Episode Summary
A scarred woman confronts Ye Ping’an, blaming her for a life-ruining fire linked to the imperial censor case. Guilt-ridden Ye spirals into self-destructive behavior, while Yuan Shaocheng maneuvers Wu Xian’er into visiting her estranged mother. Ni Chang uncovers the accuser’s ties to a brothel’s spy network, prompting a race to stop Ye’s suicide attempt. The death of brothel madam Hua exposes a conspiracy, driving Ye to investigate corrupt trial officials—leading her to infiltrate the home of retired judge Lu Wei.
Spoiler Alert
A veiled woman in white visits Ye Ping’an at Anxin Clinic, claiming her emotional torment stems from the herbalist’s past. Removing her veil, she reveals horrific burn scars across her face and arms, accusing Ye of luring her into an abandoned house years ago—a fire that left her disfigured. She venomously declares she only recognized Ye after seeing her name linked to the recent imperial censor case. Shattered by guilt, Ye falls into a spiral of self-loathing. Later, Ni Chang notices Ye’s distress, but Ye brushes it off as fatigue. Meanwhile, Yuan Shaocheng manipulates Wu Xian’er into visiting her estranged mother, Kangping Princess Wei Xuanmin, using calculated charm to override her resistance.
Haunted by hallucinations of the deceased Ruan Qin, Ye begins drinking heavily. The next day, Yuan accompanies Wu Xian’er to a remote mountain temple where Wei Xuanmin—now a reclusive Taoist priestess—coldly dismisses her daughter after a brief exchange. Back in Shengdu, Ye abruptly hands Ni Chang the clinic’s deed, announcing plans to abandon her life as a physician and wander the countryside. Sensing deception, Ni Chang later recalls seeing the scarred woman at Wan Guo Xiang brothel, realizing she’s one of Madam Hua’s elite "dark seeds" trained to manipulate powerful clients. Panicked, Ni Chang alerts Yuan after discovering Ye left behind her cherished calming incense—a dire omen.
Yuan races to a cliffside where Ye, now sober but emotionally broken, attempts to recreate Ruan Qin’s suicide. He intervenes, revealing the scarred woman—identified as Yao Zhen—is a Wan Guo Xiang pawn blackmailed into targeting Ye. Before they can confront Madam Hua, the brothel keeper dies mysteriously, confirming a shadowy conspiracy tied to the censor case. Determined to expose the truth, Ye investigates the original trial judges and tracks down Lu Wei, the sole surviving ex-official. Disguised as a robbery victim, she infiltrates his secluded home after his family departs, ready to unravel his secrets.
key Spoiler: The episode ends with Ye poised to interrogate Lu Wei, whose puzzling role in swiftly condemning her father years ago may hold the key to both the censor case cover-up and the forces now hunting her. Yuan’s growing entanglement with Wu Xian’er’s transactional marriage dynamic adds political intrigue, while Ni Chang’s sharp instincts position her as Ye’s unlikely lifeline in the coming storm.
