Episode Summary
Xu Qi'an joins colleagues on a house raid, but they are bullied and humiliated by a corrupt Silver Gong, Zhu Chengzhu. When Zhu Chengzhu's men assault a woman, Xu Qi'an attacks him in a rage, severely injuring him. Despite his righteous act, Xu Qi'an is sentenced to a brutal execution by Wei Yuan, leaving his colleagues and family desperate to save him.
Spoiler Alert
Xu Qi'an, enjoying a rare day off, tries to be helpful around the house, showing off his cooking skills and offering to do chores. Soon, his colleagues, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, arrive with an exciting opportunity: a raid on a corrupt official's house, with the added bonus of potentially pocketing some confiscated valuables. Xu Qi'an, eager for a bit of action and profit, joins them.
The raid, however, quickly turns sour. A rival group from another district shows up, looking for trouble. When they realize Xu Qi'an and his colleagues are from the Spring Breeze Hall, they start harassing them. Zhu Guangxiao is slapped twice, and Xu Qi'an instinctively reaches for his sword, but Song Tingfeng, ever the cautious one, advises restraint. The situation escalates when a higher-ranking officer, a Silver Gong named Zhu Chengzhu, arrives and further assaults Zhu Guangxiao and Xu Qi'an. Despite his fury, Xu Qi'an is forced to swallow his pride, knowing that attacking a superior officer would be disastrous.
Once inside the house, Zhu Chengzhu and his men blatantly loot the place, stuffing their pockets with gold and silver. In contrast, Song Tingfeng and his team are reprimanded for even touching a couple of pearl necklaces. They are ordered to stand aside and wait to clean up the mess later. As if this wasn't bad enough, the sound of a woman's cries and pleas for help echoes from the main hall, clearly indicating that someone is being assaulted.
Xu Qi'an, unable to bear the injustice any longer, ignores the repeated warnings of his colleagues and rushes into the room. He pulls the perpetrator off the bed. Zhu Chengzhu, enraged, reminds Xu Qi'an of his lowly status. He then drags the woman into the courtyard, stepping on her head and taunting Xu Qi'an. Seeing the woman's bloodied face and Zhu Chengzhu's continued brutality, Xu Qi'an snaps. He draws his blade, recalls a martial arts technique from a book, and unleashes a single, powerful strike. The blow sends Zhu Chengzhu flying dozens of feet, his silver mirror badge shattered in two.
Zhu Chengzhu lies on the ground, coughing up blood and barely clinging to life. Everyone is stunned, including Xu Qi'an, who never imagined his strike would be so devastating. Zhu Guangxiao, realizing the gravity of the situation, urges Xu Qi'an to flee, but Xu Qi'an refuses, worried about the consequences for his colleagues and family.
Zhu Chengzhu's arrogance stems from his father, a powerful Golden Gong. His father, upon seeing his son's near-fatal injuries, immediately sets out to kill Xu Qi'an. Fortunately, Song Tingfeng races to find Li Yuchun and then Yang Yan for help. Just as Zhu Chengzhu's father is about to deliver the killing blow, Yang Yan arrives, reminding the Golden Gong that private executions are illegal. He takes Xu Qi'an to see Wei Yuan, the powerful Duke Wei, for judgment.
Li Yuchun gathers witnesses and tries to build a strong defense for Xu Qi'an, but Zhu's father is relentless. Wei Yuan, though aware of the full story, finds himself in a difficult position. He ultimately rules that Zhu Chengzhu should be stripped of his rank for his lawlessness, but Xu Qi'an, for his insubordination, should be executed by being cut in half at the waist.
Xu Qi'an is heartbroken by Wei Yuan's decision. He had endured the earlier abuse, but he had been driven to act by Zhu Chengzhu's cruelty. He questions whether Wei Yuan has forgotten his original commitment to justice and the people. Wei Yuan turns his back, offering no answer. Xu Qi'an is imprisoned, and his colleagues are devastated, pleading with Wei Yuan to reconsider.
Even Xu Qi'an's aunt, who usually looks down on him, humbles herself before Lady Wang Xiuhe, the wife of a high-ranking official, hoping she can intercede with the Emperor. She even offers her priceless jade bracelet as a bribe.
As time runs out, all the Golden Gongs (except those with the surname Zhu) gather at Wei Yuan's residence, hoping for leniency. Li Yuchun, unable to stand by and watch his subordinate be unjustly punished, arrives in mourning clothes, holding his official robes, and calls out to Wei Yuan, demanding a fair judgment.
