Episode Summary
Wang Danling's jealousy toward Shen Jiangli erupts when she suspects Lu Jingming has feelings for her. After a heated confrontation, Danling jumps into the river and falsely accuses Jiangli of pushing her. Jiangli counters the lie with evidence, and Lu Jingming supports his wife. Lu Qingqing exposes Danling's past schemes, leading to a public downfall. In a final twist, Danling discovers her husband's secret affair with Shen Qilan.
Spoiler Alert
Just when you think things couldn’t get messier at the Lu household, Episode 8 of this palace-level family drama drops a bombshell of betrayals, river stunts, and long-buried secrets.
Let’s start with Wang Danling, who technically married into the Lu family as the wife of the eldest son, but emotionally? She’s still got eyes for Lu Jingming, her husband’s younger brother. She was scheming to somehow have both brothers wrapped around her finger—until Shen Jiangli came back from the dead. Okay, not literally, but her return from the ancient tombs shattered Danling’s fantasy.
Now, Danling is fuming. She suspects Lu Jingming might actually have feelings for Shen Jiangli, and that jealousy turns her venomous. She starts picking on Jiangli, looking for any excuse to humiliate her.
Things escalate fast.
Shen Jiangli finally snaps and calls Danling out—harshly. She throws Danling’s biggest insecurity right in her face: the fact that Danling still doesn’t have a child. Jiangli hints that maybe this is karma. Danling, furious and humiliated, storms off and throws herself into the river in a dramatic move straight from a soap opera playbook.
But wait—it gets better.
Danling’s maid starts screaming that Jiangli pushed her. Jiangli, calm under pressure, immediately dives in after her. If Danling wants to play the drama game, Jiangli’s going to beat her at it. Now they’re both soaking wet, surrounded by onlookers.
Danling, of course, pulls the sad, fragile victim act—tears, trembling lips, the whole nine yards—and accuses Jiangli of trying to drown her. But Jiangli fights back with receipts. She questions why Danling invited her to a secluded spot in the middle of the night. Convenient? Not really.
Then, Lu Jingming arrives and, plot twist! He sides firmly with his wife, Shen Jiangli. He confirms that Danling was the one who invited him for a late-night talk, and while Jiangli may have misunderstood the scene, she’s not someone who would push anyone into a river.
Backstory time: Before marrying into the Lu family, Danling was actually more into Jingming. But because the eldest son stood a better chance at inheriting the family title, she went with him instead. Jingming was never that into her, and her gamble clearly didn’t pay off emotionally.
Now, with both Jiangli and Jingming calling her out, Danling’s story starts to crack. Even the not-so-bright can see through her act. But the Lu family’s eldest son (the one actually married to Danling) chooses to play dumb. Why? Because he still wants the political power that comes with Danling’s family name.
Enter Lu Qingqing, the younger sister, who’s had enough. She reminds everyone that five years ago, she was disfigured and nearly assaulted—thanks to Danling. Turns out, Danling had sent thugs to humiliate Shen Jiangli back then, but Qingqing accidentally took the fall because she was in Jiangli’s carriage that day.
Danling tries to act innocent again, claiming she was "misled" by Jiangli and always cared for Qingqing. But Qingqing’s had it. She exposes everything, including Danling’s past attempt to ruin Jiangli’s life.
With all this evidence and accusation flying around, even Danling’s father, Minister Wang, is red-faced with shame. The Lu family seems ready to kick Danling out—but her husband still refuses. He’s not about to give up his powerful in-laws, no matter how dirty the truth gets.
Feeling the pressure from all sides, Danling spirals. She wanders out of the courtyard, only to stumble upon another shocker: her husband and Shen Qilan—yes, that Shen Qilan—looking way too cozy. Turns out, Qilan has been writing him love letters for quite some time. Danling just uncovered a whole new betrayal.
Karma? Served ice cold.
Final Thoughts:
Episode 8 was peak chaos. Shen Jiangli proved she’s not to be messed with. Wang Danling’s illusions are crumbling. And with Lu Jingming and Qingqing finally standing up, the house of cards might just collapse in the next episode.
