Episode Summary
Du Yangxi is sentenced to death for accusing his father, but Empress Dowager Liu E intervenes and pardons him after a clever demonstration proves the importance of mothers. Du Yangxi then proposes to become a live-in son-in-law to the Li family, but Sang Yanrang, already betrothed to Shou Hua, fights him. Sang Yanrang ultimately withdraws from the engagement, allowing Shou Hua and Du Yangxi to reunite. Meanwhile, the Li family faces new troubles with greedy relatives and a woman claiming her son is Li's father's heir.
Spoiler Alert
The episode throws us back to twenty years ago, revealing how Liang's family used their power to force Yu Weiyi into a marriage alliance, leaving him powerless to resist. Fast forward to the present, and the tables have turned. Yu Weiyi, now a prominent scholar and influential official, is wielding his own power, offering inducements. He has become disillusioned with court life and is determined to resign and return to his hometown, abandoning his wife and daughter. Lady Yu confronts him, bitterly accusing him of ingratitude, reminding him that he owes his current success to her. Their confrontation ends in a bitter stalemate.
Meanwhile, Du Yangxi has been imprisoned. His crime? Publicly questioning his father on behalf of his mother, an act deemed unfilial. According to the laws of the Song Dynasty, such an accusation, regardless of its truth, carries a sentence of death by strangulation. The Li sisters gather to discuss a plan, but Li's mother insists that Shou Hua must sever all ties with Du Yangxi.
At this point, Chai An finally understands Du Yangxi's previous words and is determined to save him, no matter the cost. However, because Du Yangxi accused his own father, a higher-ranking individual accusing a lower-ranking one, even the sympathetic and righteous magistrate of Kaifeng, Shen Huizhao, is bound by law to sentence Du Yangxi to death.
Shou Hua is deeply worried about Du Yangxi. She learns that the Emperor has ordered all officials to gather for a court discussion. However, Shen Huizhao's strong arguments have gained support from many officials, making Du Yangxi's situation look grim. 4th daughter, known for her virtue, overhears this and, enraged, rushes to the KaiFeng Prefecture, berates Shen Huizhao, throws dirt at him, and leaves.
Chai An, Sang Yanrang, and others discuss how to get the verdict overturned. Shou Hua knows that the court prioritizes the father's authority. There's only one person who can save Du Yangxi: the Empress Dowager, Liu E. Because the Pan Tavern restaurant is frequently visited by palace eunuchs, Chai An takes it upon himself to deliver a message. He presents a painting from the Imperial Painting Academy, "Dogs Playing in the Imperial Garden." While the painting is lively, it lacks the daylilies that should fill the garden. The eunuch is instructed to tell the Empress Dowager that this relates to a recent strange occurrence.
The next day in court, the Empress Dowager personally presides over Du Yangxi's case. Shen Huizhao maintains his original verdict of death. However, the Empress Dowager disagrees, arguing that mothers are more important, as a child's first word is often "mother." The Emperor and the Empress Dowager, though mother and son, are secretly locked in a power struggle. The Emperor's faction argues back, some even claiming that children call for their fathers first, and bring their own children into the palace to prove the point.
The Emperor is delighted and is about to uphold Shen Huizhao's judgment when Du Yangxi suddenly asks the Empress Dowager for a fresh peach. He uses the peach to entice a child to run, causing the child to fall. The child's first cry is "mother," proving the importance of mothers to children. The Empress Dowager, impressed by Du Yangxi, immediately pardons him. Lady Yu is sentenced, Yu Xiu'e is reduced from a noblewoman to a commoner, and Yu Weiyi becomes a pariah.
Afterward, Du Yangxi personally visits Li's mother to apologize and shockingly proposes to become a live-in son-in-law to the Li family, surprising everyone. Even though Li's mother approves of him, the Sang family has already sent betrothal gifts. Du Yangxi rushes to intercept the gifts, desperately trying to stop the engagement. Sang Yanrang, enraged, punches Du Yangxi three times: once for abandoning his mother, once for betraying Li's mother, and once for severing their ties. The three punches settle their grievances.
Shou Hua, hearing about their fight, immediately invites Sang Yanrang into her room. Sang Yanrang, about to leave for his new post, sees Shou Hua's true feelings and offers to let her personally see him off. The next day, Sang Yanrang pretends to be a servant leading Shou Hua's horse, repaying her kindness. He then proactively withdraws from the engagement, allowing Shou Hua and Du Yangxi to be together, a truly gentlemanly act.
Soon after, Du Yangxi arrives on horseback to confess his love to Shou Hua, repeatedly calling her "sister," making her blush. They reunite in front of everyone. Meanwhile, Fu Hui goes into labor. As the next Lunar New Year approaches, the Li family's Si Fu Zhai business is booming. However, relatives who previously mistreated Li's mother and daughter now show up, demanding handouts and claiming Li's mother should help the poor.
Adding to the chaos, a former maid named A Cai arrives with her son, "Li Youlong," claiming he is Li's father's posthumous child and demanding a share of the family property. Li's mother is furious and throws them out. A Cai and Li Youlong, unsuccessful in their pleas, threaten to take the Li family to court.
