Episode Summary
Feng Pingcheng reveals his long-term plan for the Murong family. Xia Jingyan manipulates Feng Xiyang, leading to a devastating betrayal by her husband, Xia Jingshi. Feng Suige launches a brutal assault on the Zhuang Residence, surviving a deadly trap set by Zhuang Shen thanks to Fu Yixiao's help. The episode ends with Feng Suige bringing a captured Zhuang Shen to the palace, and the Emperor delivering a final, crushing blow to Zhuang Jingyuan.
Spoiler Alert
The Emperor's Long Game
So, the episode kicks off with Murong Zhong making a huge public scene. He shows up at the palace, carrying thorns on his back like some kind of martyr. He claims he's there to beg for death. It’s all very dramatic.
But the Emperor, Feng Pingcheng, is not an idiot. He sees right through this performance. He tells Murong Zhong that if he really wanted to die, he wouldn't have made sure the whole palace was watching. This is a play for survival, plain and simple. Feng Pingcheng doesn't tell him what will happen to his son, Murong Yao. He lets him sweat.
Later, the Emperor talks to Eunuch Ma and lays out his actual plan. Murong Yao will be arrested, but he won't be killed. The idea is to wait until Feng Suige takes the throne. Then, during a grand amnesty, Murong Yao will be pardoned. This move makes the powerful Murong family owe the new emperor a massive favor. It’s a cold, calculated move. You have to respect the foresight.
A Splinter and a Secret
Over in Jinxiu, things are just as tense. Xia Jingyan helps Feng Xiyang with a splinter in her hand. It's a small moment, but he notices how flustered she gets by the physical contact. This tells him everything he needs to know. Her husband, his brother Xia Jingshi, is clearly neglecting her.
Feng Xiyang calls him out for being a lazy prince who just parties all day. She says he's nothing like her father, who worked himself to the bone for his country. Xia Jingyan casually drops a bomb. He says that’s exactly why her father, the Emperor, is sick.
Feng Xiyang is stunned. She had no idea. To make it worse, Xia Jingyan twists the knife. He tells her that Xia Jingshi has known about the Emperor's illness for a while now.
The Coldest Betrayal
A furious Feng Xiyang storms back to Rongyang Hall to confront Xia Jingshi. He doesn't even try to deny it. He admits he knew and kept it from her.
That's it for her. She decides she's done with Jinxiu and is going back home to Su Sha. But as soon as she reaches the doors of the hall, she's surrounded and captured by guards. They were placed there by Xia Jingyan. No one leaves without his permission.
Here’s the truly brutal part. We learn Xia Jingshi let her walk out on purpose. He wanted to see if there were hidden guards outside. He used his own wife as bait. As she's being taken away, he just turns his back and walks inside without a second thought. In that moment, you can see Feng Xiyang's heart just break. It was a gut punch to watch.
Feng Suige's Warpath
Now for the action. Feng Suige gathers his men and heads straight for the Zhuang Residence. But Zhuang Shen is ready for him. He set up an ambush on a crowded street. The assassins are disguised as regular citizens.
This is a problem for Feng Suige's crew. They are killers, but they won't harm innocent people. This hesitation gets one of his men, Shen Gou, stabbed by a woman who looked completely harmless. Zhuang Ming has a lot of men hidden, and Feng Suige is outnumbered.
Luckily, Fu Yixiao had given him a heads-up. Feng Suige had a backup plan. He secretly moved fifty elite soldiers from the Feng Camp into the city.
The Trap in the Ancestral Hall
Feng Suige kills Zhuang Ming and carves a path of destruction straight to the Zhuang Residence. He is an absolute machine, leaving a trail of bodies behind him. He learns Zhuang Shen is in the ancestral hall and goes after him. Fu Yixiao stays behind to handle the rest of the guards.
The hall is empty. But a secret passage is wide open. Feng Suige walks right in. Of course, it's a trap. Zhuang Shen is waiting for him. He hits a switch, and heavy stone doors slam shut, sealing the room. He plans to blow the place up, killing Feng Suige to avenge his son, Zhuang Jingheng.
Falling candles are about to light the explosives. Feng Suige moves fast and knocks one away, but he can't reach the second one. Out of nowhere, an arrow shot by Fu Yixiao snuffs out the other candle. The doors are sealed, but Fu Yixiao knows this place. He was imprisoned here before. He knows there has to be an air vent. He finds it, plants an explosive, and blows a hole in the wall. Feng Suige grabs Zhuang Shen as a hostage, and they both walk out.
A Plea and a Final Word
Zhuang Shen tries to kill himself, but fails. Feng Suige is taking him to the palace. He's going to make him confess and finally clear his mother's name.
Meanwhile, Feng Xiyang is locked in a side hall with Xia Jingyan. He's trying to convince her to team up with him. He wants her help to get rid of Xia Jingshi for good.
Back at the palace, Feng Suige arrives with Zhuang Shen. The Emperor orders Feng Chengyang to be taken away. But he makes Zhuang Jingyuan stay. He tells her this is her fate. Zhuang Jingyuan sees her father being dragged in by Feng Suige. She runs into the palace and begs the Emperor for mercy.
The very first thing Feng Pingcheng says to her is, "My condolences." Ice cold.
