Episode Summary
Murong Yao fails to free his father and loses Feng Suige's trust for good. Xia Jingshi brutally rejects his new wife, Feng Xiyang, while a larger plot unfolds. We learn Prime Minister Zhuang Shen's entire revenge scheme is about his son's execution. He reveals his plan to the "unconscious" Emperor, who is actually awake and hears everything. To counter the threat, Feng Suige prepares to move his most elite soldiers into the palace, placing them under Fu Yixiao's command.
Spoiler Alert
A Confrontation Gone Wrong
Murong Yao's Desperate Move
This episode kicks off right where we left off. Murong Yao wants to use his old friendship with Feng Suige. He hopes Suige can convince Fu Yixiao to release his father, Murong Zhong. It’s a weak plan, and it fails immediately.
Fu Yixiao appears on a balcony above them. She draws a bow and aims it straight at Murong Yao. She reminds him of a little debt he owes. Remember when he pretended to be Meng Junran? He ordered Xia Jingshi to kill her back then. So, in her book, he owes her a life.
Murong Yao panics. He grabs Feng Suige and holds him hostage. He thinks this will force Fu Yixiao to release his father. It doesn't. She doesn't even flinch. She and Feng Suige leave safely. Murong Yao is left standing there, absolutely furious and completely defeated.
A Royal Mess
The Coldest Rejection
Over at the palace, things are just as tense. Bai Shouzhuo brings Xia Jingshi some plum juice. He also slips him a note. The message is simple. "Withdraw the guards. The opportunity is here."
Later, Feng Xiyang tries to connect with her new husband, Xia Jingshi. She tells him she wants them to be a real couple. His response is brutal. He says he can give her all the honor and respect of being his princess consort. But he will never give her love or affection. Feng Xiyang even takes off her outer robes, trying to get some kind of reaction. He is completely unmoved. He just turns and walks out of the bedroom, leaving her sobbing.
A Secret Plan in Motion
Remember Feng Xiyang's dowry? It was sent to Jinxiu. Xia Jingyan finds this hilarious. He orders all of it to be brought to his quarters instead. He also tells Bai Shouzhuo to find a place for her maid, Su Sha. He makes it clear that no one can know about the dowry or the maid.
Comfort and a Shocking Revelation
An Archery Lesson Heats Up
Fu Yixiao and Feng Suige return to their residence. Feng Suige is a wreck. The betrayal from his best friend hit him hard. He never even got to explain his side of the story. Back then, he passed out in the desert for several days. When he woke up, Murong Yao and his father had already been sent to the northern border.
Fu Yixiao tries to cheer him up. She offers to teach him archery. He agrees. She tells him the arrow goes where the heart aims. For Feng Suige, his heart is aimed at only one target. Fu Yixiao. The archery lesson quickly turns into a kissing lesson. This time, Feng Suige takes the lead.
The Prime Minister's Grudge
We finally learn why Prime Minister Zhuang Shen is so twisted. Years ago, the Emperor, Feng Pingcheng, caught Zhuang Shen's son. The son, Zhuang Jingheng, was illegally raising a private army and hoarding weapons. Feng Pingcheng had him executed. Zhuang Shen has been nursing that grudge ever since. He has spent years plotting his revenge. He wants Feng Pingcheng to suffer the same pain by watching his own son, Feng Suige, die.
The Emperor's Gambit
A Villain's Monologue
The Imperial Physician creates the special pill. It's supposed to wake the Emperor for a short time. Zhuang Shen takes it and goes to the palace. First, he tests if the Emperor is truly unconscious. He uses scalding hot water. When the Emperor doesn't react, Zhuang Shen shows his true colors.
He stands over the helpless Emperor and just unloads. He gloats about his son's death and his long-awaited revenge. He says everything, holding nothing back.
Zhuang Shen leaves with the pill, thinking he has won. But as soon as he's gone, Emperor Feng Pingcheng opens his eyes. He heard every single word.
Assembling the Troops
Elsewhere, Xia Jingyan tries to flirt with Feng Xiyang. She slaps him hard across the face. He's actually intrigued. No one has ever dared to do that to him before.
Feng Suige knows things are about to get messy. He gathers the Qiongqi team from his elite Feng Camp. He calls them a pack of "mad dogs." He says every one of them has killed over a dozen men. They are seriously intimidating soldiers. He tells them to eat well and change into new gear. They are going into the palace disguised as manor guards to protect the Emperor.
Fu Yixiao stands before these hardened killers. She isn't scared at all. She's seen her share of battle. Feng Suige then makes a declaration to his men. Whatever Fu Yixiao says is a direct order from him.
