Episode Summary
Chai An rejects an arranged marriage, declaring his love for Kang Ning. He proposes, and she accepts under certain conditions. Despite initial joy and preparations, Lady Chai's prejudice and escalating demands lead to insults against Kang Ning's family. Kang Ning calls off the wedding, causing a misunderstanding and heartbreak. Chai An later saves a scholar, Du Yangxi, from an ambush.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Lady Chai, eager to find a suitable match for her son, Chai An. A potential bride is presented, seemingly impressed by Chai An's handsome looks and substantial wealth. However, Chai An shocks everyone by rejecting the match outright. He declares his heart is already set on Kang Ning, the third daughter of the Li family, and urges his mother to arrange a matchmaker to propose. Lady Chai is initially puzzled, but when she learns Kang Ning is the daughter of the rival Si Fu Zhai family across the street, she nearly faints from the shock.
Meanwhile, Fu Hui is still shaken from a previous encounter with bandits, constantly fearing their return. In a half-asleep state, Fan Lianghan reveals the truth about the incident, leading to Fu Hui playfully punching him in frustration. The next morning, two renowned matchmakers of Bianjing city arrive at the Li family's courtyard, both seeking to arrange a marriage proposal for Kang Ning from Chai An. Overjoyed by the prospect of such a prestigious match, Lady Li is ecstatic.
Kang Ning returns home to find her mother and sisters discussing Chai An's proposal. Unsure of his intentions, she confronts Chai An, who seizes the opportunity to confess his feelings. Learning from her second sister Fu Hui's past experiences, Kang Ning lays down three conditions for marriage: Chai An must never take concubines; if they have no children, they can only adopt from within the clan; and if she dies before him, he must wait three years before remarrying and, upon his death, be buried beside her.
Chai An, far from being offended, is even more impressed by Kang Ning's unique character and readily agrees to her terms. He believes the head wife of the Chai family must be intelligent, decisive, and resilient, and that Kang Ning is the only one who fits the bill. Deeply moved, Kang Ning accepts the proposal but asks Chai An to travel to Luoyang and fetch a plum blossom branch from her hometown, fulfilling her late father's wish.
Despite Lady Chai's prejudice against the Li family, Chai An is determined. He has already arranged everything, even selecting an auspicious wedding date. He rushes off to Luoyang, and shortly after his departure, Lady Fan visits Lady Chai to discuss how to make the Li family back down from the marriage.
The Chai and Li families formally discuss the engagement, and Kang Ning is happily embroidering her wedding dress. Shou Hua notices her mother's low spirits, guessing she was mistreated by Lady Chai. The Chai family then returns the betrothal gifts, demanding the Li family redo the "fish book," replacing the live fish with a golden one and the fish chopsticks with silver ones, significantly increasing the Li family's expenses.
The Chai family's servants mock Lady Li, who endures the humiliation for the sake of her daughter's happiness. At night, Lady Li sits alone in the courtyard, reminiscing about her late husband and wishing he were there to protect them from such disrespect. She hopes Kang Ning's marriage will be smooth and without further complications. Kang Ning witnesses this scene and is heartbroken.
Lady Li and Shou Hua return the revised betrothal gifts to the Chai family, only to be further insulted by Lady Chai. She claims that the two women, having experienced the loss of a husband in their youth and being childless, are not blessed with good fortune, each word a stab to their hearts. Kang Ning steps in, fiercely defending her mother and sister. She declares that the Chai and Li families are incompatible and calls off the wedding, leading her family away from the Chai residence.
Chai An returns with the plum blossom branch from Luoyang, full of joy, only to find Kang Ning and her family leaving without a word. Confused and hurt, he is further misled by his mother, who claims the Li family broke off the engagement without reason. Chai An goes to Kang Ning's home to seek an explanation, but she avoids him, fearing that revealing the truth would create a rift between Chai An and his mother. Fu Hui steps in to handle the situation, but Chai An, misunderstanding the situation, throws the plum blossom branch to the ground and leaves in despair.
Qiong'nu blames herself for ruining Kang Ning's marriage, feeling she brings bad luck. Kang Ning comforts her, but later that night, she sits alone, reminiscing about her father picking red plums for her and Chai An's promises. She places the plum blossom branch and a golden Moheluo (a traditional toy) into a box, burying their relationship with tears.
On the day of Lidong (the Beginning of Winter), Chai An delivers winter vegetables to the Liu family, a family friend. He encounters Du Yangxi, a talented scholar, who is being harassed by Liu Tang for refusing a marriage proposal. Liu Tang challenges Du Yangxi to paint a mural within a set time. Du Yangxi succeeds, and Chai An, remembering a past encounter, pleads for his release. Liu Tang agrees.
Du Yangxi, fearing Liu Tang's treachery, leaves behind a poem mocking him. Enraged and humiliated, Liu Tang sends men to ambush Du Yangxi and his friend. Fortunately, Chai An anticipates this and arrives in time to save them, allowing them to continue preparing for the imperial examination.
