Episode Summary
Li Qianzhao’s callous attack on a child sparks outrage, while Ye Ping’an strategizes to extract key evidence about the Imperial Censor case from his father, Li Zongxu. Wu Ankang reveals wartime secrets tied to a salt shortage, deepening suspicions of corruption. Alliances form as the group plots to frame Li Qianzhao for assassinating Shuodan envoys, culminating in a high-stakes banquet ambush where hidden agendas collide.
Spoiler Alert
Li Qianzhao heartlessly unleashes his hounds to attack a child, then tosses a bag of money at the grieving mother, coldly declaring it sufficient to “buy her son’s life.” Hidden behind a tree, Cai Lian burns with rage, fantasizing about slicing him to pieces. Ye Ping’an stops her, reminding her they still need Li Qianzhao for their larger scheme. Cai Lian learns Li Zongxu—Li Qianzhao’s father—won’t die tomorrow, as he holds critical clues to the Imperial Censor case. Ye plans to interrogate him during his imprisonment to extract the truth.
Cai Lian and Ni Chang fear political forces might protect Li Zongxu, but their discussion is interrupted by footsteps. They hide as Wu Xian’er arrives, inviting Ye Ping’an to a military demonstration of the “Emperor Qin’s Battle Formation” on behalf of her brother, Qinwang General Wu Ankang. During the event, Wu Ankang reveals a dark secret about the Jin-Yuan War against Shuodan: his forces nearly collapsed due to a salt shortage. Desperate, he retreated and orchestrated a fiery counterattack using intel from a blood-soaked scout, Yuan Shaocheng. Now, Wu Ankang suspects Li Zongxu’s corruption caused the salt crisis—and Ye Ping’an’s sudden involvement with Li Zongxu’s health raises his suspicions. In a tense exchange, Ye offers an alliance if Wu stays out of her business.
Meanwhile, Zuo Yulin General Xian Guangping pines for Wu Xian’er, who rebuffs him. Elsewhere, Hai Yiping orders Yuan Shaocheng to assassinate Ye after the banquet—a command that torments him. Cai Lian, inspired by Ye’s counsel in a flower field, commits to the larger plan. The group plots to expose Li Qianzhao by framing him for assassinating Shuodan envoys with Langyang Prince Manor’s signature arrows. In a vulnerable moment, Cai Lian shows Gu Wenyu her scars, accepts his bracelet, and promises a future together once justice is served.
As night falls, Yuan Hesheng distracts guards by setting fire to Yihua Street while Ni Chang infiltrates the banquet. Li Zongxu’s hidden guards lie in wait as he openly insults Wu Ankang and mocks Wu Xian’er’s gifts. Delays in retrieving a damning “Blood Maiden Scroll” force Cai Lian to stall Li Qianzhao. Lu Danxin finally secures the scroll and Shuodan correspondence, rushing them to Yuan Shaocheng, who passes them to Cai Lian. When Li Qianzhao takes the stage to present his “gift,” Ye and Yuan exchange knowing glances—his whistle signals the unleashing of their meticulously orchestrated chaos.
