Episode Summary
Chai An tries to sabotage a matchmaking event at the Li family's tea house, fearing a match between Du Yangxi and Kang Ning. He uses Du Yangxi (disguised as "Jia Ming") to win a literary competition, disrupting the event. Later, Du Yangxi falls ill and is ironically rescued by the Li family. Lady Li, initially hostile, allows him to stay upon learning he and his friend are examination candidates. Chai An continues his attempts to separate Du Yangxi and Kang Ning, growing increasingly suspicious of a potential romance.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Chai An taking Du Yangxi back to the Pan Tavern (Pan Restaurant), scolding him for his recklessness in offending Liu Tang, a high-ranking official in the capital. Chai An, intending to befriend Du Yangxi and learning of his journey to the capital for the imperial examination, invites him to stay at his home. However, Du Yangxi politely declines, insisting on residing at Xingguo Temple. This earns him even more respect from Chai An, who recognizes that both Du Yangxi and his traveling companion, Sang Yanrang, are not ordinary individuals.
With the provincial examination approaching, Lady Li transforms the "Sifu Tea House" into "Si Fu Zhai" and initiates a literary competition. Each day, she presents a topic, and participants compose poems. The winner, declared the "literary champion," receives their tea free of charge. Chai An, upon hearing this, points out that Lady Li isn't truly seeking a literary champion, but rather a son-in-law, and he predicts their method won't last long.
Meanwhile, Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang are struggling financially. They share a single cake purchased with two copper coins. Sang Yanrang questions why Du Yangxi, if unwilling to marry into the family, didn't simply feign incompetence in front of Liu Tang, instead of showing off his poetic skills. Du Yangxi explains that the capital is brimming with talent, and if he hadn't acted as he did, he wouldn't have been able to establish a reputation for "being content with poverty and adhering to propriety," let alone stand out among the many talented scholars.
Soon, Chai An holds a poetry competition at Pan Tavern, stealing business from Si Fu Zhai. Other restaurants follow suit, and Si Fu Zhai's business dwindles in comparison. Shou Hua, the eldest sister, comes up with a plan. She retrieves a pearl curtain, a precious heirloom left by her deceased husband, to be used as the prize for the literary champion. Her goal is to find a suitable husband for the third sister, Kang Ning, and to boost the family business, so she decides on a "literary matchmaking" competition.
Si Fu Zhai becomes the most bustling place in the capital. The scholars, seeing the priceless pearl curtain, are filled with greed, but they also hear rumors that the daughter is extremely ugly, which is why such a grand prize is being offered. Just then, Kang Ning emerges from behind a screen, her stunning beauty captivating everyone. Chai An, seeing Kang Ning's appearance, becomes anxious and quickly devises a plan to disrupt the event, inviting Du Yangxi to intervene.
Du Yangxi, sporting a fake beard and calling himself Jia Ming, effortlessly wins the competition with his brilliant poetry, earning the praise of Shou Hua, who appreciates fine writing. Lady Li, seeing "Jia Ming's" handsome appearance and suitable age, is overjoyed and rushes to betroth Kang Ning to him. However, "Jia Ming" claims he is already married and needs his wife's permission to take a concubine, leaving Lady Li stunned.
Kang Ning sees through the ruse, realizing it's Chai An's scheme. Not one to be outdone, she gives "Jia Ming" a donkey as a prize, taking the opportunity to mock both him and Chai An. After this incident, "Jia Ming" becomes known as the "Donkey Champion," and he complains to Chai An, grateful that he had disguised himself beforehand, or his true identity would have been revealed, ruining his reputation.
Meanwhile, Si Fu Zhai's reputation soars in the city, and the Li family makes a small fortune. Lady Li rents the adjacent house as a warehouse. During a heavy snowfall in the capital, Du Yangxi, who was selling his calligraphy on the street to earn money, falls ill and collapses, unconscious in the street. He is rescued by Shou Hua. Lady Li recognizes Du Yangxi as "Jia Ming," the one who disrupted the competition, and wants to throw him out, but her sisters object, unwilling to let a life be lost.
Du Yangxi, still unconscious, keeps mumbling about Xingguo Temple. Shou Hua takes care of him and sends someone to the temple to retrieve his belongings, rescuing Sang Yanrang as well. Chun Lai informs the Li sisters about Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang's impoverished living conditions, sharing a tiny room with nothing but a broken inkstone, a few worn-out brushes, and some old books. The sisters, taking pity on them, and hoping to convince Lady Li to let them stay, deliberately discuss that they are both candidates for the provincial examination. Lady Li, learning that both Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang are participating in the examination and are unmarried, is ecstatic and immediately agrees to let them stay.
Chai An, hearing that the Li family has rescued Du Yangxi, fears that Du Yangxi and Kang Ning might fall in love. He visits under the guise of checking on Du Yangxi, intending to draw out Kang Ning, but his plan backfires, instead piquing Du Yangxi's curiosity about Kang Ning. Lady Li goes to great lengths to prevent Chai An from taking Du Yangxi away, infuriating Chai An. He retaliates by first building a higher wall between Du Yangxi's quarters and the Li family's residence, and then ordering the cutting down of a large tree that could be climbed for a view. Initially, Chai An wanted to leave a maidservant to attend to Du Yangxi, but Du Yangxi is uncomfortable with this, so Chai An sends his young book boy, Ling Yao, to care for him, effectively planting a spy to prevent Du Yangxi and Kang Ning from being alone together.
