Episode Summary
The Emperor's plan to play polo is thwarted by Pei Mian, while the Princess initially plots to use the dangerous situation to her advantage. We learn the full scope of Nasha's assassination plot, which involves a rigged polo ball and barrels of oil. Nasha betrays his spy and lover, Chong Sanshiliu Niang, ordering her to commit suicide. She is saved at the last minute and confesses the entire plan. Armed with this knowledge, Lu Lingfeng, Su Wuming, and the Princess work together. They arrange for the Princess to swap the rigged polo ball for a safe one during the opening ceremony, allowing the Emperor to safely play against Nasha and confront him on the field.
Spoiler Alert
The Royal Family's Game of Chicken
The Emperor Backs Down
The big polo match against the Khuile is just around the corner. The Emperor gets it in his head that he should lead the team himself. It's a bold idea. It's also a terrible one.
Pei Mian argues with everyone at court to stop him. He makes it clear this is a huge security risk. When that doesn't work, he literally threatens to kill himself to make his point. That finally gets through to the Emperor. He agrees to sit this one out.
The Princess's Cold Calculation
The Princess was planning to attend the match. But then Prime Minister Cui pays her a late-night visit. He gives her some seriously cold advice. He says the Khuile spies haven't all been caught yet. The whole event is a trap waiting to happen.
His suggestion is pretty brutal. Let the Emperor go alone and take all the risk. If something bad happens to him, the Princess can step in. She can "restore order" and take the throne for herself. The Princess thinks this is a great plan. She immediately sends a message to the Honglu Temple to cancel her appearance.
The Spy's Betrayal
A Fourteen-Year-Old Lie
That night, Chong Sanshiliu Niang gets a secret message. It leads her to a deserted house where Nasha is waiting. We get the full backstory here. Fourteen years ago, Nasha was just a Khuile general. He and Chong Sanshiliu Niang promised to marry. She agreed to become a spy in Chang'an to help his career. She did it all for him.
But Nasha's ambition grew. He married the old Khan's daughter to become the new Khan. He completely forgot his promise to Chong Sanshiliu Niang. He never had any intention of bringing her back home.
The Assassination Plot Revealed
Nasha is currently in Chang'an disguised as his own brother. He brought four of his best polo players with him. He reveals the real plan to her. They have hidden twenty-eight barrels of tung oil under the stands at the Qujiang River polo field.
The assassination weapon is a specially made polo ball. It's filled with sulfur and saltpeter. The plan is to hit a hidden trigger mechanism called the "dragon pearl" with this ball. The impact will ignite the ball's contents. This will then detonate all the oil barrels, killing the Emperor and the entire Tang court.
Chong Sanshiliu Niang has done her part setting everything up. But Nasha has one last instruction. He pulls out a poison pill. He tells her to take it and die to protect their secret. That's her reward for years of loyalty. She finally sees him for the snake he is. She realizes her entire life has been wasted on a lie.
A Change of Heart
A Desperate Race for a Cure
Meanwhile, Yang Ji spots people moving tung oil from the Bafang Inn. He knows something is wrong. He immediately reports it to Su Wuming.
At the same time, Chong Sanshiliu Niang takes the poison. As she feels it working, her last thoughts are of Scholar Tian. She uses her last bit of strength to find him. She collapses right into his arms. Scholar Tian is horrified. He swears he won't let her die. He picks her up and runs to the sushan shop. Master Fei works all night and manages to save her life.
The Confession
Chong Sanshiliu Niang wakes up. She has a total change of heart. She's grateful to be alive and finally knows who truly cares for her. To repay them, she tells them everything. She exposes the entire Khuile plot, down to the last detail.
Game Day Drama
The Last-Minute Switch
Li Zhuang, the guy guarding the polo balls, finds Lu Lingfeng in a panic. He says he was supposed to be on watch all night but somehow fell asleep. When he woke up, the polo balls felt heavier. The change is tiny, but it's there. He also mentions that both Pei Mian and Xiong Qiannian stopped by during the night. Lu Lingfeng hears this and instantly understands what happened. The balls have been swapped.
On the day of the match, the Princess makes a surprise appearance. The Emperor is shocked but also thrilled. He sees it as her standing with him in a moment of danger. This gives him the confidence he needs. He announces he's playing after all. Since the Princess is there supporting him, Pei Mian can't really object. Lu Tong offers to play as a bodyguard, but the Emperor turns him down. He says Lu Tong is too old and still injured. Instead, he orders Lu Lingfeng to play by his side.
We learn that this was all part of a bigger plan. Before the match, Lu Lingfeng secretly told the Emperor everything. He revealed that the Khuile envoy is actually Khan Nasha himself. This is why the Emperor is so determined to play. He wants to win and personally humiliate the Khan, sending a message of strength back to the Khuile army.
Lu Lingfeng also knew the Princess would show up. The night before, he and Su Wuming went to her. They explained the assassination plot. They convinced her that even though this is a perfect chance to get rid of the Emperor, the stability of the entire dynasty is more important than her personal grudge. She understood. She not only agreed to help but also provided a rare animal hide to make a new, safe polo ball overnight.
According to tradition, the Princess has to start the game. She stands on the platform, holding the ball. This is the moment. She swaps the rigged Khuile ball with the new, safe one she had made. She hides the dangerous ball in her sleeve.
The Match Begins
The game starts. The Khuile team immediately goes on the offensive. Nasha is a blur on his horse. He scores the first goal with a powerful shot.
Lu Lingfeng doesn't waste any time. He leads the counter-attack. His polo stick moves like a striking snake. He hits a sharp, angled shot that flies into the net. The score is tied. The Emperor is ecstatic. He tells Lu Lingfeng to ride with him, and the two of them charge down the field together.
