Episode Summary
In this episode, Yan Chi and Qin Wan solve the serial murder case, uncovering the killer's tragic motive. Yan Chi successfully outmaneuvers King Cheng at the New Year's Eve banquet, earning a promotion to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Significant backstory about Yan Li's parents, the heroic Prince Yi and the noble Princess Yi, is revealed, deepening the connection between the main characters. The episode concludes on a cliffhanger as the Empress Dowager collapses, and the Emperor is prevented from leaving the banquet to see her.
Spoiler Alert
With King Cheng’s men keeping a close watch, Yan Chi decides to have the local fish vendors investigated before taking Qin Wan on a stroll. He is wary of her getting entangled in the political battle between the Crown Prince and King Cheng, but Qin Wan is determined to work on cases for the Ministry of Justice. Reassuring her of his protection, Yan Chi grants her direct access to all of the Ministry's future cases.
Their walk leads them to the Marquis's Mansion, home to Yan Li. After asking Yan Li to dismiss King Cheng's spies, Yan Chi introduces Qin Wan to Yan Li’s mother, Princess Yi. The princess, a woman of few words, is pleased to meet the young lady Yan Chi has brought and gifts Qin Wan a precious hairpin. Confused by the gesture, Qin Wan learns the hairpin was a token of love between Princess Yi and her late husband, a gift meant for their future daughter-in-law.
Yan Chi then reveals a hidden chapter of history. Princess Yi is the daughter of the disgraced Fu Chengye, who was executed for treason. Her husband, the late Prince Yi, was once Fu Chengye's subordinate. After their marriage, he discovered his father-in-law's plot. With his wife already pregnant, he used the pretense of sending her to her hometown for childbirth to secretly pass on a warning. It was Prince Yi who single-handedly rescued the current Emperor (then the Crown Prince) from a deadly ambush, sacrificing his own life in the process. In gratitude, the Emperor posthumously granted him the title of Prince Yi and adopted his son, Yan Li. Princess Yi had wished to follow her husband in death but lived on for the sake of young Yan Li. Her gift of the hairpin is a blessing for Yan Chi and Qin Wan to have a long and happy life together. In response, Qin Wan declares that if Yan Chi were ever to die, she would live on to bring his killers to justice, a sentiment that brings a smile to his face.
Back on the case with Prefect Zheng, Qin Wan decides to visit the Public Mortuary for new clues, only to find that King Cheng has already had the victims' bodies removed. Meanwhile, Yan Chi’s investigation at a fish congee stall yields a breakthrough. The owner is holding onto a pouch a young lady left behind, and inside is a contract to pick up a wedding dress from the Jinyi Pavilion, dated on the very day one of the victims was murdered.
Just as they uncover this clue, the killer strikes again, attacking another young woman who went to retrieve her wedding dress. Prefect Zheng immediately orders a search of the Jinyi Pavilion.
The focus then shifts to the New Year's Eve palace banquet. Yan Li expresses his discomfort and reluctance to attend. Yue Ning tutors Qin Wan on the intricate rules of palace etiquette, while Yan Chi instructs them to not hesitate to fight back if anyone gives them trouble.
At the banquet, organized by Noble Consort Su, tensions are high. The Emperor’s first glance falls upon Qin Wan, whom The Grand Princess had mentioned in a letter, asking him to look after her. When the Crown Prince and King Cheng arrive, King Cheng’s faction immediately puts the Crown Prince on the spot, demanding an update on the young women's murder case. As the Crown Prince falters, Yan Chi makes a timely entrance, presenting the closed case file. He announces the case is solved, explaining the killer was a man who suffered from a mental illness due to childhood abuse from his mother.
Turning the tables, Yan Chi reports King Cheng's interference—the removal of the victims' bodies and clothing—directly to the Emperor. The Emperor commands Yan Chi to investigate the matter and praises the Crown Prince for his supposed success. In the wake of this victory, Yan Chi performs a martial arts demonstration and is promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.
The celebration is cut short when the Empress Dowager suddenly falls ill and faints. As the Emperor rushes to her side, Yue Ning pleads with Qin Wan to help, but Qin Wan decides to wait for the right moment. A group of senior officials intercepts the Emperor, insisting that he must remain at the banquet for the sake of the nation's stability at the start of the new year.
