Chasing Dramas

After a triumphant display at the polo match, Ming Lan comes face to face, alone, with the young Duke of Qi. He professes his intentions to marry her which surprises her but she recognizes that her status does not befit his station. Regardless, he is willing to try to marry her as his wife. Back home, she is reprimanded by her father for participating in the polo match while Mistress Lin tries to get Sheng Hong to match her daughter with the Duke.

Countess Wu hosts a grand event! Everyone from the capital is in attendance! The main event of the episode is a polo match. Ming Lan attends with her family and decides to spend time with her best friend Yu Yan Ran. The Young Duke, Qi Heng, and Gu Ting Ye are also at the event. Yan Ran discovers that a prize for winning a polo match is actually one of her deceased mother's possessions and joins the polo match to try and win the prize from her own sister. Ming Lan, wanting to help her friend, replaces her in the match and is surprised to find out that her partner is none other than Qi Heng. What happens? Listen to find out!

Ming Lan is given a mini promotion after both Madame Wang and Mistress Lin committed egregious errors in the last episode. With no suitable candidate to run the Sheng family household, Grandma Sheng recommends Ming Lan. This is the first time we see Ming Lan starting to stand up for herself and we are here for it!

Gu Ting Ye learns some devastating news from his father. He will have to find another career as he will not be able to take any more Imperial Exams until the age of 50. Dejected, he plans to leave the capital with his mistress and their children. His mistress Man Niang though seems to have other plans. In the Sheng family, the master, Sheng Hong is summoned by the Emperor and confined in the Palace. Madame Wang tries to seize an opportunity and dispose of her rival Mistress Lin but fails. Sheng Hong returns from his ordeal and punishes his son Chang Feng. What happened at the Palace? Listen to find out

In this episode, we first discuss what the Chinese Imperial Exam is all about before seeing how Chang Bai, Chang Feng, Qi Heng and Gu Ting Ye fair in their first ever Metropolitan exam.

The Sheng daughters finished their lessons with Kong Mo Mo and are now back with Scholar Zhuang studying with the young men. In this episode, there is a spirited debate by the students on who is better - the eldest or the most capable. We dissect each historical example raised by the students and discuss Ming Lan's insightful conclusion.

The Sheng daughters learn 3 of the 4 arts of life prominent during the Song Dynasty. But these skills are not the only things they learn. After tensions blow up between 5th daughter Ru Lan and 6th daughter Mo Lan, Kong Mo Mo, a formidable woman, reprimands not just the daughters, but their parents as well.

Gu Ting Ye brings his nanny to care for his mistress and two young children. After she arrives, she shares that Gu Ting Ye's mother was tricked into marrying his father and was treated very poorly because she came from a merchant family whereas the Gu family is of nobility. Gu Ting Ye's mother's dowry was used to repay the heavy debts that the Gu family incurred. This story deeply angers Gu Ting Ye. Elsewhere, the ladies of the Sheng family start taking lessons with Kong Mo Mo, an old friend of Grandma Sheng, to improve their manners.

The Sheng family receives unexpected guests which makes at least one of the Sheng daughters curious. In the end, the 3 Sheng daughters sneak to the main hall for a peak at the Countess and her son. Elsewhere, Gu Ting Ye is embroiled in rocky family dynamics now he's returned to the Capital City

The Sheng children have arrived in the capital city and are off to school! Years pass and we finally get to meet our main cast! A handsome young duke Qi Heng studies with the Sheng family and he is quite smitten with Ming Lan. Unfortunately, Ming Lan's two older sisters Mo Lan and Ru Lan are quite jealous of any show of affection from the young duke. Ming Lan has no choice but to avoid Qi Heng. Gu Ting Ye, who has been away for a few years studying at another academy, returns to study with the Sheng family. How will the sisters react?