Episode Summary
Luo Shu faces public humiliation, prompting Qi Menglin to defend her and clash with both Liu Wan and Han Muzhi. A new murder case arises, with a merchant's son protesting his father's conviction. Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Constable Cai travel to Hejin County to investigate, uncovering a gruesome discovery and a conspiracy that points to corruption within the Linfen county office.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with a tense confrontation at a gathering. Liu Wan, clearly holding a grudge against Luo Shu, publicly humiliates her by demanding she play the pipa (a traditional Chinese instrument) for everyone's amusement. Not satisfied, Liu Wan has her friends call out song requests, putting Luo Shu in an even more awkward position. Luo Shu, wanting to avoid trouble for Han Muzhi, reluctantly complies.
Han Muzhi arrives, witnessing the scene. He wants to intervene and save Luo Shu, but he's paralyzed by the fear of offending Liu Wan. Just as the situation escalates, Qi Menglin bursts in, coming to Luo Shu's defense. He uses his status as the Governor's son to pressure Liu Wan and her entourage. He Xiang, one of Liu Wan's companions, tries to put Qi Menglin in his place, but he delivers a sharp rebuke. Liu Wan attempts to argue, but Qi Menglin's retorts leave her speechless.
When two other women mock Luo Shu's humble background, Qi Menglin fiercely defends her, pointing out their own flaws. He then grabs Luo Shu's hand and leads her away. He mocks Han Muzhi as they pass, calling him a hypocrite and warning him to stay away from Luo Shu. By the river, Qi Menglin advises Luo Shu against becoming Han Muzhi's concubine, especially after he failed to protect her from the public shaming. Luo Shu is heartbroken by the incident and Han Muzhi's inaction.
The scene shifts to the County Government, where Lv Cong, son of the wealthy Linfen merchant Lv Wanchang, arrives to plead his father's case. Lv Wanchang has been imprisoned for the murder of his neighbor, Ma Tianjin. Han Muzhi recalls the case: Lv Wanchang and Ma Tianjin had a long-standing feud, Ma Tianjin was killed with a single blow, and Lv Wanchang confessed to the crime. However, Lv Cong insists on his father's innocence, claiming that Lv Wanchang only confessed to protect his family from public suspicion. He presents new evidence – a notice from Hejin County about two bandits who confessed to attacking the Ma family. Han Muzhi is unsure how to proceed and seeks advice from Liu Yiqing.
Liu Yiqing, well-informed about Han Muzhi's affairs, advises him to avoid minor cases that could jeopardize his career. He also scolds Han Muzhi for Qi Menglin's disruption of Liu Wan's gathering, showing his clear bias. Han Muzhi, increasingly frustrated, suspects a leak within the County Government and considers restructuring the staff. Chen Meiqing advises caution, reminding him that he's only been in Linfen for a year and needs to solidify his position. Han Muzhi relents and sends Chen Meiqing to Hejin County to investigate.
Luo Shu learns that Constable Cai will accompany Chen Meiqing to Hejin. She recalls her own interrogation of Lv Wanchang, finding him to be a suspicious character. She also questions why bandits would target the less wealthy Ma Tianjin instead of the affluent Lu family. Luo Shu believes the case is full of inconsistencies and wants to investigate personally. Chen Meiqing, wanting to help Luo Shu avoid Liu Wan, agrees to take her along. Qi Menglin overhears and insists on joining, and Luo Shu reluctantly agrees. Qi Menglin casually asks Luo Shu about her freedom papers, suspecting someone is deliberately delaying their approval. He offers to ask his father for help, but Luo Shu declines, not wanting to trouble him.
Han Muzhi visits Luo Shu before her departure, overhearing her conversation with Qi Menglin, leaving him with mixed feelings. Luo Shu tries to leave for the docks secretly, but Qi Menglin is already waiting for her. They board a boat to Hejin County, where they witness two young beggars fighting over a steamed bun. Qi Menglin trades meat for a bun and learns that the beggars are waiting for their master, who ferried a woman across the river. The woman gave them a basket of buns. Qi Menglin notices blood on the boat and, suspecting foul play, opens a wine jar to find a human head. The beggars attack Qi Menglin with daggers, but Luo Shu pulls him into the river to escape.
Constable Cai arrives and rescues Qi Menglin. The beggars flee by boat. Qi Menglin thanks Luo Shu for saving his life, and Luo Shu suspects the head belongs to the woman who gave the beggars the buns. She decides to act as bait to lure out the beggars' master. Qi Menglin is worried, but Luo Shu is determined. The master arrives at the dock, and Luo Shu immediately demands passage across the river. The young beggars try to dissuade their master, but Luo Shu has already boarded the boat, urging the old beggar to set off.
Qi Menglin expresses concern for Luo Shu's safety. Constable Cai rushes to the shore, revealing his identity as a constable and pretending Luo Shu is his wife, urging her to return home. Luo Shu claims Constable Cai is a human trafficker. The old beggar realizes something is wrong and speeds away. Constable Cai leaps onto the boat. A young beggar draws a knife to kill Luo Shu, but Qi Menglin throws a rock, hitting the beggar and causing him to drop the knife. The old beggar jumps into the river, followed by the two young beggars.
Yang Zhan, the Hejin County constable, arrives with his men and captures the three beggars. Constable Cai and Yang Zhan are old acquaintances, and they share a joyful reunion. Luo Shu wants to interrogate the suspects in Ma Tianjin's murder. Jailer Song is waiting at the County Government and leads Luo Shu and Qi Menglin to the cells. The suspects, Jin Laoliu and Zheng Laosan, claim they killed Ma Tianjin for money. Luo Shu presses for details, but they give evasive answers. Jailer Song scolds them and then invites Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, Yang Zhan, and Constable Cai for a meal.
Luo Shu and Constable Cai both believe Jin Laoliu and Zheng Laosan are not the real killers. Qi Menglin suggests further interrogation after the meal. They return to the jail, and Luo Shu confronts the suspects, accusing them of taking the blame for someone else. She explains the consequences and urges them to reveal the true mastermind. Jailer Song arrives with the wives of Jin Laoliu and Zheng Laosan, who have come to deliver food.
Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Constable Cai separately follow the two women. Jin Laoliu's wife happily visits a cosmetics shop, while Zheng Laosan's wife returns home to care for her children, showing no unusual behavior. Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Constable Cai suspect Jailer Song's involvement, but he couldn't have directly contacted the Lu family in Linfen. Luo Shu concludes that there's an insider within the Linfen County Government who helped Lv Wanchang find scapegoats.
