Episode Summary
Li Zongxu’s paranoia drives him to monitor his secrets while plotting to frame Yuan Shaocheng for a staged assassination. Ye Ping’an and Yuan form a shaky alliance, exposing Li’s salt monopoly and Shuo Dan collusion. As Princess Gayue pursues Wu Ankang, a banquet "phoenix" spectacle becomes the battleground for hidden schemes.
Spoiler Alert
Li Zongxu’s paranoia deepens after his tense discussion with Li Muyuan. He rushes to the ancestral hall’s secret chamber to confirm his hidden artifacts—including the infamous Blood Maiden Portraits—remain undisturbed. Flashbacks reveal his violent obsession with torturing women stems from childhood trauma, having witnessed his father abuse his mother. Meanwhile, Yuan Shaocheng offers to help Hai Yiping’s Mei Faction eliminate Li Zongxu, but Hai coldly advises him to manipulate Ye Ping’an as a disposable pawn instead.
At Qitai Casino, Ye Ping’an proposes an alliance with Yuan Shaocheng, though both know it’s a transactional game. Yuan exposes Li Zongxu’s corruption by comparing two salt bags: premium-grade salt sold at exploitative prices and lethal black-market salt poisoning impoverished citizens. He reveals the recent Yangzhou flood—which destroyed salt fields—was no accident but a scheme orchestrated by Li’s clan. Ye shares intel about intercepted Shuo Dan letters at Langyang Manor but withheld evidence to avoid tipping off Li.
As Shuo Dan envoy Apuna Haoji and Princess Gayue arrive in the capital, tensions simmer. Wu Ankang confronts Xu Qing about the wartime salt-hoarding scandal, only to learn Li Zongxu’s influence dwarfed Xu’s authority. Back at Langyang Manor, Ye Ping’an stages a “ritual to dispel evil spirits” while secretly aiding Lu Danxin in impersonating her. Li Zongxu, meanwhile, plots with Apuna to sell discounted salt to Shuo Dan and frame Yuan Shaocheng for a staged assassination during the royal banquet.
Princess Gayue’s bold demand to marry Wu Ankang—her childhood savior—throws the court into chaos. The Emperor deflects, urging her to consider other suitors at the banquet. Yuan attempts to infiltrate Apuna’s circle but clashes with the wary envoy. When Ye exposes Li’s assassination plot, she and Yuan counter by procuring a rare silver pheasant (passed off as a phoenix) and manipulating Li Qianzhao into approving a “Divine Phoenix” performance by courtesan Cai Lian.
Li Zongxu’s web of lies frays as enemies close in, but his psychological warfare and Shuo Dan’s political gambits threaten to ignite chaos. The banquet’s “Phoenix” spectacle hides a powder keg of schemes—and bloodshed looms.
