Episode Summary
A suspicious death, a temple ambush, and a love affair revealed. Shen Huizhao investigates a potential murder while his family is attacked at a temple, saved by the unlikely hero Yang Xian. Shen Huizhao and Hao De consummate their relationship, but danger lurks as assassins target Shen Huizhao, and his former fiancée arrives. Shen Huizhao has recovered his memory.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with a new case brought to Shen Huizhao by Qiao Du. It involves the Deng and Ji families, who had arranged a marriage between their children when they were young. The Ji family, once wealthy, fell on hard times. Three years ago, the Deng family broke the engagement to marry someone else. The Ji family sued, and the court ruled in their favor, ordering the marriage to proceed. Despite the forced union, the couple, Deng Jingfu and Lady Ji, were reportedly harmonious. However, a month ago, Lady Ji died during childbirth. The Deng family quickly buried her. Now, the Ji family, having finally received news of their daughter's death, suspects foul play, believing the Deng family murdered Lady Ji and rushed the burial to cover it up. Their maid, A Tao, fuels these suspicions. The case is the talk of the town.
Hao De is increasingly smitten with Qiao Du, much to Shen Huizhao's displeasure. On the way home, Hao De can't stop praising Qiao Du, calling him "Qiao Langjun" (a term of endearment) and noting his bright future as a military scholar. Shen Huizhao's jealousy is palpable.
Meanwhile, Shen Mu visits the family matriarch, Grand Madam Shen, to suggest taking Hao De to Yanyue Temple to pray for a son. Grand Madam Shen agrees. However, Shen Huizhao remains in a foul mood, distracted. Later, Hao De brings him medicine and explains that her interest in Qiao Du was actually on behalf of her sister, Qiong'nu, for whom she was considering proposing a match. Hao De reiterates her feelings for Shen Huizhao.
Touched by Hao De's sincerity and presented with a jade belt he had intended to give her, Shen Huizhao's defenses crumble. Hao De initiates a kiss, and the two spend the night together, consummating their relationship.
The next morning, before leaving for the KaiFeng Prefecture, Shen Huizhao personally puts the jade belt on Hao De. Grand Madam Shen, along with the other women of the family, including Le Shan and Qiong'nu, go to Yanyue Temple to pray for children and relax. However, the head abbot, Zhiyuan, is nowhere to be found, and even the familiar monks Huide and Huixing are missing. A new nun claims they are away at a Buddhist ceremony.
While the nun is entertaining the Shen family women, a young novice secretly informs Hao De of something amiss, showing her a bloodstained Buddhist rosary. It turns out the "nun" is actually a male bandit in disguise. They have kidnapped the real Zhiyuan, and the entire temple is filled with his men.
Hao De alerts Grand Madam Shen and the others. The bandits knock out Aunt Liuma, who was sent to check. The incense in the temple is laced with a drug, causing everyone to faint except for Le Shan, who escapes. Before losing consciousness, Hao De urges Le Shan to get help.
Le Shan rides for help but hides when she sees a group of people. She pleads for their assistance, only to discover that their leader is Yang Xian, who has a past grievance with the Li family.
Meanwhile, Shen Huizhao, handling the Lady Ji case, orders the coffin to be opened. The inside is covered in bloody scratches, indicating Lady Ji was buried alive. Enraged, Shen Huizhao orders Deng Jingfu and his mother arrested, pending the coroner's report.
Yang Xian, remembering his past issues with the Li family, initially harasses Le Shan. However, upon learning that Shen Huizhao is the Li family's son-in-law, he immediately sends someone to the KaiFeng Prefecture and takes Le Shan to Yanyue Temple to rescue the Shen family. Hao De is nearly assaulted by the fake "nun," but Yang Xian arrives and kills him. Hao De, in a moment of desperation, saves Grand Madam Shen by killing another attacker.
Shen Huizhao, informed of the attack, rushes to Yanyue Temple but is ambushed. The bandits had set the trap at the temple to lure Shen Huizhao out of the city and kill him. Shen Huizhao falls from his horse, hitting his head. Qiao Du, seemingly trying to help, actually intends to kill him, but Yang Xian intervenes again.
Qiao Du later explains the situation to the Shen family, and Shen Rong thanks Yang Xian. Hao De stays by Shen Huizhao's bedside until he wakes up, and he has recovered his memory. Qiao Du returns to Xue Guang, admitting he spared Shen Huizhao's life out of a sense of obligation to the Xue family, for whom he was ordered to assassinate Shen Huizhao.
The next morning, Hao De visits Grand Madam Shen, only to hear that a woman named Ms.Fang has arrived, claiming to be family. Shen Huizhao, realizing the danger Hao De is in by staying with him, treats her coldly. Hao De insists that, having consummated their relationship, she will not leave the Shen family. Le Shan secretly tells Hao De that Ms.Fang is Shen Huizhao's long-arranged fiancée.
