Episode Summary
The Princess fakes her death to trigger Li Feng's rebellion. Lu Lingfeng single-handedly holds off the rebel army at the palace gates, exposing Wu Wenbin as the mastermind. The imperial army arrives just in time to crush the coup, leading to the deaths of the main conspirators. The Retired Emperor is forced into permanent retirement, leaving the Emperor in full control. Lu Lingfeng is rewarded with a new judicial position in the capital, working alongside Su Wuming under their new, unsuspecting boss, Du Ming.
Spoiler Alert
The Trap is Sprung
A Faked Death
The episode kicks off with Su Wuming going straight to the Emperor. He basically puts his own life on the line to get a pardon for Lu Lingfeng. He explains the whole giant bird case and asks for another Golden Peach. You have to respect the guts on this guy.
While that's happening, Lu Lingfeng takes Cherry to a military camp to watch the soldiers train. He ends up sparring with one of the officers. Cherry watches them fight. She realizes the officer's moves look very familiar. She gives Lu Lingfeng a subtle look to warn him.
That night, the Princess puts her plan into motion. She holds another Golden Peach banquet. Right on cue, the shriek of a Black Flame Bird echoes across Chang'an. The people see a giant winged creature fly over the city. It heads straight for the Princess's mansion. Then, the Princess fakes her own death from the attack.
The Rebellion Begins
The news of the Princess's death spreads like wildfire. This is the moment Li Feng has been waiting for. He thinks his time has finally come. He immediately gathers his soldiers and prepares to launch a rebellion.
This is where we get the big reveal. Li Feng's real family name is Du. He is a direct descendant of Du Fuwei, a powerful warlord from the old Sui Dynasty. His family surrendered to the Tang and was given the royal surname "Li" as a gift. But Li Feng is bitter. He feels his ambitions have been ignored. He wants to overthrow the Tang and put his own family back in charge.
Some of the officers are loyal to the Tang. They refuse to join him and call him a traitor. But most of the soldiers have already been swayed by his promises. The Masked Man is also there, helping direct the troops. They are about to storm the palace.
The Palace Under Siege
One Man Against an Army
The Emperor goes to see his father, the Retired Emperor. The tension between them is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Every word they say to each other is loaded with hidden meaning. Suddenly, they hear a commotion outside. Li Feng and his rebel army have broken through the palace gates. It happened way faster than anyone expected.
This is Lu Lingfeng's moment. He shows up in full armor, holding the official token of the Jinwu Guard's General. He stands alone in front of Chengqing Hall, blocking the entire rebel army. He publicly exposes Li Feng's plan. Then he points to the Masked Man and reveals his identity. It's Wu Wenbin.
With his cover blown, Wu Wenbin rips off his mask. We learn he's a relative of the former Empress Wu. He was working with Li Feng all along. Their plan was to use the bird attacks to kill the Emperor, the Princess, and the Retired Emperor. Then they would put Li Feng on the throne. Now, Lu Lingfeng is the only thing standing in their way. Li Feng stops talking and orders his assassins to attack. Lu Lingfeng fights them off, outnumbered, and manages to stab Li Feng right in the chest.
A Father-Son Showdown
Even with Li Feng wounded, the rebels are a massive force. They start breaking down the doors to the hall. Inside, the Emperor draws his own sword. He stands in front of his father, ready to defend him with his life. Outside, Lu Lingfeng holds the line by himself, bleeding but not backing down. He's just trying to buy time for reinforcements.
The Emperor finally realizes he was a fool to trust Li Feng. He turns to his father. He asks him if he knew about the giant birds being raised at the royal villa. The Retired Emperor looks genuinely shocked. His eyes dart over to his panicked servant, Laifu. He immediately throws Laifu under the bus and blames him for everything.
Tying Up Loose Ends
The Aftermath
Just when it looks like the doors will give way, Lu Tong arrives. He brought the main imperial army with him. They completely surround the rebels. The game is over.
Wu Wenbin sees that he has lost. In a desperate move, he kills the injured Li Feng, probably hoping it will earn him a pardon. It doesn't work. Lu Tong strikes him down with a single sword stroke. Laifu tries to make a run for it, but his own "godfather," Yang Xun, kills him to silence him.
The Retired Emperor finally admits that he has been completely defeated. He promises to move to the West Palace and never get involved in politics again. The power struggle is over. Only the Emperor and the Princess remain.
New Jobs and Old Grudges
With the rebellion crushed, the Emperor starts cleaning house. He has a talk with Du Ming, who was one of the Retired Emperor's key men. Du Ming is smart enough to see which way the wind is blowing. He immediately pledges his loyalty to the Emperor.
The Emperor lets Lu Tong decide the fate of Lena, the bird slave. Lu Tong confesses something important. He says the intelligence he received years ago about the Amonuo tribe planning a rebellion might have been fake. It could have been a trick by the Kuile people, one of the Tang's biggest enemies. If that's true, he says losing his eye was his own fault. He asks the Emperor to pardon Lena, and the Emperor agrees.
Everyone gathers to say goodbye to Lena. He sees the Black Flame Birds flying free and feels a sense of peace. He almost destroys the Liu Shiqi mask he wears, but Su Wuming stops him. Su tells him to forget his past and live a normal life. Lena starts crying and promises he will never do evil again.
Back at the office, Master Fei is finally healed. He learns they received six Golden Peaches as a reward for solving the case. He immediately grabs the biggest one and takes a bite, which makes everyone laugh. The Princess watches from afar, curious to see how the Emperor will reward Lu Lingfeng.
Lu Tong asks the Emperor to let Lu Lingfeng rejoin the Jinwu Guard. The Emperor still doesn't trust Lu Lingfeng completely, though. Instead, he gives him a new job. Lu Lingfeng is now the Judicial Adjutant of Yongzhou.
Lu Lingfeng doesn't mind at all. He's actually happy about it. He sees it as a chance to do some real work in the capital region. The Princess is also satisfied with this. The job has real authority over criminal cases. She just finds it hilarious that this makes the "idiot" Du Ming their new boss. As Lu Lingfeng and Su Wuming head off to their new post, Du Ming is thrilled. He decides he'll pay Su Wuming's salary out of his secret informant budget.
