why he got hurt. His mother doesn’t actually believe him, but also doesn’t punish Shiyi for his sake. 

Shiyi and Lingyi discuss the circumstances of her mother’s murder. Concubine Wen shows up to apologize for ratting her out to Madame Xu. Lingyi is displeased with her, but ultimately punishes her by copying the family rules a hundred times instead of sending her away.

Episode 29 – Recap

Madame Xu decides to investigate the cause of Lingyi’s injury herself and finds out that Shiyi was the one who stabbed him. Then news of Lingyi dying in a burning building reaches them. Everyone is distraught, but while Madame Xu wants to kill Shiyi, all her other in-laws defend her. 

Xu Lingkuan burns his opera scripts and vows to take care of the Xu family.

Marquis Jingyuan of the Ou family finds out about Lingyi’s death and is pleased, so he gives his son his wolf tally which can be used to command his subordinates in Shandong.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Wang Yu has stopped hitting Erniang lately, and she is pleased, thinking that he has changed, but then she says something nasty about Lingyi’s death and the Xu family which angers Wang Yu, so he hits her and leaves. Her stomach hurts and the physician diagnoses her as pregnant, but it’s an unstable pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Shiyi is sent to the farmstead and ordered to live like a servant. The head steward bullies her and someone wants to kill her. Lin Shixian and Master Jian are both worried for Shiyi’s safety upon learning of Lingyi’s death. Lin Shixian locates her, and secretly helps her out without letting her know.

Episode 28 – Recap

Concubine Qin and Wen are out shopping and decide to go to Xianling Pavilion for some new fabric, but see Lin Shixian comforting Shiyi over the revelation that Lingyi might be her mother’s murderer. Concubine Wen misunderstands. They don’t intend to tell anyone, but Concubine Wen talks about it loudly in disbelief back at the Xu manor and Lingyi overhears. So he rushes over to Xianling Pavilion and the two concubines chase after him.

He sees Shiyi together with Lin Shixian (a.k.a. Ou Yanxing) and misunderstands. He attacks Lin Shixian. Shiyi gets him to stop by threatening herself with a pair of scissors. She ends up slipping and stabbing Lingyi in the chest. The two concubines walk in on the scene and see Shiyi literally redhanded.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Lingyi forbids anyone from revealing what happened and also stops them from reporting this incident to the authorities in order to protect Shiyi. Before he leaves for Shandong, he writes a divorce letter for Shiyi, which is meant to protect her life in case of future troubles. While still heavily injured, he goes on the road.

Ou Lixing finds out about Lingyi’s injury and sends someone to kill Lingyi in Shandong.

Episode 27 – Recap

Lin Shixian (a.k.a. Ou Yanxing) finds out that Shiyi is married to Lingyi and then witnesses them kissing at the Qixi festival. He is in shock. Amber sees him and goes to give him a few words of comfort. He still intends to help Shiyi investigate her mother’s death, because of his promise, and then he intends to cut off ties with her after.

At the festival, Shiyi and Lingyi enjoy themselves. They win a pair of lanterns together that are being advertised towards lovers. Then they kiss. A kid knocks into Shiyi and one of the lanterns burns. Shiyi is saddened by the lost, but still ends the day happy and with hopes of living a happy life with Lingyi after she resolves her mother’s murder.

Dongqing and Fu Linbo have a little moment the next day when Dongqing is giving out Qixi snacks to the other maids. They start with teasing and then end up arguing like always.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Lin Shixian locates the original coroner for Shiyi’s mother and they find out that she was killed by an arrow and not actually a blade. Shiyi goes to the scene of the crime again and they bump into a hunter who tells them that he saw the leader of a troop of men shoot a woman being held hostage in that area. He was too far away to confirm details, but the evidence is starting to point to Lingyi.

Lingyi personally makes a duplicate of the burned lantern for Shiyi, but she can’t enjoy it with her heart full of doubt.

Shiyi refuses to believe that Lingyi killed her mother, so she gets him drunk to ask him about her mother’s death. He only got out the sentence that he was at fault and then faints, so Shiyi misunderstands him.

Lingyi volunteers to go to Shandong to investigate a disaster area that the Ou family might be involved with.

Episode 26 – Recap

Lianfang sees Luo Zhenxing walk out of Lingyi’s study with a divorce letter for Shiyi and she is ecstatic. Both her and her mother firmly believe that she will be legitimized as the wife in the future. But Lianfang wants to cut off all loose ends by killing Mingjian (the physician’s assistant that she had bribed to mess with Yuanniang’s medicine). 

She hears word of Shiyi going to a suburb villa of the Luo family’s and believes that Mingjian has been caught and is kept there, so she goes to kill him, but falls into Shiyi’s counter-counterattack. Lianfang ends up confessing while gloating. Lingyi jumps out to save Shiyi.

Back at the Xu manor, all of Lianfang’s crimes get exposed and she is punished according to the family rules: flogged 30 times and then sent to the village to be a nun, never to return to the capital again.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Lianfang tries to appeal to Lingyi one last time, but fails. She finally learns to be at peace with the outcome and even comforts her mother.

Madame Luo learns that Yuanniang was murdered and suffers a stroke.

Madame Xu gives Shiyi an indirect apology by gifting her something valuable from her own dowry. She wants Shiyi to stop teaching the refugees how to embroider because it’s not proper for her to be outside like that, but Lingyi speaks up for her. Shiyi asks Lingyi for money to compensate Master Jian. He gives it willingly and says he’ll support her in everything.

Episode 25 – Recap

Shiyi suggests that Lingyi reward Xu Lingkuan for his help with an opera script.

Lingyi follows up on the information that his brother gave him and figures out the Ou family’s ploy. He goes to stop Wang Yu from causing trouble and also warns Wang Yu to stop hitting his wife.

Shiyi goes to Xianling Pavilion to stop the unrest caused by Madame Qiao (Lianfang’s mother). Lianfang brings Madame Xu there to witness the scene and discredit Shiyi. Everything seems to be happening according to Lianfang’s counterattack. Shiyi is sent back to the Luo family to await a divorce letter from Lingyi. 

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Luo Zhenxing once again shows what a supportive brother he is. He speaks up for Shiyi in front of Madame Luo. Then he goes to check on Shiyi and she asks him for help.

When Lingyi comes back, Zhao Ying reports what happened to him, and he quickly rushes to see Shiyi without even dismounting his horse. There are servants in the Luo family bribed by the Qiao family, and they overheard an argument between Shiyi and Lingyi.

Episode 24 – Recap

Ou Lixing and his wife befriends Wu Hang and Erniang with ulterior motives.

Shiyi pretends to be pregnant in order to expose Lianfang, but Lianfang eventually finds out and is now plotting against Shiyi with her mother. Lingyi hears about the supposed pregnancy and offers to make the lie into a truth with Shiyi. Madame Luo hears about Shiyi’s “pregnancy” and faints from worry for Xu Zhun. 

Xu Lingkuan finds out that the Ou family and Wang family are getting close. He finds this suspicious and reports the news to Lingyi.

Lianfang’s mother sends a maid into Xianling Pavilion to cause trouble. The maid pretends to be a refugee and is trying to stir up unrest amongst the other refugees learning embroidery there by saying they’re being used as cheap labor.

Episode 23 – Recap

Shiyi sneaks into the Ou manor with Master Jian’s help to investigate her mother’s death. Lin Shixian happens to see her and helps her out. He reveals his identity as Ou Yanxing. She confides in him about her mother’s death and her suspicions. The little monk was nomadic and is finally back at Ci’an Temple now. He tells Shiyi that he also heard a man’s voice on the day of the murder. 

Erniang sends her maid away to get married in order to save her from Wu Hang’s perverted clutches.

Shiyi and her maids set up a trap to see if Lianfang is responsible for her mother’s death only to find out that Lianfang is most likely involved with Yuanniang’s death instead. Shiyi starts investigating Yuanniang’s death too, because letting Lianfang run free would become dangerous for her and Xu Zhun in the future.

Xu Zhun has a nightmare and comes crying to Shiyi and Lingyi, which gives Lingyi the excuse to jump into bed with Shiyi and the three cuddle to sleep.

Episode 22 – Recap

Shiyi finds out that the fabric used by the Ou family is all brought back by Zunzhang from the South. She also finds out that Wang Yu has been physically abusive towards Erniang. She talks to Erniang in an attempt to reconcile and help her. Erniang goes home and tries to start afresh with Wang Yu, but that son of a gun doesn’t care to play nice at all.

Lingyi comes home drunk after drinking with friends. Fu Linbo and Zhao Ying deliver him to Shiyi’s room. All the servants quickly make up excuses to leave Shiyi and Lingyi in the room alone together. Outside the room, Fu Linbo and Dongqing attempt to eavesdrop on what’s happening and end up pressing the sides of their faces against each other.

Shiyi takes care of the drunk Lingyi and sees a different side to him. She also witnesses him having nightmares. Concerned, she later asks Fu Linbo about it, and he tells her Lingyi can’t let go of what happened in the past – which is the Ou family setting a trap for the Xu family, and his father dying as a result.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Madame Xu visits Lianfang at night to appease her, because she took Shiyi to the banquet and not Lianfang. Instead, she ends up hearing Lianfang talking smack about Shiyi and breaking things. She chides Lianfang for it. Madame Xu finally acknowledges that Shiyi is a good person and that she misunderstood her in the past. Although her personal maid, Mrs. Du, was still trying to rationalize Lianfang’s outburst. Lianfang acts chastised in front of Madame Xu, but doesn’t actually intend to keep her head down.

The next morning, Madame Xu’s attitude towards Shiyi has evidently changed. She praises Shiyi in front of Lingyi, Danyang, and Lianfang. And she remarks that it’s nice that Lingyi and Shiyi are getting along well.

Lingyi purposely breaks a window in his room and uses that as an excuse to sleep in Shiyi’s room. The two flirt and have cute moments together.

Episode 21 – Recap

Ou Lixing snuck the moldy rice into the military provisions. Lingyi and Fu Linbo find the moldy rice and report it to the emperor during morning court. Marquis Jingyuan had to sacrifice a spy that he placed in the Ministry of Revenue to protect his son, Ou Lixing. Marquis Jingyuan berates Ou Lixing for his mistake, and we find out that Marquis Jingyuan seems to favor his illegitimate son, Ou Yanxing.

Lingyi is still awkward around Shiyi. He updates her on the situation about the moldy rice, hints at her frequent outings, and suggests sending Wan Daxian with her to protect her. Shiyi is about to tell him the truth that she’s been going to Xianling Pavilion to teach embroidery, but Lianfang interrupts at this time and successfully invites Lingyi to eat dinner with her using her birthday and Madame Xu as excuses.

Nanny Tao sees this and reports it to Madame Luo, who then orders Amber to seduce Lingyi.

Amber struggles with this for a long time. She wants to see her sister, but she doesn’t want to betray Shiyi either. After talking with Master Jian, Lin Shixian, and Shiyi, Amber realizes that she can’t betray Shiyi no matter what. So she devises a plan to get herself kicked out the Xu manor, but Shiyi realizes something is up and stops her in time.

Recap by Vanilla Muse. Please read this on vmnovels (dot) com

Amber finally reveals that she has an older sister to Shiyi, and says that even if she never sees her sister again she still cannot betray Shiyi who has always been such a kind master to her. Shiyi reiterates that she does not see Amber and Dongqing as her servants and the three women have a moment together. [I teared up at this part. Gosh, I just love this female friendship trio of Shiyi, Dongqing, and Amber.]

The wife of Marquis Zhongshan is holding a banquet and invited all the ladies in the capital. Madame Xu brings Shiyi with her to introduce her. Madame Xu is pleased with Shiyi’s performance and conversely disappointed in Lianfang’s reaction. 

At the banquet, Ou Lixing’s wife and Erniang try to make trouble for Shiyi over the name of a flower. They exchange verbal banter and Shiyi is winning before Madame Xu steps in to deliver the final blow against the other two.

The episode ends with Shiyi taking notice of the embroidery work on the sleeve of Ou Lixing’s wife. Cue the dramatic music to hint that this has something to do with her mother’s death.