Episode Summary
Cui Mingyue defiantly rejects her forced marriage to Zhu Ziyu, leading to a tragic wedding-night confrontation where Zhu Ziyu kills her and himself. Meanwhile, Yu Qi and Jiang Si navigate political tensions after their joyful wedding, as the Grand Princess grieves and court factions clash over power.
Spoiler Alert
Cui Mingyue refuses to marry Zhu Ziyu, tearfully begging her mother, the Grand Princess, to plead with the Emperor. However, the Emperor’s trust in the Grand Princess has eroded, and she knows her years of carefully built reputation have been destroyed by her daughter’s recklessness. Resigned, she accepts that Mingyue must wed Zhu Ziyu. Mingyue, defiant, kneels and wails outside the manor as the Grand Princess shuts the gates, weeping silently.
As Mingyue’s cries echo, her brother Cui Xu arrives, offering to flee with her. But Mingyue, consumed by vengeance, stays. On her wedding night, she humiliates Zhu Ziyu, even threatening Jiang Yi and Yanyan. Meanwhile, the Grand Princess awakens from a restless sleep, sensing danger. In a brutal twist, Zhu Ziyu stabs Mingyue with a candlestick and sets the chamber ablaze, avenging his family. The Grand Princess, plagued by dread, sends Shi Jiu to investigate—only to later collapse in grief when confronted with her daughter’s charred corpse.
Amid the tragedy, joy blooms elsewhere. Yu Qi and Jiang Si celebrate their wedding night, while loyal guards A’Man and Long Dan banter outside. The next morning, Yu Qi reassures Jiang Si she need never compromise her identity. Though hesitant to visit the Emperor and Empress due to lingering resentment over their arranged marriage, Yu Qi relents after Jiang Si’s persuasion. At the palace, they learn of Zhu Ziyu’s murder-suicide. The Empress warns them of the Grand Princess’s likely retaliation and urges them to retreat to Nanjiang, where Yu Qi’s Red Feather Riders offer protection. But the couple vows to stay in Ling’an, cautiously distancing themselves from the Empress to avoid implicating her.
Tensions escalate when the Empress proposes adopting Yu Qi as her daughter—a move that would strengthen his political standing. Consort Xian storms in, protesting the plan, but Yu Qi, indifferent to her disapproval, leans toward accepting. Jiang Si mediates, easing the clash, though she later warns Yu Qi that aligning with the Empress could paint him as a power-hungry threat.
Meanwhile, Yu Qi preemptively strikes against the Grand Princess, presenting the Emperor with evidence of her treason. Consort Xian, scheming elsewhere, probes Prince Qi’s wife about hypothetical loyalty shifts, subtly pressuring her to manipulate Prince Qi. Impressed by Jiang Si’s political savvy, Consort Xian allies with her against the Grand Princess.
The Emperor visits the grieving Grand Princess, posthumously honoring Mingyue as a princess with burial in the royal tombs—a gesture the Grand Princess bitterly dismisses as empty. Across the palace, Prince Qi grows anxious upon hearing of Yu Qi’s potential adoption, fearing another rival for the throne. As alliances shift and grudges deepen, Ling’an’s political battlefield grows fiercer… and bloodier.
This episode weaves tragedy, romance, and court intrigue, setting the stage for explosive confrontations in the battle for power.
