Episode Summary
The Li family faces a lawsuit from relatives and a supposed illegitimate son, Youlong, claiming inheritance. Magistrate Shen Huizhao exposes the fraud, and Hao De falls for him. Despite Shen Huizhao's vow of celibacy, their families arrange a quick marriage. Shen Huizhao rejects Hao De on their wedding night, sending her home, but a spark of connection forms when he tends to her injured foot. Hao De, encouraged by her sisters, returns to the Shen household and vows to win him over within a year.
Spoiler Alert
The word of the lawsuit against Lady Li quickly reaches the ears of her sons-in-law. Chai An discovers that A Cai, Youlong's mother, used to be a servant in the Li household. While he learns that A Cai later married a butcher surnamed Wu and had a son named Youlong, there isn't solid proof that Youlong is Lady Li's late husband's biological child. Du Yangxi returns with news that the Li family relatives and A Cai are suing Lady Li, leading Chai An to suspect they're after the Li family fortune.
Later that night, the fourth daughter, Hao De, frantically searches for any written records that could verify "Li Youlong's" identity, but to no avail, which greatly angers Lady Li. While the Li sisters believe in their father's integrity, they can't definitively prove Youlong isn't a posthumous child. Hao De volunteers to accompany her mother to court, and Shou Hua urges her fifth sister to summon all their husbands for a strategy session.
The next day, Shen Huizhao, the magistrate, decides to combine the two cases. The Li family brothers put on a show of reluctance to go to court against their own kin, but their words are full of accusations against Lady Li, even claiming she refuses to adopt an heir to continue the fourth branch's lineage.
Shen Huizhao isn't buying their act. He scolds them for interfering with Lady Li's decisions, pointing out that she already has five daughters, and all her property should rightfully go to them, not be seized by others. However, the Li brothers then bring up a supposed will left by the fourth uncle, stating that Lady Li must provide monthly support to the relatives. This claim enrages Lady Li, who immediately starts recounting past grievances.
Hao De tearfully defends her mother, and with a clever trick from her husbands, Youlong's lies are exposed. A Cai, faced with irrefutable evidence, admits she was incited by the Li brothers to temporarily change Youlong's surname and claim him as a Li descendant, all in a greedy attempt to grab the Li family's wealth. Shen Huizhao, showing his impartiality, punishes the Li relatives who tried to commit fraud. His upright demeanor in court inadvertently captures Hao De's heart.
Because Hao De won the case for the Li family, Shou Hua gifts her an exquisite hairpin. Le Shan eagerly tries to wear it, and during their squabble, Le Shan accidentally drops the hairpin. Lady Li walks in and, showing favoritism, sides with her younger daughter, leaving Hao De heartbroken.
Du Yangxi, after sending his mother back to her hometown, encounters a family selling their servants, including Runyue. He buys Runyue and brings her home. Shou Hua, who has been missing Runyue, is overjoyed at their reunion. Du Yangxi playfully teases Shou Hua for a reward, just as a tearful Hao De arrives to complain about her mother.
Hao De also reveals to her older sister that she has someone in mind and wants Du Yangxi to act as a matchmaker. The person she's interested in is none other than Shen Huizhao, the magistrate of Kaifeng. However, Shen Huizhao, who spent his youth in the Xiangguo Temple, has long renounced worldly desires and vowed to remain unmarried.
Du Yangxi readily agrees to propose to the Shen family on Hao De's behalf. To everyone's surprise, the Shen family immediately accepts! The Li family is in disbelief. Due to Shen Grand Madam's (Shen Huizhao's grandmother) poor health, the Shen family doesn't care about the bride's family wealth, only requesting that the wedding take place as soon as possible. The wedding is set for the second day of the second lunar month.
When Shen Huizhao returns from outside the city and learns that his father, Shen Rong, and grandmother have already brought the bridal sedan chair into the house, he calls it absurd. On their wedding night, he coldly informs Hao De that he never intended to marry and sends her back to her family, promising to apologize in person three days later. Hao De refuses the sedan chair and runs home barefoot, sobbing. She recounts the events to her sisters, who are filled with righteous indignation.
Because Hao De rushed out of the Shen house, she lost a shoe. Shen Huizhao chases after her and uses his handkerchief to wrap her foot. Reflecting on this moment, Hao De feels both warmth and a sense of loss. Her sisters encourage her to bravely pursue her love, with Kang Ning declaring that the Lady Lis can not only run businesses and win lawsuits but also win over their husbands.
Bolstered by her sisters' support, Hao De's confidence grows. However, back at the Shen residence, Shen Grand Madam is furious upon learning that her grandson sent the bride back home and nearly faints. Fortunately, Hao De returns in time, calming the situation. Shen Grand Madam takes an immediate liking to Hao De, and because of her insistence, Shen Huizhao can no longer send Hao De away. Hao De makes a deal with Shen Huizhao: she will win him over within a year. Shen Huizhao, however, is convinced that nothing will change and deliberately ignores Hao De, hoping she'll give up.
