Episode Summary

Li Jun resumes his hunt for fugitive Ye Ping’an, now hidden in the Black Market. Wu Youjing tightens his grip on the salt trade while silencing dissent, but Ye Ping’an outmaneuvers pursuers with help from Wei Xuanmin. Tensions rise as Huang Yimin strikes a shady deal with the Kangping Prince, and Yuan Shaocheng’s secret tunnel reveals Ye Ping’an’s hideout—hinting at betrayal.

Spoiler Alert

Censor Li Jun, still stewing under house arrest for his role in the controversial "Dragon Scale Bamboo Torture" ordered by Ye Ping'an a year ago, finds himself abruptly recalled by the Emperor to oversee the newly opened prison at Lijing Gate. Despite the Emperor’s renewed "trust," Li Jun seethes with resentment toward Ye Ping’an, vowing to "skin her alive" given the chance. With Ye Ping’an now a fugitive accused of illegal armor possession, Li Jun deduces she’s hiding in the capital—and narrows his search to the Black Market near Yanqing District. Meanwhile, officials’ aggressive seizure of civilian salt fields sparks widespread suffering, a crisis Wu Xian’er warns could destabilize the realm. Her uncle, Kangping Prince Wu Youjing, dismisses her concerns, prioritizing the Wu family’s control over salt and land.

Wu Youjing probes Wu Xian’er about the armor used to frame Ye Ping’an, but she deflects, claiming it was "borrowed from a general" (unnamed). Determined to eliminate Ye Ping’an, Wu Youjing orders his niece to collaborate with Minister Zhang on her capture. A tip soon arrives: Ye Ping’an has been spotted in the Black Market. Simultaneously, Li Jun’s men comb clinics, perfume shops, and textile stores—all dead ends—before zeroing in on the Black Market’s Jiulong Pavilion.

Trapped inside Jiulong Pavilion, Ye Ping’an coolly awaits her pursuers while her allies, Gu Erniang and Ni Chang, panic. Just as Li Jun prepares to storm the building, Wu Xian’er barges in, leveraging her status as Zhongshu Sheren—only to find her mother, Wei Xuanmin (Daoist nun Su Xuan Zhenren), guarding the door. Wei Xuanmin declares Ye Ping’an absent, and Kangping Prince Wu Youjing’s sudden arrival forces Li Jun to retreat. The standoff buys Ye Ping’an time to escape, but questions linger: How did she convince Wei Xuanmin to intervene? And what secrets about the Wu family does she now hold?

Suspicious of a mole, Wu Youjing confronts his strategist Yuan Shaocheng, who deflects blame by accusing Wu Xian’er of bitterness over her rivalry with Ye Ping’an. Elsewhere, merchant Huang Yimin offers 50,000 sacks of salt at a bargain price—but demands a government post for his son, Huang Qi. Wu Youjing agrees, appointing Huang Qi to falsify salt trade records. Meanwhile, Yuan Shaocheng secretly orders Gu Wenyu to capture Ye Ping’an for interrogation, ignoring appeals for mercy.

In a tense mountain meeting, Wu Youjing outsmarts Huang Yimin by sending a decoy, proving his cunning. Wu Xian’er, meanwhile, gloats after receiving a rare submissive letter from Yuan Shaocheng, signaling his reluctant alliance. The episode closes with a bombshell: Yuan Shaocheng slips into a secret tunnel beneath Mangou—where Ye Ping’an and her allies lie hidden, setting the stage for a explosive confrontation.

Key Spoilers:

  • Ye Ping’an’s alliance with Wei Xuanmin hints at deeper ties to the Wu family’s past.
  • Huang Qi’s falsified records may expose the salt crisis… or bury it forever.
  • Yuan Shaocheng’s double game risks unraveling as loyalties fracture.