Episode Summary
A confrontation at a tavern leaves Shangguan He stunned after meeting Song Yiting. At court, Nan Heng successfully negotiates the annulment of Song Yimeng's engagement to Chu Guihong, but the Emperor retaliates by forcing a new engagement between Song Yimeng and Nan Heng, along with an order for their banishment after marriage. Despite her resolve to refuse, Song Yimeng's body betrays her and accepts the decree, enraging her father, Song Yude. To save his future father-in-law from the Emperor's wrath, Nan Heng makes a huge sacrifice, agreeing to give up a significant portion of his military power.
Spoiler Alert
A Twist of Fate and a Royal Gamble
In the bustling Can Jiang Yue tavern, a local troublemaker named Yi Zhixiu picks a fight with Song Yiting. Just as he’s about to get rough, Shangguan He, disguised as the gallant Li Shiliu, steps in. He not only forces Yi Zhixiu to compensate for the damages but also to apologize to Song Yiting. Charmed, he offers her a bamboo token and asks for her name. The moment she introduces herself as Song Yiting, Shangguan He is left utterly stunned.
Meanwhile, the court is in turmoil. The Emperor is furious with Chu Guihong for the incident at the royal racecourse. Nan Rui voices his suspicion that his brother, Nan Heng, intentionally took the arrow, claiming Nan Heng's martial arts skills are more than sufficient to have dodged it. Outside the palace, Yao Qian leads a group of officials demanding severe punishment for Chu Guihong, a plea that Gao Changyin pretends to discourage.
At Nan Heng’s residence, Song Yimeng mocks him for his self-sacrificing ploy. As she roughly pulls him up, his wound reopens. Nan Heng insists his "good intentions" were the only way to get her out of the engagement. Their tense exchange is interrupted by the arrival of the Emperor and his Consort. Song Yimeng quickly feigns concern for Nan Heng's injury, which genuinely alarms Gao Changyin.
Despite his injury, Nan Heng greets the Emperor, who remains cold and accuses him of defiance. Nan Heng defends his actions, stating that the law clearly dictates death for anyone who attempts to harm a prince. He then offers a compromise: he will publicly declare the incident an accident if the Emperor agrees to annul the marriage between Song Yimeng and Chu Guihong. The Emperor agrees, but with a shocking twist. Citing his "concern" for the Song family, he dissolves the first engagement only to decree a new one—between Song Yimeng and Nan Heng. To further isolate him, the Emperor orders Nan Heng to relocate to a remote fiefdom immediately after the wedding. Nan Heng quickly thanks the Emperor for the marriage but protests the forced relocation.
That night, a sleepless Song Yimeng finds her sister, Song Yiting, drinking in the courtyard. Yimeng laments the complexity of her world, admitting her black-and-white view of people was wrong. Yiting wisely notes that everyone has their own path to walk. When Yiting confesses she has feelings for someone, Yimeng mistakenly assumes it's Nan Heng. Yiting denies this, and her words spark a moment of self-realization for Yimeng about her own heart.
Later, Shangguan He delivers a portrait to Nan Heng, revealing that Song Yiting has fallen for his alter ego, Li Shiliu, leaving Nan Heng baffled.
Determined to defy her fate, Song Yimeng resolves never to marry Nan Heng. But when the official imperial decree arrives, she finds her body moving against her will. In a chilling repeat of a previous scene, she kneels and accepts the marriage, declaring she is destined to be with Nan Heng. Her father, Song Yude, is enraged by her acceptance. He locks her in the woodshed, vowing she will marry Chu Guihong instead.
Song Yude then seeks an audience with the Emperor, correctly guessing the Emperor's true motive: to secure the Song family's allegiance and protect Nan Rui by binding Nan Heng to them. The Emperor proposes a bet, confident that destiny will ensure Song Yimeng marries Nan Heng.
When Nan Heng learns that Song Yude is being punished for defying the decree, he rushes to the palace to intervene, as does Chu Guihong. The Emperor offers them a choice: whoever is willing to surrender command of 10,000 soldiers can take Song Yude's punishment. After a moment of consideration, Nan Heng agrees to the terms.
