Episode Summary
Following their rescue, Nan Heng's confession of love is met with rejection from a conflicted Song Yimeng, who fears the consequences of altering the "original story." The political court is thrown into chaos by the apparent death of the major antagonist, Gao Changyin, in an explosion. Chu Guihong seizes the opportunity to accuse Nan Heng of murder, while Nan Heng suspects Gao Changyin faked his own death and is the true mastermind. As alliances shift and new plots are hatched, investigations into the assassins lead to a new clue: a criminal organization known as the Kou Gang.
Spoiler Alert
"A Dream within a Dream" Episode 27: A Calculated Death and Shifting Alliances
After finding a temporary shelter, Nan Heng and Song Yimeng await rescue. Seizing the moment, Nan Heng confesses his feelings once more, asking for Song Yimeng's forgiveness and her hand in marriage. Song Yimeng scoffs, reminding him that he once intended to kill her. Nan Heng admits this was true, but explains that after the Lantern Festival, he fell in love with her and abandoned any thought of harming her. He tearfully expresses his frustration, admitting that he deceived her out of a fear of losing her. He can't understand why she was so concerned for "Li Shiliu" but treats Nan Heng as the villain. Hiding her own tears, Song Yimeng insists that a happy ending for them is impossible.
Nan Heng doesn't grasp her true concerns, believing that one's destiny is in their own hands. However, Song Yimeng's fear is rooted in the "story's" plot: she worries that once Nan Heng achieves his ambitions, the Song family will be destroyed. She reveals that her parents in her world died in a fire, and she cannot bear to lose her family in this world as well. Confused by her words, Nan Heng dismisses them as mere excuses and questions why she bothered to save him if she intended to reject him.
Their tense conversation is interrupted when Fugui and the Xuanjia Army finally locate them at the bottom of the cliff. Back at the Song residence, Nan Heng deliberately exaggerates the assassination attempt to Song Yude. A worried Song Yude forbids Song Yimeng from traveling to Jiangnan and confines her to the mansion under heavy guard for her own safety. Song Yiting also pleads with Nan Heng to find the culprit quickly.
Later, Song Yimeng confronts Nan Heng, accusing him of exaggerating the situation just to keep her trapped. While Nan Heng is focused on finding the real assassins, Song Yimeng dismisses it as a necessary plot point. Their argument is cut short when Fugui rushes in with shocking news: Gao Changyin's prison carriage was bombed, and Chu Guihong has already taken the body. Nan Heng immediately leaves to handle the situation. After assessing the scene, he instructs Yao Qian to retrieve Gao Changyin's body from Chu Guihong.
The news of Gao Changyin's death sends ripples through the court. Minister Yan expresses his concern that this event could be detrimental to Nan Heng. Others suggest using Gao Changyin's death to accuse the Qianyu Army of failing their escort duty, thereby pressuring the Emperor to punish Chu Guihong. Minister Yan, however, believes the priority is to stabilize the political situation that Gao Changyin had maintained. Nan Heng cuts them off, stating he has his own judgment and needs no further advice.
Once they are alone, Fugui remarks on how quickly these officials changed their tune, as they were previously completely loyal to Gao Changyin. Nan Heng, jaded by experience, notes that this is normal; power struggles and matters of life and death are two different things. Fugui reports that he found no leads on the men in black, only that the weapons they used were the ones Nan Heng had ordered to be placed years ago. Nan Heng tells him to pause the investigation into the assassins and instead focus on pressuring Chu Guihong to release Shangguan He and the others.
Meanwhile, Chu Guihong reports to the Emperor, accusing Nan Heng of murdering Gao Changyin to silence him. He requests a full reinvestigation into the Battle of Pingrong, hoping to use the opportunity to dismantle Nan Heng's power base. Afterward, Chu Guihong orders Rong Hua to investigate the background of the "Yeyoushen" (Night-roaming Spirit), suspecting that a fugitive from the past is hiding among them. He also plans to win Shangguan He over to his side.
Upon his release, Shangguan He is met by Song Yiting. Overwhelmed, he jokes that he wants to be taken back to prison. During the interrogation, Rong Hua and Po Yunlong use a new spreadsheet method taught to them by Song Yimeng. The situation takes a bizarre turn when Song Yiting announces her intention to marry Shangguan He, leaving him completely stunned. Nan Heng reveals his suspicion that Gao Changyin faked his death and is the true mastermind behind the men in black, with spies inside the Xuanjia Army. For now, he orders Shangguan He to stay at the Song mansion. Song Yiting sees through the arrangement, guessing it's Nan Heng's plan, but agrees on the condition that Shangguan He is available whenever she calls.
Song Yimeng is incredulous upon learning of Gao Changyin's death, as he was the main antagonist in the original script. Song Yude warns her to stay away from Nan Heng, as rumors are spreading that he is the murderer. However, after reading a battle report and seeing the term "Meng Huo You" (a type of incendiary weapon), Song Yimeng becomes convinced that Nan Heng would not kill so carelessly. Song Yude remains worried, fearing that if the rumors are true, the entire Dajing dynasty is about to face a massive upheaval.
In another part of the city, Nan Rui brings Chu Guihong some oranges. Tucked within the fruit is a piece of fabric from a Qianyu Army winter uniform. When asked where he bought the oranges, Nan Rui leads him to a market where Chu Guihong spots a familiar face. Elsewhere, Po Yunlong identifies a distinctive tattoo on one of the dead assassins as the mark of the Kou Gang. He and Duan Shanhu disguise themselves as businessmen and arrange a meeting with the gang's leader in the woods that night.
