Episode Summary
Lady Cui attempts to blackmail Lady Li after framing Fan Lianghan for murder, but a sting operation by Du Yangxi and Chai An reveals Lady Cui as the true killer of her stepson, Cui Wu. The Li family is exonerated, and Lady Cui and Rong Mei are imprisoned. Later, Du Yangxi receives a hairpin from a noblewoman, which he later gifts to Shou Hua.
Spoiler Alert
In this episode of "Perfect Match," the drama intensifies as Lady Cui hatches a devious plan. When she witnesses Fan Lianghan reprimanding Yan Zimei, she seizes the opportunity. Faking an illness, she sends her daughter, Rong Mei, to seek help from the kind-hearted Lady Li. Lady Li, following Rong Mei, discovers a body at their home. Lady Cui claims it's Yan Zimei, supposedly killed by Fan Lianghan, and demands a hefty sum from Lady Li to keep quiet.
Believing Lady Cui's lies, and fearing for her second daughter, Fu Hui, Lady Li gives in to the blackmail. However, Lady Cui's greed knows no bounds, and Lady Li is forced to pawn nearly all her valuables, arousing the suspicion of her other daughters.
The Li sisters gather, and Lady Li, under pressure, reveals the truth. Fan Lianghan, advised by Lady Li, had attempted to flee with Fu Hui, but Chai An, upon hearing the news, brings him back. All the daughters and their husbands are now involved, with Du Yangxi being the last to learn the full story. Chai An wants to report to the authorities, but Lady Li strongly opposes, fearing they'll be wrongly convicted. Kang Ning and Shou Hua also plead for a peaceful resolution, not wanting Fu Hui to lose her husband and their unborn child to lose its father.
Lady Li, in tears, begs her sons-in-law for help. Du Yangxi suggests temporarily appeasing Lady Cui with a thousand guans. Back home, Du Yangxi complains to Shou Hua about not being informed earlier, feeling betrayed and acting childishly jealous, leaving Shou Hua amused.
Later that night, Lady Cui, having received the money, tries to escape with Rong Mei. However, Chai An catches them red-handed. It turns out Du Yangxi and Chai An orchestrated a sting operation, claiming a theft to search for stolen goods. The Li family is terrified of exposure, but then a body is discovered in a well.
Lady Cui, enraged, publicly accuses the Li family of murder and claims they bribed her to cover it up. Chaos ensues. The theft case turns into a murder investigation. Chai An is suspicious of the body, and the coroner confirms the deceased was a cripple. The onlookers realize it's Cui Wu, Lady Cui's stepson, a known gambler with a limp.
The truth is revealed: Cui Wu attempted to assault Rong Mei, and Lady Cui killed him in defense. She then devised the plan to frame Fan Lianghan, hoping to get Lady Li to dispose of the body and extort money from the Li family. Lady Cui is arrested, and Rong Mei, pleading, follows her mother to prison.
The Li family is saddened by the Cui family's fate but powerless to help. After the ordeal, Kang Ning and others analyze the events, angered that Yan Zimei, after being taught a lesson, was rescued by Lady Cui and left a bloodstained robe before leaving the capital. It's unclear if he instructed Lady Cui to defraud the Li family, but he remains free while the Cui family is imprisoned. Shou Hua reassures Kang Ning and Fu Hui that their husbands are good men, though they tease about the eldest sister's husband, Du Yangxi, being a jealous type, deeply in love with his wife.
The Emperor holds a banquet at Jinming Pool and orders the officials to compose poems. Du Yangxi, due to his exceptional poetic talent, is bestowed a flower hairpin. However, he accidentally drops the lotus flower. Yu Xiu'e, a woman of the official family who has long admired him, kindly offers him her hairpin. Du Yangxi is forced to accept and awkwardly gets through the situation.
When Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang return home, they find Shou Hua building a vegetable garden for Du's mother. Deeply moved, Du Yangxi gifts her the bestowed hairpin. Shou Hua changes Chou'er's name to Run Yue. Run Yue accidentally discovers that the hairpin is inlaid with gold. Shou Hua suspects it was given by a woman of the official family, but the sisters advise her to be understanding, believing that Du Yangxi is not a disloyal person. Inspired by the hairpin, Shou Hua creates imitation scented flowers to sell in her shop, which become a huge success.
