Episode Summary
Nasha's assassination plot during the polo match fails spectacularly, as Su Wuming had already disabled the mechanism. The conspiracy is exposed, and the spy, Xiong Qiannian, confesses his tragic backstory before being executed. To smooth over diplomatic tensions, the Emperor creates a new "World Team" for a second polo match, which he wins. This act of grandstanding infuriates the Princess, who decides to actively pursue the throne. The series ends with Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng reflecting on the true meaning of peace and prosperity in the Tang Dynasty.
Spoiler Alert
The Polo Match Goes Sideways
Nasha's Plan Fails
The episode kicks off right in the middle of the polo match. Nasha gets his moment. He snatches the ball out of the air and takes a huge swing. He aims for that dragon head trigger we've been hearing about.
He hits it dead on. And nothing happens.
The copper dragon head stays silent. The viewing stand is perfectly safe. The Emperor, looking completely unfazed, just laughs. He says in polo, the goal is to get the ball in the net. Nasha’s face just drops. He knows something is wrong with the ball. He decides he needs to find a way to switch it.
Just then, Lu Lingfeng swoops in. He scores another point for the Tang team. The score is now two to one.
Nasha and his Kuile riders go into a frenzy. They try to swarm Lu Lingfeng. In the chaos, the ball gets knocked over the high wall. It lands straight in the Qujiang River. The crowd goes nuts. The Emperor calmly calls for the backup ball. The Princess stands on the high platform, holding the new ball. She does a little sleight of hand and swaps it out. But when Nasha gets the new ball and hits the dragon trigger again, it's the same result. Nothing. He looks absolutely horrified.
The Conspiracy Unravels
The Emperor decides he's done playing games. He stops pretending. Lu Lingfeng then lays the whole conspiracy bare for everyone to hear.
It turns out Nasha went to Xiong Qiannian, the man in the mask, by himself. He promised to make Xiong a king if he helped him. The deal was simple. Xiong would assassinate the Emperor and the Princess. This would clear the way for the Kuile cavalry. With no leadership, the Kuile army could march right into Chang'an and take over the Tang dynasty.
Xiong agreed. He used a drugged incense to knock out Li Zhuang. Then he secretly swapped the polo balls.
But they didn't know one thing. Su Wuming had already found an engineer named Feng Tai. They modified the dragon head mechanism. They also removed all the flammable tung oil. Nasha’s entire plan was doomed from the start.
Nasha, furious and exposed, draws his sword. He lunges straight for the Emperor. But Lu Lingfeng is there. He's no match for Lu Lingfeng and gets taken down in a few moves. At the same time, Xiong Qiannian sees it's all over. He pulls a dagger and tries to stab the Princess. Luckily, Li Zhuang and Chu Yingtao show up just in time. They team up with Lu Tong and Pei Mian to subdue him.
The Kuile people in the stands start shouting and protesting. The Jinwu Guard holds them back with spears. The Tang citizens are furious, screaming for blood. But the Emperor doesn't order any executions. Instead, he tells them to continue the match. Nasha, weirdly inspired by the Emperor's confidence, agrees to play.
Confessions and Consequences
The Spy's Backstory
Su Wuming explains how he knew Xiong was the spy. It wasn't just that he was using Master Fei to get case details. It wasn't his suspicious behavior at the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, either. The real proof was found in his house. They discovered the Four Heavenly Kings masks and a prop used to fake a sixth finger. Then Lu Lingfeng dug into old military files. He found that Xiong had served in the Heyuan Army but never mentioned it. That was the final red flag.
Xiong confesses everything. Years ago, he was leading troops against the Kuile. In a battle at Wushan Valley, his army was defeated because a crony of Empress Wu interfered. He and a hundred surviving soldiers were surrounded. He knew the Kuile had a habit of slaughtering their prisoners. So he negotiated. To save his men, he agreed to become a Kuile spy. He lied and told everyone they escaped with the help of heavenly soldiers.
He and his men made a blood oath to keep this secret. But when he returned to Chang'an, the Kuile people found him. They blackmailed him into helping them. Faced with the evidence, Xiong pleads guilty. His only request is to be buried with the Four Heavenly Kings masks. The Princess grants his wish.
A New Game and a New Plot
The polo match resumes. The score is tied. It's incredibly tense. In the final moments, Lu Lingfeng makes a brilliant shot. He wins the game for the Tang team. The crowd erupts in cheers. The Kuile delegation looks furious.
The Emperor sees this. He decides to make a grand gesture. He announces a new match. He will form a "World Team" with himself, Nasha, and one player each from Tuluo and the Kang Kingdom. They will play against Lu Lingfeng's Tang team.
The new game begins. The Tang team scores first, but the World Team quickly catches up. The match is intense. Everyone is on the edge of their seats. The only person not enjoying it is the Princess. She is visibly angry that the Emperor is stealing the show.
In the end, the World Team wins five to four. This allows the foreign envoys to save face. Nasha and the others are genuinely impressed and accept the loss.
The Princess goes back to her residence. She thinks about how the Emperor hogged all the glory. She decides she's done waiting for the right moment. She is going to actively start plotting to take the throne herself.
Loose Ends and New Beginnings
After Xiong Qiannian is executed, the Emperor puts Pei Mian in charge of Yongzhou. A courtier named Yang Xun keeps trying to warn the Emperor about the Princess. The Emperor gets tired of it and yells at him.
There's some good news, too. Scholar Tian and Chong Sanshiliu Niang get married. Because she helped expose the conspiracy, Su Wuming grants her official Chang'an citizenship. She feels bad that she might be holding her husband back from a great career. But he tells her he's happy just to farm, study, and write poems for her every day.
At the victory banquet, Su Wuming gives a toast to Pei Xijun. He says the polo ball she designed will be remembered forever.
The next day, Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng stand on a high tower. They look out over the city of Chang'an. They watch the peaceful city below. They realize that "Chang'an" and "Tang" aren't just about bricks, tiles, or borders. It's about the people living peaceful, prosperous lives. A truly great dynasty is one that can embrace everything and everyone.
