Episode Summary
In this episode, Feng Suige's plan to trap Xia Jingshi through marriage becomes official. The real drama unfolds when Xiao Weiran betrays and attacks Fu Yixiao, leading to his capture by Feng Suige. The event leaves Fu Yixiao emotionally shattered and provides Feng Suige with leverage, while also revealing clues that connect this attack to older conspiracies involving the Zhuang family.
Spoiler Alert
The Marriage Trap is Sprung
So, Feng Suige's little letter-writing stunt actually worked.
The official reply from the Jinxiu Emperor arrives. He gives his blessing for King Zhennan, Xia Jingshi, to marry into the Su Sha family. This means Feng Suige gets away with forging the request in the first place. Feng Pingcheng just lets the whole thing slide in front of the court.
The news spreads through the city like a bad rumor. It only takes one night. From the nobles down to the street vendors, everyone knows Xia Jingshi is about to become Su Sha's new son-in-law.
Xia Jingshi knows exactly who spread the news. It has Feng Suige's fingerprints all over it. He isn't just going to sit back and let this happen, though. He predicts Suige's next move will be to put Fu Yixiao under house arrest. He sends Ning Fei and Xiao Weiran to get her out of Zheng Nian Hall. He himself goes to meet with a Su Sha spy.
Of course, Feng Suige is already one step ahead. She follows Xia Jingshi to a teahouse. But her plan gets interrupted. She gets word that something is going down at Zheng Nian Hall. She has to leave, taking Gu Yu with her. She orders Lu Ke to keep watching the teahouse while Yunfang's men surround it.
A Betrayal in the Alley
Over at Zheng Nian Hall, a masked man tries to assassinate Fu Yixiao. The attempt fails, and the attacker makes a run for it. Fu Yixiao, Ning Fei, and Xiao Weiran all give chase. They split up to corner the guy.
This is where it all goes wrong.
Fu Yixiao ends up chasing the assassin alongside Xiao Weiran. She trusts him. He's her sworn brother, so she doesn't keep her guard up around him.
That turns out to be a terrible mistake. Xiao Weiran stabs her.
The Fight Between Brothers
You can see the shock on her face. She just cannot process it. The man she fought beside, the man she called brother, just tried to kill her. The betrayal is deep.
She has one thing going for her. She's wearing the soft armor that Feng Suige gave her. The blade doesn't deliver a fatal wound. Now, they fight. Any warmth between them is gone. It's just steel and anger in a narrow alley.
Fu Yixiao is already hurt, which makes it a difficult fight. They trade blows, cutting each other up pretty badly. Finally, Fu Yixiao gets a clear shot. Her sword is at Xiao Weiran's throat. She could end it right there.
But she hesitates. She remembers their past. She remembers their bond as brothers. She lowers her sword and spares his life.
His life might be spared, but he isn't free. Feng Suige shows up at that exact moment. She sees one of Xia Jingshi's top men with a sword drawn on her family member. This is the perfect opportunity. She can use this to ruin Xia Jingshi.
The Aftermath and a New Mystery
While Feng Suige captures her prize, her man Lu Ke loses his. Xia Jingshi gave him the slip at the teahouse.
Xia Jingshi meets his contact, a masked Su Sha spy, at a different tea shop. He makes one thing very clear. He will not make another attempt on Fu Yixiao's life. The spy tells him that Xiao Weiran's attack failed and that he's been captured by Feng Suige. The spy warns him not to let one man ruin their entire operation.
Fu Yixiao is completely broken by the betrayal. The amnesia doesn't protect her from this kind of pain. Feng Suige tries to comfort her, but nothing helps.
Unraveling Old Plots
Feng Suige has Xiao Weiran locked up but doesn't interrogate him. Instead, she has Yunfang talk about the merchant ship fire in front of his cell. It works. Xiao Weiran clenches his fist. That small reaction confirms he was involved in the original assassination attempt on Feng Suige. After all, only he and Xia Jingshi could command the Jinxiu secret guards.
Ning Fei hears from Feng Suige that both Xia Jingshi and Xiao Weiran wanted Fu Yixiao dead. He doesn't want to believe it. He goes to Fu Yixiao to get the truth, but her heartbroken reaction confirms everything.
Feng Xiyang is also furious. She confronts Feng Suige, angry that her own wedding was just a pawn in a political game to trap Xia Jingshi. She is deeply disappointed in her sister.
Before the wedding, Xia Jingshi is held under house arrest in a royal villa. He thinks about what the masked spy told him. He has to stay calm if he wants to find a way out of this.
We also get an identity for the first attacker. The man who tried to kill Fu Yixiao was Xun Xiang, a deputy general from the northern pass. We learn his family was once helped by Empress Zhuang. Feng Suige immediately puts two and two together. She suspects the Zhuang family is behind this.
