Episode Summary
Xu Qi'an mistakenly believes Princess Huai An is the Grand Princess, Huai Qing. Huai An plays along to use his poetry skills. Xu Qi'an's newfound "patronage" leads to leniency at work, but he later challenges his superior with a reform proposal. He struggles to write poetry while Huai An studies to maintain her deception, which is threatened when both she and the real Grand Princess visit the Si Tian Jian.
Spoiler Alert
Princess Huai An is eager to recruit talented individuals to her cause, but Xu Qi'an, ever the loyal subject, repeatedly proclaims his undying allegiance to the Grand Princess, Huai Qing. This annoys Huai An, who orders her servants to "rough up" Xu Qi'an a bit – more of a scare tactic than anything else. But Xu Qi'an, having spent time with the Watchmen (Dafeng's investigative bureau), is unfazed by their torture implements. He sticks to his story, swearing loyalty to the Grand Princess. Frustrated, Huai An has him released.
However, Xu Qi'an is indignant. He's been put through the wringer all night and hasn't even seen the Grand Princess. He throws a mini-tantrum outside Huai An's residence, demanding an audience before he leaves. He even sits down on the ground, making it clear he's not going anywhere.
Huai An, hearing about this display, is amused by Xu Qi'an's audacity. He's so different from the usual palace sycophants – bold and unafraid. She decides to humor him and goes out to meet him. Xu Qi'an is instantly smitten. He's never seen such a beautiful woman, and his heart races. He immediately kneels, thanking the "Grand Princess" for her kindness and pledging his service.
Huai An realizes Xu Qi'an has mistaken her for her sister, the actual Grand Princess. Seeing an opportunity to boost her chances at an upcoming poetry competition, Huai An decides to play along with the mistaken identity.
Back at Nightwatcher headquarters, Xu Qi'an is surprised by his superior, Li Yuchun's, uncharacteristic leniency. Instead of being confined to desk duty, he's ordered to patrol the streets – which, conveniently, involves a lot of mahjong. Xu Qi'an suspects the Grand Princess (really Huai An) is pulling strings for him. He visits her to confirm, and Huai An, basking in the glow of a newly acquired half-verse of poetry, claims she did put in a good word with Wei Yuan, the Watchmen' leader. Xu Qi'an, completely charmed, believes he's found a powerful patron and his future is looking bright.
Returning to the Spring Breeze Hall, Li Yuchun confronts Xu Qi'an about his long absence, accusing him of dereliction of duty. He even calls in two Silver Gongs (higher-ranking officers) to punish him. Xu Qi'an, terrified of the impending torture, remembers his "powerful patron." He boldly challenges Li Yuchun, claiming the Nightwatcher's rulebook is full of loopholes. He sends a colleague to fetch his "White Paper," a document outlining these flaws.
Li Yuchun is deflated when he sees Xu Qi'an's valid points. He takes the "White Paper" to Wei Yuan, who is impressed by the numerous suggestions and even a redesigned Nightwatcher uniform. Wei Yuan promptly takes credit for all of it.
Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an requests a few days off to focus on writing poetry for the "Grand Princess." He's struggling to juggle his own poetic aspirations with helping his cousin, Xu Xinnian, with his literary tasks. To make matters worse, his uncle, Xu Pingzhi, hearing of Xu Qi'an's supposed connection to the Princess, begs his nephew to get him a job in her service. Xu Qi'an shakes his head at his uncle's naivete.
Huai An, fully committed to her charade, starts studying poetry diligently to appear knowledgeable and provide insightful critiques of Xu Qi'an's work. She aims to emulate her elder sister. One day, she hears that Xu Qi'an has gone to the Si Tian Jian. Panic sets in – the real Grand Princess is also there that day! The risk of her deception being exposed is high.
