Episode Summary
Xu Qi'an uses a poem to gain an audience with courtesan Fuxiang, who reveals a feud between Zhou Li and Zhang Yunying. Xu Qi'an orchestrates Zhang Yunying's kidnapping and frames the Vice Minister of Revenue, leading to Zhou Li's family's downfall. Xu Qi'an then prepares to leave town, making money through alchemy and briefly encountering Princess Lin'an.
Spoiler Alert
Things get super awkward when Xu Qi'an, his brother Xu Xinnian, and his uncle Xu Pingzhi all bump into each other at the local pleasure house, the Jiaofang Division. Since they're all there, they decide to make the most of it, sharing a table and some seriously loaded glances. The tension breaks a bit when the renowned courtesan Fuxiang starts testing everyone's poetry skills. Xu Qi'an, with his knack for remembering things, whips out a verse referencing Fuxiang's name – "Sparse shadows slanting across clear, shallow water, a hidden fragrance wafting on the moonlit dusk." It's an instant hit, and he scores a private meeting with her.
Xu Qi'an, ever the investigator, probes Fuxiang about why she hasn't jumped at the chance to become a concubine for some rich noble. She scoffs at the idea, claiming she's not impressed by spoiled rich boys. More importantly, she drops a crucial clue about Zhou Li: he's a regular playboy, and last year at the Lantern Festival, he got into a feud with Zhang Yunying, the illegitimate son of the powerful Marquis of Weiwu, over a girl. They've been rivals ever since.
Bingo! Xu Qi'an has found Zhou Li's enemy. The Marquis of Weiwu is a big deal, holding a rank equal to the Vice Minister of Revenue. Xu Qi'an hatches a plan, centered around a magical jade mirror he owns that can absorb anything, even people. He tests it out and discovers that those absorbed suffer temporary amnesia. He enlists Xu Xinnian and Xu Pingzhi to help him kidnap Zhang Yunying.
They stash Zhang Yunying in a woodshed, and Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian "casually" chat outside, loud enough for Zhang to overhear. They spin a tale about how the Vice Minister of Revenue's son is planning to torture Zhang, even going so far as to threaten to sever his tendons. Zhang Yunying, terrified and eavesdropping, is completely convinced that the Vice Minister's people are behind his kidnapping.
Zhang Yunying manages a daring escape, scrambling over a wall and running straight to his father. The Marquis, who's always been under the thumb of the Vice Minister, sees his chance. He storms into court, demanding the impeachment of the Vice Minister. Zhou Li is hauled before the Dali Court and the Discipline Office, suffering some "minor" punishments. He thinks it's all a misunderstanding, completely underestimating Xu Qi'an's resourcefulness.
To seal the deal, Xu Qi'an seeks help from a senior brother at the Si Tian Jian. This guy usually stays out of politics, but Xu Qi'an bribes him with a coveted alchemical formula. The senior brother uses his magic in the prison, and Zhou Li, now under a spell, signs a confession admitting his guilt.
The court issues a notice: Zhou Xianping, Zhou Li's father, is stripped of his office and exiled for tax evasion and failing to control his son. Zhou Li himself is exiled for kidnapping Zhang Yunying. The Vice Minister of Revenue's power is completely shattered!
Xu Qi'an, worried about potential allies of the Vice Minister and having already been jailed twice, decides to leave town to protect his family. He says goodbye to Xu Xinnian and visits the Directorate one last time to thank his friends. He even uses his chemistry knowledge to make some quick cash, setting up a "live-selling" scheme with Caiwei to crowdfund alchemy experiments, raking in a hefty sum.
As he leaves the Directorate, Xu Qi'an has a brief but memorable encounter with the Second Princess, Lin'an. He's instantly struck by her beauty and grace, noting her elegant and composed demeanor. Lin'an, it turns out, is also a fan of chemistry experiments, though she's had a string of failures at the Directorate.
