My Destined Consort Recap, Plot, Synopsis

My Destined Consort Synopsis

Shen Jiangli, the pure and kind-hearted legitimate daughter of the Shen family. On her wedding night, she is schemed against and ends up consummating the marriage with the second young master Lu Jingming, not her intended groom. She is then falsely accused and confined to the ancestral hall.

While giving birth, she nearly dies but is rescued—only for her son Yanyan to be born with a chronic illness. The only cure lies in the hands of the Lu family, forcing Shen Jiangli to return to their household for the sake of her child.

Back in the Lu residence, she stands up to those who wronged her, uncovers the conspiracy behind her past suffering, and slowly clears the misunderstandings with Lu Jingming. With the adorable and clever Yanyan playing matchmaker, the once broken couple finds their way back to each other.

My Destined Consort Recap

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10
• 11
• 12
• 13
• 14
• 15
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• 22
• 23
• 24
• 25
• 26
• 27
• 28

The Lord of Dongzhou had been ill for a long time and showed no signs of recovery. The First Madam began leading all the family members in a prayer ritual. There were already many members in the household, and now that they had gathered again, everyone was talking at once, full of nitpicking and discontent. Just as the First Madam and the Second Madam were arguing, a coffin suddenly fell out of nowhere into the courtyard.

With someone already sick in the household, the sudden appearance of a coffin infuriated the First Madam even more. Shen Jiangli pushed open the main doors and slowly walked in. Over the years, she had been kept in the mausoleum, with no place in the family at all. The First Madam questioned Shen Jiangli about the meaning of her visit today. The First Madam was usually harsh and cruel.

In the past, a maid was nearly tortured to death just for eating a little food during a ritual. Fortunately, Shen Jiangli’s medical skills were superb and she managed to bring the nearly suffocated maid back to life.

Today, she came to expose the First Madam’s schemes—using the blessing ritual for the lord as a pretense to force twenty-seven women who had given birth to sons to kneel in the courtyard for seven days straight, all to steal good fortune for herself in conceiving a child. Shen Jiangli’s revelation shocked the First Madam, who immediately accused her of lying and trying to harm her on purpose. Truly, she wouldn’t give up until reaching the Yellow River.

Shen Jiangli exposed her again, revealing that the First Madam had been trying every method to conceive. She had secretly placed a statue of the Child-Giving Guanyin next to the statue of the Medicine God and even set up a formation around the courtyard. This formation was filled with strong masculine energy and, if used correctly, could indeed aid in conception. The servants quickly found the items used for the formation. This time, the First Madam had no defense.

Her wet nurse, trying to protect her, committed suicide to atone, hoping the lord would show mercy. Shen Jiangli helped the Second Madam take the First Madam down a peg, earning merit. The Second Madam directly suggested to the lord that Shen Jiangli stay the night. Shen Jiangli was thus able to remain. Lu Jingming asked her what made her decide to return this time. Shen Jiangli calmly replied that she hoped Lu Jingming could give her the Lei Pill.

The Lei Pill was extremely important to the Lu family. Lu Jingming asked who she intended to save, but Shen Jiangli didn’t answer. She proposed to make a trade with him in exchange. Returning to her old residence, she was overcome with emotion at the sight of its decline. She remembered how, five years ago, she was heavily pregnant and alone, close to giving birth, yet the First Madam remained indifferent.

With no other choice, Shen Jiangli braved the storm and crawled all the way to the Dingfeng Pavilion. There, a young master with excellent medical skills saved her and brought both mother and child back from the brink of death. Shen Jiangli was not someone who sought revenge for every grievance, but nearly dying left her with lingering resentment. She vowed to reclaim everything she had lost, especially from those who had repeatedly harmed her in the past.

Shen Jiangli’s sudden return to the residence greatly surprised Lu Jingming, so he ordered his subordinates to investigate her life over the past few years. The subordinates reported truthfully that the old maid assigned to monitor Shen Jiangli at the mausoleum had not been diligent—she didn’t even know Shen Jiangli had returned home late at night, nor did she know anything about her current situation, let alone when she had learned the art of medicine.

From this, it seemed Shen Jiangli had not been living well all these years. Lu Jingming sighed, wondering if perhaps he had truly misunderstood her back then. The First Madam was furious after being exposed by Shen Jiangli and secretly vowed that as long as she remained in the residence, Shen Jiangli could not stay. Eager to get rid of her, the First Madam immediately ordered her people to find an assassin to take Shen Jiangli’s life in one strike.

But she had not anticipated that Lu Jingming was near Shen Jiangli’s courtyard at the time. When he saw something suspicious, he intervened immediately, saving Shen Jiangli’s life. However, the assassin committed suicide out of fear, and the matter was left unresolved. After hearing the whole situation, Lu Jingming felt the Lu residence was full of hidden dangers. Years ago, his mother had accused Shen Jiangli of poisoning someone, and he had sent her to guard the tombs.

When he had asked her if she was guilty, Shen Jiangli neither defended herself nor explained—she appeared completely hopeless. That was why he had no choice but to follow his mother’s wishes. Now, five years had passed, and upon reflection, the incident was full of inconsistencies. Shen Jiangli was the legitimate daughter of the Shen family and had been pure and kind at the time of their marriage—she should never have used such a despicable method as poisoning.

As for why she didn’t explain herself back then, Lu Jingming once overheard through a window that Shen Jiangli had grown weary of the constant scheming within the residence and wanted to use the opportunity to leave. Lu Jingming was injured while saving Shen Jiangli. When his mother heard about it, she rushed to confront Shen Jiangli and slapped her twice. In her eyes, no one mattered more than her precious son.

Shen Jiangli remained calm and composed, prompting Lu Jingming to step in once again to stop his mother, who finally backed down. Later, Shen Jiangli brought up the Lei Pill again. As a medicinal remedy used to save lives, she must have been facing a difficult situation, though she didn’t reveal what had happened. When Lu Jingming met her again, he asked her about it, but she still chose to keep it a secret.

She only said that once their transaction was complete, the agreement must be honored. After turning away from each other, they went their separate ways. Lu Jingming looked back at Shen Jiangli’s departing figure, feeling a sudden surge of emotion. He had once dreamed of a harmonious life with her, growing old together—but somehow, things had ended up like this. Shen Jiangli walked forward with determination, showing not a trace of sentimentality toward him.

Shen Jiangli moved back into the Lu residence. As the eldest son of the Lu family, Lu Jingming’s elder brother asked him what he intended to do. Lu Jingming did not object to Shen Jiangli’s return, and Shen Jiangli herself stated that this was the Lu family’s private affair and did not need outside interference.

In the past, Shen Jiangli had appeared indifferent to worldly matters, but now she had begun to fight back and would no longer suffer injustice in silence. Lu Jingming’s elder brother had long harbored resentment because Lu Jingming had once earned military honors. He feared Lu Jingming would one day surpass him. In response, Lu Jingming had chosen to keep a low profile and conceal his talents. That day, his elder brother deliberately invited him to admire a sword.

The moment Lu Jingming saw the sword’s scabbard, his expression changed dramatically. He quickly claimed that he had been indulging too much in feasting lately and could no longer distinguish quality. Afterward, the elder brother quietly told the First Madam that the sword had once belonged to Lu Jingming. During a battle, he had fallen into an enemy trap, and his army was nearly wiped out. The incident had left a deep emotional scar.

Shen Jiangli told Lu Jingming that only she could cure the chronic illness in his body. To ensure a peaceful and undisturbed treatment environment, she hoped Lu Jingming would restore her rightful status as soon as possible. This way, others would stop focusing on her every move and plotting to harm her. Lu Jingming agreed to her request without hesitation.

The next day, Lu Jingming summoned everyone in the residence to the courtyard and announced that since the Madam had returned, all household affairs would henceforth be handled by Shen Jiangli. As the master had spoken, everyone naturally obeyed. Lu Jingming still had to go out for military training, so he hurriedly left the residence. As a newcomer once more, Shen Jiangli needed to establish her authority.

She first declared that she would handle all matters fairly and would also present everyone with a generous gift. Back when she lived in the courtyard, she had suffered under several old maids, so now that she had returned, she intended to give them a warning. Shen Jiangli publicly summoned one of the old maids who had mistreated her. The old woman trembled with fear when she saw a chicken bone.

Back then, she had secretly swapped Shen Jiangli’s food for chicken bones and forced her to reassemble the entire chicken frame—such cruelty. Now, seeing the bones again, the old maid realized she was in for hardship. Shen Jiangli repaid cruelty with kindness in public, and everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief, becoming much more respectful toward her. After winning the hearts of the people, Shen Jiangli began planning her next move.

Her son was still ill, and she needed to quickly settle matters here so she could obtain Lei Pills to treat him. While handling official duties, Lu Jingming happened to pass by a courtyard and saw a clever little boy stuck in a dog hole, calling out for help. The child’s sweet and tender voice instantly won Lu Jingming’s affection. After being rescued, the boy ran back into the courtyard. From across the yard, Lu Jingming heard Shen Jiangli’s voice.

The boy called her "mother," and Lu Jingming was surprised—if he called Shen Jiangli "mother," did that mean the child had something to do with him? Shen Jiangli did not hide the truth and admitted that the boy, who was just over five years old, was her son. Given that five or six years had already passed, Lu Jingming could not be sure if the child’s birth had anything to do with him.

That night, Shen Jiangli performed acupuncture on Lu Jingming as promised. The process was painful, and she warned him to endure it. The child had a chronic condition and couldn’t sleep soundly at night. Shen Jiangli was deeply worried and decided to seek out Master Zhuge immediately to get the Lei Pills as soon as possible. She wrote a formal letter of visit and went to see him in person.

Master Zhuge had severe bad breath, and upon their first meeting, Shen Jiangli diagnosed him with gangrenous gingivitis. She said that with her prescribed medicine, it could be cured quickly. As she predicted, after taking the medicine, Master Zhuge’s symptoms greatly improved. He developed a high regard for Shen Jiangli and, upon learning that she wanted the design for a repeating crossbow, generously gave her a copy. Recently, Lu Jingming had been diligently training the Jinlin Guards.

To help her husband surpass his elder brother sooner, Shen Jiangli painstakingly gathered two large chests of gold, silver, and valuables to fund the creation of weapons. When Lu Jingming saw the exquisitely designed blueprint, he was overjoyed. With this design, many arrows could be fired simultaneously. Now that he also had the funds for manufacturing, he immediately made a plan to begin large-scale production.

When the First Madam heard that the second house’s young lady had returned, she, already at odds with Lu Jingming’s mother, immediately went to the Lu family patriarch and twisted the story to paint Shen Jiangli in a bad light. However, Lu Jingming’s mother was not someone to be trifled with, and as soon as the two women met, a war of words was inevitable.

The First Madam intended to introduce her nephew, Su Ruian, to Lu Jingming’s younger sister, Lu Qingqing. Su Ruian was locally well-regarded and carried himself with dignity. Lu Jingming’s mother agreed to let the two meet. Lu Qingqing took a strong liking to Su Ruian upon meeting him, and he, in turn, was very impressed with her. When their eyes met, both blushed unconsciously.

Su Ruian admired Lu Qingqing’s unique makeup and even remarked that beauty was a rare and natural gift. However, he didn’t know that Lu Qingqing’s cheek had been injured and was merely covered with flower petals.

Back then, Lu Qingqing’s facial injury seemed to have something to do with Shen Jiangli. Wang Danling had always disapproved of Shen Jiangli and deliberately went to Lu Qingqing to tell her that Shen Jiangli had returned from the ancestral tomb. She even claimed that Shen Jiangli was once again using seductive sorcery, as if she carried something unclean, and that her moving into the Lu residence would bring nothing good.

When Lu Qingqing stormed in furiously with a Taoist priest in tow, Shen Jiangli immediately understood what was going on. She reminded Lu Qingqing that she was not the one who caused her facial injury back then, but Lu Qingqing had been misled by Danling and simply refused to believe Shen Jiangli. The Taoist paced around the room, pretending to be someone sent by the Immortal Lord Wuliang, boasting of an indestructible body.

Just as he was about to perform a ritual on Shen Jiangli, Lu Jingming arrived in time to defuse the situation and help Shen Jiangli out of trouble. The Taoist still insisted that his findings were accurate. Shen Jiangli sneered and said that since he claimed to have an indestructible body, why not demonstrate it right then and there? The Taoist was brought to a pot of boiling oil. Seeing the oil bubbling and rolling, the crowd was horrified.

Yet the Taoist stuck his hand in and pulled it out completely unscathed. Shen Jiangli walked over with a cold smile and also put her hand in the pot. Lu Qingqing widened her eyes in shock—Shen Jiangli's hand was also unharmed. Shen Jiangli exposed the Taoist’s trick in front of everyone. The pot actually contained vinegar, which has a lower boiling point than oil, but since oil is lighter, it floated on top.

As a result, dipping one’s hand in wouldn’t cause any burns. A young servant, half-believing, also tested it and found it completely safe. The Taoist, unable to argue further, had no choice but to beg for mercy in disgrace. As the crowd dispersed, Lu Jingming advised Shen Jiangli to quietly look into Su Ruian’s character.

Su Ruian was a distant nephew of the First House, and since the First and Second Houses had always been at odds, Lu Jingming didn’t believe the First House would be so kind-hearted. He asked Shen Jiangli to investigate Su Ruian thoroughly. Lu Qingqing’s disfigurement was indeed tragic. When Shen Jiangli heard from a maid that someone knew who had harmed Lu Qingqing back then, she carefully had the culprit Ah Tai captured.

Bound tightly with ropes, Ah Tai was brought before Lu Jingming. Under a mix of coaxing and pressure from Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming, Ah Tai finally confessed that it was all orchestrated by the First House. At the time, they couldn’t tolerate Lu Jingming and secretly ordered Ah Tai to harm him. When the plan failed, they shifted the blame onto Shen Jiangli, which led to Lu Qingqing being deceived.

Shen Jiangli also had her people investigate Su Ruian’s background thoroughly. It turned out he wasn’t some talented scholar from Jiangnan at all. He usually cheated in exams and even in chess matches. In everything he did, he relied on bribery and under-the-table dealings. He had no real skills or talent. After learning about Su Ruian’s cheating tactics, Shen Jiangli had her subordinates uncover the methods he used.

Once she had the evidence, she went straight to Lu Qingqing and told her everything she had found, encouraging her to go verify it for herself. Later, Shen Jiangli invited Su Ruian to a public chess match. As expected, he tried to cheat again. Lu Qingqing arrived in time to overhear Su Ruian’s arrogant and boastful talk, which was completely different from how he usually acted around her.

During the match, Su Ruian kept glancing at his friends nearby, hoping they would signal him with moves. However, those “helpers” had already been bribed by Shen Jiangli and didn’t give him any support, causing Su Ruian to reveal his true colors.

Shen Jiangli exposed Su Ruian’s petty tricks on the spot. Enraged and humiliated, he warned Shen Jiangli not to be too arrogant, claiming that he was the imperial son-in-law. Lu Jingming stepped out and sternly rebuked Su Ruian, telling him not to be delusional—there hadn’t even been a wedding yet, so where did the title of imperial son-in-law come from? Lu Qingqing directly declared that she had nothing to do with Su Ruian.

With Su Ruian’s true colors revealed, Lu Jingming immediately ordered his men to take him away. Thankfully, Shen Jiangli uncovered Su Ruian’s true nature in time. Otherwise, if he had married Lu Qingqing, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Lu Qingqing’s mother was chilled to the bone after hearing everything. This was clearly a trap set by the First House, aiming to turn her daughter into a laughingstock.

Even so, she still didn’t have a favorable impression of Shen Jiangli, thinking that Lu Qingqing would only be more heartbroken after learning the truth. Wang Danling, with ill intent, went to stir things up again with Lu Qingqing. At that moment, Shen Jiangli arrived. She wanted to confront Danling and personally clarify the truth.

Five years ago, during a lantern festival at the market, Lu Qingqing desperately wanted to attend, but her mother kept a strict watch over her, so she couldn’t leave the house. Seeing Lu Qingqing so depressed, Shen Jiangli suggested that she put on her clothes and take her sedan chair out for a bit of fun. On the way, Danling was assaulted by a thug. Fortunately, the authorities arrived just in time, and Lu Qingqing’s chastity was preserved.

However, she suffered a head injury, leaving a scar. Shen Jiangli stood under the blazing sun waiting for Lu Qingqing to open the door. She waited for a very long time until she eventually collapsed from exhaustion. Lu Jingming carried the unconscious Shen Jiangli back to the courtyard and even sent someone to call for Lu Qingqing. After Shen Jiangli regained consciousness, Lu Jingming brought the thug over and told Lu Qingqing the truth.

It turned out that the entire situation had been orchestrated by Danling, who had incited the thug to attack Shen Jiangli, but due to a twist of fate, Lu Qingqing was the one who got hurt. Lu Qingqing didn’t believe it. The thug mentioned that the young madam’s maid, Hexiang, had been present at the time. But Hexiang had been missing for many years—where could she be found? Shen Jiangli vowed to find Hexiang at all costs.

Knowing that Hexiang was devastated because of the scar on her face, Shen Jiangli personally sought out medicinal herbs to carefully craft a healing salve that could remove dead tissue and regenerate skin. She spent a long time preparing it. Lu Jingming witnessed Shen Jiangli’s kindness and meticulous care, realizing that he had indeed misunderstood her five years ago.

Wanting to make amends, he ordered his men to buy pastries and deliver them to Shen Jiangli, but she had already lost hope and refused to accept his gesture. At last, Shen Jiangli found Hexiang. Poor Hexiang had once worked for Danling, but after learning too many secrets, her mistress had her rendered deaf and mute. Danling thought she had covered all traces, but she was wrong. Shen Jiangli sought out Danling’s former tutor, who knew some sign language.

Through a few gestures, they were able to easily understand what Hexiang wanted to say. Upon hearing of Shen Jiangli’s method, Danling turned pale with fright.

With Lu Jingming’s support, Hexiang truthfully recounted the events of that year. Using knocks and gestures, she revealed everything that had happened. Hexiang explained that the thug, A’tai, had made a mistake and immediately reported to Wang Danling in a panic. At the time, Danling even laughed and said it didn’t matter—she could use the incident to stir up more trouble.

As a result, Danling deliberately sowed discord between Lu Qingqing and Shen Jiangli, eventually leading to Shen Jiangli being driven out of the household. After hearing Hexiang’s account, Lu Qingqing realized that she had misunderstood Shen Jiangli all these years and had even taken a villain for a friend. Heartbroken, she angrily called Danling a treacherous scoundrel. Danling glared fiercely at Shen Jiangli, warning her that they would meet again.

Although Lu Jingming was present, he refused to bring Danling to see the matriarch. Shen Jiangli was a bit angry, shot a glare at Lu Jingming, and walked away coldly. Filled with regret, Lu Qingqing asked Lu Jingming to take good care of Shen Jiangli, saying that it was their fault back then—they should never have banished her to guard the ancestral tomb without finding out the truth.

Lu Jingming immediately followed Shen Jiangli outside to comfort her, telling her not to worry. After all, Wang Danling was the only daughter of the First House, had a father with distinguished military service, and came from a wealthy maternal family. Naturally, they wouldn’t let their daughter be thrown into prison. The previous incident when she prayed for the Lu family patriarch’s recovery was an example—without solid evidence, they couldn’t act rashly.

What Lu Jingming said was very reasonable, and Shen Jiangli silently acknowledged her earlier impulsiveness. Shen Qilan, the youngest daughter of the Shen family, had grown into a fine young woman. Her mother was anxious to find her a good match. Upon learning that the Lu family would soon be holding a birthday banquet, she suggested that the Shen family’s eldest master bring Shen Qilan along. To help her appear more presentable, she even provided extra silver.

Although Shen Qilan was just a young woman, she didn’t aspire to marry into wealth and power. Seeing the caged bird at home unhappy, she took the initiative to open the cage and set it free. When she went out and saw a man bullying a respectable woman on the street, she wanted to intervene, but her maid quickly stopped her, telling her not to meddle. While shopping for jewelry, Shen Qilan ran into Danling.

Danling disliked Shen Jiangli and naturally treated her sister with the same disdain. Despite Shen Qilan’s warm attempt to befriend her, Danling remained indifferent and even handed her a hairpin that Shen Qilan thought was exquisite, treating her like a servant she was trying to get rid of. Shen Qilan had thought that her sister must be enjoying great fortune after marrying into the Lu family, but this encounter with her sister-in-law showed otherwise—their relationship was clearly strained.

Shen Qilan was overjoyed when she visited the Lu residence and saw her sister. She didn’t mention having just seen Danling. It happened to be the matriarch’s birthday banquet, and Shen Jiangli’s father also attended. Shen Jiangli still smiled when she saw her sister, but upon seeing her father, she felt a chill in her heart. She remembered how she had been banished to guard the tomb for five years, and her natal family never once came to see her.

When her father complained that she hadn’t returned to visit after coming back to the Lu family, Shen Jiangli retorted directly, saying she had thought he considered this daughter already dead.

One of Lu Jingming’s subordinates came to report that the iron mine they were transporting had been seized by the First House, so he hurried off, and Shen Jiangli followed him. The two shared a carriage, and along the way, Lu Jingming asked why she had spoken to her father that way earlier. Shen Jiangli honestly explained that because the concubine, Concubine Zou, was favored at home, her father had always been cold toward her and her mother.

Her mother had suffered a great deal of mistreatment. Just now, when she saw that Shen Qilan had bought so many pieces of jewelry, she realized that Concubine Zou must have once again been instigating her father. Since there was no affection left in that home, she no longer wished to be a burden in anyone’s eyes.

Upon meeting with the Lu family's eldest son, Lu Jingming promptly claimed that the iron mine was a property he was giving to Shen Jiangli. Her dowry had mysteriously disappeared when she first married into the Lu family, so now that she had returned, it was only right to compensate her. The eldest brother had no excuse, so he allowed it. After leaving with Shen Jiangli, Lu Jingming handed her the official mining permit, confirming all he had just said.

Shen Jiangli was overjoyed. Under the bright moonlight, the two took a stroll together. A flower vendor child suggested Lu Jingming buy some flowers, and he generously bought them all and gave them to Shen Jiangli. At the Lu residence, the Imperial Concubine’s birthday banquet was held, and all the nobility of East Prefecture came to celebrate. The third young master Lu Jingxing also arrived, accompanied by the third young madam Xiahou Yao.

The pair looked like a perfect match, like a golden boy and jade girl. They paid their respects to the Imperial Concubine and presented their gift. Everyone assumed it would be something exquisite, but to their surprise, it was a goat’s skull. Xiahou Yao explained that in her culture, this symbolized gratitude and respect. The Imperial Concubine wasn’t offended and said she liked it. Wang Danling arrived with her husband, offering an expensive red coral as a gift.

The Imperial Concubine accepted it with a smile. Finally, it was Lu Jingming’s turn. He approached gracefully with Shen Jiangli and presented an embroidery of a celestial crane. The First House people immediately burst into laughter, mocking the Second House for being stingy—how could they present just an embroidery at the matriarch’s birthday celebration? Embarrassed, the Imperial Concubine ordered her servants to take it away quickly.

Xiahou Yao, unable to stand it, stepped forward and asked if she could also admire the embroidery. When she flipped it over, everyone gasped—it turned out to be the long-lost double-sided embroidery. The front depicted a celestial crane symbolizing longevity and blessings, while the back showed peonies, praising the Imperial Concubine's wealth and generosity. Thanks to Xiahou Yao’s explanation, the Imperial Concubine beamed with joy, nearly having misunderstood her own son and daughter-in-law.

She even had someone send pearl cream to Shen Jiangli. The First House’s schemes failed once again. Despite presenting red coral, they didn’t gain favor, while someone else’s embroidery won the Imperial Concubine’s heart. That evening, everyone enjoyed the banquet together. Shen Qilan noticed Lu Jingming speaking kindly on her father’s behalf and suggested her father return the favor to the Lu family.

Her father, who always treated Shen Qilan like a precious jewel, went up to thank them but spoke harshly to Shen Jiangli, lacking any warmth. Shen Jiangli didn’t mind and, after a few cold words, turned and walked away. Though the Lu residence looked glorious on the surface, it was a mess behind the scenes.

Wang Danling was secretly trying to get close to Lu Jingming, and Shen Qilan was not idle either—she secretly met with the Lu family’s eldest son. The two had long been entangled in a secret affair. The only reason the eldest son had married Wang Danling was because of her powerful father. He hoped to use the Wang family’s influence to gain control of the Jinlin Guards sooner.

Wang Danling married the eldest son of the Lu family, but she had long coveted Lu Jingming. She originally planned to find a way to have Lu Jingming for herself as well, but now that Shen Jiangli had returned from Guling, her dreams were shattered. Seeing that Lu Jingming seemed to have rekindled his feelings for Shen Jiangli, Wang Danling’s jealousy burned fiercely. She had never liked Shen Jiangli, and now she became even more nitpicky and hostile.

Shen Jiangli completely fell out with Wang Danling and questioned whether she had realized that she still had no children—it was karma. Wang Danling flushed with anger; her inability to bear children had always been a sore spot. Now that Shen Jiangli had touched on that pain, Wang Danling jumped into the river right in front of her. The maid behind her immediately screamed, claiming that Shen Jiangli had pushed the Madam into the river!

Shen Jiangli had seen scenes like this before—she quickly jumped in as well, pretending to save her. Since Wang Danling liked to act, Shen Jiangli would play along. Now that Shen Jiangli was also in the water, more and more people gathered. Wang Danling, crying pitifully, accused Shen Jiangli of pushing her in.

Shen Jiangli refused to back down and exposed Wang Danling’s scheme on the spot, questioning why she was out here late at night with only the two of them present. Lu Jingming rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Shen Jiangli told him everything truthfully, and this time, Lu Jingming firmly stood by his wife.

He told his elder brother that it was Wang Danling who had invited him out for a chat that night, and when Shen Jiangli discovered them, misunderstandings arose. However, based on Shen Jiangli’s character, she would never go so far as to push Wang Danling into the river. In fact, before Wang Danling married into the Lu family, she had already taken a liking to Lu Jingming.

But at that time, the Lu family’s legitimate son seemed more likely to secure the noble title. Lu Jingming had always treated her lukewarmly, while the eldest son was extremely attentive. So Wang Danling chose the Lu family’s eldest son. Now that Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming were in complete agreement, even a fool could see the truth.

The legitimate son of the Lu family naturally had doubts, but because he coveted the power of Wang Danling’s father, he could only continue to play dumb and insist on standing by Wang Danling. Lu Qingqing saw that her second brother and sister-in-law were once again being wronged and humiliated.

Remembering how she herself had been deceived by Wang Danling for so many years, she stood up and told their parents that it was Wang Danling who caused her disfigurement and nearly cost her innocence in a lowly part of town. Wang Danling realized that Lu Qingqing was about to retaliate and once again put on a pitiful act, claiming she had been misled by Shen Jiangli and that she had always cared about Lu Qingqing and never harbored ill intentions.

But Lu Qingqing couldn’t stand her false sincerity anymore and immediately exposed her—five years ago, it was Wang Danling who sent thugs to disgrace Shen Jiangli, but by coincidence, it was Lu Qingqing who happened to be in Shen Jiangli’s carriage that day, which led to the disaster. All the evidence pointed to Wang Danling’s disgraceful conduct. Minister Wang was so ashamed that his face turned red, afraid that the Lu family would issue a divorce on the spot.

But the legitimate son of the Lu family had never truly liked Wang Danling. Even knowing all these truths, so what? He wasn’t foolish enough to give up the power and influence that came with the Wang family. Wang Danling, who had always been arrogant and domineering, now found herself betrayed from all sides. She grew increasingly flustered.

As she walked out of the courtyard, she saw the eldest son and Shen Qilan behaving intimately, as if they had known each other for a long time. Wang Danling sneaked into her husband’s study and discovered that Shen Qilan had written him many love letters over time. It seemed their secret affair had been going on for quite a while.

Lu Jingxing and Yao Yao, having nothing to do, decided to visit Tingyuxuan. They found the scenery beautiful and the pavilions and towers exquisitely crafted. Lu Jingxing explained that this place had been specially built by Lu Jingming for his wife when he married his second sister-in-law. Back then, the couple had been very much in love, but due to a misunderstanding, they were driven out. Ever since Shen Jiangli left Tingyuxuan, Lu Jingming rarely came here.

Hearing that the two had once shared such deep affection, Yao Yao couldn’t help but worry that she and Lu Jingxing might also one day fall into a misunderstanding. Although their relationship had always been good, it was hard to guarantee that they wouldn't be stirred up by others in the future. When Lu Jingxing arrived at Tingyuxuan, he suddenly saw a young child in the courtyard.

The child was lively and bore a striking resemblance to Lu Jingming when he was young. Just as he was asking for the child’s name, Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli rushed over, making the scene quite awkward. Yao Yao, ever quick-witted, immediately invited Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming to join them for an outing. Shen Jiangli reminded Yao Yao not to reveal the child's existence for now, as this was the best way to protect him.

Yao Yao nodded, knowing well the tactics of the main branch of the family. Wang Danling had no children—if she found out that the second branch had a child this old, she would stop at nothing to cause harm. Lu Jingxing also understood the importance of this matter. Fortunately, he had always been upright and trustworthy and would surely keep the secret for his elder brother. Yao Yao and Shen Jiangli went up the mountain to gather mushrooms.

Shen Jiangli happened to see an old man who had just collected a large basket of lingzhi mushrooms—rare medicinal herbs. Shen Jiangli had long been seeking rare ingredients for medicine and eagerly went to gather them herself. Since Jingxing was still waiting to cook, she asked Yao Yao to return first. What Shen Jiangli didn’t expect was that this was yet another trap set by Wang Danling.

As soon as she stepped into the flower field the old man had mentioned, she triggered a deadly mechanism. A slight misstep would result in a rain of arrows piercing her heart. Shen Jiangli felt that there was no way out this time. When Lu Jingming saw Yao Yao return alone, he became worried and rushed off. Since Lu Jingming knew some martial arts, he quickly stepped on the mechanism himself, allowing Shen Jiangli to escape first.

The two of them finally escaped danger. On their way back, they stumbled upon a sea of flowers, surrounded by glowing fireflies dancing in the air. Looking at the serene Shen Jiangli by the campfire, Lu Jingming once again felt his heart stir. This was his wife, yet he had once believed slanderous words and caused her five years of suffering. Lu Jingming was filled with guilt and wanted to make it up to her.

The child, Yanyan, suddenly had a relapse of an old illness. Just moments ago, he had been happily playing, but he suddenly collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. Shen Jiangli, distressed, immediately carried him to bed. Lu Jingming learned that the child was suffering from a parasitic disease, and only thunder pills could cure it. No wonder Shen Jiangli had demanded thunder pills in exchange when she first returned to the Lu family—it had been to treat the child.

Shen Jiangli couldn’t hold back her tears, seeing the child in so much pain. She wanted to go beg the Master of the Lu family for the medicine. Lu Jingming stopped her and urged her to stay calm. The repeating crossbows were still in the trial phase, and the main branch of the family was constantly watching their every move. If they found out about the child’s illness, they would definitely scheme even more viciously. After confirming that the child was indeed his own, Lu Jingming promised Shen Jiangli that he would find a way to cure their son.

The child's condition was becoming increasingly critical, but thunder pills were considered a treasured heirloom of the Lu family. In order to obtain them, Shen Jiangli was willing to take great risks. Upon hearing that the Master of the Lu family had suffered a relapse of his chronic illness, Shen Jiangli decided to personally diagnose him. Lu Jingming understood how serious the matter was—the old illness of the Lu patriarch had been difficult even to manage, let alone cure.

Shen Jiangli reassured him, saying she had been studying the condition during this time and was about sixty percent confident in her ability to treat it. Members from both the main and second branches of the family were eager to display their loyalty before the patriarch, all hoping to personally serve by his bedside. At that moment, Shen Jiangli arrived and requested a chance to diagnose him.

Concubine Shu, fearing her daughter-in-law might make a mistake and bring trouble upon them, refused Shen Jiangli’s request outright. The main branch, however, was eager to see the second branch in trouble and deliberately spoke up in support of Shen Jiangli. Fortunately, the old patriarch was still somewhat lucid and allowed her to take his pulse. Shen Jiangli administered a calming incense of her own making, which alleviated the patient’s head pain.

She then performed acupuncture, which helped relax his body. The Lu patriarch was delighted and wanted to reward her. When Shen Jiangli requested thunder pills, he did not grant it, only bestowing her with some cloth and gold and silver trinkets. Since Shen Jiangli's medical skills couldn't secure the thunder pills, Lu Jingming's repeating crossbow became their best hope. In order to improve its accuracy as soon as possible, Lu Jingming stayed up several nights in a row without rest.

Finally, through everyone's tireless efforts, the precision of the repeating crossbow improved. Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming were overjoyed and eagerly awaited the envoy's arrival in Dongzhou the next day to showcase their invention. The main branch remained vigilant. Upon hearing that the second branch had enhanced the accuracy of the crossbow, they secretly sent someone to sabotage the materials Lu Jingming had prepared. On the day of the demonstration, the damage to the crossbow caught Lu Jingming off guard.

Luckily, he had prepared an alternative weapon—a repeating crossbow capable of firing five arrows at once, with level-ten accuracy, operable by just three young boys. Lu Jingming presented the weapon to his father, and the envoys' expressions changed dramatically. With such a powerful weapon, Dongzhou’s military strength would no longer be underestimated. Lu Jingming successfully redeemed Dongzhou's reputation, greatly pleasing the Lu patriarch, who personally awarded him the thunder pills and named him the Commander of the Golden Scale Guard.

Lu Jingming rushed back excitedly to deliver the thunder pills to Shen Jiangli. After the child took the medicine, his condition improved, and he was once again lively and energetic before everyone. At that moment, the agreement between Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming had been fulfilled. According to their original deal, Shen Jiangli was to take the child and leave for Dingfeng Pavilion. She had already written a letter to her brother and planned to depart the next day.

Lu Jingming had bought a delicate hairpin to gift his wife, hiding it in his sleeve. When he returned and saw Shen Jiangli packing, learning that they were leaving the Lu residence, he felt deeply sorrowful. But the agreement had already been made. How could he find a way to keep his wife and child by his side? Lu Jingming knew that he could no longer live without them.

Late at night, Shen Jiangli was packing her luggage, feeling a bit melancholic as she thought about returning soon. Her child, Yan Yan, awoke from a nightmare. He told his mother that he had dreamt of sitting alone in a small boat, feeling abandoned and helpless. Recently, the child had developed feelings for the Lu family, especially for Lu Jingming, and he felt a deep attachment that was hard to let go.

Shen Jiangli reassured her child that Lu Jingming was just a "handsome brother," not his father, and that he shouldn’t always think about staying here. The child, still young, had forgotten his sadness by the following morning. Before dawn, Lu Jingming had already gone to the Golden Scale Guard. There had been an earthquake the previous night, so Lu Jingming immediately went to assess the damage. Before he left, he had his subordinates prepare some things.

Yan Yan was very happy when he saw the pastries Lu Jingming brought—his and his mother’s favorite treats. After breakfast, Shen Jiangli took the child to Dingfeng Pavilion. On the way, as Shen Jiangli and the child were eating, they suddenly overheard people at a noodle shop discussing the disaster. They were saying that it had something to do with the Golden Scale Guard and that Lu Jingming’s fate clashed with the guard’s, which would bring continuous disasters.

If this was deliberate, the people would continue to suffer. Shen Jiangli realized that Lu Jingming must be facing difficulties, and confirming that these rumors were coming from the embassy, she quickly understood what was happening and decided to take the child back to the Lu residence.

As Shen Jiangli had guessed, the Lu family’s patriarch, upon hearing these rumors, summoned Lu Jingming from the disaster area and, believing the gossip about his fate, began to listen to his legitimate son’s claims. They said Lu Jingming’s fate didn’t match the guard’s and suggested that he should be removed from his position to rest. Shen Jiangli immediately reported to the Lu patriarch that some ill-intentioned people were spreading lies.

She took out a night pearl, saying it was a gift from the elder of Dingfeng Pavilion. Although it was widely believed that the elder of Dingfeng Pavilion was reclusive and rarely seen, Shen Jiangli claimed that the Grand Historian standing before them was a fraud, and she demanded to bring the real master to judge. The Lu patriarch agreed to give her time.

Shen Jiangli instructed her maid to wait a little before departing, as she intended to return alone for a few days. Lu Jingming had been temporarily saved in his position at the Golden Scale Guard by Shen Jiangli’s efforts, but he was still worried about her traveling alone to Dingfeng Pavilion. So, he secretly followed her from behind. When they finally reached the entrance of Dingfeng Pavilion, Lu Jingming’s presence was revealed.

The person waiting for Shen Jiangli was her senior brother, Chu Zimo, a disciple of Dingfeng Pavilion. Shen Jiangli asked Chu Zimo to let Lu Jingming go and introduced them to each other. Lu Jingming saw that Chu Zimo was well-mannered, exuding an air of refinement, and seemed quite familiar with Shen Jiangli. He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

When they were alone, Chu Zimo told Lu Jingming that six years ago, while traveling, he had encountered Shen Jiangli walking unsteadily in the heavy rain. At that time, she was pregnant and very weak. She had begged him to save her and her child. Later, when she gave birth, she had hemorrhaged badly and almost died. Lu Jingming was speechless. If he hadn't coldly expelled Shen Jiangli back then, she wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.

Chu Zimo followed Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming to Dongzhou, where he exposed the plot of Lu Jingming's eldest brother in front of the Lu patriarch. The elder brother had been scheming to strip his younger brother of his position, resorting to deceitful tactics. The celestial pearl that the embassy had brought in was also laughable—it was clearly a childish trick, pretending to be a divine instrument, but in reality, it was a tool for human manipulation.

The Lu family patriarch saw everything clearly and realized he had misunderstood Lu Jingming. This Grand Historian was an imposter—he had originally been just a eunuch in the palace. Infuriated, the patriarch immediately ordered that he be dragged out and executed. Terrified, the palace staff quickly revealed that the legitimate son was the one behind it all, leaving Lu Jingming's elder brother unable to defend himself. It was all thanks to Shen Jiangli’s help this time.

The patriarch now understood he had misjudged Shen Jiangli and finally recognized that his daughter-in-law was a clever and virtuous woman. He now fully supported Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli being together. He had never realized how intelligent Shen Jiangli truly was. Lu Jingming deeply regretted the way he had neglected her in the past, and seeing how close she was with her senior brother made him extremely jealous.

Because Chu Zimo had exposed the plot, Shen Jiangli arranged for him to stay temporarily at the Lu residence. One day, Lu Qingqing came looking for Shen Jiangli and unexpectedly encountered Chu Zimo. From the first glance, she was deeply captivated by him. In her flustered state, a flower petal stuck to her face. Chu Zimo gently pulled her into the courtyard and carefully wiped it off with floral balm.

Chu Zimo wasn’t just attentive to detail, but also gentle and refined. For the first time, Lu Qingqing felt her heart flutter for a man. Before leaving, she even made a point to ask for his name. While returning to the Lu residence, Shen Jiangli happened to run into Yun Niang, the former maid of her mother. Upon seeing Shen Jiangli, Yun Niang was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn’t help but reveal the truth from the past.

In fact, Shen Jiangli’s mother hadn’t died of illness—she had likely been murdered. Her health had always been good and she rarely got sick, but after catching a chill and drinking a few bowls of herbal medicine, she passed away.

At the time, Yun Niang wasn’t sure if the lady had been poisoned, but when she saw several dead ants near the medicine bowl, she saved the remaining liquid and took it to a doctor, who confirmed it was indeed poison. After the lady's death, Yun Niang was expelled from the Lu residence. Shen Jiangli was still very young then, and Yun Niang, feeling powerless, kept the secret buried deep in her heart.

Now, seeing Shen Jiangli all grown up and married into a respectable family, she finally told the truth about the injustice from years ago. Upon learning the real reason behind her mother’s death, Shen Jiangli felt an immense weight on her chest. Lu Jingming understood how she felt and brought her many books about poison symptoms, hoping to support her in uncovering the truth.

Because he had falsely accused his own brother, Lu Jingming’s elder brother was placed under house arrest by their father. Seeing the legitimate son's influence decline, Wang Danling began to plot again. She recalled how her husband had been unfaithful behind her back, and now it was time to strike back. With the disaster situation worsening, Wang Danling borrowed a large amount of silver from her maternal family and began distributing food to the victims under her own name.

Her actions earned her a good reputation, which greatly pleased the Lu patriarch, who thought she had grown a conscience. As a result, he lifted the house arrest on the legitimate son. Throughout the city, people began praising Wang Danling for her compassion, and her name was highly regarded. Shen Jiangli’s maid reminded her that she should also show herself at this time, but Shen Jiangli preferred to keep a low profile.

She noted that the power of Wang Danling’s maternal family could be useful for now. Shen Jiangli reassured her maid that it wasn’t necessary to stand out in everything. Lu Jingming surely already understood Lu Jingshu's intentions, and his silence likely served the greater good in handling the disaster. As soon as the Lu patriarch lifted Lu Jingshu’s house arrest, Wang Danling started stirring up trouble again.

She encouraged her mother-in-law to arrange a match for Lu Jingming, proposing that Shen Qilan be sent to him as a concubine. Wang Danling claimed this would cause chaos in Lu Jingming’s household and keep him distracted from his duties at the Golden Scale Guard.

Shen Jiangli’s stepmother, Concubine Zou, was swayed by Wang Danling’s mother-in-law's instigation and began plotting. Upon returning home, she immediately started whispering in Shen Jiangli’s father’s ear. Unfortunately, Shen Jiangli’s father was easily influenced and agreed to Concubine Zou’s suggestion without a second thought. When Shen Qilan heard that her father intended to marry her off to the second young master, she panicked and immediately protested.

She was about to explain that she had no interest in Lu Jingming and that her heart belonged to someone else, but her father refused to listen. Worried, Shen Qilan ran to her sister to inform her. When Shen Jiangli heard that Shen Qilan was in love, she asked who it was. Upon learning it was Lu Jingshu, she was shocked.

Lu Jingshu’s wife, Wang Danling, was not someone easy to deal with, and her powerful maternal family would surely make Shen Qilan suffer if she became a concubine. But Shen Qilan insisted that it was Lu Jingshu himself that she loved, and just being by his side would make her happy. Knowing Shen Qilan to be gentle and pure-hearted, Shen Jiangli decided that if her sister was truly devoted to Lu Jingshu, she might as well help make it happen.

So she began thinking of ways to create opportunities for her sister. Sure enough, not long after, at Lu Jingming’s father’s birthday banquet, the main wife immediately urged the governor to find Lu Jingming a concubine so that he could produce heirs soon. She even said she envied those who had sisters. Wang Danling pressed aggressively, fearing that Shen Jiangli would refuse.

But Lu Jingming publicly declared that he had never even met Shen Qilan and absolutely would not take another wife, shutting the matter down completely. At the same time, Shen Jiangli held her ground and added that her sister Shen Qilan already had someone she deeply loved. She explained that the two shared a strong bond, and the man had even given Shen Qilan a keepsake to symbolize his affection. With that, she produced a jade pendant.

Just moments earlier, Wang Danling had been domineering and smug, but the moment she saw the pendant, her face dropped—it belonged to Lu Jingshu, clearly proving the connection between him and Shen Qilan. What was meant to sow chaos in Lu Jingming’s household ended up backfiring. When the Lu family patriarch asked Lu Jingshu if it was true, he actually admitted it.

Though Wang Danling was vehemently opposed, the patriarch had already agreed to let the legitimate son take a concubine, believing it would help him produce heirs sooner. Shen Qilan, hearing that her wish was finally coming true, was so thrilled she couldn’t sleep all night. She secretly met with Wang Danling and pledged her loyalty, promising to know her place and serve Wang Danling with utmost respect. But Wang Danling, full of disdain, didn’t even bother to pretend. She directly warned Shen Qilan not to harbor foolish dreams and told her it would be best to stay far away in the future.

Shen Qilan was getting married, and her natal family went all out for the wedding, decorating lavishly—an even grander affair than a main wife’s wedding. Shen Qilan sat excitedly by the mirror, dressing up. Shen Jiangli came to offer her congratulations. Because her daughter was marrying into the Lu family, Concubine Zou had become even more arrogant.

When she saw Shen Jiangli touch one of Shen Qilan’s hair ornaments, she immediately scorned it, claiming that anything touched by someone who had kept vigil at the ancestral tomb was unlucky, and threw it aside on the table. Shen Jiangli saw this but forced herself to suppress the anger in her heart. When Shen Qilan saw that Lu Jingshu had sent red wedding candles for the ceremony, she was thrilled—such candles were usually reserved for the main wife.

Concubine Zou immediately instructed Shen Qilan that if the candles could burn through the wedding night, she and her husband would surely grow old together. These words stirred painful memories in Shen Jiangli’s heart. She remembered her own wedding night six years ago: due to urgent military matters on the front lines, Lu Jingming had been summoned away and did not return until the following afternoon.

The candle had been blown out by a cold wind the moment Lu Jingming left. Thinking back, perhaps that candle had been a bad omen. Feeling downcast, Shen Jiangli stepped outside for some air. She recalled that a maid once told her there had been something strange about her mother’s death. There were only two concubines in the Shen household—Concubine Zou and Concubine Tian. Concubine Zou was always loud, sharp-tongued, and incapable of keeping secrets.

Shen Jiangli decided to quietly visit Concubine Tian’s quarters. Finding no one there, she opened the drawers and discovered her mother’s bracelet inside a jewelry box. Why would her mother’s bracelet be in Concubine Tian’s room? Shen Jiangli quickly took the bracelet and hid it. Before long, Concubine Tian returned, grinning smugly as if something had gone wrong with Shen Qilan’s wedding. Back in Shen Qilan’s room, Shen Jiangli found out the problem was with the wedding dress.

It was supposed to have been delivered that morning from the main residence, but the dress Wang Danling had sent via her maid Yuzhu had been deliberately cut and ruined—completely unwearable. Yuzhu’s tone was full of disdain as she claimed there was a backup wedding robe. When Shen Jiangli examined the intact garment, she realized it had been worn by Wang Danling on her own wedding day.

Seeing her daughter become a laughingstock before even entering the Lu household, Concubine Zou anxiously begged Shen Jiangli for help. Remembering that Shen Qilan was innocent and had always treated her kindly, Shen Jiangli decided to lend a hand and resolved the crisis for her. At last, Shen Qilan, dressed appropriately, was married into the Lu family. Lu Jingshu personally received her, and the two entered the banquet with affectionate glances.

Just as they were about to perform the wedding bow, Wang Danling deliberately caused a scene by grabbing Shen Qilan’s robe in front of everyone, accusing her of wearing the main wife’s wedding attire and questioning whether she had wicked intentions. Shen Qilan was so startled she turned pale with fear, and the guests at the banquet began whispering and snickering. Lu Jingshu’s face darkened with embarrassment.

Shen Jiangli stepped forward and clarified that the wedding robe Shen Qilan wore was her own, and that the robe Yuzhu delivered had been so tattered it was unwearable. She had stepped in to help, saving the Lu family from disgrace. Seeing that the robe was indeed not hers, Wang Danling retreated resentfully—her scheme had backfired.

After the banquet, Lu Jingshu gave Wang Danling a fierce glare and warned her to be more mindful in the future, hoping such a disgraceful incident would never happen again. That night, Lu Jingming also redecorated his sleeping quarters to resemble a wedding night. Holding Shen Jiangli by the shoulder, he apologized for the wedding that had come too late and promised to treasure her from now on, never again allowing anything to harm her.

On the second day of the wedding, Shen Qilan went to greet Wang Danling. Although she was fully prepared, when she served tea, Wang Danling’s maid Yuzhu deliberately poured scalding hot water onto Shen Qilan’s hands. Her hands trembled from the burn, but she still gripped the cup tightly. Holding the burning hot cup, her fingers throbbed in pain, but she respectfully addressed Wang Danling as “Madam” several times before Wang Danling finally accepted the cup.

Immediately after, Wang Danling ordered Shen Qilan to start balancing the account books. She told Yuzhu to bring over a thick stack and instructed Shen Qilan to carefully go through every single one. Even the slightest mistake would earn a scolding.

The maids couldn’t bear to watch and wanted to plead on Shen Qilan’s behalf, but Wang Danling instead punished Shen Qilan by making her kneel in front of her for the time it took two sticks of incense to burn. With her malicious intent, Wang Danling soon pushed Shen Qilan to the point of fainting.

Even then, she didn’t let up—after confirming that Shen Qilan had woken up, she had Yuzhu send that entire stack of account books over to Shen Qilan’s residence. Shen Jiangli took the bracelet she had found in Tian Xiaozhen’s room to show her senior brother. A few pills fell out of the bracelet—they were highly toxic. Clearly, her mother had worn this bracelet daily, and the poison had slowly seeped into her skin, making her drowsy and eventually unconscious.

Although the bracelet was found in Tian Xiaozhen’s room, that alone didn’t confirm that she was the one who had poisoned her. To be cautious, Shen Jiangli decided to quietly return the bracelet and investigate the truth in secret. Late at night, with dew thick in the air, her senior brother saw Shen Jiangli off. The air was chilly, and he immediately draped his cloak over her shoulders, even carefully fastening the ties.

Lu Jingming happened to witness the scene, and his jealousy boiled over. He strode forward, returned the cloak to the senior brother, and wrapped Shen Jiangli in his own garment instead. Lu Qingqing happened to pass by and couldn’t help but laugh happily at what she saw. Now that she knew the senior brother had no improper intentions toward Shen Jiangli, Lu Qingqing began actively pursuing him. She often found excuses to share a carriage with him.

Meanwhile, despite Wang Danling’s elaborate schemes against Shen Qilan, before long, the doctor diagnosed that Shen Qilan was pregnant. This was Lu Jingshu’s first child, and he was overjoyed, growing even more affectionate in his words and actions. Seeing the man who usually obeyed her every word now being so tender to another woman left Wang Danling extremely bitter.

At first, she considered finding a way to get rid of the child, but fearing that Lu Jingshu would find out and punish her, she had Yuzhu find a prescription instead—one that would cause Shen Qilan to die in childbirth. Once the biological mother was gone, Wang Danling could smoothly take over the child’s care. Wang Danling personally delivered the tampered medicinal soup. Shen Qilan, suspecting nothing, drank it without hesitation.

After all the torment she had endured from Wang Danling before, she never expected her attitude to completely shift. Shen Qilan let her guard down. With a far-reaching plan in mind, Wang Danling began sending baby clothes and toys to Shen Qilan’s residence every day. Watching Lu Jingshu spend time with Shen Qilan daily, she seethed with rage. Yuzhu, emboldened by her mistress, often bullied Shen Qilan’s maid. But now, with Lu Jingshu protecting Shen Qilan, her maid was no longer afraid of Yuzhu.

Since becoming pregnant, Shen Qilan began dining at the same table as everyone else. Before, she had never been qualified to sit with Wang Danling. Seeing Lu Jingshu continuously serving food to Shen Qilan and even his mother treating her kindly, Wang Danling felt frustrated. When she saw Yuzhu bringing in the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine, she felt slightly better.

She thought to herself that as long as she could endure until Shen Qilan gave birth, she could then become the child's mother, and there would be plenty of ways to humiliate Shen Qilan in the future. In front of everyone, Shen Qilan obediently took the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine and drank it. Not long after, she began experiencing intense abdominal pain, and bleeding from below started uncontrollably. Panic broke out among everyone.

Shen Qilan immediately pointed at Wang Danling and questioned why she would try to harm her. Lu Jingshu’s mother suddenly realized—Shen Qilan had just taken the medicine delivered by Wang Danling. To confirm the situation, she quickly summoned the most trusted physician. After all, Wang Danling had indeed tampered with the pregnancy medicine. The physician carefully examined the medicine residue and found that the ingredients had been altered. Prolonged consumption would inevitably cause a miscarriage.

Upon hearing the physician’s words, both Lu Jingshu and his mother were shocked—it truly was the act of a wicked woman! Terrified, Wang Danling knelt on the ground and argued that she had only slightly increased the dosage, which shouldn’t have caused such harm to the child. However, in admitting this, she only confirmed the physician’s statement. Lu Jingshu was furious and glared at Wang Danling with eyes full of rage, as if he wanted to devour her.

Wang Danling begged Lu Jingshu for forgiveness, saying they were still husband and wife. But when Shen Qilan saw Lu Jingshu begin to soften, she immediately cried and said she had dreamed of the son in her womb—how he could have been born safely, called her “mother,” and trained in martial arts with Lu Jingshu. Such a good child, destroyed by Wang Danling’s own hands. Wang Danling’s pitiful act failed to deceive Lu Jingshu this time.

He immediately ordered that Wang Danling be stripped of her position and sent to guard the ancestral tomb from then on. When Wang Danling’s father heard about this, he immediately went to see the prefect of the Lu household. As the governor of East Prefecture, he detested inner-court drama. Now that his eldest son finally had an heir, Wang Danling had made such a move. The prefect was furious and gave no face to Wang Danling’s father.

Wang Danling sat in her boudoir, lost in regret. Just then, Lu Jingshu arrived. He was still angry about her actions. He had once tolerated many things she had done, but this child was his first and held great significance. He had already hinted at this to her before, but she had still gone too far. Hearing his words, Wang Danling was filled with remorse and knelt, begging Lu Jingshu to give her another chance.

Lu Jingshu shook his sleeves and left. When Shen Jiangli heard that her younger sister had miscarried, she brought some nourishing supplements to visit her, following local customs. Just as she entered Shen Qilan’s courtyard, she saw Shen Qilan’s maid sneaking out with a basin of clothes, looking panicked upon seeing her. Shen Jiangli glanced at the clothes in the basin and saw they were stained with blood.

After the maid hurried off, Shen Jiangli found some discarded medicine dregs in a nearby flowerbed. One sniff told her what was going on. Entering Shen Qilan’s room, Shen Jiangli kindly offered to check her pulse, but Shen Qilan hesitated and refused to extend her arm. Shen Jiangli immediately understood. Later, when she saw Wang Danling, Shen Jiangli caught a whiff of a scent from her—one known to contain ingredients that induce infertility.

Poor and pitiful Wang Danling had actually been tricked all along. Shen Jiangli told Wang Danling that Shen Qilan had never been pregnant in the first place. She had used herbs to fake pregnancy, timed it with her menstrual cycle, and pretended to miscarry during those days. Only then did Wang Danling realize how foolish she had been. Used to being domineering, she had let her guard down too easily.

As Shen Jiangli left Lu Jingshu’s residence, Lu Jingming was already waiting for her at the gate. Thinking about everything that had happened, Shen Jiangli sighed—Wang Danling still didn’t know why she had ended up like this. In the end, it was her own desires and obsessions that ruined her. Lu Jingming comforted her, saying that no matter the outcome for Wang Danling or Shen Qilan, the path was one they had chosen themselves.

Shen Qilan had finally succeeded in driving Wang Danling away and was in an excellent mood. That day, her mother came to visit and revealed a secret: rumors were spreading outside that Shen Jiangli was determined to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death all those years ago. In fact, Shen Qilan’s mother had once used some underhanded tactics against Shen Jiangli’s mother, both to protect herself and to gain favor.

When Shen Jiangli returned home, she told Lu Jingming what she had just seen at Shen Qilan’s place. In fact, even earlier, Shen Jiangli had smelled the scent of incense burning in Wang Danling’s room that contained ingredients known to hinder pregnancy. She asked Lu Jingming if he knew who was behind the plot. Lu Jingming thought of his elder brother, Lu Jingshu. When Shen Qilan heard her mother’s worries, she couldn’t help but become anxious.

Right now, Lu Jingming’s influence in the household was growing. If Shen Jiangli were to find a handle on her mother, her own position would be at risk. Just in case, Shen Qilan instructed her maid Fuling to quickly find Lian Wantang, who had known some inside information from back then. Shen Jiangli’s mother used to be close friends with Lian Wantang’s mother.

At that time, Shen Jiangli’s mother had received a pair of bracelets as a gift and generously gave one to Lian Wantang’s mother. Now, Shen Jiangli went out of her way to find Lian Wantang’s mother and managed to retrieve that bracelet. After opening it, Shen Jiangli discovered there was still poison hidden inside. Lian Wantang also recalled that after her mother wore the bracelet, she became dazed and absent-minded, then fell gravely ill, suffering from constant dizziness and headaches.

Eventually, her husband grew disgusted and drove both mother and daughter out of the house. Coincidentally, that day was the ancestor worship ceremony at Shen Jiangli’s family. Shen Jiangli brought witnesses and returned home personally. In front of her father, she questioned Concubine Tian about why she had poisoned her mother back then. Concubine Tian was shocked and immediately denied everything, claiming ignorance and saying Shen Jiangli was just like her mother in temperament.

Shen Jiangli hated it most when others spoke ill of her mother, and without hesitation, turned and slapped her. Shen Jiangli’s father had always been partial to Concubine Tian and openly defended her. Shen Jiangli was heartbroken. Her mother had come from a wealthy family, and all these years, they had been spending her mother’s dowry. She questioned her father about whether he had ever felt any remorse, and whether others had been involved in framing her mother.

Her words implied that her father might have silently condoned Concubine Tian’s actions. Enraged, her father slapped her hard. Shen Qilan and her mother watched coldly from the side, secretly nervous. After all, Concubine Zou had also played a role in the plot against Shen Jiangli’s mother. Shen Qilan appeared calm on the surface but was closely observing Shen Jiangli’s reaction. Although her father had never cared for her, Shen Jiangli had not forgotten their bond.

But that slap truly chilled her heart. She glared at her father and warned that from now on, their father-daughter relationship was over. Her father wanted to punish her with the family rules, but just then, Lu Jingming’s men entered.

They had been sent under orders to protect Shen Jiangli and publicly announced that no matter what grievances she suffered in her maiden home, she would not bear them alone—Lu Jingming would protect her personally and bring all wrongdoers to justice. With Lu Jingming backing her, Shen Jiangli’s father dared not act recklessly. He bent down and flatteringly said he would follow Shen Jiangli’s judgment and send Concubine Tian to the authorities.

Back home, Shen Jiangli reviewed everything that had happened and found it oddly smooth, almost as if it had all been arranged—but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what was off. Since Lian Wantang had contributed to uncovering the truth, Shen Jiangli brought her to her residence to stay for a while. Lian Wantang had met Lu Jingming as a child and had always had a good impression of him.

Now that she had returned to the Lu residence, she was eager to climb the social ladder and escape the hardship of life with her mother. Taking advantage of Shen Jiangli’s unawareness, she looked for an opportunity to approach Lu Jingming and even deliberately dropped her hairpin under the table where he was drinking. The next day, Lu Jingming personally brought the hairpin back to Lian Wantang, giving them another chance to meet.

This time, Lu Jingming ordered his men to leave and spoke with Lian Wantang alone for a while. The two servants exchanged glances—Shen Jiangli had only just returned to the household, could it be that their master was already planning to take another concubine, just like his elder brother?

Since Lian Wantang arrived at the Lu residence, she had tried every possible way to get close to Lu Jingming, and Lu Jingming seemed quite accommodating as well. When in a good mood, he even took her to the jewelry shop and bought her ornaments. Lian Wantang thought Lu Jingming was showing affection toward her, so she said she liked the jewelry Shen Qilan wore in Lu Jingshu’s room and hoped to have a similar set.

Lu Jingming readily agreed and even asked the shop owner to bring a painter to craft a new set based on Lian Wantang’s description. Later that night, Lu Jingming took the initiative to suggest that Lian Wantang stay at his place. Lian Wantang obediently ordered Lu Jingming’s subordinates to furnish her room with more furniture and books.

Lu Jingming’s tone then shifted—he instructed his men to keep watch and said that from now on, apart from Shen Jiangli, no one was allowed to approach Lian Wantang. Only then did Lian Wantang start to feel something was off. Lu Jingming went to Shen Jiangli’s room and reminded her that there might be hidden truths about her mother’s death.

Over the past few days, Lu Jingming had tested Lian Wantang in various ways and found that she was not as simple as she appeared. A few days ago, at the ancestral hall, the person she identified—Tian Xiaozhen—was not the real culprit behind Shen Jiangli’s mother’s death. At that moment, Shen Jiangli’s senior martial brother also arrived.

Through experiments, he proved that the small amount of thunder vine inside the bracelet was not enough to be fatal unless combined with a heating element. Shen Jiangli took note and returned to her maiden home with her maid. She deliberately wandered around Concubine Zou’s room and then sent her maid to search it. Sure enough, the maid found a wool cloak in the secret chamber.

Shen Jiangli carefully brought the cloak back for examination and finally discovered that the sleeve seams were lined with many heating patches. A maid who had served Shen Jiangli’s mother at the time also testified that Concubine Zou often came to the side courtyard and helped tend to that wool cloak. The stitching clearly showed signs of alteration—otherwise, the sewing wouldn't have been so inconsistent. After finding solid evidence, Shen Jiangli went to confront Lian Wantang again.

Seeing her schemes exposed, Lian Wantang had no choice but to present her own evidence and claim she had been threatened by Shen Qilan. Shen Qilan had secretly ordered her men to kidnap Lian Wantang’s mother and warned that if she didn’t follow instructions, she would never see her again. That’s why Lian Wantang had pushed all the blame onto Tian Xiaozhen at the ancestral hall.

Although Tian Xiaozhen did tamper with the bracelet, Lian Wantang hadn’t expected Concubine Zou to be even more malicious. Because of the heating patches, the poison’s potency had multiplied. To prevent Shen Qilan from ruining her plan again, Shen Jiangli deliberately made up an excuse, claiming that she had been exhausted lately by Lian Wantang and even said that Lian Wantang had her eyes on Lu Jingming, and she was planning to get rid of her.

Hearing this, Shen Qilan felt secretly pleased and naturally let her guard down. Shen Jiangli took advantage of that moment to return to her maiden home with the evidence and the witness—Lian Wantang. When her father saw the evidence regarding her mother’s death, he turned pale with fear but still tried to defend Concubine Zou, even going so far as to strike Shen Jiangli. At that critical moment, Lu Jingming arrived, right on time to stand up for his wife.

Just as Concubine Zou was about to be sent to the authorities, Shen Qilan showed up. She immediately argued that her mother knew nothing about it and that the person responsible was a maid who had died two years ago. Shen Qilan quickly signaled her mother, and the two began to act, but Shen Jiangli had seen every kind of scene before.

She calmly asked how Shen Qilan knew so many details and why she was going to such lengths for a mere maid. Realizing she had slipped, Shen Qilan fell silent. Not wanting to implicate her daughter, Concubine Zou confessed that it had indeed been her doing.

Concubine Zou, who had caused great harm, was thrown into prison but remained unrepentant. She even urged Shen Qilan to rescue her as soon as possible. Shen Qilan promised her mother that she would do whatever it took to get her out. Back in their room, Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming reflected on everything that had just happened at her maiden home. Shen Jiangli couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

Concubine Zou was so vicious, and now Shen Qilan had also played many tricks behind the scenes. It turned out that in the face of power and status, many people could become blinded by greed and keep changing. That night, heavy rain began to fall. Shen Qilan came crying to Shen Jiangli’s residence, pounding on the door and begging for mercy.

She clutched Shen Jiangli’s sleeve, pleading bitterly, hoping that for the sake of their sisterly bond, she would spare her mother. Shen Jiangli brushed off her sleeve, helped Shen Qilan to her feet, and sincerely asked whether, when she wanted others to understand a mother’s love, she had ever considered that her own mother had been framed early on and that she herself had lost her mother at a young age. Who could truly understand that pain?

If she wanted others to cherish the bond between mother and daughter, then who could repay Shen Jiangli for the loss of her own mother? Shen Jiangli asked the maid to see the guest out. Shen Qilan thought of the eldest young master and immediately ran to him to plead. Seeing her kneeling and begging, he couldn’t bear it. But considering that a life must be repaid with a life, even the governor would not accept any excuse.

He lifted Shen Qilan up and said there was truly nothing he could do. For the last time, Shen Qilan brought a carefully prepared dish to the prison to visit Concubine Zou. Knowing she was guilty, Concubine Zou hanged herself that very night. After hearing the news, Shen Qilan locked herself in her room for two days and nights. Lu Jingshu came to the door to comfort her.

Shen Qilan, speaking through the door, said she didn’t blame him—it was all due to Concubine Zou’s own wrongdoing. Yan Yan was brought back to the Lu residence by Yulan. Shen Jiangli was overjoyed to see him return. Now that Wang Danling had also been sent to the ancestral tomb, Lu Jingming told the child to call him “Father” directly.

As he was still young, Yan Yan didn’t immediately change how he addressed him, but asked Lu Jingming to tell Shen Jiangli. The father and son planned to stage a little act. Lu Jingming had the child falsely report that he was suffering severe stomach pain. When Shen Jiangli heard this, she rushed over in a panic. Seeing almonds on the table, she immediately assumed that Lu Jingming must have accidentally eaten them and gotten sick.

Yan Yan went off to find a maid, leaving Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli alone. Lu Jingming wanted Shen Jiangli to tell him how she had lived these past five years, and she asked him what he had experienced while she was away. In truth, Lu Jingming had visited her during those five years, but was spotted by Wang Danling’s spies.

Shen Jiangli had been drugged, and under the influence, said disrespectful things that were intentionally let slip to Lu Jingming. He mistook her for a crude and wicked woman and gave up on her. Looking back now, he realized he was at fault. When they first got married, he didn’t understand what kind of person Shen Jiangli was and was framed multiple times. Lu Jingming told Shen Jiangli about his five years of military campaigns.

Once, out of pride and underestimating the enemy, he ignored his mentor’s warnings and suffered a defeat. Not only did he lose his mentor, but also his loyal junior sister in the battle. Every time he thought of it, his heart ached. It was the recurring nightmare that haunted him. Shen Jiangli couldn’t help but feel sorrowful.

She had always resented Lu Jingming for abandoning her on their wedding night, but it turned out he had military duties and no choice. After they laid everything out, all misunderstandings were cleared. Lu Jingming even vowed to make it up to his wife. That day, the Lu family held a family banquet. The governor once again urged his three sons to hurry up and think about having children.

All three were already married, yet there was still no good news. As the head of the family, he couldn’t help but worry. At the banquet, Lu Jingxing and Yaoyao were urged to have children. They immediately replied that seniority should be respected. Since their elder brothers hadn’t had children yet, they weren’t in a hurry. But Lu Qingqing was the fastest to speak and nearly spilled that she had seen Yan Yan at Lu Jingming’s residence earlier that day.

Lu Jingxing and Yaoyao quickly gestured for her to stop. Lu Qingqing swallowed her words just in time. After the banquet, Lu Jingming’s mother went to Tingyuxuan and took Shen Jiangli’s hand, earnestly asking her to bear a child for Lu Jingming as soon as possible, treating it as doing her a favor. Seeing how much her mother-in-law longed for a grandchild, Shen Jiangli couldn’t bear to refuse. However, as for whether or not to reveal the child, she decided to discuss it with Lu Jingming first before making a decision.

Lu Jingshu’s mother was dissatisfied with Shen Qilan’s status as the daughter of a concubine, so she secretly gathered many photos of noble young ladies. She examined them carefully in her room and even discussed with the maid which girl was more attractive. Just at that moment, Shen Qilan happened to be at the door with a maid serving tea and overheard everything. Realizing her mother-in-law despised her background, Shen Qilan was filled with jealousy.

She held back her anger and returned to her courtyard. Once the door was shut, she angrily remarked that she had thought life would improve once Wang Danling was driven away, but now it seemed there were still more troubles to come. Shen Qilan even wondered if it was because of her concubine-born status that she had been unable to protect her mother. The thought made her even more furious, and she vowed to secure the position of official wife.

With that, she began scheming again, determined to achieve her goal, and her maid Fuling expressed her full support. Shen Qilan came up with a self-sacrificing plan—she deliberately injured her fingers until they bled and knelt in the ancestral hall to pray for Lu Jingshu, hoping her suffering would fulfill his wishes. As fate would have it, Lu Jingshu happened to pass by and saw Shen Qilan’s devotion.

Deeply moved by all she was willing to do for him, he naturally did not hesitate to make her his official wife. Shen Jiangli, thinking of Yan Yan, realized that sooner or later the governor would find out about his existence. However, Lu Jingming felt that the time was not yet right. Still, in order to protect Yan Yan, he decided that during the upcoming incense offering, he would bring the child along and reveal his existence to his father.

Sure enough, at the temple during the incense offering, by a twist of fate, Yan Yan ran into the governor. The old master of the Lu family finally got to see his eldest grandson and was overjoyed. He had just been praying to the Bodhisattva for a grandchild when he suddenly saw a child under the altar—and then learned it was his own grandson. It truly felt like a blessing from the heavens. Lu Jingming explained the whole story.

With the Peace Banquet approaching, natural disasters in the city, and various safety concerns, they needed to be extra cautious. He and his father agreed to keep the child's existence secret for now to ensure his safety. Since learning that he had a grandson, the governor visited Yan Yan every day, hoping to enjoy the pleasures of family life.

However, Lu Jingming’s mother became suspicious, thinking her husband was out seeking pleasure, so she secretly followed him and discovered Yan Yan. She was so overwhelmed to learn she already had a grandson that she was at a loss for words. But when she found out that Yan Yan would soon be leaving with Shen Jiangli, she immediately pretended to be ill, claiming she had chest pains.

Lu Jingming, understanding his mother’s feelings, discussed it with Shen Jiangli and decided to publicly acknowledge the child. Shen Qilan finally fulfilled her wish of becoming the First Young Madam. She hurried to her mother’s grave, sighing with emotion that she had finally become the official wife and no longer needed to rely on others.

Shen Qilan thought she would now be able to hold her head high, but when she returned, she saw a banquet being held at Lu Jingming’s residence. Now that the second household had a child, her jealousy flared up again. Seeing everyone in such joyful spirits made her feel even more upset. Lu Jingming’s father publicly gave Yan Yan a name and added him to the family genealogy, officially making him a member of the Lu family.

Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming stood side by side in perfect harmony. In that moment, they were truly close to happiness. Though Shen Qilan raised her cup to congratulate Shen Jiangli, her eyes were full of envy and resentment. It seemed that another fierce storm was brewing.

After the banquet, the old master of the Lu family momentarily lost sight of Yan Yan, and everyone began searching for him. Yan Yan had wandered to a pavilion by the lake to watch fireflies. Shen Qilan happened to pass by and saw that Yan Yan was alone. She hesitated, debating whether to seize the opportunity.

In the end, she approached and struck up a conversation, then picked Yan Yan up—if she applied just a little force, she could throw him into the lake. At that moment, Shen Jiangli arrived. Seeing Shen Qilan holding Yan Yan with ill intent, she grew very anxious and immediately called out the child’s name. Shen Qilan’s gaze was full of provocation. Previously, she had treated Shen Jiangli with deference, even calling her “sister.

” But now that she had become the official wife, she held her head high and showed no basic courtesy. Seeing Lu Jingming, she deliberately asked if he was already prepared to be a father, and then questioned whether he had never once doubted the child’s identity after so many years apart. Lu Jingming, experienced as he was, responded without hesitation that this was indeed his son—there was no doubt.

Lu Jingshu, seeing how harmonious Lu Jingming’s family was, couldn’t help feeling downhearted. Shen Qilan comforted him, telling him not to worry—fortune and misfortune often go hand in hand. Perhaps Lu Jingming would soon encounter a major problem. Fearing that his younger brother would receive their father’s undivided favor, Lu Jingshu quickly asked Shen Qilan if she had any plans, and the two began whispering to each other. Only one peaceful night had passed.

The next morning, when Lu Jingming brought Shen Jiangli and Yan Yan to meet the private tutor, they suddenly encountered a madwoman. The woman kept shouting “Xuan’er” and mistook Yan Yan for her own child, rushing toward him in a frenzy. Shen Jiangli hurriedly shielded her son behind her—this was undoubtedly her child. How could someone already be trying to harm him? She had no certainty.

Lu Jingming positioned himself protectively beside Shen Jiangli and the child, drew his sword, and ordered the madwoman to retreat. His guards quickly restrained her. The governor was also present. As the ruler of East Zhou, he was overjoyed to finally have a grandson. But upon hearing that this grandson might be fake, he grew uneasy. To investigate thoroughly, he had the woman imprisoned.

Now, Shen Jiangli was placed under house arrest by the governor, and Yan Yan was temporarily looked after by Lu Jingming’s mother. Lu Jingming now understood Shen Jiangli’s character and would never again misunderstand her as he had five years ago. Late at night, he came to her room. Although separated by just one door, Lu Jingming comforted her, promising that no matter what, he would do everything in his power to help her and their child prove their innocence.

He placed his hand on the door, worried about how upset Shen Jiangli must be. His sincerity moved her, and the two pressed their hands together through the door. Lu Jingming remembered that years ago, it was Chu Zimo who had helped Shen Jiangli during childbirth, so he rode through the night to the outskirts to find Chu Zimo. Since Yan Yan’s identity had been revealed, Chu Zimo had quietly left the Lu household after seeing the family reunited.

Now, hearing that Shen Jiangli had been framed, he returned with Lu Jingming to the Lu residence to uncover the truth. The madwoman clutched a pillow, muttering her child’s name. Chu Zimo asked how she lost the child. She said the child had gone missing by the lake six months ago and hadn’t been seen since.

Seeing that her mind was unstable, Chu Zimo and Lu Jingming worked together to find a flaw in her story—and finally, their efforts paid off. The next day, Lu Jingming brought the madwoman out again. Upon seeing a child in school uniform, she immediately embraced him, calling out her child’s name. Everyone was stunned—this child was not Yan Yan. Lu Jingming explained that the woman merely recognized the school uniform. Her child had been wearing one when he got lost.

Yan Yan’s school uniform, too, had been tampered with. The sash provided by the private tutor was completely different. As he spoke, Lu Jingming had the servant who had secretly switched the clothing brought forward. Shen Qilan’s expression changed drastically, while the maid beside her nervously turned her body, trying to block the scene.

The private tutor saw that the school uniform he had given to Yan Yan had been tampered with and demanded to know who had instructed the servant. The young servant knelt and begged, admitting that it was Shen Qilan’s maid, Fuling, who had ordered him to do it. Initially, he thought it was just a matter of changing a sash, but he never expected it to cause such a disaster.

Fuling, her face pale with fear, desperately tried to argue that the servant was lying and that she didn’t even know him. At this moment, Lady Lian also began to question Shen Jiangli, claiming that finding a mere servant didn’t prove the child was her biological son. The pressure was mounting, and Lu Jingming had no choice but to call Chu Zimo to defend them.

Chu Zimo had witnessed Shen Jiangli’s pregnancy when she was rescued, which was enough to prove Shen Jiangli’s innocence, and the child was undoubtedly Lu Jingming’s. At this point, the servant went into greater detail about how Fuling had ordered him to change the uniform. The governor finally understood the truth, and it seemed that Shen Qilan’s deception would be exposed. Fuling immediately kneeled and claimed that she had acted alone, with no one else involved.

Lu Jingshu also signaled that there was no need to try to save Fuling. Poor Fuling had worked for Shen Qilan, but in the end, she met a tragic fate—she was sentenced to be executed. The governor severely criticized Shen Qilan. However, since Lu Jingshu pleaded on her behalf and considering that Shen Qilan had recently lost her son and mother, the governor decided to show her some mercy and spared her.

As Shen Qilan left, she glared at Shen Jiangli, as if blaming her for setting her up. In reality, all of this was Shen Qilan’s own doing—she had schemed to harm others, only to end up hurting herself. The Peace Banquet in East Zhou was fast approaching, and many esteemed guests, including princes and princesses from the palace, would be attending.

Shen Jiangli’s mother-in-law strongly recommended Shen Jiangli, but Lady Lian was not willing to fall behind and pushed for Shen Qilan to be chosen instead. In the end, the governor agreed to let both Shen Jiangli and Shen Qilan jointly organize the Peace Banquet to avoid showing favoritism. Thinking of the unique features of West Zhou, Shen Jiangli immediately went to the embroidery shop and ordered over a hundred embroidered handkerchiefs.

At the same time, Shen Qilan also arrived, planning to order handkerchiefs as well. The two met in the same embroidery shop, and when no one else was around, Shen Qilan stopped pretending and directly admitted that it had been her who orchestrated the misunderstanding with the madwoman who mistook Yan Yan for her child. But so what? The governor would never suspect her. Shen Qilan shamelessly tried to pin the blame on Fuling for her own actions.

Shen Jiangli warned her to be careful not to trap herself, or she might end up like Aunt Zou. Shen Qilan grew angrier and directly reminded Shen Jiangli that this was just a trial run. At the upcoming Peace Banquet, they would have a final showdown. At the Peace Banquet, Chu Ya, the princess from West Zhou, also arrived.

This princess, born into a noble family, had always been adored and favored due to her beauty and charm, making her spoiled and headstrong. Seeing Shen Jiangli and Shen Qilan each showcase their talents, she decided to spontaneously perform a song and dance, which was truly unique. After the Peace Banquet, Chu Ya’s grandmother asked her what she thought of East Zhou.

The two states, East Zhou and West Zhou, had been at war for years, and the common people were suffering. Both state leaders were now seeking peace, and Chu Ya, in particular, had come to East Zhou to find a lover from many years ago. The next day, as she hurried through the courtyard, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure—the soldier she had been longing for all these years.

At the Peace Banquet, the lantern festival organized by Shen Jiangli was lively and festive. She had carefully planned every detail. Not to be outdone, Shen Qilan, upon seeing the many lanterns Shen Jiangli had made, created lotus lanterns for blessings. Shen Jiangli, inspired by the occasion, also made sky lanterns and painted delicate flowers on the one prepared especially for the princess. Chu Ya caught the scent of a luxurious fragrance and asked about it.

Shen Jiangli explained that it was made with a specially infused incense. Chu Ya, delighted, moved to light it, but suddenly, half of her palm was burned by the flame. Seeing the red, blistered wound, the East Zhou envoy, the Grand Madam, was furious and immediately scolded them for their poor hospitality. Shen Jiangli was punished and confined indoors.

Back at her quarters, she asked her grandmother if the punishment was too harsh, but her grandmother said that since this was East Zhou territory, they had to show strength or others would think they were easy to bully. This was a chance to assert authority. Just then, Shen Qilan came to visit. Chu Ya found it strange—there was usually no interaction between them, yet it was only Shen Qilan who came.

Being sharp-minded, Chu Ya still agreed to meet her. Shen Qilan pretended to plead on Shen Jiangli’s behalf but subtly hinted that something was wrong with the lantern Shen Jiangli gave Chu Ya. All the other lanterns lit just fine—only Chu Ya’s had a problem. Chu Ya replied that the matter was already in the governor’s hands and she trusted the governor to make a fair judgment. When Lu Jingming heard that his wife was unjustly implicated, he rushed home.

Shen Jiangli told him that she had noticed white phosphorus on Chu Ya’s lantern that night. White phosphorus ignites at very low temperatures and would burn a hand if sprinkled on the lantern. Lu Jingming believed they needed solid proof, but Shen Qilan was a prime suspect. Ever since Chu Ya saw Lu Jingming, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. When she met him again at the Lu residence, she became convinced he was her destined one.

Lu Jingming had come to thank her regarding the matter with Shen Jiangli, and Chu Ya immediately brought up how he had once saved her five years ago. She had fallen into enemy hands, and Lu Jingming, upon seeing her—just a helpless young woman—had stepped in to rescue her. Later, during the wars between their states, Chu Ya questioned why he kept attacking West Zhou. Lu Jingming was puzzled—wasn’t it always West Zhou that started the conflicts?

Their conversation turned into a dispute, but soon they both began to wonder: had they been misled all along? Chu Ya promised to investigate the matter thoroughly in West Zhou. Originally, Chu Ya was scheduled to leave East Zhou, but she deliberately delayed her departure by several days, claiming she wanted to find a suitable husband in East Zhou. The elder of the Lu family, the governor of East Zhou, gladly approved.

He remarked that all three of his sons were already married, but Chu Ya dismissed the formalities, saying they didn’t matter to her. Shen Qilan, picking up on the hint, recalled that Chu Ya had recently asked her many questions about the Lu family’s eldest son. Could it be that she had her eye on Lu Jingshu?

Wanting to avoid further entanglement with Chu Ya, Shen Qilan cleverly requested time off from her mother-in-law, pretending to be unwell and in need of rest. Shen Jiangli received the task of looking after the East Zhou princess. When she learned Shen Qilan had taken leave, she grew suspicious. Shen Qilan always rushed to take advantage of good opportunities—why would she now suddenly back off? Shen Jiangli began to suspect there was more to the situation.

Sure enough, not long after, Chu Ya openly confessed her admiration for Lu Jingming, boldly stating that she had stayed in East Zhou to find the man who had once saved her life. Lu Jingshu’s mother, upon hearing that Chu Ya was planning to choose a husband in East Zhou, began to consider her options. She called in Shen Qilan and advised her to create more chances for Lu Jingshu and Chu Ya to interact.

Currently, Chu Ya was the only one in East Zhou holding real power. If she could be matched with Lu Jingshu, it would surely benefit his career.

At first, Shen Qilan feared that Chu Ya had taken a liking to Lu Jingshu, so she feigned illness and took leave to avoid interacting with her. Now, however, her mother-in-law subtly reminded her not to let the second branch take advantage of the situation. If Chu Ya could end up with Lu Jingshu, that would also be a good outcome. No sooner had her mother-in-law left than Lu Jingshu arrived.

Lu Jingshu made no effort to hide his intentions, saying simply that they couldn’t let Lu Jingming reap the rewards. Right now, Chu Ya held power in West Zhou, and if they could rely on her, inheriting the governorship would be much easier. Shen Qilan had once thought Lu Jingshu cherished her like a treasure, but now he didn’t seem to care at all about sharing a husband with another woman. Her heart turned cold.

Since her mother-in-law and husband were both unwilling to give up this prize, she would help them achieve their goal. Shen Qilan racked her brain and bribed one of the maids close to Shen Jiangli. Before long, Chu Ya accepted Shen Qilan’s invitation and went to the First Young Master’s residence for a meal. During dinner, Shen Jiangli also sent over some pastries. Chu Ya was straightforward and bold.

At dinner, she openly admitted her affection for Lu Jingming, saying that she had already fallen for him five years ago when he saved her life. Shen Jiangli listened attentively, then politely reminded her that she and Lu Jingming now had a child together, and their bond ran deep. Pursuing him any further would be in vain. Chu Ya refused to believe it, angrily ate a piece of pastry, and soon after was in severe abdominal pain.

Shen Jiangli immediately summoned the imperial physician to examine her and ordered all the dishes from dinner to be tested. However, the physician found no poison in the pastries, which was strange. If the cause couldn’t be identified, how could they treat the poisoning? Shen Jiangli then asked the maid what Chu Ya had eaten throughout the day. Upon hearing that Chu Ya had eaten at Lu Jingshu’s residence at noon, she inquired about the dishes served.

Someone mentioned mandarin fish, and Shen Jiangli immediately realized the issue. That evening, they had served licorice and poria pastries. Eating fish and licorice together causes poisoning. Shen Jiangli quickly ordered the antidote prepared and administered it to Chu Ya. After drinking the herbal medicine, Chu Ya felt much better. Still, it was unacceptable for the dignified princess of West Zhou to be poisoned here without accountability. That very night, Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli interrogated their maids.

One of them confessed that her older brother was a gambling addict, and Shen Qilan had given her a lot of silver, forcing her into doing disgraceful things. She then admitted to both sprinkling phosphorus on the sky lantern and causing Chu Ya’s poisoning. It was all orchestrated by Shen Qilan. Lu Jingming immediately reported everything to his father. The elder of the Lu family was furious and ordered Shen Qilan to be thrown into prison on the spot.

Shen Qilan had originally done all this to sabotage Shen Jiangli and support her husband. Now that the plot had been exposed, she had hoped Lu Jingshu would help her. But Lu Jingshu pushed her away, saying that the governor was furious and no one could change his mind. As he left, however, he gave Shen Qilan a prison key and told her to punish Tingyuxuan. Shen Qilan escaped from prison and set fire to the courtyard of Tingyuxuan.

Fortunately, Lu Jingming discovered it in time. Seeing his sister reduced to such a state, Shen Jiangli was filled with sorrow. Shen Qilan cursed her fate—being born of a concubine, constantly bullied, always scheming but never succeeding. In her final moments, she let go of everything, called Shen Jiangli “sister,” and ended her life by pulling out her hairpin. After Shen Qilan’s burial, Shen Jiangli was deeply grieved.

Lu Jingming held her by the shoulders and told her not to blame herself too much. Shen Qilan had done many things she shouldn’t have, and this outcome was inevitable. Previously, Lu Jingming had discovered that there was an informant in East Zhou. Just then, his men urgently reported that the shadow they had been secretly monitoring had now infiltrated Lu Jingshu’s residence. Lu Jingming quietly went to investigate.

Late at night, Chu Ya summoned Lu Jingming to her residence. She revealed that in West Zhou, Wendu was acting as an internal informant, while in East Zhou, Lu Jingshu was colluding from within. That was why, five years ago, Chu Ya’s battle plans had been exposed—it was all because of Lu Jingshu. A chill ran down Lu Jingming’s spine.

He could suspect anyone, but to learn that the one who had always wanted him dead was his own brother—this still left him deeply saddened. Chu Ya reminded him that Wendu often falsified military reports, exaggerating the enemy's invasion to gain massive war funds. Yet, where Lu Jingshu’s money had gone remained entirely unclear. Lu Jingming knew that, given his identity, investigating his elder brother was inconvenient.

Upon hearing the full story, Shen Jiangli decided to help Lu Jingming uncover the truth. Recently, Lu Jingshu had been constantly trying to curry favor with Chu Ya. Since she wanted to assist Lu Jingming in the investigation, Chu Ya decided to take advantage of these opportunities and rarely declined Lu Jingshu’s invitations. Meanwhile, Lu Jingshu believed Chu Ya was falling for him and was immensely pleased with himself.

When his subordinate reminded him that Chu Ya had often visited Lu Jingming’s residence before, Lu Jingshu dismissed the concern. In his view, as a noble princess, Chu Ya would never agree to be a concubine—choosing him was clearly the better option. He then ordered his men to deliver more gifts and jewelry to her. A few days later, the governor of East Zhou hosted a banquet for Chu Ya.

During casual conversation, he asked if she had someone in mind for a husband. Chu Ya candidly admitted that she did—Lu Jingming! Amid the shocked gazes of the crowd, Chu Ya explained again that she had fallen for Lu Jingming five years ago. Now that she heard he was staying at the Lu residence, she was especially happy.

But Lu Jingming immediately stood up and explained that he already had a wife and had no intention of taking concubines in the future. Hearing this, Shen Jiangli felt reassured—thankfully, she had chosen the right man. Shen Qilan, however, was not so lucky; Lu Jingshu didn’t care at all about whether one had a wife—he only cared about power. Chu Ya publicly rejected Lu Jingshu, humiliating him.

Back at his residence, Lu Jingshu was furious and began plotting to kill Lu Jingming. He and his men devised a plan, and soon after, strange occurrences began happening in Lu Jingming’s military camp. The soldiers seemed to have contracted a plague. They started convulsing and foaming at the mouth, then quickly died from diarrhea. Lu Jingming urgently summoned Shen Jiangli to diagnose the situation. Seeing the state of the soldiers, Shen Jiangli was extremely concerned.

She worked tirelessly day and night to develop several remedies. Although she eventually devised a cure, it still had to be tested. When Lu Jingming learned that Shen Jiangli intended to risk her own life to test the medicine, he deliberately exposed himself to the illness so he could be the test subject instead. Through the combined efforts of Lu Jingming and Shen Jiangli, the outbreak was finally brought under control.

Shen Jiangli successfully developed an antidote, and the infected soldiers gradually recovered after taking the herbal medicine. Upon hearing this, Lu Jingshu grew even more enraged and prepared for a final, desperate move. He ordered his subordinates to tamper with the medicine pots meant for the disaster victims, causing them to die shortly after taking the herbal medicine.

Lu Jingshu's secret schemes endangered the lives of many sick refugees. Rumors spread wildly throughout the disaster area that there were problems with Shen Jiangli’s prescriptions, and many people suffered bodily harm because of them. The governor of East Zhou, concerned about maintaining overall stability, ordered Shen Jiangli to be imprisoned. As a result, Lu Jingming was also implicated and placed under house arrest, forbidden from going outside.

At this critical moment, one of his subordinates brought him news: for the past few days, Shen Jiangli had been trying to figure out where Lu Jingshu had funneled the embezzled silver. Now, it was finally uncovered that Lu Jingshu had been submitting reports requesting massive amounts of funds supposedly for suppressing mountain bandits—but in fact, these "bandits" were Lu Jingshu’s private army.

Lu Jingming’s reputation plummeted sharply, and he lost the public's trust, making it impossible for him to confront Lu Jingshu head-on. Chu Ya came to see him. She analyzed the current dilemma and boldly proposed a solution: marriage. Only through marriage could Lu Jingming leverage West Zhou’s powerful backing to regain influence, and at the same time, Shen Jiangli would avoid further life-threatening danger with an upcoming marriage to protect her.

Though reluctant, Lu Jingming ultimately agreed for the sake of Shen Jiangli’s safety and their greater plans. He secretly went to the prison and saw Shen Jiangli sleeping curled up on the floor. She had grown noticeably thinner over the past few days and was still murmuring his name in her dreams. Wanting to get Shen Jiangli out of prison as soon as possible, Chu Ya personally approached the governor of East Zhou to explain her plan.

Previously, Lu Jingming had publicly rejected Chu Ya’s confession. Now that Chu Ya proposed marriage again, the governor believed Lu Jingming must be concerned about something. Thus, he summoned Lu Jingming and his mother, Lady Shu, and after Lu Jingming confirmed his intentions, the governor agreed to grant the marriage. Chu Ya specifically requested that during the wedding celebrations, bloodshed should be avoided, and Shen Jiangli should be released.

Chu Ya also proposed to give Shen Jiangli the status of a legitimate wife, but the governor insisted that Lu Jingming should consider divorcing her to give Chu Ya formal status. After Shen Jiangli was released from prison, she hurried back to the residence to continue her research on medicinal herbs for treating the plague. But when she saw the entire mansion decorated with lanterns and streamers as if preparing for a wedding, she was puzzled.

A servant quickly reported the recent developments to her. Shen Jiangli was deeply shocked—after being imprisoned for only two days, was Lu Jingming really marrying another woman? Clinging to a sliver of hope, she asked Lu Jingming if it was true. Lu Jingming, calm and composed, confirmed that it was indeed his intention. Seeing how heartbroken Shen Jiangli was, he felt pained as well.

But with Lu Jingshu becoming increasingly ruthless, he knew that sending Shen Jiangli away was the safest course of action. Meanwhile, Chu Ya secretly hired the most renowned pharmacist in her homeland to investigate whether there were any issues with the plague medicines. After thorough testing, it was finally proven that Shen Jiangli’s prescription had no problems at all. It was only after someone had tampered with it by adding horse feed that the medicinal effects changed completely.

Who had tampered with the prescriptions? Lu Jingming pondered carefully. Years ago, Lu Jingshu had already tried repeatedly to eliminate him. Now, seeing Lu Jingming gain their father’s favor, Lu Jingshu naturally would not accept it. Thus, the lives of the disaster victims were treated as mere pawns to deal Lu Jingming a fatal blow.

Shen Jiangli received Lu Jingming’s divorce letter. She felt no attachment as she left the Lu residence, but she worried about Yan Yan, who was now staying with her former mother-in-law. Shen Jiangli discussed with her senior brother, Zimo, whether they could take Yan Yan with them before leaving. Lu Qingqing guessed that Zimo was planning to leave with Shen Jiangli and Yan Yan.

Now that Lu Jingming had already divorced Shen Jiangli, perhaps Shen Jiangli and Zimo would never return. Feeling distressed, she went to find Zimo. After spending this period of time together, Zimo had developed feelings for Qingqing. Seeing her tear-streaked face as she sadly asked if he would never appear again, Zimo unexpectedly felt his heart ache. Qingqing gave Zimo a farewell hug.

Zimo wished to hold the girl he admired, but facing an uncertain future, he dared not make any promises. Shen Jiangli went to speak with Lady Shu about taking Yan Yan away. Lady Shu, having only one grandson, firmly refused. Although she knew that Shen Jiangli had been wronged in this matter, she felt helpless—after all, a fallen phoenix is inferior to a chicken. She no longer wished for anything else, only to keep her grandson by her side.

Zimo went to confront Lu Jingming. However, Lu Jingming seemed well prepared and invited him into the study, laying out his entire plan. He even asked Zimo to take Yan Yan away, since the Second Young Master's residence was now under constant threat, and having the child leave would put his mind at ease.

Hearing Lu Jingming’s plan, Zimo found it extremely dangerous, but given the volatile situation, as long as Lu Jingshu was not eliminated, Lu Jingming would always be surrounded by hidden dangers. Lu Jingming arranged for Yan Yan to leave the residence. Zimo escorted Shen Jiangli and the child to another villa, letting them rest there temporarily.

Shen Jiangli, noticing that the courtyard seemed to have been prepared in advance, was surprised and asked when her senior brother had acquired another property. Zimo only smiled without answering and reassured her to rest well here. That day was Lu Jingming’s wedding day. Lu Jingshu believed the wedding would be the best opportunity for Lu Jingming to let his guard down. He decided to lead the Golden Armor Guards that night to wipe out Lu Jingming’s entire household.

However, Lu Jingming was not unprepared. When Lu Jingshu surrounded the courtyard with countless Golden Armor Guards and confidently opened the gates, he saw Lu Jingming already waiting in the courtyard. Lu Jingshu finally revealed his true nature. Lu Jingming still insisted on making him confess whether the brutal battle five years ago had been an inside betrayal.

Believing he would surely defeat Lu Jingming this time, Lu Jingshu shamelessly admitted that it was indeed his doing—and there were many more things Lu Jingming had not yet guessed. Lu Jingming painfully questioned whether Lu Jingshu had ever considered that their sister, Lu Shuyu, had also been on the battlefield during that battle. Although she was a woman, she fought bravely as a general. Lu Jingshu showed no guilt, claiming it had been her own choice.

Thanks to the meticulous plans of Lu Jingming and Chu Ya, Lu Jingshu’s ambush ultimately failed. The governor of East Zhou, upon learning the truth, was deeply heartbroken by his legitimate son Lu Jingshu’s actions. He immediately ordered Lu Jingshu to be demoted to a commoner and forbidden from ever stepping outside the doors of the Lu residence again. The pitiful Lu Jingshu, who had spent the first half of his life scheming endlessly, in the end, only ended up harming himself.

After being demoted to a commoner, Lu Jingshu was confined to his room, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day, bringing back many memories. In the past, blinded by greed, he had personally ended his sister’s life. Later, in order to eliminate Lu Jingming, he sacrificed his beloved Shen Qilan. Although Shen Qilan harbored malicious intentions, her love for him was utterly sincere. Yet all of it was destroyed by his selfishness.

Now, Lu Jingshu was left completely alone, spending his days consumed by regret. On the night of Lu Jingshu’s ambush, Lu Jingming suffered a sword wound to the abdomen. It was Shen Jiangli who stayed by his side without sleep, personally feeding him medicine and dressing his wounds. Thanks to her meticulous care, Lu Jingming turned from danger to safety and gradually recovered.

Seeing the deep affection between Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming, Zimo finally felt at ease and entrusted Shen Jiangli back to Lu Jingming. After Lu Jingming recovered, he asked Shen Jiangli if they could start over. Having gone through so many hardships, Shen Jiangli saw Lu Jingming’s endurance and resilience and realized he was a man worthy of her trust. The two of them reconciled and renewed their bond.

Lu Jingming took Shen Jiangli to visit the graves of those who had fallen in the previous war. They were once comrades who had entrusted their lives to each other, but now they lived only in dreams. Looking at the mounds of graves, the smiling faces of the past surfaced one by one before his eyes. He truly wished there would be less slaughter in the world and more kindness.

Later, the governor of East Zhou officially announced Lu Jingming as the First Young Master. Chu Ya decided to bid farewell. Coming to East Zhou this time had fulfilled a long-held wish—she had seen the man she loved, fought alongside him once more, and confirmed his unwavering loyalty. With that, she could leave at peace. Chu Ya departed East Zhou gracefully, and Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming personally saw her off.

Wang Danling wrote a letter to Shen Jiangli, and Shen Jiangli arrived as promised. The once arrogant and domineering Wang Danling had become calm and serene after a period of reflection at the ancestral tombs. She wrote a letter of repentance, expressing deep remorse for her past misdeeds. Shen Jiangli returned the pearl hairpin that Wang Danling had worn often during her time as Lu Jingshu’s wife. At their farewell, Wang Danling apologized to Shen Jiangli. Their bond ended there.

Lu Jingxing and his wife decided to stay in East Zhou, choosing to follow Lu Jingming and learn about managing affairs. Life gradually returned to peace. Lu Qingqing often visited the courtyard where Zimo had once lived, reminiscing about the beautiful times they shared. Now that Shen Jiangli had returned to the Lu residence, she often wondered whether Zimo would ever come back. Sometimes, lost in memories, she would shed tears. One day, she heard familiar footsteps behind her.

Looking up, she saw that it was really Zimo—her dream had finally come true! Zimo warmly pulled Lu Qingqing into his arms, and from then on, the two lived a carefree life together. At last, the Lu residence was free of turmoil.

Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming each took on their roles—one managed the frontline battles to provide a safe life for the people, while the other supported from behind, opening literacy classes, sewing clothes and shoes for the soldiers, and helping women and children secure food and warmth. Peace flourished in East Zhou, and the economy thrived. Half a year later, Shen Jiangli and Lu Jingming remained deeply in love.

The hardships they had endured only made their feelings for each other clearer. Having weathered all storms, they now enjoyed a life of lasting happiness, their love enduring until old age.

• My Destined Consort - Xu Haiqiao, Hai Lu
• Xu Haiqiao Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List
• Hai Lu Dramas, Movies, and TV Shows List