Episode Summary
Ye Ping’an and Wu Ankang uncover a salt-smuggling scheme but fail to expose conspirators Xu Qing and Gong Shao after Yuan Shaocheng’s interference backfires. Lu Danxin betrays Ye Ping’an in a violent ambush, while Gu Erniang abandons the group. Desperate, Ye urges Yuan to reignite a corruption case, but he rejects her after a fateful coin toss. Meanwhile, Hai Yiping frames Ye for trafficking, isolating her further.
Spoiler Alert
Ye Ping’an bribes a maid to learn Xu Qing’s whereabouts at the Dongqiao Salt Warehouse. Sneaking inside, she stumbles upon Wu Ankang, who stole a key to investigate. The pair discover sacks of sand instead of salt—proof of a smuggling scheme between corrupt official Gong Shao and Xu Qing. Wu Ankang vows to stall Xu Qing while Ye Ping’an alerts Yuan Shaocheng to raid the warehouse. But Yuan arrives with only one guard, warning Wu not to provoke their targets. Ignoring him, Wu confronts Xu Qing and Gong Shao, demanding an inspection—only to find the sand miraculously replaced with salt. The failed sting leaves Wu humiliated and the conspirators on high alert.
Meanwhile, Dan Xin visits Cai Lian’s grave, where Gu Erniang and Lao Gui attempt to dissuade her from turning against allies. Gu Erniang’s ominous prophecies remain unresolved, and Lao Gui urges her to seek their sect master’s help. But Dan Xin, consumed by rage, refuses to listen.
Back at Anxin Hall, Ye Ping’an finds a note from Lu Danxin luring her to Mangou Bridge at dusk. Unbeknownst to her, Yuan Shaocheng overhears Lu’s involvement and rushes to intervene—arriving just as Lu Danxin fires a crossbow point-blank at Ye Ping’an, sending her plunging into the river. Yuan dives in to rescue her, but the betrayal fractures their fragile alliances. Gu Erniang, unwilling to burden Ye Ping’an further, abandons the group, leaving Ye devastated and isolated.
Desperate, Ye Ping’an proposes a risky alliance to Yuan Shaocheng: reopen the censors’ corruption case to expose Mei Party crimes. Though Yuan’s cooperation could elevate his career, he hesitates, torn between loyalty to powerbroker Hai Yiping and his conflicted morals. Hai, meanwhile, escalates his schemes—forcing Lu Danxin to publicly accuse Ye Ping’an (under her alias “Gu Qing”) of trafficking women. The scandal ignites citywide outrage, pressuring Yuan to choose sides.
In a pivotal moment, Yuan flips a coin to decide Ye Ping’an’s fate. When it lands blank-side up, he interprets it as a sign to abandon her—leaving Ye politically exposed and utterly alone as Hai Yiping’s web tightens.
key Spoiler: The coin toss masks Yuan’s deeper turmoil, setting up a devastating betrayal in future episodes. Meanwhile, Lu Danxin’s radicalization and Gu Erniang’s cryptic warnings hint at a looming supernatural reckoning.
