Episode Summary
As the Ministry of Works forcibly recruits laborers from Mangou to rebuild the Tian Sheng Pagoda, Yuan Shaocheng confronts Hai Yiping over systemic corruption, only to be blackmailed into targeting Ye Ping’an. Meanwhile, Ye’s team uncovers Hai’s ties to Jinlu Pawnshop’s illicit ledgers and rescues a mentally unstable witness, Chang Qing, whose traumatic past exposes Hai’s role in framing innocents. A daring heist to retrieve evidence is sabotaged by Yuan, forcing Ye to risk confronting the Emperor—and failing. With allies fracturing and Hai tightening his grip, Ye prepares for a final gambit involving Hai’s daughter.
Spoiler Alert
The Ministry of Works forces laborers from Mangou to rebuild the Tian Sheng Pagoda in Mingyi District, leaving families desperate. When a civilian pleads for leniency, officials brutally dismiss him. Yuan Shaocheng, still recovering from illness, learns from Gu Wenyu that the ministry is commandeering Mangou workers under the guise of "manpower shortages." Suspecting political sabotage, Yuan confronts Hai Yiping, citing last year’s deadly Yunze Canal project as evidence of systemic exploitation. Hai coldly deflects, blaming Yuan’s indecision regarding Ye Ping’an for Mangou’s plight. With the pagoda deadline looming, Hai pressures Yuan to eliminate Ye—or face consequences.
Meanwhile, Ye Ping’an’s team uncovers corruption tied to Jinlu Pawnshop. Ni Chang infiltrates a high-society gathering at Wan Guo Xiang, discovering the pawnshop’s true owner is Gong Shao—a protégé of Hai Yiping’s ally. As Ye connects Hai to the pawnshop’s shadowy ledgers, chaos erupts: Cai Yun reports missing mental patient Chang Qing, whose fragmented memories implicate Hai in an arson cover-up. Chang’s ramblings about "extinguished candles" and false accusations reveal he’s the father of Cai Lianhua (Ye’s late friend), murdered during the Censor Case scandal. His recognition of Ye’s wolf-tooth pendant—a relic he crafted for his daughter—exposes Hai’s role in silencing whistleblowers.
The team executes a heist at Jinlu Pawnshop: Ni Chang seduces a clerk for keys, Lu Danxin infiltrates the vault, and Ye distracts the owner. But Yuan Shaocheng ambushes them, confiscating the ledger while cryptically warning Ye to abandon her investigation. His timely interference confirms Hai’s surveillance. Undeterred, Ye petitions the Emperor with evidence of the seven-petaled lotus brand brand (marking trafficked women)—only to be dismissed as "overreaching." Hai mocks her failed gamble, leaving Ye vulnerable. Though Lu urges retreat, Ye vows to stay and confront Hai through his daughter Hai Yan at Qixi Art Gallery.
In a stunning pivot, Yuan returns the ledger to Hai, admitting he glimpsed incriminating records. Hai—testing loyalty—offers Yuan mentorship, dangling power over principle. As alliances fracture, Ye’s war against corruption enters its deadliest phase.
