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Royal Rumours Recap, Plot, Synopsis

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Royal Rumours Synopsis

In the year of the Da Jin Dynasty, General Hua Yingting, who has just defeated the Jinbo State, sent his only daughter, Hua Liuli, back to the capital.

Hua Liuli grew up with her father and brother in the military camp at the border, Although she is a daughter, she is talented and good at martial arts.

However, the capital was different from the border: on the one hand, the rumors of the Hua family’s turning warlord were widely circulating, on the other hand, Ji Yuansu, the second prince, has been crowned as the crown prince, and he was not doing his proper job, which had already attracted attention.

Hua Liuli, who was thought to be in the eye of the storm, did not follow the rules at all, pretending to be a sick and delicate girl.

She made the crown prince and the prince of the Jinbo be his chaser, turning the drama of the political plot into a sweet love drama.

Royal Rumours Recap

Episode 1 Recap

In the thirtieth year of Changdong, the Jin Kingdom and Jin Bo had a great war. General Hua Yingting led the Hua family army to a complete victory. It should have been a nationwide celebration, but the situation changed.

It was met with jealousy from the court officials who frequently reported to the emperor. To quell the rumors, Emperor Changlong appointed Hua Liuli, the daughter of the Hua family, as a county princess and allowed her to enter the capital to experience the prosperity of Yujing.

Due to the Hua family's victory, portraits of Hua family members were being sold everywhere on the streets and were quickly sold out. Minister Tian felt that although the Hua family won the battle, the common people did not thank the emperor but instead thanked the Hua Family. Meanwhile, official Yao felt that the Hua family was in trouble and discussed Hua Liuli's entry into the capital.

They both felt that Hua Liuli was like a lamb entering a tiger's den. However, official Zhu felt that things were not that simple and that they should be prepared in advance.

The three of them were thinking of causing some trouble.

On the way, Yan Wei told Hua Liuli that the Hua family was currently in a precarious situation and reminded her to be careful and low-key. However, Hua Liuli had other plans. On the other hand, the prince's men found out that Jin Bo's assassins had also entered the capital. At this time, the people and officials in Yujing City were all welcoming Hua Liuli. However, Jin Bo's assassins wanted to assassinate Hua Liuli, causing a rift between the emperor and the Hua family. When the people of the city saw Hua Liuli come out, they were especially happy, but Hua Liuli pretended to be faint due to the wind. This made the ministers think that she was weak and the people were talking about it. Jin Bo's assassins wanted to kill Hua Liuli, but the prince arrived in time. Xiao Wu was caught and beaten on the spot, and the prince, ignoring Yan Wei's objections, checked Hua Liuli's physical condition. He felt that Hua Liuli was pretending to be sick, and Yan Wei cried and complained about her young lady's misfortune. The people heard this and complained, asking the prince to let Hua Liuli rest at home. Hua Liuli told the prince that her illness had been going on for a long time and that she needed to live comfortably to recover. However, the prince insisted that Hua Liuli needed to rest and sent Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba to take her to a mansion in the western suburbs. He also asked Hua County Princess to rest well and promised to find someone to protect her so as not to delay her audience with the emperor.

On the way back, Yan Wei asked Miss about her conflict with the Crown Prince. Hua Liuli remembered the letter she wrote. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince felt that Hua Liuli was different from what he knew. Looking at the letters exchanged between the two, the Crown Prince became suspicious. Hua Liuli asked Yan Wei what the Crown Prince looked like, as she hadn't seen him yet. Hua Liuli felt that the Crown Prince was prepared and that Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba had sent her to the back to deal with him. As they walked around the courtyard, Yan Wei saw a well and was afraid that there were vengeful spirits inside. She thought the place was too dilapidated, but Hua Liuli comforted her, saying it was better than a camp. Hua Liuli told Yan Wei that this was the former residence of the Hua family and that the plaque was written by her grandfather, who unfortunately died in battle and never came back to see it. Yan Wei asked why Miss had won the battle and was still being guarded, but Hua Liuli said they didn't know how difficult it was to win a battle and that she actually enjoyed staying there. Hua Liuli wanted to go to the Jin Yuan Ge to gather information, so they had to crawl out of a dog hole. Hua Liuli asked Yan Wei if she felt embarrassed because people inside were pointing at her clothes. Princess Jiamin and Miss Yao were discussing the Crown Prince and the Hua family, which made Yan Wei angry and slam the table. Jiamin criticized their clothes, calling them country bumpkins. Hua Liuli intentionally called Jiamin "sister" and accused her of meddling in politics. The two were about to fight, but were stopped by the shopkeeper. Yun Han appeared and caused the girls in the audience to cheer. Even Hua Liuli was infatuated with him, but she remembered her mission and went to gather information, only to run into the Crown Prince. Hua Liuli didn't know it was the Crown Prince and invited him to chat.

Episode 2 Recap

As soon as Hua Liuli sat down and watched the Crown Prince pour tea, she asked if this was the way Jin Lingyuan entertained guests. The Crown Prince thought Hua Liuli was treating him like a little musician. Hua Liuli told the musician that she saw a noblewoman in the music hall who was dressed very luxuriously and sitting in the best seat, but had a bad temper. The Crown Prince immediately guessed it was Princess Jiamin, whose father was an official in the Ministry of Revenue and mother was a princess. Therefore, she was particularly proud. The Crown Prince introduced Hua Liuli to Official Tian, Official Yao, and Official Zhu, and told her that he heard that he and Yun Han were equally matched. Although the Crown Prince was very suspicious, he still talked about himself. Hua Liuli began to suspect that he was really a little musician, and the Crown Prince was not much better, so he asked if Hua Liuli really came to listen to music. Hua Liuli hurriedly left with Yan Wei. Princess Jiamin and Miss Yao thought it was Hua Liuli and wanted to give her a hint. In the morning, Hua Liuli pretended to be weak and recited poetry by the garden, and a pipe fell in the yard. It was a message sent using the Flower Family's secret language. Yan Wei told Hua Liuli that she was caught when she went there to buy things. It turned out that Princess Jiamin instructed her not to let Yan Wei buy food. Hua Liuli felt that if she was so weak, and someone still stepped on her, she couldn't blame herself for causing trouble. The Crown Prince learned about it and thought it was good that someone was testing her. Official Tian blamed Princess Jiamin when he found out, but Princess Jiamin said it was Hua Liuli who caused her trouble and that Hua Liuli's dress was like a door god. Hua Liuli brought gifts to Official Tian, but he refused to let her in, fearing that his colleagues would talk about him. The two deliberately talked about their grievances at the door, and the whole city's people were watching. The Crown Prince also learned about Hua Liuli's visit to Official Tian's house.

It was felt that Hua Liuli was very quick in her actions. When the people found out, they thought that Official Tian was deliberately making things difficult for Hua Liuli. So, Official Tian had no choice but to invite Hua Liuli. Once inside, Hua Liuli acted very obediently. Princess Jiamin had wanted to say that she had seen Hua Liuli at Jin Ling Garden, but was afraid her parents would find out, so she said she might have been mistaken. Hua Liuli then told Official Tian about how Princess Jiamin had cut off her food supply. She also mentioned that her father had instructed her to come and see Princess Shunan, which made Princess Shunan very happy. She praised Hua Liuli and invited her to dinner. She even gave Hua Liuli a night pearl and reduced Princess Jiamin's monthly allowance. On the way back, Hua Liuli met the Crown Prince and they talked about Official Tian's family. Hua Liuli asked Yan Wei to bring a gift to the Crown Prince, which turned out to be some biscuits. The Crown Prince recognized the handwriting and realized it was from the little musician who had mocked him before. He read the old letters and Hua Liuli pretended not to remember and continued to feign illness. On the way home, Yan Wei told Hua Liuli about how she had sent letters to the Crown Prince. Hua Liuli said she had only done it on a whim and had sent him many things. She felt annoyed and heard someone singing. It turned out to be Uncle Song. Hua Liuli talked about the past and wanted her to come back to the Hua family with her, but Uncle Song didn't want to burden the Hua family. When Hua Liuli returned home, she had Yan Wei arrange things according to her drawings. She heard someone trying to assassinate her and Uncle Song deliberately led the guards to her. Hua Liuli thanked Uncle Song and felt that he was still a veteran of the Hua family, but Uncle Song felt he was useless. Hua Liuli told Uncle Sun that she needed him and lowered the Hua family flag.

Episode 3 Recap

Yan Wei followed Hua Liuli's orders and posted a notice outside about the recruitment of workers for the Hua family. Everyone admired General Hua's deeds of guarding the country's borders, and when they saw that Miss Hua needed workers to tidy up the courtyard, they responded positively. Pei Jihuai was ordered by the Crown Prince to monitor the movements of the Hua family. He watched Yan Wei recruit workers and foolishly smiled, thinking that he had no chance to enter the Hua family. Yan Wei directly selected him and several other men. They went to the Hua family and listened to Yan Wei's arrangements for moving, sweeping, and other tasks. After a busy day, Pei Jihuai returned to An Kang Garden to report the situation. Crown Prince Ji Yuansu learned about Hua Liuli's daily life from Pei Jihuai and felt that Hua Liuli had deceived him. She was not a weak and fragile woman in his impression, but a fierce and rule-breaking general's daughter. He asked Pei Jihuai to return to the Hua family to gather more information. However, he received news of his dismissal upon arrival. Yan Wei did not understand why her mistress had done this, but only Hua Liuli and Uncle Song saw through the situation. Pei Jihuai might be a spy from other forces in the capital.

Pei Jihuai returned to An Kang Garden and drank heavily, unable to understand why he was dismissed by Hua Liuli. At night, assassins from the Jin Kingdom attacked the guards arranged by the Crown Prince near the Hua family. They sneaked into the Hua family, but faced Hua Liuli's well-prepared mechanisms and hidden weapons. They were tortured everywhere and eventually trapped in a sea of fire. Only one managed to escape the fire and approached the residence of the Hua family. However, a white figure fell from the sky and knocked him unconscious.

Early in the morning, the Crown Prince read some trivial memorials and lost interest. At this time, the guards reported that the Hua family had been attacked last night. He immediately led people to the Hua family to investigate. Seeing the bodies lying in the courtyard, he became more and more convinced that Hua Liuli was mysterious. The layout of the courtyard had a taste of strange and mysterious techniques. He reminded the feigned illness Hua Liuli to go with him to meet the emperor and report the situation. Seeing the Crown Prince's reaction, she guessed that he might have seen through her layout. She valued tomorrow's court meeting even more in her heart.

Ji Yuansu brought the item he received from Hua Liuli and asked Pei Jihuai to take a look at it. After knowing the truth, he realized that Hua Liuli had good intentions. She was the same Hua family girl who used to write letters mocking him when they were young. On the day of the audience, the three great scholars of Jin Kingdom had already prepared to participate in Hua Liuli's memorial. Hua Liuli dressed very plainly and carefully made herself look sickly. However, just in case, while discussing with Yan Wei how to deal with the situation today, the Crown Prince was waiting for her on the road. He said he wanted to personally bring Hua Liuli into the palace for the audience. Caught off guard, Hua Liuli had to take a few bottles of medicine from Yan Wei and follow the Crown Prince off the carriage.

Ji Yuanhao, the King of England, galloped on his horse, determined to arrive at the court meeting before the Crown Prince. He did not notice the Hua family's carriage, which had an accident while trying to avoid him. This accident led to an intimate encounter between Hua Liuli and Ji Yuansu. The Emperor ordered the palace people to bring the young Hua Liuli into the palace. Hua Liuli acted fragile and cautious everywhere. She first praised Official Tian and Official Yao for taking care of her. When she praised them like this in court, they were too embarrassed to present their memorial. Not long after their embarrassment, Official Tian presented the memorial of Grand Master Lin Huizhi to the Emperor. The letter stated that Lin Huizhi met Hua Liuli on his way to exile. However, because he said a few things that displeased the Hua family, Hua Liuli argued with him and even overturned his food. Everyone accused Hua Liuli of being arrogant and unruly, even the Emperor thought she had gone too far. Ji Yuanhao felt that things were getting more and more interesting. He wanted to see how Hua Liuli would handle it. However, Hua Liuli had already collapsed on the ground, not explaining or pleading for mercy. She was just thinking about how to deal with the situation.

Episode 4 Recap

The emperor watched as the ministers discussed the matter, while Hua Liuli remained silent on the ground. He instructed the eunuch to continue reading, and the following content made the emperor and the ministers amazed. Meanwhile, Lin Huizhi discovered that all the chickens on the ground were dead, and beside them was the bowl of food that Yan Wei had knocked over. He misunderstood Hua Liuli, thinking that someone had poisoned him, but Hua Liuli noticed the clues and had Yan Wei take away his food. In his letter, he expressed his shame for Miss Hua's feelings towards him. Lin Huizhi's memorial made the ministers' blood pressure rise, as they did not expect that this letter would resolve Hua Liuli's predicament so inexplicably.

Lord Ying proposed to disband the army, as the huge military expenditure was a burden on the empire and could easily harm the people. The Crown Prince remained silent, only watching Hua Liuli quietly, waiting to see how she would break the ice. Hua Liuli reported to the emperor that she had brought gifts from Qinghanzhou, and the emperor asked her to present them. She said that the gifts were too large to be displayed in the Golden Luang Hall, and requested to display them outside the hall. The officials followed Hua Liuli to see the gifts, and the emperor heard from the eunuch that Hua Liuli had brought the opposing army that had fought against the Hua family and Jin Bo. He also went out to see the excitement.

Lord Ying and Hua Liuli stood on either side, with Lord Ying giving orders in spoken language, while Hua Liuli used flag language to command. This confused him for a moment, and he tried to imitate Hua Liuli's flag language, but it resulted in a surrender of the city, which made the ministers laugh. In order to ease the conflict between the Hua family and the court, Hua Liuli started with the patriotism of the family, and with a few simple words, she greatly reduced the hostility towards the Hua family among the emperor and the ministers, and instead turned the conflict between the civil and military officials. This was also due to the support of Lord Ying.

The emperor saw that the officials were in chaos and heard many things from Hua Liuli that he had never heard before. He felt that the most important thing at the moment was to choose a suitable man for Hua Liuli. He had the palace people call for the mother of the English prince, Concubine Xian. However, the crown prince refused to leave the emperor's side, claiming that the cakes here were better than those in the Eastern Palace. He stayed and ate cakes while the emperor talked with Concubine Xian, showing his disapproval by making noise. The emperor told her to think carefully. Hua Liuli learned that the emperor was trying to match her with the English prince and tried to make him give up. She waited for him where he rode his horse and pretended to faint when he passed by. Yan Wei shouted that the English prince's horse had frightened their young lady, causing her to faint. The English prince got off his horse to inquire about the situation and fell into Hua Liuli and Yan Wei's trap. Hua Liuli had Yan Wei go get medicine and find some people who could talk and spread the news about what happened. Yan Wei found a man and a woman and told them about Hua Liuli being frightened by the English prince's horse. The story spread quickly. Yan Wei found out the news when she came out of the pharmacy. She was surprised that the story had been exaggerated, but worried that the crown prince and the imperial physician had gone to Hua's house. She quickly ran to Hua's house and warned Hua Liuli when the crown prince was about to enter the inner courtyard. The imperial physician diagnosed Hua Liuli but found nothing serious. However, Ji Yuansu felt that it was not that simple. He heard that Hua Liuli's voice was not right and saw that she was acting. He ordered the imperial physician to give her the bitterest medicine and ordered Xiao Ba to watch her take it, or he would be punished. Forced to do so, Hua Liuli drank the bitter medicine and asked Yan Wei for candy. Pei Jihuai interrogated the assassins according to Ji Yuansu's arrangement and found that they were all lying and full of loopholes. The story of the English prince scaring Hua Liuli spread throughout the city. Ji Yuansu paid the storytellers to continue telling the story and wanted to see how Hua Liuli would respond. Concubine Xian also did not want her son to marry Hua Liuli and decided to take matters into her own hands.

Episode 5 Recap

Concubine Xian received news from Xiao Ba that Hua Liuli had drunk all the medicine and was preparing to attend her Plum Blossom Banquet. During the banquet, Princess Jiamin wore a fine cloud brocade while Hua Liuli wore a simple cloak. However, her headpiece caught the attention of Miss Yao. The Crown Prince observed the movements of the small Western country and found it interesting. Xiao Ba was curious if the wine he was drinking was the same as the one at Concubine Xian's banquet.

During the banquet, Jiamin performed a sword dance while Hua Liuli thought it was just a showy display. However, she also showed off her own talent and removed her cloak to reveal a beautiful red dress. She danced like an elf in the snow, even catching the attention of the Crown Prince. Concubine Xian had intended to embarrass Hua Liuli but was surprised by her performance. She asked Hua Liuli what dance she had performed, and Hua Liuli replied that it was a "face dance" where the coins did not hit her face. Jiamin was angered by this and turned green. After Hua Liuli left, Concubine Xian realized she had underestimated her. The other noble ladies praised Hua Liuli's dancing skills. Hua Liuli saw Lord Ying approaching and deliberately said that Jiamin would like him. Jiamin replied that Yun Han was a better match for her and left.

In front of everyone, Concubine Xian intentionally made Lord Ying apologize to Hua Liuli for scaring her during their horse ride, hoping to embarrass Hua Liuli. Concubine Xian gave Hua Liuli a cane, but Hua Liuli refused to take it, making others think that Concubine Xian was forcing her. In desperation, Concubine Xian had to use the cane to hit her own son, pretending to be a victim and making Hua Liuli feel guilty.

Hua Liuli recognized the faces of two familiar people and suspected that they were there to poison her. She gave them a cup of wine with a laxative, causing them to have diarrhea. The Crown Prince stopped Hua Liuli and asked her to stay, but she said she was weak and needed to leave. However, he noticed the wine in her hand and wanted to drink it. Hua Liuli didn't want him to drink it, so she drank it all and fainted in Ji Yuansu's arms. Concubine Xian was very worried and kept walking back and forth, saying that she didn't do it. The Crown Prince asked if there was an antidote, and a servant found a porcelain bottle containing San Xi San poison. The Crown Prince said that the person who took it would die within three breaths, and Concubine Xian asked him to clear her name. In fact, Hua Liuli had already replaced the San Xi San with a laxative, and she woke up soon after. The Crown Prince asked how she was, and Hua Liuli went to the toilet many times with Yan Wei. The doctor said that Hua Liuli's body was unique and could turn San Xi San into diarrhea. Everyone thought that Hua Liuli's body was so weak that she could turn San Xi San into diarrhea by herself. The Crown Prince found that the porcelain bottle containing San Xi San was full, but her symptoms were similar to those of Qian Li Yi Xie. The Crown Prince helped Hua Liuli leave, hoping that she wouldn't protect herself so much, but Hua Liuli didn't take his words to heart. As soon as she got on the carriage, she vomited blood. She was really poisoned, but she didn't show it. Yuan Wei quickly took her back to the Hua Mansion, and Hua Liuli instructed Song Guang to bring Hua Yingting's detoxification pill and not to tell anyone about her poisoning.

The Emperor scolded Concubine Xian and postponed the wedding, sending the Crown Prince to investigate the culprit. Thanks to Hua Yingting's detoxification pill, Hua Liuli's condition was not so serious anymore, and she missed her parents very much. Ji Yuansu asked Pei Jihuai for news and learned that Lord Ying had recovered from his injuries. He immediately ordered his men to prepare horses.

Episode 6 Recap

Ji Yuanhao stayed near the Hua residence and didn't leave. The Hua family couldn't find a reason to drive him away. At this time, Ji Yuansu came to the Hua residence and found that they were in danger. He quickly rushed over. Assassins from the Jin Bo Kingdom found that both princes were in the Hua residence, which made them hesitant. If they acted now, it would involve a dispute over the legitimacy of the throne and could lead to a war between the two countries. They only wanted to kill Hua Liuli. One of the assassins discovered that the poison he had used on Hua Liuli didn't work.

As it was almost noon, Hua Liuli ordered the kitchen to prepare some delicious food from the border to entertain the two princes. However, the appearance of the food was something they had never seen before, and they were a bit resistant. The pig offal and pig soup made them lose their appetite, and they both found excuses to leave. Yan Wei asked Hua Liuli how Lord Ying could be so confident. Hua Liuli told her that Ji Yuanhao was the emperor's eldest son and was naturally favored by the emperor. In addition, he was doted on by Concubine Xian, so he naturally had some arrogance.

Hua Liuli was a bit puzzled about Ji Yuansu. She couldn't figure out what kind of person he was and reminded Yan Wei to be careful around him. Yun Han said that since the assassins from the Jin Bo Kingdom wanted to kill Hua Liuli, it meant that she wasn't colluding with them. Ji Yuansu decided to find out more about Hua Liuli in a different way. He invited her to watch a play, but all she saw were two big men fighting on stage. Hua Liuli couldn't guess Ji Yuansu's intentions.

Hua Liuli was the daughter of General Hua and Duke Wei. Ji Yuansu used this opportunity to let her be the judge, and Ji Yuanhao covered for her. However, facing the aggressive Crown Prince Ji Yuanhao, he had no choice but to compromise. Hua Liuli had to be the judge, but what she didn't expect was that the two strong men on stage were always leaning towards her side intentionally or unintentionally.

Tian Jiamin was cheering on the side, feeling that the situation was not big enough. Ji Yuanhao couldn't bear to watch and went over to surround them, worried that Hua Liuli would fall. When Hua Liuli saw Ji Yuanhao coming, she suddenly had a way to escape. She leaned towards Ji Yuanhao, and the two big men behind her also leaned towards him. She quickly squatted down, and the big men hit Ji Yuanhao, almost killing him. The ministers saw that Ji Yuansu was always following Hua Liuli around, so they took the opportunity to criticize him. Ji Yuansu fought back and presented evidence of Jin Bo's assassins, leaving the ministers speechless. Later, Pei Jihuai admired Ji Yuansu's methods, but Ji Yuansu said that those ministers were all stubborn and not worth mentioning, while Hua Liuli was difficult to deal with.

Tian Jiamin was upset that all the attention was on Hua Liuli, so she stayed at home alone. During the past few days of contact with Ji Yuansu, Hua Liuli discovered his weakness - he was someone who knew how to cherish and protect women. At this time, Ji Yuansu came, and Yan Wei thought he was here to cause trouble, so she panicked and hid. Ji Yuansu pulled Hua Liuli, which made Yan Wei think he was plotting against her mistress. She rushed over and pushed Ji Yuansu away, but after he explained, she realized that she had misunderstood him and felt embarrassed. Tian Jiamin found a way to get close to Ji Yuansu. When they looked at each other, Ji Yuansu felt a little embarrassed and took the opportunity to leave. Ji Yuansu took Hua Liuli to see the plum blossoms and showed her the handkerchief he had picked up last time. Hua Liuli felt a little guilty and pretended not to know about it. She couldn't let her guard down, as the lives of countless soldiers in Qinghan Province were behind her. When Hua Liuli was about to leave, she accidentally stepped on nothing and fell into Ji Yuansu's arms.

Hua Liuli felt very embarrassed, and Ji Yuanhao appeared just in time. He left with Ji Yuanhao. Ji Yuansu, who was upset, tried to confess his feelings to Hua Liuli, but was rejected. He and Pei Jihuai got drunk, and the drunken Pei Jihuai advised him to lower his posture in order to achieve something.

Episode 7 Recap

Ji Yuansu woke up in the morning and remembered what Pei Jihuai had said while drinking last night, so he sent Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba to the Hua family. However, Yan Wei said that Hua Liuli didn't want to meet to avoid suspicion. Ji Yuansu said that he was just passing by and not looking for her. During the morning court, the emperor announced that he would hold a meeting of ten thousand nations and needed to select a Foreign Minister to host the peace talks with the Jinbo Kingdom and the affairs of the nations. The Grand Preceptor thought that young people should take on the responsibility. Ji Yuanhao volunteered to be the Foreign Minister, and the Crown Prince also thought that his brother was suitable. In the end, the emperor decided to give it a try and take everyone's opinions. Hua Liuli found out that Lord Ying was running for the position of Foreign Minister and he was not friendly to the Hua family, so she took over the position. She actively sought out Ji Yuansu and hoped that he would compete with Lord Ying.

This morning, Hua Liuli just said that she wanted to keep her distance from Ji Yuansu, so he naturally felt unhappy and asked her to leave after wiping herself off. To show her sincerity, Hua Liuli had someone take the Crown Prince to the Hua family to take a bath and relax. However, the Crown Prince felt that Hua Liuli was taking revenge on him because he had never been massaged before. Hua Liuli couldn't understand why the Crown Prince didn't appreciate it, so Yan Wei asked her to think of a reliable solution.

Princess Jiamin and Miss Yao discussed the matter of the Foreign Minister. They heard that Lord Ying's son, Jin Ling Yuan, was looking for a musician, so they planned to take him there personally. The Crown Prince told his subordinates that he had been feeling unusually good lately. After Hua Liuli had someone massage him for two days and listened to Pei Jihuai's words, he understood that it was like using a scrub to make the whole body comfortable. So he went to the Hua family. On the way, he saw Tian Jiamin helping Ji Yuanhao advertise. He thought it was useless. In his heart, Tian Jiamin was taken for granted.

The courtyard's mechanism was upgraded, and Ji Yuansu was blocked outside. After listening to Yuan Wei's words, Hua Liuli hurried to see Ji Yuanhao. Ji Yuanhao's sleeve was torn, and Hua Liuli took the initiative to offer to embroider his sleeve to please him. She even made a bag with fur embroidered on it, but it was not very well done and looked like a little white bear. Ji Yuanhao knew that Hua Liuli was trying to show her goodwill to him repeatedly, but he was the one who had persecuted her before, and now it was her turn to persecute him. People on the street seemed to prefer the Crown Prince, and Hua Liuli felt that time was running out, so she went to find Ji Yuanhao again, but he was nowhere to be found.

The two had just come out of the Da Li Si and happened to meet Liuli and Yanwei. Yanwei recognized Pei Jihuai as the little white who had entered the Hua Mansion to work before and wanted to settle accounts with him, thinking he was a fraud. Under Yanwei's questioning, Pei Jihuai revealed everything intentionally and falsely claimed that Hua Liuli had been molested by the Crown Prince and then ran away. Yanwei was furious and scolded him. Hua Liuli and Ji Yuansu came to Ankan Garden and said that she felt that the Crown Prince had taken her sachet. She wanted to resolve the grievances with him and asked him to compete with Lord Ying for the position of foreign minister. She felt that the Hua family should not be treated like this and wanted to seek justice for them. She also said that the Crown Prince had always protected her as the heir to the throne. Crown Prince Ji Yuansu spoke of what Hua Liuli had done and felt that she was both intelligent and brave. Hua Liuli, on the other hand, thought that he suspected the Hua family's loyalty to the court. She planned to go back and noticed that a maid was acting suspiciously. She came back later and said that she wanted to have a cup of tea before leaving. With Hua Liuli's reminder and indirect help, Ji Yuansu was unharmed and the female assassin was caught and taken to the Da Li Si. Ji Yuansu ordered Pei Jihuai to investigate everyone in the Eastern Palace and Ankan Garden.

To thank Hua Liuli for her help, Ji Yuansu promised to help her compete for the position of foreign minister and asked her to wait for his good news. After returning, Yanwei said that she had almost exposed her martial arts skills today and reminded her not to forget the teacher's instructions. Hua Liuli felt that she was just trying to please the Crown Prince, while Yanwei thought that Hua Liuli had a crush on the Crown Prince. Hua Liuli did not admit it.

The two discussed the issue of the Crown Prince's reputation. The Crown Prince wanted to believe Hua Liuli and felt that his patriotism could not be faked. During the court meeting, the Emperor mentioned the competition for the position of foreign minister. The Crown Prince proposed that Hua Liuli competes for the position, but some ministers disagreed, thinking that the Crown Prince was trying to use Hua Liuli. The Emperor ordered Hua Liuli to attend court the next day, but Ji Yuansu found her outside the hall. Hua Liuli had just said that her eyes were twitching when she was summoned to the hall.

Episode 8 Recap

Lord Ying told the Empress Dowager that as the eldest prince, it was his duty to take on everything, and said that Hua Liuli did not want to compete, but the Crown Prince strongly recommended her. Hua Liuli went to see the Emperor and heard Master Du say that she was too weak to represent Jin Kingdom in negotiations, and only then did she know that the Crown Prince had nominated her for the position of foreign minister. She told the Emperor that she was indeed unable to do it, but the Emperor said that many of Jin Kingdom's officials were women and that Hua Liuli had inherited the courage of the Hua family, so she could try without worrying about winning or losing. After leaving court, Hua Liuli was not angry with the Crown Prince, thinking that he did not believe what she said and walked away quickly. Back at the Hua residence, Yan Wei exclaimed that it was supposed to be the Crown Prince, but now it was Hua Liuli. Hua Liuli felt that she still had a great advantage and thought it was better to rely on herself than leave her fate to others, so she decided to compete. The Crown Prince wanted to play chess with Pei Jihuai and asked him to keep an eye on Hua Liuli. However, Pei Jihuai said he was staring at Yan Wei and explained to the Crown Prince that if he wanted to know what his master was doing, he had to keep an eye on his maid. The Crown Prince thought he made sense.

Lord Ying told the Empress Dowager that as the eldest prince, it was his duty to take on everything, and Hua Liuli did not want to compete, but the Crown Prince strongly recommended her. He also said that Hua Liuli cried in court. The Empress Dowager thought Lord Ying was too honest.

When Yan Wei heard that Empress Dowager summoned Hua Liuli to the palace, she thought Empress Dowager wanted to deal with them. Hua Liuli pretended to be weak and wanted to delay, but she refused to go in. She had to be taken to Yan Wei's palace. On the way, the Crown Prince said that he could not let the Empress Dowager wait too long and asked Hua Liuli to ride with him. Hua Liuli was very nervous when she saw Empress Dowager, but Empress Dowager said that she was physically weak and let her stay in the side hall of Shoukang Palace. Hua Liuli could not refuse and had to stay. The Empress Dowager also said that she would help Hua Liuli adjust her body. Hua Liuli asked Yan Wei to go back to the Hua residence to pack her things, but Duan Jin said everything was ready. Hua Liuli realized that Empress Dowager had planned this for a long time and decided not to let her leave the palace. Official Tian and others talked about Hua Liuli being under house arrest by Empress Dowager, and they planned to help Lord Ying compete with Hua Liuli. The Empress Dowager told the Emperor that she wanted Hua Liuli to stay in the palace for a while, thinking that Hua Liuli had other intentions. The Crown Prince told Yun Han his concerns, but Yun Han thought that if Hua Liuli wanted to leave the palace, she would find a way.

In recent days, in the side hall of Shoukang Palace, Hua Liuli attracted many people from the palace to listen to her stories about traveling, and many people were fascinated by them. The Crown Prince also came to see her and teased her about being well taken care of in the palace. Hua Liuli complained that she couldn't go out and asked the Crown Prince to help her. The Crown Prince said that the more he helped her, the less interested he would be, and that he had even sent her many fabrics to please the Empress Dowager.

Meanwhile, Duan Jin asked the Crown Prince to visit Hua Liuli less often.

Hua Liuli, based on the Crown Prince's reminder, knew Empress Dowager's preferences and described the texture of each fabric to her. However, every time she got to the point, she pretended to be sick and went back. The second time, Empress Dowager asked her to choose accessories for the dark purple fabric, but she pretended to be sick again. On the third day, Empress Dowager was angry with her nonsense and asked her to leave. Hua Liuli presented a dark purple brocade to Empress Dowager, who allowed her to keep it. The Empress Dowager also gave the other fabrics to the palace maids.

One day, Hua Liuli woke up from a nightmare, which strengthened her determination to protect the Hua family. Consort Xian and Consort Lin enjoyed the flowers in the garden. Hua Liuli observed the painting of the Third Prince and praised it, even daring to ask him to paint one for her. She asked the Third Prince to give it to her and write his name on it.

Hua Liuli deliberately wore dark purple clothes and said that everyone liked her clothes, which made Empress Dowager very happy. After hearing Hua Liuli's explanation, the Empress Dowager also accepted the clothes made of several pieces of old cloth by Hua Liuli. The Third Prince, Ji Yuanhao, was a man of few words and loved to paint. After spending these few days together, Empress Dowager thought that Hua Liuli was cunning and wise, and wanted to match her with Lord Ying.

Episode 9 Recap

Pei Jihuai told Ji Yuansu that he had locked up the assassin of Jin Bo. Ji Yuansu, angry and thinking of what the Empress Dowager had said, took it out on Pei Jihuai. Lin Huizhi asked if Ji Yuanhong often played with Hua Liuli, and told him that the Lin family did not care about status and power, and encouraged him to play with Hua Liuli. Hua Liuli invited the Empress Dowager to go to the garden with her to show off the clothes the Empress Dowager had given her. While they were walking, the Empress Dowager said she wanted Hua Liuli to be with Lord Ying. The Empress Dowager let Hua Liuli walk alone, but she met Concubine Xian and Concubine Shu. Concubine Xian mocked Hua Liuli for dressing up to meet the Emperor. The Empress Dowager defended Hua Liuli and Concubine Xian apologized and left.

Ji Yuansu went to see the Empress Dowager and told her he did not know who his grandmother was. The Empress Dowager teased him about wanting to talk to her about Hua County Princess. The Crown Prince said he had some misunderstandings with Hua Liuli and wanted to reconcile. The Empress Dowager thought he had other intentions and the Crown Prince invited her to a banquet in the Eastern Palace. Hua Liuli initially declined, citing her poor health, but changed her mind when she heard there would be grilled meat. The Crown Prince told Hua Liuli about a persimmon tree in the courtyard that had been with him for a long time. Hua Liuli was touched and wanted to keep the letter he wrote for her.

The Crown Prince tried to grill the meat himself but failed, so Hua Liuli did it for him. They talked about their favorite foods and Ji Yuansu started to develop feelings for Hua Liuli. He showed her the gift she had given him, which he had kept well. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager played chess and discussed the ceremony for the God of Heaven. They decided to let Hua Liuli participate in national affairs and encouraged her to spend more time with Ji Yuanhao to develop their relationship.

For the ceremony, Hua Liuli was dressed up early in the morning and given the clothes the Empress Dowager had sent her. She was also told to drink less water and given some items from the Empress Dowager in case of emergency. Tian Jiamin saw Hua Liuli in the palace and gave her a hand warmer when she saw the Crown Prince was not dressed warmly enough. Tian Jiamin was annoyed that Hua Liuli was always in her sight.

During the beginning of the sacrifice ceremony, while Ji Yuansu was reading the sacrificial text, Hua Liuli was chatting with Tian Jiamin. Hua Liuli asked if she wanted to eat milk candy, and although Tian Jiamin said no, she actually wanted to eat it. The Empress Dowager expressed her desire to speak with Hua Liuli and Lord Ying. After the Emperor agreed, Lord Ying and Hua Liuli approached, and Hua Liuli gave her milk candy to the Crown Prince. The Empress Dowager said she had high hopes for Hua Liuli. After the ceremony, Hua Liuli was to leave Shoukang Palace and return to Hua Mansion. The Empress Dowager had prepared many things for her to take back. Hua Liuli bid farewell and the Empress Dowager was reluctant to let her go. The Third Prince came to see her off and gave her a painting.

When Hua Liuli saw the Crown Prince at the door, she asked if he came to see her off. He said if she wanted to live in Hua Mansion on Jinque Street, he would talk to the Emperor tomorrow. However, Hua Liuli was used to living in the old mansion in the western suburbs and preferred to stay there.

Yan Wei complained to Hua Liuli about Lord Ying's behavior. Hua Liuli told her not to be surprised, as she was imprisoned in Shoukang Palace and he had time to promote his ideas. Hua Liuli was not worried, as she believed the influence of the Hua family on the people would have an impact. She still had time and might even win against Ji Yuanhao.

The Emperor set aside a piece of land for the World Conference, but when he learned that the ministers had not taken care of the relocation of the local people, he became very angry and felt sorry for the heavens. The Emperor ordered Lord Ying and Hua Liuli to settle the relocation of the people and cultivate their relationship.

The Emperor called Ji Yuansu to assist him in handling state affairs, but he was eating. The Emperor asked him to take a look, but Ji Yuansu thought the memorials were trivial matters, even including the matter of slapping a dragon's butt. Ji Yuansu planned to find Ji Yuanhao and Hua Liuli. The Emperor told the Crown Prince not to interfere with Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince's affairs, but he asked him to interrogate the General of Jin Bo. The Crown Prince told the Emperor to rest when he needed to, and Yan Wei told Hua Liuli about Lord Ying setting up a shed in the city to distribute porridge. Hua Liuli planned to go and see.

Episode 10 Recap

The Empress Dowager mentioned that she hasn't seen Hua Liuli in a long time and seems to miss her. The people were happy to see Hua Liuli visiting them. Hua Liuli asked Ji Yuanhao if he had heard of the saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." However, Lord Ying said that he knew the origin of the saying. Hua Liuli felt that he was just trying to find a temporary solution to the problem and that giving free food to the people would eventually make them lazy and stop working hard. But Lord Ying did not understand. After listening to the ministers' opinions, Ji Yuanhao changed his strategy and set up a Longjing Winery to help the farmers. Whoever bought something would receive a portrait of Lord Ying. Tian Jiamin heard about these things from an old lady and went to find Hua Liuli. When she arrived, they both had some animosity towards each other. Tian Jiamin wanted to buy something, but heard that Hua Liuli had already bought it. However, Hua Liuli turned it around and said that she could give these things to the princess. Tian Jiamin didn't insist and let her have it. She also said that she would give Tian Jiamin a portrait of Lord Ying. After they left, Hua Liuli and Yan Wei still felt uneasy and were glad that Tian Jiamin didn't raise the price. Yan Wei felt that running a tab was not a long-term solution, and Hua Liuli decided to borrow money from someone. However, Yan Wei felt that this would only add to their debt. Pei Jihuai said that since the day Ava and the others were locked up, they have been clamoring to see Hua Liuli. Pei Jihuai told Ji Yuansu that if they continue like this, it will confirm the collusion between the Hua family and Jin Bo.

When Ji Yuansu interrogated A Wa, the Crown Prince asked him why he always cursed Hua Liuli. A Wa said it was because he had learned Hua Liuli's skills and that Hua Liuli liked the Second Prince. However, the Crown Prince did not believe A Wa and preferred to believe in Hua Liuli's character. Pei Jihuai was imprisoned on the charge of defeating and capturing prisoners to obtain information. The Crown Prince had him and A Wa locked up together. Ji Yuansu asked Yun Han if Jin Bo, the Second Prince He Yuanting, really wanted to kill Hua Liuli. He could not believe A Wa's words. Yun Han thought that the Crown Prince really trusted Hua Liuli and said that he did not have much influence in Jin Bo's family, like the Crown Prince's third brother. However, he had strong personal abilities, martial arts skills, and the power to command troops. Apart from Jin Bo and the Crown Prince, he was the prince with the most supporters in Jin Bo's camp. After A Wa was captured, He Yuanting's influence declined, and it was said that he had traveled to various countries. The Crown Prince believed Yun Han's intelligence was true and that the Hua family had captured A Wa. He let He Yuanting escape, and Yun Han was actually He Yuanting. Yan Wei asked if Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince's relationship had improved and if the Crown Prince could borrow money. The Crown Prince heard that Hua Liuli was coming to see him and specially bathed and changed clothes, picked out clothes, and dressed up before seeing her. When she saw the Crown Prince come in, Hua Liuli was stunned and praised the Crown Prince's complexion. Suddenly, the Crown Prince asked Hua Liuli who was more handsome between Jin Ling Yuan's musician and He Yuanting, the Second Prince of Jin Bo. Hua Liuli was a little confused and did not understand why he brought up He Yuanting. She thought he was sick and went over to see him. As a result, they both fell on the bed, and the servants turned their heads. When Yan Wei said that, Hua Liuli quickly got up. The Crown Prince asked her to see Lord Ying less and also to go to Jin Ling Yuan. Hua Liuli asked the Crown Prince to borrow money. Ji Yuansu said he had no money, and Hua Liuli asked the Crown Prince to say that she wanted to partition the abandoned house for business. The Crown Prince supported her and took out all his silver.

Hua Liuli felt that she was even poorer than herself. The people didn't buy into the portrait of Lord Ying, and Tian Jiamin was so angry that she slammed the table. Miss Yao asked Tian Jiamin to care about Lord Ying. When Hua Liuli said she wanted to open a shop in the old street of the western suburbs, Tian Jiamin said she also wanted to open a shop and compete with her directly. After they shook hands, Tian Jiamin took him to choose a location. When Hua Liuli was calculating the accounts and got angry because she couldn't figure it out, she blamed the Crown Prince for not coming earlier. Ji Yuansu gave her a gift for opening her business. Hua Liuli let the Crown Prince taste her gourd drink, which Ji Yuansu found very delicious and drank a lot, getting drunk. Drunk Ji Yuansu looked cute and said he didn't want to go home and wanted to stay with Hua Liuli. He then said a few words of his innermost thoughts while holding onto Hua Liuli. Hua Liuli thought the Crown Prince had fallen asleep and leaned over to look at Ji Yuansu, but he opened his eyes and the two looked deeply into each other's eyes.

Episode 11 Recap

Hua Liuli stood out in the Foreign Minister test and was given official clothing by the emperor. However, she was not in good spirits during her first court appearance and found the emperor's nagging even more boring. As a Foreign Minister, she didn't understand why the emperor would give banquets to his ministers. Her words were mocked by Official Tian and others, and she even faced a month without pay because someone used this as an excuse to report her. The Crown Prince happened to be there and helped Hua Liuli out of the situation. He also took her to see some interesting things. The Crown Prince inspected the progress of the construction with Hua Liuli and found that it was progressing slowly. The person in charge told him that it was the Crown Prince's relative who was obstructing the progress. This made the Crown Prince angry and he had the person claiming to be his relative brought to him. The person told him that the Crown Prince went home with the current Crown Prince for a visit when they were young, but before he could finish his sentence, the Crown Prince kicked him over and warned everyone that no one could obstruct the international conference.

Hua Liuli comforted Ji Yuansu and asked him what happened to the story he told her earlier. Under her slow guidance, Ji Yuansu began to talk about what happened to him when he was young.

There was a little boy climbing a tree, and he caught him directly. At that time, he was just five years old. Hua Liuli obviously had some doubts about what he said, but Ji Yuansu directly changed the subject. Several people saw that Ji Yuansu seemed a little flustered. Hua Liuli was very puzzled. This was not meeting the Crown Prince, but meeting a monster. Hua Liuli took the Crown Prince to see her carefully prepared Xue Su Shan and explained to him about what happened when they were young. The Crown Prince was frightened because Hua Liuli gave him something back then. It was not easy for them to open up their hearts at this moment. Tian Jiamin looked at how popular Xue Su Shan was selling and was a little angry. She didn't buy it, nor did she let the people around her buy it. The third prince drew a portrait of Hua Liuli and showed it to the Crown Prince, saying that he liked her. Tian Jiamin bought a very good bracelet, and her mother asked her to buy Xue Su Shan from Hua Liuli. Knowing that her daughter would not obey, she forced Tian Jiajia to compromise with her monthly allowance. When someone was monitoring Hua Liuli, she directly told Yan Wei that they were going to Longjing Fang. On the way, she diverted Yan Wei and was taken to a room by Tian Jiamin. Just when she was talking to Tian Jiamin, someone blew a sleeping powder. Hua Liuli began to make a plan. Hua Liuli and Tian Jiamin were tied to a pillar by the kidnappers. She told Tian Jiamin that they could only escape together if they cooperated. Hua Liuli pretended to instruct Tian Jiamin as if she was Hua Liuli's identity, and they were waiting for the opportunity. Ji Yuansu learned that Hua Liuli and Tian Jiamin were missing, and he ordered people to find out their whereabouts. He even wanted to use the power of the dark web. Hua Liuli and Tian Jiamin were eating the food sent by the kidnappers. Tian Jiamin complained that she was too bitter and that Hua Liuli was calculating her. The kidnappers treated her differently. She said that her father was very worried about her, but in fact, her father and mother were living in their own world. Only she and Hua Liuli were suffering here. Ji Yuansu sent someone to find out about Hua Liuli from Pei Jihuai. Hua Liuli and Tian Jiamin began to talk about their family affairs, and someone approached, catching Hua Liuli's attention.

Episode 12 Recap

The Crown Prince learned of Hua Liuli's situation and went to rescue her. Lord Ying also went to rescue Hua Liuli and Tian Jiamin despite Concubine Xian's objections. Princess Shun An was furious when she heard that her daughter Tian Jiamin was missing and scolded Official Tian for not taking care of her daughter. The Crown Prince and Lord Ying arrived at the scene and found that the kidnappers had already left. They followed the tracks of a carriage heading south. The Crown Prince ordered Lord Ying to go south while he and Xiao Ba led the Black Armor troops to the mountains. Xiao Ba informed the Crown Prince that many of the secret agents in Yujing City had been exposed. Hua Liuli sent her golden token to the woman who kidnapped her and secretly threw out her handkerchief to pass on a message. She used a blade to cut the rope and subdued the kidnappers when they tried to rape Tian Jiamin. When Jiamin saw Hua Liuli, she was terrified and begged for mercy. Hua Liuli saw He Yuanting following them and thought he was there to rescue her. Jiamin begged for mercy, but Hua Liuli pretended to be angry. When Jiamin woke up, Hua Liuli had already started a fire. Jiamin said she wouldn't tell anyone about their secret. Hua Liuli kicked over the tent and said she couldn't walk anymore, so Jiamin had to help her. Jiamin wanted to take the official road, but Hua Liuli thought they could be brought back to Yujing City without being noticed. Jiamin was hungry, so Hua Liuli gave her a steamed bun, but when Jiamin heard that it was taken from an assassin, she vomited. Jiamin saw a boy driving a donkey cart and offered him 100 taels to take her back, but the boy thought she was a fraud.

Hua Liuli said that Tian Jiamin was useless and wanted to perform a piece herself. Hua Liuli used her own characteristics to perform a piece, and her mother-in-law saw her pitiful appearance and let them sit in the carriage. She also gave them a lot of food. The group chatted happily. When the Crown Prince heard Hua Liuli's voice, he immediately ran over and hugged her. When he heard that Hua Liuli was out of breath, he let go of her. Hua Liuli asked the Crown Prince not to rub her head because she hadn't bathed for several days. She also told the Crown Prince that Tian Jiamin had saved her, and Jiamin had to admit it. Hua Liuli was too tired and fell asleep on Jiamin's lap, while the Crown Prince was still looking for her. Yan Wei was happy to see Hua Liuli arrive, and the Crown Prince asked Tian Jiamin to go to the Dali Temple. Hua Liuli deliberately reminded her that Tian Jiamin probably didn't even know how to cry at this time. On the other side, her parents cried happily when they heard the news. The Crown Prince asked Tian Jiamin to confirm the body, but she was too scared to open her eyes. The Crown Prince questioned her, asking how she could fight against wild beasts if she was afraid of a corpse. He said he would report to the Emperor and let his subordinates publicize Tian Jiamin's heroic deeds. Hua Liuli asked the Crown Prince to rest well, and he fell asleep under the calming effect of the incense. Princess Jiamin saw Lord Ying at the door and heard him ask about Hua Liuli. Tian Jiamin angrily told him to find whoever he wanted in the future and not to look for her again. However, Lord Ying did not understand Tian Jiamin's feelings. Along the way, Tian Jiamin thought about the moments she spent with Lord Ying and felt that he didn't care about her. She couldn't help but cry.

Episode 13 Recap

Ji Yuansu woke up and found that Hua Liuli had already prepared his favorite food for him. He took the utensils from her and enjoyed his meal. After finishing his meal, Ji Yuansu bid farewell to Hua Liuli and her household with his attendants. Hua Liuli told Yan Wei that she had seen He Yuanting, which made Yan Wei suspicious. Hua Liuli explained that she did not tell Ji Yuansu about this because she did not completely trust him yet. She would tell him the truth when she completely trusted him. Yun Han received a message from his lord, which stated that he had arranged for Ji Yuansu to be a spy in Yujing city, as per his lord's request. Even the mysterious Black Armored Army of Ji Yuansu was exposed to the public. Ji Yuansu told Pei Jihuai about recent events while in prison. Pei Jihuai immediately suspected Yun Han, feeling that he had too many secrets.

Ji Yuansu's Black Armored Army was exposed to everyone, and the ministers unanimously accused the Crown Prince of having too much military power. They believed that the Black Armored Army was too easily deployed in Yujing city without the Crown Prince's knowledge. The emperor saw how much the ministers were against the Crown Prince, so he defended him by stating that he had asked the Crown Prince to arrange the Black Armored Army. As the Emperor's words were final, the ministers were not allowed to mention this matter again. The most important thing now was Hua Liuli's safety. After the court session, the Emperor called the Crown Prince to his study and gave him some instructions. He emphasized that the Black Armored Army should not be completely deployed, as this would cause suspicion among the ministers. Ji Yuansu listened to the Emperor's advice but was distracted, thinking that if a man could not even protect a woman, what was the use of his power and the Black Armored Army?

The Emperor also mentioned Ji Yuansu's marriage, but Ji Yuansu declined the proposal, saying that he was not powerful enough and needed to bide his time. Tian Jiamin's relative, Du Xiuying, visited her. Du Xiuying was the only person who genuinely cared about Tian Jiamin. While they were talking, Hua Liuli came to visit. Hua Liuli was known in Yujing city as an unreasonable person, but today she was elegant and reasonable, which surprised Du Xiuying, who had heard rumors about her from Yao Wenyin and Tian Jiamin.

Du Xiuying couldn't stand seeing Yao Wenyin bullying Hua Liuli. And now that she had met Hua Liuli in person, it confirmed her earlier judgment. Since Tian Jiamin saw Hua Liuli's true identity, she was terrified of her and dared not speak much in her presence. Hua Liuli insisted on thanking Tian Jiamin, saying that she had helped her in the kidnapping incident, which made Tian Jiamin even more worried. Hua Liuli invited Du Xiuying to listen to a play together, and she eagerly accepted. Although Tian Jiamin was not happy about it, she had to follow along with Yao Wenyin.

Ji Yuansu had instructed Yun Han on some matters, and he responded by playing some music to entertain the ladies. He felt that the people here were all vulgar and did not appreciate the music, so he perfunctorily played. But to his surprise, Du Xiuying was very knowledgeable about music and wanted to leave. Hua Liuli stopped her, and this embarrassed Yun Han. He then played the song seriously.

Hua Liuli left halfway through the play, and Tian Jiamin and Yao Wenyin went out to look for her. At this time, the officials came to investigate Jin Ling Yuan, so everyone tried to hide or run away. Du Xiuying didn't have time to escape, so she hid with Yun Han. Du Xiuying looked around and found the place very elegant. She apologized to Yun Han for her earlier narrow-mindedness. Yun Han wanted to play a song he had practiced with great care. Hua Liuli came out after talking to the Crown Prince for a while and met Du Xiuying on the way. They agreed to go home together. Du Xiuying's home had many rules, but it didn't affect her kind heart. Hua Liuli was willing to be friends with her because they got along well. Hua Liuli received a letter from her parents saying that they would be coming to Yujing City soon, which caught her off guard. She ordered her servants to prepare the house. On the way to investigate clues, Yun Han was attacked by He Yuanting's men.

 

Episode 14 Recap

He Yuanting discovered the reason for the defeat of Jin Kingdom and Jin Bo in the Yun Cang Ling battle ten years ago. It turned out that someone had sabotaged the situation, causing both countries to suffer losses and damage the country's foundation. He found out that Yun Han was working for this person and wanted to get close to him. However, the first obstacle he had to overcome was Yun Han. He decided that if Yun Han did not agree to his request, he would kill him tonight. Yun Han was attacked by He Yuanting and his group and was seriously injured. Fortunately, he had good martial arts skills, and although he was injured, he managed to escape in the end.

Yun Han knew he couldn't return to Jin Ling Yuan because many people were already waiting for him there. After considering it for a while, he found that the Du Tai Shi mansion was nearby and decided to ask Du Xiuying for help. When Du Xiuying found that Yun Han was seriously injured, she told her servants that her own hand was injured and asked them to go to the pharmacy outside to buy some medicine for knife wounds. She found out that Yun Han had fallen into a coma due to his injury. She didn't dare to let others discover that he was with her, so she took care of him personally, wiping his wounds, applying the medicine, and taking care of him carefully.

Ji Yuansu reported to his father the Emperor about the hospitality of Jin Ling Yuan's envoy, and the Long Jing Fang was also well managed under Hua Liuli's governance. The Emperor was very satisfied with this, but he also brought up the marriage between the Crown Prince and Du Xiuying, which made Ji Yuansu very reluctant. He had to find an excuse to leave. Seeing the Crown Prince suddenly leaving, the Emperor felt that his words had made the Crown Prince angry, which made him feel uncomfortable. A eunuch reminded the Emperor that today was the Shangsi Festival, and the Crown Prince might miss his mother, so he was absent-minded.

Ji Yuansu came to the Flower God Temple to worship his mother, and he spoke to the Flower God about his yearning for his mother. When leaving, he met Hua Liuli, who was also there to pray for blessings. He was very familiar with the temple and took the initiative to lead the way for Hua Liuli. The two chatted and got along very well. Hua Liuli asked him why he came to the Flower God Temple. Ji Yuansu's answer was misunderstood by Hua Liuli, who thought he was there to pray for his beloved, not his mother.

Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli prayed together, and they both released flower lanterns for their deceased loved ones on the mountain. Tian Jiamin was also nearby with a group of people releasing flower lanterns, and they also met Lord Ying. Tian Jiamin became upset when she learned that Lord Ying had met Hua Liuli before and thought he was there for her. She felt jealous and kicked Lord Ying in anger. Ji Yuanhao didn't understand girls' emotions, and it was not until his subordinates reminded him that he realized that Tian Jiamin was jealous. He immediately ordered them to do something and instructed them to release Pei Jihuai tonight.

Hua Liuli gave Tian Jiamin a porcelain doll he made himself to get more information about Ji Yuansu. Tian Jiamin thought of Xie Chan, the eldest daughter of Le Yang Zhan Princess and Xie, who had died two years ago because of this porcelain doll. Pei Jihuai left the prison and met with A Wa, who he had befriended in prison. He was about to go on a suicide mission, and he was very sad to watch his friend die generously. What A Wa didn't remember was that after Pei Jihuai was released from prison, he ate and drank a lot at Ji Yuansu's place and reported the latest news he had recently obtained.

Hua Liuli dressed up and went to meet her parents in Yujing City. Ji Yuansu, representing the emperor, also greeted them at the door and asked his people to keep a distance from Hua Liuli because she had not seen her parents for a long time and they needed to catch up. Ji Yuansu had to interrupt their warm reunion and announce that the country's general and his family had returned victoriously, which was met with cheers from the people of Yujing City.

Hua Liuli took her parents and younger brother back to the old Hua Mansion, where they had a lot to talk about. Official Zhu and a few other officials chatted about Hua Yingting's return to the court. Du Xiuying spent a lot of money buying ginseng, and she watched Yun Han drink the medicine.

Episode 15 Recap

He Yuanting tried every means to visit General A Wa in the prison. He guessed that Hua Liuli did not reveal the news of A Wa hiding in Yu Jing City because she still had feelings for him. After thinking for a while, he wanted to use A Wa to gamble on his position in Hua Liuli's heart. After entrusting a few things to A Wa, He Yuanting left the prison. However, what he didn't know was that Ji Yuansu had already discovered his whereabouts when he had just left the prison. Ji Yuansu instructed Pei Jihuai to focus on watching Hua Liuli. He believed that He Yuanting would definitely go to her.

In the morning, Hua Liuli and Hua Yingting went to court together. The Crown Prince encountered them and lied that his carriage had some problems. He wanted the Hua family's carriage to give him a ride. Hua Liuli refused to let Ji Yuansu in, but he forced his way into the carriage. He found that General Hua Yingting was inside the carriage too, which made the situation awkward.

Outside the court, the ministers pointed fingers at the Hua family. Hua Liuli was angry, but Hua Yingting reminded her not to waste energy on unnecessary things. The ministers proposed what kind of position would be suitable for General Hua. As Official Du had been fighting against General Hua Yingting for half his life, he suggested that General Hua should take a break first before discussing his position. The emperor asked General Hua what he wanted, and he took the opportunity to resign and return home. Even the emperor did not refuse and agreed to his request. During the banquet, everyone whispered secretly, which made Hua Liuli uncomfortable. Official Du came out, but his body was weak. After he and General Hua Yingting paid their respects to each other, they left.

Hua Liuli and her father just arrived at Hua Mansion. Hua Liuli looked sad, and Wei Mingyue comforted her daughter. She showed Hua Liuli the gifts that the people had given them and told her that everything they did was worth it. Ji Yuansu found an excuse to visit the Hua family, which made Hua Yingting and Wei Mingyue suspicious. They thought that the Crown Prince was like Xiang Zhuang manipulating Liu Bang. Hua Yingting immediately asked Hua Liuli to go outside while he and Wei Mingyue received the Crown Prince. The second son of Hua Mansion, Hua Changkong, and Ji Yuansu talked, but they were not on the same wavelength.

Tian Jiamin met Lord Ying in the Gourmet Restaurant, and Ji Yuanhao talked to her. Tian Jiamin promised to have dinner with him. He thought that Hua Yingting resigned because Hua Liuli wanted to please him. Tian Jiamin was angry and asked Ji Yuansu to make up for the losses in the restaurant and return her money. Since the Gourmet Restaurant was doing well, they should be earning a lot of money. Ji Yuansu did not see Hua Liuli in Hua Mansion, and he did not want to leave empty-handed. He circled around Hua Changkong and asked him about Hua Liuli's whereabouts.

Hua Changkong noticed that Ji Yuansu was distracted and not interested in him, but he came to visit him. He was puzzled by this. Ji Yuansu showed no intention of leaving, and Hua Yingting and Wei Mingyue hinted that he should go, but he could not leave without seeing Hua Liuli. He stubbornly stayed for dinner at Hua Mansion, which made Wei Mingyue more sure that the Crown Prince liked their Liuli. This caused her distress.

As soon as Hua Liuli arrived at the Mansion, Uncle Song immediately took her to her room. The food was served, and Wei Mingyue and Hua Yingting asked the Crown Prince to start without waiting for Hua Liuli. Ji Yuansu drank two cups of wine and confessed his feelings to Hua Yingting and his wife. Hua Yingting thought he was sincere and drank more wine with him. Ji Yuansu was a little drunk and saw a light on the second floor. He wrote a few words on a piece of paper and threw it into Hua Liuli's room.

Episode 16 Recap

Hua Liuli saw the word "houshan" (back mountain) on a note and recognized that it was from Ji Yuansu, the Crown Prince. He had invited her to meet him there to tell her something important. Ji Yuansu was waiting anxiously for Hua Liuli's arrival, fearing that she might not come. However, she did arrive and brought him hawthorn snowballs, which made him very happy. They talked, and she learned that he had gone to the Flower God Temple to pay respects to his mother, and he had never had a woman he was interested in before. This made Hua Liuli feel relieved and happy.

Back at the Flower Mansion, Hua Liuli told Yan Wei that she might have developed feelings for Ji Yuansu. However, Yan Wei was too tired to show any excitement, leaving Hua Liuli alone in her excitement. Du Xiuying prepared medicine for Yun Han but had no experience in taking care of others. Yun Han ended up having to drink the medicine himself and gave his jade whistle to Du Xiuying to pass on to Hua Liuli, who was supposed to deliver it to the Crown Prince.

He Yuanting's subordinate Qing Le met with Hua Changkong, but he was also there to supervise Yun Han for his employer. When Qing Le heard that Yun Han would not cooperate with He Yuanting, he decided to report it to their boss and plan to kill Yun Han once he shows up. Pei Jihuai overheard He Yuanting and Qing Le's conversation and was caught by He's thugs. Although he managed to escape, he was seriously injured. Pei Jihuai told Ji Yuansu what had happened, and Ji believed in Yun Han and was willing to give him another chance. He ordered Pei Jihuai to kill Qing Le.

Ji Yuansu found out that their cover was blown, but he believed that it was a cry for help from Yun Han. He trusted his instincts and decided to give Yun Han another chance. Du Xiuying found Hua Liuli and gave her the jade whistle from Yun Han, instructing her to give it to the Crown Prince. Hua Liuli was worried about the relationship between Ji Yuansu and Du Xiuying, as the whistle was a token of affection. However, Du Xiuying assured her that the Crown Prince would understand once he saw it.

Hua Liuli received the jade whistle from Du Xiuying, and learned about the meaning of a love token, feeling secretly happy. Hua Liuli found the Crown Prince and shyly handed the jade whistle to Ji Yuansu. Upon seeing the whistle, Ji Yuansu knew that Yun Han was in trouble. Hua Liuli approached Yan Wei and confessed that she seemed to have developed feelings for Ji Yuansu. Du Xiuying arrived at her residence and, upon seeing the situation outside, entered her room and found Yun Han changing his clothes, which made both of them feel embarrassed.

Ji Yuanhao arrived at the "Group of Heroes" restaurant and, despite seeing many customers, was unhappy. He asked if Tian Jiamin had come today, and upon receiving news that she had not, became even more upset. Ji Yuanhao met Hua Liuli and asked her about Tian Jiamin's whereabouts. Hua Liuli said that she and Tian Jiamin were not very close, but she knew that Tian Jiamin had been feeling down lately. She gave him a porcelain doll and urged him to behave himself.

Hua Liuli reminded Ji Yuanhao, who eagerly went to find Tian Jiamin with the doll. However, Tian Jiamin did not want to see him and even her maid told Ji Yuanhao that she was not in the Tian residence. Suddenly, an assassin appeared and killed Qing Le. Upon hearing the sound of the jade whistle, Yun Han struggled to get up and left a letter for Du Xiuying before leaving the mansion. Ji Yuansu waited for him outside with an umbrella, and the two good friends had much to say. Jin Ling Yuan diagnosed Yun Han's condition, while Tian Jiamin softened her heart after seeing Lord Ying visit her every day. Ji Yuanhao gave her the porcelain doll and said some kind words, which made Tian Jiamin happy.

He Yuanting learned of Qing Le's death and decided to move out immediately. Du Xiuying felt sorry for Official Du and wanted him to copy some documents. Princess's husband came to visit Official Du. Hua Liuli was angry when she heard that Xie Yao was going to marry the Crown Prince.

Episode 17 Recap

Yun Han took some time to recover. He found out from his men that Qing Le was missing, and all the items in his room were taken. This made him wonder if it was done by the Crown Prince or his lord. Princess Leyang's carriage was attracting attention from the people, and her followers wanted to whip the commoners. Fortunately, Yan Wei appeared and stopped them. When Princess Leyang heard that Yan Wei was from Wei Mingyue, she became more furious. She wanted her men to teach Yan Wei a lesson so she could recover from the humiliation she suffered at the hands of Wei Mingyue. At that critical moment, Hua Liuli appeared and confronted the Princess. Her followers were caught beating the commoners, and Hua Liuli asked what the law in Jin Kingdom says about this. The Princess was angry and embarrassed when Ji Yuansu appeared and stood with Hua Liuli's group.

To defuse the situation, Princess Leyang asked her daughter Xie Yao to come down and see her "prince" that she mentioned earlier. Hua Liuli and Yan Wei noticed that Xie Yao was a cunning person. Xie Yao called Hua Liuli and Yan Wei her sisters, which made them uncomfortable. Ji Yuansu pointed out that they were younger than Xie Yao and should not be called sisters. Xie Yao wanted the Crown Prince to accompany her for a walk in Yujing City, but Ji Yuansu immediately refused and said he would send Hua Liuli home.

Princess Leyang was furious and expressed her anger towards Xie Yao. She revealed that the girl they met earlier was Hua Liuli, the daughter of Wei Mingyue. Although angry, she thought of a way to save face when she returns to the capital. Ji Yuansu then brought Hua Liuli to her family's door, and she wanted him to stay for dinner. However, Wei Mingyue deliberately did not let Ji Yuansu stay for dinner, so the Crown Prince had no choice but to leave.

Wei Mingyue received news from Hua Liuli that she has feelings for Ji Yuansu. Wei Mingyue reminded her that as the prince, it is better for Ji Yuansu not to reveal his thoughts too early. As Hua Liuli's mother, Wei Mingyue wants her daughter to be happy, but Ji Yuansu is the crown prince and Hua Liuli needs to think it through. Ji Yuansu took Xie Yao for a walk in the suburbs of Yujing City, although he did not want to bring her along. He had to do it because it was the emperor and empress's order. Hua Liuli, on the other hand, was teaching officials at the Foreign Ministry about different countries' customs. She learned that the crown prince was in the western suburbs and hurried over.

Xie Yao was following the rules that Hua Liuli set in the small stall, and her strange expression made Ji Yuansu confused. He ate lamb dipped in water while Xie Yao was by his side. They looked like a perfect match. Hua Liuli saw them, and when Ji Yuansu noticed her, he ran to her side, leaving Xie Yao behind. Hua Liuli was angry and jealous and sarcastically mentioned that the emperor wanted to betroth Xie Yao to Ji Yuansu. Ji Yuansu suddenly realized the seriousness of the matter.

Ji Yuansu went to the palace and persuaded the emperor not to betroth him to Xie Yao. He also told the emperor that he had feelings for Hua Liuli. The emperor agreed and promised not to interfere. Du Xiuying was taking care of the sick Du Taishi at home when she heard Yun Han's whistle. Yun Han gave her several paintings, emphasizing that there was one in which he wanted her to look at when he left. Pei Jihuai reported to the crown prince about Qing Le's use of medicine to control Yun Han. Ji Yuansu wants to wait for Yun Han to confess on his own, but Pei Jihuai was impatient.

Princess Leyang and Princess Shun An were arguing in the jewelry store. Princess Shun An had always been bullied by Princess Leyang. Hua Liuli happened to arrive and designed a plan to make Princess Shun An appear helpless. Princess Leyang was scolded by the emperor, and Princess Shun An was given the title of "Long Princess" while Hua Liuli was rewarded the title of "Fushou County Princess". Later, Princess Leyang threw a tantrum at home and made her mother and daughter tremble with fear. Duke Xie Linzhou suddenly changed his expression.

Episode 18 Recap

Princess Fushou arranged the envoys from various countries very well, and they were all very happy. Princess Fushou also received the respect of the envoys. Pei Jihuai and the Crown Prince stood on the pavilion, and Pei Jihuai praised Ji Yuansu for his good eyesight. After Hua Liuli became the Foreign Minister, the atmosphere of the entire envoy group changed. General A Wa spent his days howling in prison, lamenting the passage of time and the helplessness of people. The jailers couldn't stand him and used tools to make A Wa commit suicide.

Finally, the Second Prince of Jin Bo arrived. Princess Fushou had been waiting for a long time. She looked at the Crown Prince beside her and guessed that Emperor Ji had given her the title of Princess Fushou at the suggestion of Ji Yuansu. After a short conversation with Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli, the Second Prince of Jin Bo wanted to meet the Emperor of Jin Kingdom directly. In the main hall, the courtiers stood aside, and He Yuanting told the Emperor of Jin Kingdom that in order to show sincerity and apology, he had brought a gift, a stunning beauty, to be the concubine of the Emperor of Jin Kingdom.

He Yuanting let the beauty dance in the hall, and the Emperor and the courtiers were all fascinated. However, what surprised He Yuanting was that the Emperor refused, citing that the harem was already full. He Yuanting and his party were caught off guard. He Yuanting came up with an idea and suggested that the beauty could be passed on to the Crown Prince of Jin Kingdom. Ji Yuansu thought of Hua Liuli and came up with a plan. He said that the Crown Prince's mansion had very high requirements, and this woman must first receive an education at Qinghe Academy and achieve something before entering the Crown Prince's mansion. This eased the nervous emotions of Hua Liuli.

Jin Bo and Jin Kingdom were negotiating with each other at the Foreign Ministry. Hua Liuli, as the Foreign Minister, was the first to speak. However, He Yuanting kept interrupting her and she became angry. The ministers thought that Hua Liuli was too young and hot-tempered to handle negotiations. Ji Yuansu asked Pei Jihuai to bring Hua Liuli a cup of tea to calm her down and also to change her chair. Pei Jihuai was confused but Ji Yuansu explained that it would help Hua Liuli to sit up straight and negotiate without undermining Jin Kingdom's morale.

The negotiations were at a standstill and both sides refused to give in. Official Tian suggested that it was already late and they should rest for the night and continue negotiations the next day since they had made no progress. He Yuanting then stopped Hua Liuli and asked her to take him around the city as he was a guest and wanted to learn more about Jin Kingdom's tolerance. Ji Yuansu saw that He Yuanting had stopped Hua Liuli and immediately appeared next to them. He volunteered to take them sightseeing in the city.

Ji Yuansu and He Yuanting were competing to give Hua Liuli ginseng, but Hua Liuli's thoughts were on Ji Yuansu. Hua Liuli and Ji Yuansu were very intimate with each other, which made He Yuanting feel a bit awkward. In the end, the three of them decided to go eat and drink. At the dinner table, Ji Yuansu and He Yuanting were vying for the attention of Hua Liuli. Pei Jihuai reminded Yan Wei to find an opportunity to take Hua Liuli away. He noticed that Ji Yuansu was holding back his anger and wanted to compete with He Yuanting, the second prince of the Jin Kingdom.

Yan Wei took Hua Liuli away, claiming that Wei Mingyue had a relapse of an old injury. With Hua Liuli gone, Ji Yuansu and He Yuanting dropped their pretenses and drank together, trying to outdo each other. In the end, there was no clear winner. Pei Jihuai helped the drunken Ji Yuansu and he asked to be taken to see Yun Han. The crown prince learned some of the past between Hua Liuli and He Yuanting from Yun Han. It turned out that He Yuanting disguised himself and went to Qinghanzhou to deceive Hua Liuli and bring her to Jin Bo Kingdom to blackmail the Hua family. He fell in love with Hua Liuli during their time together, but Hua Liuli saw through his scheme and went along with him to Jin Bo Kingdom to act with him.

He Yuanting thought he had fooled Hua Liuli, but the Hua family had already surrounded them. If it wasn't for General A Wa's appearance, he would have become a prisoner of the Hua family. Yun Han met with the lord and his identity turned out to be Xie Linzhou, the grand prince.

Episode 19 Recap

Yun Han listened as his master recounted a past incident, where the empress caused chaos in Jin Kingdom and the mother of Prince Ji Yuansu passed away. He reminded Yun Han that he had helped him escape danger and slowly revealed his true identity as the current imperial husband Xie Linzhou. He warned Yun Han about who his real master was and who held his fate in their hands. Yun Han showed his submission but soon collapsed from his injuries, coughing up blood.

He Yuanting met with General A Wa, who was excited and howling. He Yuanting said that Jin Kingdom kept their word and as long as they reached an agreement, they would release A Wa. He Yuanting asked about A Wa's time in prison and commented on his weight gain. A Wa told him that his cellmate had kept him company or else he would have wasted away, but also revealed that they had killed the cellmate. He Yuanting only cared about A Wa's safety and told him that he had found the person responsible, who was Xie Linzhou. He and Xie Linzhou had made a secret deal about border defense plans, which were located in the Hua Residence. Xie Linzhou promised to inform He Yuanting about the plans and he was waiting for him at the Hua Residence.

A Wa listened to He Yuanting's plan and thought that the Second Prince was now more thoughtful than before. Hua Liuli met Ji Yuansu on her way to court and inquired about his drinking competition with He Yuanting the previous day. Ji Yuansu reminded her that they were running late and would face punishment for being tardy. During court, the Emperor asked He Yuanting to speak about his proposal. He proposed a marriage alliance with the Hua family as he fell in love with Hua Liuli at first sight during the war with Jin Bo. Xie Linzhou supported the idea and the officials agreed, making Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli nervous.

Facing the pressure from He Yuanting, Hua Liuli counterattacked and made Ji Yuansu happy. The Emperor used the excuse of Hua Liuli's brother, Xie Changyun, participating in the imperial examination to delay the marriage until after the exam. He asked Ji Yuansu and his brother Ji Yuanhao for their opinions on He Yuanting's proposal, but Ji Yuansu was tongue-tied and the Emperor expressed disappointment in him, favoring Hua Liuli instead.

Hua Yingting and Wei Mingyue were both very angry when they heard about the marriage alliance. Wei Mingyue even threatened to charge into the palace and kill the emperor if he agreed to it. Hua Liuli tried to calm them down. Just then, He Yuanting came to see them at the Hua residence. Hua Changyun wanted to report him immediately, but Hua Liuli told him to stay calm and think first. He Yuanting asked A Wa to sneak into the Hua residence to find out more information. Ji Yuansu also heard the news and rushed to the Hua residence. In the courtyard of the Hua residence, A Wa saw Pei Jihuai and realized that he might have been tricked. Ji Yuansu followed Pei Jihuai and listened to his complaints along the way.

Ji Yuansu and He Yuanting had a confrontation at the Hua residence. Hua Liuli came up with a plan to give them each a bowl of soup. He Yuanting drank it and farted continuously, feeling embarrassed and leaving immediately. Ji Yuansu drank the soup that Hua Liuli had secretly put medicine in, so they talked intimately about their plans, while He Yuanting was left alone in his room, feeling uncomfortable. A Wa came in and confessed his mistake to He Yuanting, but He Yuanting was too busy holding his stomach to care.

Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince talked in the back mountain, while Pei Jihuai stopped Yan Wei. They watched as Ji Yuansu confessed his love to Hua Liuli and arranged for a lantern show to express his feelings. A rainstorm brought them even closer, and they kissed each other. Yan Wei said that she would be very happy if someone treated her that way, while Pei Jihuai teased her from the side.

He Yuanting kept pestering Hua Liuli and brought up the promise she made to him in Qinghanzhou. Now that he had nowhere to go, Hua Liuli had to take him into the Hua residence. Wei Mingyue sparred with He Yuanting and taught him a lesson, while Hua Liuli enjoyed watching. Yun Han and Ji Yuansu drank tea, but a remark from Pei Jihuai made Ji Yuansu leave in a hurry.

Episode 20 Recap

Hua Liuli tried every means to get rid of He Yuanting. She couldn't stand him constantly bothering her, so she pretended to let him go to Hua Yingting's room to get medicine, in order to divert his attention. Xie Linzhou sent someone to inform He Yuanting about the specific information of the border defense map in the Hua family. Since Princess Leyang and Xie Yao knew Xie Linzhou's true identity, they were locked in the house without freedom but still taken care of. Hua Liuli told Ji Yuansu that He Yuanting's purpose of this trip was to steal the defense map of the Hua family. Ji Yuansu was not as calm as Hua Liuli. He asked her how to deal with the crisis. Hua Liuli told Ji Yuansu her plan, and Ji Yuansu proposed to use He Yuanting's character to obtain more information. Ji Yuansu returned to An Kang Yuan and immediately ordered Pei Jihuai to monitor He Yuanting and intercept and replace the transmitted messages with other messages in time. He wanted to use bait to catch more big fish. The next day, He Yuanting received the message from the undercover, claiming that the defense map was placed in his pants by Hua Yingting. Although He Yuanting felt strange, he did not pursue it. He Yuanting decided to let A Wa take action during Hua Changkong's scientific examination. Hua Yingting and Hua Liuli tried their best to make Hua Changkong pass the exam, and they hung rice dumplings in the lanterns of his room. Pei Jihuai wanted to trick He Yuanting, so he hung up the pants with the fake defense map. At night, the servants collected the clothes and put the pants in Hua Yingting's room.

On the day of the examination, everyone in the Hua family gathered at the door to see him off. They all gave him their respective gifts. He received a pair of purple pants from He Yuanting, claiming it was a custom in Jin Bo country. On the day of the exam, the parents of the examinees wear purple pants to bring good luck to their children. At the examination hall, Ji Yuansu, He Yuanting, and Hua Yingting waited for Hua Changkong, while Hua Liuli and Wei Mingyue went back to Hua Mansion to prepare food.

Following He Yuanting's instructions, A Wan investigated carefully to find the best opportunity to steal the defense map. The Grand Tutor learned from some ministers that Hua Liuli and the Crown Prince had not mentioned the peace talks lately. He could not wait and asked Xie Linzhou for his opinion on the matter. A Wa took advantage of the situation and knocked out the servants at Hua Mansion. He stole the pants in Hua Yingting's room. After Hua Yingting found out, he scolded the servants. Ji Yuansu came upon hearing the news and arrested the steward Song Yi. After He Yuanting received the news, he and A Wan confirmed that it was the real defense map. They took it away calmly.

Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli met, they were very happy. After planning for so long and paving the way for He Yuanting, the fish was finally caught. With the push of the Grand Tutor and Xie Linzhou, the peace talks were once again on the agenda. However, to their surprise, He Yuanting's side suggested postponing the talks since the envoy from Jin Bo country had not arrived. A few days later, Hua Liuli brought up the peace talks again. To prevent any mishaps, Du Xiushan brought out the King's whip, which could be used to punish a tyrant or a traitor. He gave it to Hua Liuli, hoping that she could bring glory to Jin Kingdom and not let its morale and pride be disgraced.

Ji Yuansu did not follow Hua Liuli, knowing that Du Xiushan was boosting her morale. During the peace talks, He Yuanting refused to withdraw five hundred miles behind the Qinghan grassland, and negotiations quickly reached a deadlock. The border war report showed that Jin Bo country had suffered a great defeat. Upon hearing the news, He Yuanting's legs went weak, and he reluctantly signed the agreement. Du Xiushan fainted from excitement. He Yuanting kept asking Hua Liuli but her defense silenced him. He thought he had everything planned out, but the most ridiculous thing was that he had fooled himself and ended up shooting himself in the foot.

Episode 21 Recap

Although Hua Liuli knew the outcome, she felt that it was not easy for her. The road had been too hard. Ji Yuansu knew that Hua Liuli had put in a lot of effort for this day. The Hua family had shed blood on the battlefield for Jin Kingdom, expanding its territory and protecting its people. Now, Hua Liuli had to argue for the country's interests at the negotiation table without gunpowder. The Hua family had sacrificed too much for Jin Kingdom.

On the day the exam results were announced, the Hua family went to see the list and were pleasantly surprised to find that Hua Changkong had come first in the exam. Lord Ying and Tian Jiamin specially invited many people to celebrate the negotiation victory and Hua Changkong's achievement. Du Xiuying was also at the party, but her mind was elsewhere, focused on Official Du. Seeing Du Xiuying's distraction, Hua Liuli took her to the rooftop to look at the stars.

To console Du Xiuying, Hua Liuli talked about her own childhood experiences. Her words reminded Du Xiuying of Official Du's words to her about how her grandfather had devoted his life to Jin Kingdom's prosperity. He had seen Jin Kingdom transform from a weak and poor country into the prosperous nation it was today. His life's work was in this beautiful land of Jin Kingdom. He was now almost out of energy, and he wanted Du Xiuying to see the flourishing scene of Jin Kingdom for him.

Ji Yuansu found Hua Liuli and Du Xiuying on the roof and immediately understood the situation. He ordered two doctors to wait at Official Du's home tomorrow morning. If there were no suitable medical materials at Official Du's home or the hospital, they would go to him for medicine. Tian Jiamin heard the conversation between Hua Liuli and Du Xiuying on the roof and climbed up with Yao Wenyin. They watched quietly as a shooting star streaked across the sky.

Lord Ying watched as Tian Jiamin and her friends were on the rooftop, and he also wanted to go up there. However, Ji Yuansu whispered something in his ear, and he immediately dismissed the idea of going up to the rooftop. Hua Liuli saw that Ji Yuansu was a bit upset, so she found some candy to cheer him up since she hadn't talked to him much that night. The next day, Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli went to pay a visit to Official Du at the Grand Preceptor's residence. However, Official Du was very ill, and his only concern was Ji Yuansu's marriage and the future of Jin Kingdom. So, Ji Yuansu brought Hua Liuli to the Grand Preceptor's residence to tell him that he had found the person he was looking for: Hua Liuli. This made Official Du feel relieved. When he saw Hua Liuli, Official Du spoke to her candidly, and he had been strict with her before only to make her even more perfect. When Ji Yuansu showed Official Du the painting of the international conference, he was moved to tears.

He Yuanting's recent experiences in Jin Kingdom have given him a deeper understanding of himself and a different perspective on right and wrong. He marveled at the fact that Jin Kingdom was now prosperous and strong, and that unity with the people was integral to their success. When the late emperor was in power, Hua Yingting and Official Du had disagreed and had differing political views, but Hua Yingting also realized that Official Du had done some things for the people wholeheartedly. He had never seen Official Du as a competitor, but rather as a friend and colleague. Hua Liuli noticed that Yan Wei was upset and found out that it was due to Hua Yingting's stolen pants. She knew that Pei Jihuai was the one who had done it, but she didn't say anything. Hua Liuli didn't blame Yan Wei because she knew that it was part of the plan that she and Ji Yuansu had come up with.

Hua Liuli knows that Yan Wei likes Pei Jihuai, but because of their identities, Yan Wei has not expressed her feelings. Hua Liuli encourages Yan Wei to not underestimate herself. Yun Han gets poisoned again and Pei Jihuai gives him medicine, hoping that Yun Han won't waste the goodwill of the Crown Prince. He Yuanting asks to meet with Hua Liuli, using the battle of Yun Cang Ridge as leverage, and wanting Hua Liuli's help. Lian Yue, who escorted the grain in that battle, has transformed into Official Zhu, making Hua Liuli even more curious about the battle. The Emperor's health is deteriorating and Ji Yuansu visits the palace to reconcile with his father. Hua Liuli wants to take action and not wait for Ji Yuansu.

Episode 22 Recap

In the middle of the night, Hua Liuli broke into the Zhu family's residence and used provocative tactics to prove that Official Zhu was the same officer who escorted the grain and supplies years ago, named Lian Yue. After the Crown Prince found out, he wanted to keep it a secret for Hua Liuli, but news travels fast and it became known throughout the city, with people discussing it everywhere. Hua Liuli found herself in a precarious situation. General Wei learned about it and questioned her if she killed Official Zhu. Liuli told her mother that when Official Zhu wanted to reveal the truth, he was killed by a group of black-clothed people. She also revealed that Official Zhu was actually Lian Yue, the grain and supplies officer from years ago, who had been living under a false identity. Liuli said she would never forget watching so many soldiers die tragically. However, as a mother, she did not want her son to act impulsively and make mistakes.

The Crown Prince came to look for Hua Liuli. General Hua mistook him for someone who came to arrest Hua Liuli, but the Prince explained that he brought soldiers only to calm the rumors, and he would apologize to General Hua later. Hua Liuli felt that she had acted impulsively last night and caused a lot of trouble for the Prince. The Prince hugged her and comforted her, saying that he deserved to be scolded because of her and that he would always believe in her. He even applied medicine on her wound with special care. Hua Liuli told the Prince that she just wanted to find out who the mastermind was, and she gave the Prince something to investigate. The Prince reproached her for not telling him and going alone. He then reminded her to think about whether she wanted to spend her whole life with him.

The Crown Prince told Hua Liuli's parents to let her rest well and take care of everything herself. He informed Pei Jihuai and Yun Han about this matter and asked them to decline. The Crown Prince also instructed Hua Liuli not to go out, but she and Yan Wei went for a walk because it was too stuffy inside. They coincidentally encountered Princess Tian Jiamin, who crawled out from a dog hole. Hua Liuli was happy because Princess Tian Jiamin came specifically to visit her. Princess Tian Jiamin blamed the Crown Prince for controlling the Hua family and thought he was going too far. Hua Liuli said that Princess Tian Jiamin was her best sister and expressed her desire to leave the city. She also informed Princess Tian Jiamin that Yujing City was not peaceful. After hearing what Hua Liuli said, Princess Tian Jiamin realized the situation and asked Lord Ying to find a way to help the Crown Prince.

Miss Du discovered that Official Du was injured when she delivered medicine. Official Du lived a peaceful life and devoted himself to the country and the people. Yun Han came to investigate the cause of Official Du's death and found something written by Official Du before his death. While paying respects to Official Du, Yun Han placed his jade whistle in Miss Du's hand, wanting to protect her. The Crown Prince ordered Pei Jihuai to mobilize the Hei Jia Army to strengthen the alert as there was a major event happening in the Capital.

Pei Jihuai asked about Yun Han's visit to Official Du's residence, but Yun Han did not tell the truth. Although Pei Jihuai said it was fine and talked about Official Du's affairs, he felt regretful that Yun Han had ultimately let down Ji Yuansu's expectations by secretly putting medicine in his tea. Pei Jihuai took Yun Han to the Grand Court for trial after he woke up. Pei Jihuai told the Crown Prince that he had discovered the truth long ago but had always trusted his own choices. Pei Jihuai pitied the Crown Prince, but Yun Han refused to admit his mistake and spoke against the Crown Prince, which upset Pei Jihuai. Yun Han asked Pei Jihuai to kill him, claiming to be the demonic concubine they had been looking for all along. However, Pei Jihuai ultimately did not act. When the Crown Prince appeared, he gave Yun Han a package and told him that he was the first person in his life who had let him down. Yun Han felt guilty for disappointing Ji Yuansu and tried to commit suicide with a sword, but Ji Yuansu stopped and said that he already knew who it was, so there was no need to tell him. He also mentioned that death was easy. He felt that Yun Han deserved to live a good life.

Episode 23 Recap

Du Xiuying was upset about Official Du's affairs, so she blew the jade whistle that Yun Han gave her, and soon he came to her. Du Xiuying confided in him about recent events and Yun Han tried to console her. Princess Shun An's heart couldn't calm down for a long time, and Official Tian and Tian Jiamin were comforting her beside her. The Taiping banquet was held as usual these days, and Hua Liuli took advantage of it to protect Ji Yuansu. Yan Wei followed Hua Liuli into the density, promising not to let anyone find out.

He Yuanting, the beauty who was presented to Jin Kingdom by Ji Yuanhao, was arranged to learn etiquette and read books. After a while, she discovered the beauty of Jin Kingdom, so when He Yuanting wanted to take her back to Jin Bo, she refused.

The Hua family lost power, and Princess Leyang often reminded Xie Yao to serve by Ji Yuansu's side during this special time and seize the opportunity to capture the crown prince's heart. Xie Linzhou kept looking at his plan and was sure that Ji Yuansu's remaining strength had been exhausted, making it the perfect time for him to act. Ji Yuanhong fell into a coma, and his mother, Concubine Lin, did not attend the Taiping banquet due to her ill health. The Taiping banquet began normally, but Hua Liuli and Yan Wei were stopped by the city guards when they tried to leave the city. They had no choice but to seek help from Pei Jihuai. Yan Wei brought Hua Liuli to find Pei Jihuai.

Pei Jihuai once said that the opponent might choose the moment of the Taiping banquet to strike, even though Ji Yuansu's guards were already well arranged. But Hua Liuli still worried and reminded Pei Jihuai that the Flower family had an elite force hidden outside the city. As long as she could leave the city, she would bring the force into the city. Ji Yuansu obtained the opponent's command from the intercepted letter, and as soon as a glass was dropped at the banquet, they would take action. Ji Yuansu wanted to take the initiative at the banquet. When a glass was dropped, the black-clad people immediately appeared and shot many arrows.

At the Taiping banquet, everyone became chaotic when the black-clothed people suddenly attacked. Despite Ji Yuansu's arrangement of guards, he could only have them protect other people during the chaos. The black-clothed people attacked Ji Yuansu, but Xie Linzhou's people threw explosives they had prepared beforehand towards Ji Yuansu's side. At a critical moment, Yun Han appeared and stood in front of Ji Yuansu. In order to lead the enemy away and let everyone escape, Ji Yuansu ran towards the back mountain. The black-clothed people's target was Ji Yuansu, so everyone went to intercept him.

Hua Liuli looked at the critical moment and ordered Yan Wei and Pei Jihuai to find Song Guang and then gather the elite forces of the Hua family to clean up the mess here. After arranging everything, Hua Liuli hurried towards the back mountain. Yan Wei asked Pei Jihuai to guard the city gate, which was Ji Yuansu's order to him. She was the commander of the Hua family and only she could handle the matter of mobilizing troops. Yun Han risked his life to kill all the black-clothed people who stayed in the Weiyang Palace, but what he never expected was that Concubine Lin was a spy in the palace and brought some soldiers with her.

Ji Yuansu was already overwhelmed in the back mountain, he couldn't withstand the siege of so many black-clad men. At a critical moment, Hua Liuli appeared riding a horse, and the two fought side by side. Concubine Xian looked at Concubine Lin in front of her, she suddenly didn't understand why she would do this. Concubine Lin wanted to act quickly, so she made up a lie. Just when Concubine Xian and the others were extremely frightened, the Emperor appeared, and Concubine Lin suddenly realized that she had been deceived. Hua Yingting and Wei Mingyue came to rescue, and after listening to Yan Wei's statement, Song Guang also brought people, but the other side had too many people.

Ji Yuansu was injured by someone and Song Guang fought with the black-clothed man Hua Liuli went to save the prince. Hua Liuli saved Ji Yuansu but was shot by He Yuanting, who appeared suddenly. Ji Yuansu immediately protected Hua Liuli, but he was hit by the arrow. They both fell off the cliff together.

Concubine Lin made a sophistical argument, but Ji Yuanhong appeared and exposed her lies. Ji Yuanhao volunteered to search for Ji Yuansu. Du Xiuying didn't see Yun Han and went to look for him. Yun Han heard the sound of the jade whistle and handed his written letter to her, asking her to deliver it to Ji Yuansu.

Episode 24 (Ending) Recap

After the Crown Prince woke up, he fed beef jerky to Hua Liuli while holding her in his arms. He cried and said that if he didn't have Hua Liuli, he wouldn't know how to make things go smoothly. In her dream, Hua Liuli, who was still unconscious, remembered a conversation she had with Uncle Song when she was a child. When she woke up, she comforted the Crown Prince, who then kissed her. At this moment, they finally ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era.

Concubine Xian wanted Prince Ying to become the Crown Prince and tried to stop the Crown Prince from going back. However, Prince Ying was kind-hearted. On the way back, Princess Hua Yingting saw Song Guang, and she was heartbroken. Song Uncle had devoted his life to the country and the people, and for Hua Liuli, he was the person who loved her the most.

The Emperor pretended to be sick to deceive the enemy and gained an advantage. He used a tactic of "praying mantis catching cicada, with the oriole behind". Although the Crown Prince is meticulous and brave, the Emperor thinks he is too young. General Wei believes that the Crown Prince is being put in a dangerous situation, and he is concerned about the people. The Emperor has been heartbroken because of the backdoor incident.

The Crown Prince looked at Yun Han's letter and wanted Hua Liuli to rest in the Eastern Palace for a while, but General Wei thought she should be brought back home to be taken care of. However, the Crown Prince said that Hua Liuli was his Crown Princess, and at her request, the father should consider the matter. The Crown Prince said that he would only marry Hua Liuli in his lifetime. After a back-and-forth discussion between the Crown Prince and the Emperor, General Wei reluctantly agreed. The Crown Prince wants the Emperor to arrange their engagement.

Emperor's son-in-law Xie wanted to escape the city but found that the area near the city gate was filled with the Crown Prince's people.  He fed a bottle of San Xi San to Princess Leyang, causing her to lose her voice. Emperor's son-in-law Xie wanted to take advantage of Princess Leyang's homesickness to escape the city, but the Crown Prince arrived and exposed Emperor's son-in-law Xie's lies.  He allowed Emperor's son-in-law Xie to save face, but Emperor's son-in-law Xie used his wife to blackmail the Crown Prince into opening the city gate.  Although the Xie family was a well-respected aristocratic family in the Jin Kingdom, Emperor's son-in-law Xie was dissatisfied.  The Crown Prince had no choice but to open the gate, but he shot Emperor's son-in-law Xie with an arrow, killing him.  The Crown Prince wanted to let Hua Liuli go back to rest, but Hua Liuli wanted to accompany the Crown Prince all the way.

The Third Prince presented his painting to the Crown Prince. When the demonic concubine caused chaos in the past, Xie Linzhou started to scheme for himself. However, the Crown Prince's mother was killed by Concubine Lin, who had been manipulated by Xie Linzhou to do his bidding all along. The Crown Prince handed the Third Prince's painting to Concubine Lin, who cried bitterly after seeing it. Perhaps at that moment, she understood, but it was too late.

At this moment, all the chaos and disasters were completely quelled. Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli each shared their insights on the country, the people, and the society. Hua Liuli has always wanted peace, and the Crown Prince told her that at least there would be no more wars during their time. They have been through so many hardships, which have made their hearts even more resolute. Hua Liuli feels that today's sunrise is the most beautiful, and they have agreed not to be separated.

Yun Han didn't die, but he didn't want to see Du Xiuying. He felt that what he had done was always too dangerous. Yun Han said that he would give everything he should give for the Crown Prince's wedding. He received the wedding invitation from Hua Liuli and learned that she hadn't died. He knew that they would eventually meet again.

Crown Prince and Hua Liuli got married, and Pei Jihuai wanted to give a gift to Jiamin Princess. Jiamin Princess said that Hua Liuli was her good friend, and she would not treat her unfairly. Finally, Ji Yuansu and Hua Liuli got married amidst everyone's blessings. Hua Liuli told the Prince that she wanted to become the most famous sickly beauty in history, and her family supported her. She felt lucky to have met the Prince, but now everyone in Yujing knew that she had saved him and they all praised her for being strong. So Hua Liuli was both happy and sad because her dream was shattered. Ji Yuansu promised Hua Liuli that he would make sure that future historians write that she was the most beautiful sickly beauty since the establishment of the Jin Kingdom.

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