Episode Summary
The Emperor agrees to the marriage alliance, which allows him to strip power from Xia Jingshi, just as Feng Suige planned. Fu Yixiao gets closer to Xia Jingshi to uncover the truth about her fall, discovering that either Ning Fei or Xiao Weiran is lying to her. We learn that Xia Jingshi was, in fact, the one who shot her. The episode closes with Feng Suige facing political impeachment for his unauthorized actions.
Spoiler Alert
The Royal Family Feud
The episode kicks off with some serious family drama. Empress Dowager Jing is not happy. She kicks all the other women out of the room. Then she lays into the Emperor, Xia Jingyan. She calls him out for his wild behavior. She's especially mad he’s messing with the families of his own officials. The Emperor just shrugs it off. He says they came onto him.
The real issue is the letter from Feng Suige. The Empress Dowager is dead set against the plan. She will not let Xia Jingshi marry into the Su Sha family. But it's too late. The Emperor already agreed to it. This is exactly what Feng Suige wanted. He knew the Emperor would love this deal. It gives Xia Jingyan a perfect excuse to take back Xia Jingshi's military power. He can also reclaim the city of Pingling. It’s a clean political win for him.
Fu Yixiao's Dangerous Game
Fu Yixiao is playing with fire. She knows she can't trust what anyone tells her about her fall. She has to remember it herself. She tells Ling Xueying that she's going to stick close to Xia Jingshi. Her goal is to earn his complete trust. She wants him to let his guard down. She admits that every second she spends with him is painful. But she’s determined. If Ning Fei or Xiao Weiran were involved in her fall, she won't spare them either.
Meanwhile, Feng Suige is making his own moves. He expects Xia Jingshi will try to meet with his spies in Su Sha. He tells his man, Lu Ke, to keep a close watch on the Zheng Nian Hall.
Testing Memories and Loyalties
Fu Yixiao starts her plan. She brings Xia Jingshi some medicine she prepared. She’s acting kind and caring. Xiao Weiran looks nervous. He tries to stop Xia Jingshi from drinking it. But Jingshi drinks it anyway.
Later, they all eat together. Fu Yixiao casually brings up the first time Xia Jingshi hit her. Then she steers the conversation toward the Battle of Pingling. She wants to know what happened right after. Xiao Weiran immediately gets anxious. He quickly changes the subject with a few vague words. Fu Yixiao puts the pieces together. She compares his story to what Ning Fei told her before. She realizes Xiao Weiran is lying. She also figures out he's lying to test her. He wants to see how much she actually remembers. Now she knows one of them, either Ning Fei or Xiao Weiran, is not telling the truth.
To figure out who, she goes back to Ning Fei. She gets more information out of him. We learn that a merchant came to see Xia Jingshi the night after the battle. This is a new clue.
The Truth Comes Out (Sort Of)
Xiao Weiran tries to feel out Fu Yixiao's position. He asks what she thinks about the marriage alliance. He's really asking how she feels about Xia Jingshi marrying Princess Feng Xiyang. Fu Yixiao gives him the perfect answer. She says even if she gets her memory back, she won't chase after Xia Jingshi. She'll just pretend their private engagement never happened.
Then she gives Xia Jingshi a handmade sachet. She looks him in the eye. She tells him she once suspected he was the one who shot her with the arrow. Xia Jingshi’s smile freezes on his face. He is completely stunned.
But just as quickly, she lets him off the hook. She says she realized it could never have been him. He secretly unclenches his fist behind his back. He was terrified. And here's the kicker. The show confirms he did shoot her. That's what made her fall off the cliff.
Secret Meetings and Political Attacks
Later, Yunfang brings Fu Yixiao to a secret meeting with Feng Suige. They trade the information they've gathered. Fu Yixiao warns him they shouldn't meet for a few days. She doesn't want Xia Jingshi to get suspicious. Her cover story is solid. When Jingshi can't find her, Ling Xueying tells him she sent Fu Yixiao to pick up herbs. He buys it completely.
The episode ends with trouble for Feng Suige. He gets called to the palace. A group of officials, led by Zhuang Shen, are officially impeaching him. They accuse him of acting recklessly by writing to the Jinxiu Emperor on his own. They say he dishonored the royal family and must be punished.
