Episode Summary
Wei Shao initially believes Xiao Qiao is unaware of Bi Zhi's affairs, bringing him some relief. However, Xiao Qiao, concerned for her sister Da Qiao at Bo Ya, subtly manipulates events. An awkward gift exchange involving a misidentified jade armrest and a suggestively patterned pillow creates tension and amusement. Meanwhile, Wei Qu's actions, guided by Xiao Qiao's unseen hand, lead to Bo Ya raising a "Qiao" flag, infuriating Wei Shao. He orders his troops to Xiao Gang to monitor Bo Ya and restricts contact with the Qiao women, suspecting Xiao Qiao's influence. Xiao Qiao, anticipating this, plans a secret tunnel from Yan Zhou to Xiao Gang. After Wei Shao departs, Madam Xu advises Xiao Qiao on marriage and expresses her desire for peace. Two months later, Wei Shao returns victorious from Xiao Gang and reclaims his space in their shared bedroom. A stormy night reveals Wei Shao's hidden vulnerability (fear of the dark), and Xiao Qiao comforts him. The episode ends with Xiao Qiao seeking marital advice from Gongsun Yang, who suggests Wei Shao is softer than he appears.
Spoiler Alert
So, Wei Shao is still trying to figure out if Xiao Qiao is playing him regarding this whole Bi Zhi mess. For now, he seems convinced she's out of the loop, which definitely puts a bit of a spring in his step. Xiao Qiao, on the other hand, is stressing about her sister Da Qiao and their crew over at Bo Ya. With Lord Qiao too scared of Wei Shao to lend a hand, Da Qiao and her sister are basically stranded. Wei Shao, true to form, isn't exactly a fan of the Qiao family's usual antics.
Later, there's this slightly awkward but revealing moment with an armrest. Wei Shao spots it, asks Xiao Qiao if she fancies it, and she, bless her heart, panics and says yes. The catch? She guesses it's bamboo, but nope, it’s jade. When Wei Shao pops open the box, Xiao Qiao is mortified, probably thinking he's about to blow a gasket. She quickly distracts him with a pillow she made, claiming the fabric is super comfy. Wei Shao, however, clocks the "thousand sons and grandsons" pattern embroidered on it and you can practically see the gears turning in his head, wondering what she’s hinting at. Xiao Qiao, finally noticing the pattern herself, tries to play it cool, saying she just liked the soft material and didn't really look at the design. Smooth. Wei Shao takes the pillow and heads off, leaving Xiao Qiao to grumble at Chun Niang and Xiao Zao for not giving her a heads-up about the jade armrest or the, uh, fertile pillow pattern. Chun Niang just finds Xiao Qiao's flustered state pretty amusing.
Meanwhile, Gongsun Yang and the guys think it's a bit odd seeing Wei Shao clutching a pillow. Wei Shao reassures Gongsun Yang that he’s grilled Xiao Qiao and she’s definitely not in on the Bi Zhi situation, and besides, he doesn't think Bi Zhi is a real threat anyway. Still, Gongsun Yang can't help but be curious about why Wei Shao is so darn happy with that pillow.
Over in another plotline, Wei Qu gets his soldiers to dress like regular folks and goes hunting with Bi Zhi. An arrow they shoot gets picked up by Xue Tai’s men. Recognizing it as a Wei state arrow, they jump to the conclusion that Wei Shao and Bi Zhi are now best buds and decide to back off, which is a nice little morale booster. Following a plan Xiao Qiao cooked up earlier, Da Qiao boldly suggests, right in front of Wei Qu, that they should plant a flag at Bo Ya to stake their claim. Bi Zhi, not being the sharpest tool in the shed, turns to Wei Qu for advice. Wei Qu explains what the different state flags mean, and Bi Zhi, ever the devoted husband, decides their banner should feature his wife’s family name, Qiao.
When Wei Qu gets back, Wei Shao is less than thrilled. He rips into Wei Qu for just messing around hunting and drinking, and for helping them plant that flag. He immediately suspects Xiao Qiao is the mastermind behind this. Wei Shao then lays down the law: everyone is to steer clear of the Qiao family women because, apparently, they make you "stupid." He even hints that he’s a prime example, having let his guard down around Xiao Qiao. From now on, any mail from Xiao Qiao has to go through him first. To top it off, Wei Shao orders his troops to Xiao Gang, a strategic spot directly opposite Bo Ya, so he can keep a close eye on things.
Not long after, Wei Shao shows up at Xiao Qiao’s place with food, practically forcing meat on her. He calls her out for using his guilt to get that letter to Bo Ya and help them raise their flag. Xiao Qiao doesn't even try to deny it. Instead, she flips the script and asks if their marriage is just a big fake-out, a prelude to him attacking her family. If it's not, she argues, then what's the big deal about Bo Ya flying a Qiao flag? Wei Shao is left completely speechless. Mic drop, Xiao Qiao.
The "stay away from the Qiaos" memo clearly made the rounds, because when Xiao Tao goes to see Wei Liang, he tells her the same thing. Xiao Tao then spills the beans to Xiao Qiao about Wei Liang moving troops to Xiao Gang. Xiao Qiao immediately gets Chun Niang to fetch the envoy Zhang Pu (who’s been sick and stuck there since delivering a letter). Xiao Qiao hands Zhang Pu a map with some key locations circled, telling him to get it to Da Qiao and instruct her to start mining operations in those areas. Sneaky!
Xiao Qiao’s got Wei Shao figured out. She knows he picked Xiao Gang because it's easy to defend and can be used to put the squeeze on Bo Ya. Her brilliant counter-plan? If they dig a secret tunnel from Yan Zhou to Xiao Gang, they could reach it in half a day, essentially making Xiao Gang Yan Zhou’s for the taking.
After Xiao Qiao sees Wei Shao off (presumably to Xiao Gang), Madam Xu invites her for a game of Go, which turns out to be a lesson in how to be a good wife. Madam Xu reminisces about how she used to be the one sending Wei Shao off to war, and now it's Xiao Qiao. Her real hope, though, is that Wei Shao won't have to fight anymore and that their marriage can finally end the long-standing feud. Madam Xu admits she’s hated the Qiao family for ages, but she’d put up with anything to stop Wei Shao from suffering. This leaves Xiao Qiao feeling a tad guilty.
Fast forward two months: Wei Shao returns, fresh off a major victory at Xiao Gang. His first orders of business? Beef up patrols along the Liang Ya and Xiao Gang border, tighten surveillance on any comings and goings between Yan Zhou and Bo Ya, and… move his bedding back into the main bedroom. Yep, he’s ready to "fight for every inch" with Xiao Qiao, literally. Wei Liang and Wei Qu barge in, manhandle Wei Shao’s stuff back onto the bed, shove Xiao Qiao’s bamboo slips aside, and generally reclaim his space. Xiao Tao and Xiao Zao try to argue, and the whole room descends into chaos.
Once the dust settles, Xiao Tao and Chun Niang are complaining to Xiao Qiao about how Wei Shao’s men were acting like they were conquering territory, trying to prove who’s boss. Xiao Qiao, knowing Wei Shao is still salty about the Bo Ya situation, figures she just has to roll with it for now.
That night, things take a dark turn. Wei Shao jolts awake from a nightmare, sword drawn, only to find it pointed right at Xiao Qiao, who’s crept up beside him. Her excuse? She saw he was sleeping badly and thought the candlelight was too bright, so she was just going to dim it. Wei Shao doesn't yell, but he does tell her to wear more clothes to bed and stop trying to "seduce him with her beauty." Xiao Qiao, probably a little freaked out, wordlessly scurries back to her side of the bed.
Wei Shao, however, is wide awake now and goes to find Gongsun Yang for a drink. Gongsun Yang tries to tell him that it’s okay to open up to loved ones and not carry the world on his shoulders. Wei Shao just sighs that he doesn’t have anyone like that. Ouch.
Then, a thunderstorm hits, and it’s dramatic. Xiao Qiao searches for Wei Shao and finds him curled up in a room, absolutely terrified. When she comes near, he clutches her sleeve. Xiao Qiao has never seen this side of him. Remembering those creepy rumors about Wei Shao killing people in his sleep, she understandably gets scared. She tries to leave, but he pulls her back. Seeing how wrecked he is, Xiao Qiao drapes her own clothes over him. It clicks – he’s afraid of the dark. So, she holds him tight, comforting him through the storm.
The next morning, Wei Shao wakes up to find Xiao Qiao’s clothes on him and candles still burning. A little warmth flickers in his heart. Later, Xiao Qiao is playing Go with Gongsun Yang in the bamboo forest, looking for some marital advice. She’d expected Wei Shao to hold a grudge over the Bo Ya flag incident, but it seems he hasn’t. Gongsun Yang, who knows Wei Shao pretty well, says he’s all bark and no bite – tough on the outside, but soft-hearted and surprisingly broad-minded. Otherwise, he points out, Wei Shao would never have let Xiao Qiao stick around in the first place.
