Episode Summary
Family drama and revenge plots intertwine as Hao De navigates the complex relationships within the Shen household. She faces the animosity of her aunt-in-law, Shen Mu, who tries to humiliate both Hao De and her mother. Le Shan retaliates against Shen Mu for Hao De, leading to further complications. A secret romance between Guiniang and Wu Xiulin is exposed, causing a legal and familial conflict that Shen Huizhao and the new magistrate, Du Yangxi, must resolve.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with a flurry of activity at the Shen household. Because Shen Huizhao has recently married, various relatives come to visit. The Matriarch, Shen Grand Madam, has Hao De greet the various aunts, but it's clear they're more interested in gauging the severity of Shen Huizhao's recent injuries than offering genuine well-wishes. Hao De, sensing the Matriarch's displeasure, smoothly deflects their inquiries and cleverly pivots to organizing the upcoming Flower Festival, estimating a tidy profit of twenty to thirty strings of cash from tea sales alone.
This prompts the arrival of Shen Mu, Shen Huizhao's aunt, and her daughter, Guiniang. Shen Mu immediately criticizes Hao De's focus on "petty profits," reminding everyone that the annual opening of the private gardens for the Flower Festival is meant for communal enjoyment, not financial gain. Shen Mu, clearly unhappy with Hao De's lower-class origins and still harboring resentment from a previous slight by Shen Huizhao, directs her anger at Hao De, creating an extremely awkward situation.
Meanwhile, Hao De's mother, Lady Li, arrives to visit her daughter. Shen Mu, seizing an opportunity to humiliate her, pointedly "requests" that Lady Li perform a tea ceremony for everyone. The guests subtly (and not-so-subtly) insult Lady Li, with Shen Mu going so far as to say she's better than their own tea-serving maid and is skilled at training her daughter to climb the social ladder.
Hao De, hearing of this, rushes out to defend her mother. She pointedly reminds Shen Mu that Lady Li is a guest and should be treated with courtesy. She argues that forcing a guest to serve tea is disrespectful and would damage the Shen family's reputation.
Shen Mu is left speechless, and the other aunts are furious. Shen Huizhao arrives just in time, subtly pressuring his aunts and personally apologizing to Lady Li with a cup of tea, restoring her honor. Later, Hao De and Le Shan see Lady Li off. Lady Li is relieved to see her son-in-law defending her daughter, but she also advises Hao De to try to make peace with Shen Mu, as she is family.
After Lady Li's departure, Shen Mu is livid. Hearing that the Si Fu Zhai shop has delivered high-quality ham and tea, she orders it to be thrown away, which Le Shan witnesses. That night, Hao De is seen charming Shen Huizhao as he reviews case files, and his affection for her visibly grows.
Meanwhile, Le Shan, seeking revenge, sneaks into Shen Mu's room while she's staying at the Shen residence and cuts her hair into a ridiculous mushroom shape while she sleeps. Shen Mu becomes a laughingstock when she wakes up. Shen Huizhao is about to inform the Matriarch that he's taking Hao De to KaiFeng Prefecture, when Shen Mu bursts in, dramatically complaining to the Matriarch. Hao De initially tries to take the blame for her sister, but Shen Huizhao smoothly covers for them, claiming that Shen Mu was targeted because he (Shen Huizhao) had offended someone in a court case.
On the way to KaiFeng Prefecture, Shen Huizhao doesn't scold Hao De but playfully tells them to inform him in advance next time they plan such a prank. The three of them share a lighthearted journey. Shen Huizhao, mindful of Hao De's advice, performs confidently in court, while Hao De diligently keeps his medicine warm and provides him with candied fruit to counter the bitterness.
Le Shan is gossiping about the Shen family affairs at Si Fu Zhai with Qiong'nu when she sees Guiniang going to Pan Tavern for a secret meeting. A plan forms in her mind. Shen Huizhao, showing his affection for Hao De, is engrossed in his work, but Shen Mu continues to cause trouble. She plants a valuable sandalwood Buddhist rosary in Hao De's room to frame her. Le Shan, trying to defuse the situation, takes the blame and is punished with a beating on her palms.
Hao De, now furious, retaliates by exposing Guiniang's secret rendezvous with Wu Xiulin. Shen Mu is enraged, severely scolding Guiniang and threatening to take Wu Xiulin to court. Although the Wu and Qiu families are of equal status, their grandfathers were political enemies, creating a feud. Hao De, seeing Guiniang's desperate resistance to her mother, feels guilty and wants to help the lovers.
Hao De tries to coax Shen Huizhao into helping, but he expresses that his aunt is extremely hot-tempered, making the situation very difficult. The next day, Shen Huizhao and Hao De discover that the new magistrate at KaiFeng Prefecture is none other than Du Yangxi. To avoid any appearance of bias, Shen Huizhao assigns Du Yangxi to handle his aunt's case.
In court, the Qiu, Shen, and Wu families all claim to be the plaintiffs, creating a chaotic scene. Du Yangxi is forced to suspend the trial. Hao De asks Shen Huizhao about the likely outcome. Du Yangxi proposes a judgment according to the Song Dynasty law: Guiniang will be caned, and she and Wu Xiulin will be forbidden from marrying. Shen Huizhao does not object to Du Yangxi's decision.
