Episode Summary
In Kangzhou’s politically volatile court, physician Ye Ping’an—feared for her dream-reading rituals—becomes entangled in noble conspiracies after exposing corruption tied to a murdered official. As she evades false murder charges with help from spy ally Lu Danxin, power-hungry magistrate Yuan Shaocheng silences witnesses to protect his agenda, while the Emperor watches the chaos unfold.
Spoiler Alert
The imperial court of Kangzhou enters a new era of tension as the young Emperor tightens policies to suppress powerful noble families, sparking the Li-Wu Conflict. Amid a purge led by ruthless officials, the Right Chancellor is executed for treason after claiming to dream of rebel prince Li Ke standing in the Emperor’s court. Fear of "seditious dreams" grips the capital—except for Ye Ping’an, a mysterious physician clad in white who strolls the rainy streets with a vermillion umbrella and hollow copper bells. Rumors swirl that her bells "steal souls," but she draws sharper scrutiny when Mangou peasant Hu Sheng collapses into madness during a public arrest. Though Ye Ping’an deduces Hu Sheng is a traumatized veteran of General Wu’s war against the Shuo Dan tribes, hardline investigator Li Jun executes him on the spot, branding him a rebel sympathizer.
Blamed for Hu Sheng’s death, Ye Ping’an faces a mob threatening to burn her clinic. Unfazed, she outwits them with theatrical threats, earning the disdain of Dali Temple Official Yuan Shaocheng, who scoffs at her "witchcraft." Meanwhile, the capital’s corrupt elite revel at the Dragon Gate Games, where enslaved Mangou fighters brawl for freedom. Twin brothers battle in a rigged match watched by scheming officials Zheng Yuan and Zeng Xuan—but the upset victory of the underdog red fighter hints at cracks in their control.
As the Emperor’s coffers swell with embezzled military funds, Zheng Yuan secretly withholds 5,000 taels from his superior Du Liang. Plagued by insomnia, Zheng hires Ye Ping’an to "diagnose his dreams." Using her bells, she hypnotizes him and glimpses his secrets—a lover’s face, damning letters—but feigns ignorance to survive his murderous glare. Later, Ye Ping’an narrowly escapes assassins sent by Zheng, only to find him dead in his study. Yuan Shaocheng frames her for the murder, ignoring evidence of a conspiracy.
The Emperor summons Ye Ping’an to the throne room, where Du Liang’s corruption is exposed through a web of forged letters and dead witnesses. Yet the true puppetmaster emerges: Zheng’s maid Xin’er, revealed as Ye Ping’an’s ally Lu Danxin, orchestrated the plot to bait Du Liang into killing Zheng. Their victory crumbles when Yuan Shaocheng betrays scholar-official Zeng Xuan, seizing a critical confession letter before silencing him. As dawn breaks, Ye Ping’an races to untangle Yuan’s vendetta against the nobility—and the Emperor’s own shadowy role in the Li-Wu blood feud.
The episode’s closing twist reveals Yuan Shaocheng’s hatred stems from systemic oppression of his low-born status, not personal greed. Lu Danxin’s double-agent role as Xin’er ties to a deeper conspiracy involving Prince Li Ke’s surviving loyalists. The Emperor’s interest in Ye Ping’an hints at her connection to the forbidden "rebellious dreams" haunting the court.
