Episode Summary
Lu Yun races against time to decipher a coded message, uncovering a conspiracy surrounding his father's death. Lingyu grapples with her impending marriage and growing suspicions about Lu Yun's "blindness," while Prince Hengyang displays his compassionate side. The episode ends with Lu Yun revealing the truth about his father's death to Lingyu.
Spoiler Alert
Prince Hengyangis increasingly suspicious of Lu Yun'slingering interest in Luo Lingyu . He applies pressure by "helpfully" force-feeding Lu Yun tea and announcing his plans to take Lingyu shopping for their upcoming wedding. Lu Yun, clearly bothered, weakly protests that the wedding is still over a month away and much could change.
Lingyu, feigning illness, manages to avoid the shopping trip with the Prince. After he departs, she reads to Lu Yun, who, despite his supposed blindness, catches every single one of her deliberate mispronunciations. Lingyu's doubts about his condition grow, but she remains dedicated to his care due to his past kindness.
Lady Chen visits Lu Yun, bearing gifts. She discovers Lingyu in his room but surprisingly shows no anger. She confesses to having stolen Lingyu's chessboard dance, a secret that could cause considerable embarrassment if revealed. After Lady Chen leaves, Lingyu sees her out. Lady Chen openly advises Lingyu that, given the Emperor's decree, resisting the marriage is futile. She suggests Lingyu stop spending so much time with Lu Yun. Lingyu, in turn, admits the importance of the imperial edict and clarifies that she isn't indispensable to Lu Yun. Lady Chen expresses admiration for Lingyu's independent and determined spirit, but she also emphasizes the immense difficulty of defying an imperial order.
Later that night, Lu Yun is still poring over books. He's trying to decipher a poem collection that holds the key to communication between the Beichu people and the Northern camp, a secret he learned from Wang Yangming. The next day, Lingyu visits again, noticing the open books on his desk. Her suspicions about his feigned illness intensify. Out of frustration, she agrees to go out with Prince Hengyang, causing Lu Yun to panic. He immediately orders Yinchuan to find a doctor who can prescribe a medicine to induce temporary blindness.
Lu Yun's elder brother, Lu Yuan, visits him. While Lu Yuan cares deeply for Lu Yun, he's unsure if his brother shares his views. Lu Yun's involvement in dangerous activities makes it safer for Lu Yuan to remain in the dark. Lu Yuan suspects Lu Yun is still investigating Wang Yangming's case and that his recent injury might be related. Lu Yun denies it, urging Lu Yuan not to worry.
Prince Hengyang takes Lingyu on an outing, introducing her to the widows of fallen soldiers. He demonstrates his compassion by regularly helping these families with repairs and financial aid. Witnessing the widows' genuine affection for the Prince, Lingyu hesitates to reveal her true feelings – that she sees him only as a friend. She decides to postpone the conversation.
Meanwhile, Prince Changyi meets Lu Yun at an inn, bringing various versions of the poem collection for Lu Yun to analyze. Prince Changyi advises Lu Yun to let go of Lingyu, acknowledging that Lu Yun lacks the power to oppose the imperial decree. However, Lu Yun believes there's someone who can change Prince Changyi's mind. His immediate priority is to decipher the code from Wang Yangming.
After several sleepless nights, Lu Yun finally cracks the code within the poem collection. He discovers a shocking truth: his father, General Lu Jie, died years ago, and his death was no accident. The poems reveal a conspiracy. General Lu Jie had uncovered sensitive military secrets, leading the Northern army to surround his camp. Lu Jie and a small squad attempted a secret breakout, planning a counterattack. However, the Beichu forces discovered his plan and assassinated him.
Just then, Lingyu arrives, finding Lu Yun with tears in his eyes. He confesses that his father's death was not as it seemed and that the Northern camp might be involved.
