Episode Summary
Zang Hai strategically seeks Prince Yong Rong's patronage, gifting him antique coins and navigating a tense banquet at the Pillow Tower. He subtly investigates the death of Kuai Duo, the previous Head of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, and learns about the mysterious Gui Xi seal linked to the Prince's father's demise. A close call involving a stolen coin, the dancer Xiang An Tu, and a seemingly drunk Prince Yong Rong is averted with Liu Chu's timely intervention. By the episode's end, Zang Hai rules out Prince Yong Rong as his family's murderer and shifts his suspicion towards Zhao Bing Wen, the Minister of Revenue, as his next lead.
Spoiler Alert
Zang Hai Makes His Move on Prince Yong Rong
The episode kicked off with Zang Hai playing the long game. He formally sent a request to visit Prince Yong Rong, and the next day, he showed up at the Prince's residence, patiently waiting in the rain. Meanwhile, a whole queue of other officials got the "thanks, but no thanks" treatment and left disappointed. Talk about making an entrance by not making one. Prince Yong Rong’s people then asked for Zang Hai’s "Sheng Chen Ba Zi" – that’s his birthdate and time, crucial for a little astrological background check. Soon after, Shen Yong, an official from the Court of Imperial Entertainments, was dispatched to personally invite Zang Hai in. You can bet that got the other waiting officials buzzing.
Inside, Prince Yong Rong, having heard tales of Zang Hai's exploits at the imperial tombs, was apparently expecting some kind of hardened thug. Instead, he was met with the rather dashing Zang Hai. The Prince even commented on Zang Hai's supposedly excellent "Ming Ge" (his fate or destiny, based on that birth chart), though he openly wondered if Zang Hai’s birth details had been… creatively edited. Zang Hai played it cool, insisting he was just your average Joe. He then presented the Prince with a gift: a set of antique Zhen You Tong Bao coins. Prince Yong Rong was clearly pleased with the coins but, ever the shrewd royal, questioned Zang Hai's underlying motives.
Zang Hai laid it out: he didn't want to end up like the unfortunate Chu Huai Ming and was seeking Prince Yong Rong's protection. The Prince, in a rather clever move, decided to offer Zang Hai some "guidance" on the spot. He handed the ancient coins to Shen Yong. Shen Yong then spun a tale, claiming he and Zang Hai were pals and Zang Hai had gifted him the coins. Since Shen Yong "didn't know much about antiques," he asked the Prince to appraise them. Smooth. Prince Yong Rong, playing along, gave Shen Yong a string of prayer beads, making it clear this was an exchange, not him accepting a gift outright. Smart. To top it off, the Prince invited both Shen Yong and Zang Hai to a banquet at the famed Pillow Tower (Zhen Lou) and even tasked Shen Yong with getting Zang Hai a spiffy new outfit for the occasion.
The Pillow Tower Banquet: New Allies and Old Dangers?
At the Pillow Tower, Shen Yong made sure Zang Hai was introduced to all the influential officials from various regions. Prince Yong Rong himself made a grand entrance later and formally presented Zang Hai to the assembly. Suddenly, Zang Hai was the man of the hour, with everyone trying to get into his good graces. Prince Yong Rong, who happens to be the Emperor's younger brother, used the occasion to rally the officials, urging them to give their full support to his imperial sibling.
During the festivities, Prince Yong Rong brought up the Head of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau position, calling it unlucky. He pointed out that the previous head, Kuai Duo, died unnaturally, and Chu Huai Ming also met an untimely end. He advised Zang Hai to consider a different career path. Zang Hai, ever the master of deflection, changed the subject by inquiring about Kuai Duo's death. The Prince stated Kuai Duo’s entire family was massacred by bandits. Zang Hai, however, voiced his suspicion that it was an enemy plot, not random bandits. Prince Yong Rong clearly didn't want to dwell on it, but Zang Hai persisted. This jogged someone's memory: Zhao Bing Wen, the Minister of Revenue, had once petitioned the Emperor to crack down hard on bandits, and indeed, the bandits were eliminated shortly thereafter. Not wanting to kill the party vibe, Prince Yong Rong shut down the topic, and Zang Hai had to let it go… for now.
Treasures, Wine, and a Mysterious Dancer
The party moved on, with Prince Yong Rong calling for the courtesans. A group of beautifully dressed women, their faces veiled to show only their eyes, performed, mesmerizing the Prince and his guests. After their song and dance, the lead dancer presented Prince Yong Rong with a jar of the Pillow Tower's special Sang Luo wine. This led to the Prince’s favorite party game: a treasure contest! Officials were invited to show off their prized possessions, with the winner earning a cup of that coveted Sang Luo wine.
Zang Hai learned from Shen Yong that Prince Yong Rong used these nightly banquets to appraise treasures. If he fancied an item, he'd keep it and give the owner a generous gift in return. One official presented a hat supposedly worn by "Yin Bing" (often translated as mute soldiers or even ghost soldiers – spooky!). Prince Yong Rong was intrigued. Zang Hai stepped up, explaining that these Yin Bing are summoned by a specific artifact. When the Prince heard the summoning item was the "Gui Xi" (Gui Seal), he was visibly shaken, revealing that his own father had died because of this very seal.
Prince Yong Rong then brought out the ancient coins Zang Hai had "given" Shen Yong (wink, wink), praising them lavishly and declaring Zang Hai deserved a reward. The lead dancer offered Zang Hai a cup of Sang Luo wine, wishing him success. Zang Hai recognized her – it was Xiang An Tu! He downed the wine in one gulp, which led to a coughing fit and some good-natured teasing from the Prince.
A Stolen Coin and a Narrow Escape
Things got complicated fast. Prince Yong Rong, having had a bit too much Sang Luo wine, got drunk and retired for the evening. Xiang An Tu immediately approached Zang Hai, poured him more wine, and demanded he return the "Zhe San Qian" (a specific, valuable coin from the set). Before Zang Hai could explain, she vanished. He tried to follow, but Shen Yong intercepted him for another drink. Plot twist: Shen Yong then casually mentioned he’d given the Prince a sobering medicine, meaning the Prince would be wide awake again very soon. Zang Hai’s internal alarm bells started ringing.
True enough, Xiang An Tu had made her way to Prince Yong Rong's chambers. After calling his name a few times and trying to ask about the Gui Xi (to no avail, as he was seemingly out cold), she swiped the Zhe San Qian coin. But just as she was making her escape, the Prince suddenly woke up and called out to her! Talk about bad timing. Luckily, Zang Hai burst in right at that moment. He snatched the coin from Xiang An Tu, presented it to the Prince, and smoothly claimed the Prince had simply forgotten it on the table. Prince Yong Rong bought it, and Zang Hai quickly ushered Xiang An Tu out.
Just as Zang Hai was about to make his own exit, Prince Yong Rong stopped him, saying he vaguely remembered a woman whispering something to him while he was "asleep." Zang Hai was caught off guard, but before he had to come up with an excuse, Liu Chu made a timely entrance! She claimed she was there to surprise the Prince. Prince Yong Rong introduced Zang Hai to Liu Chu, and she, playing her part perfectly, pretended they’d never met and offered to perform a new dance for the Prince.
Late Night Revelations and a New Target
Zang Hai, not exactly a lightweight, eventually succumbed to the wine and got thoroughly drunk. He was in a carriage heading home very late when he discovered Liu Chu was already there. This is where Zang Hai voiced his growing suspicion: could Prince Yong Rong be his third enemy? Liu Chu quickly shot that theory down. She revealed that on the night Zang Hai's family (the Kuai Duo family) was murdered, Prince Yong Rong was hosting an all-night banquet on a pleasure boat. He only docked at dawn and was reportedly the first to see the distant glow of the fire, which is how everyone learned of the massacre. It turns out Gao Ming had tipped off Liu Chu about the situation at the Pillow Tower, which is why she arrived just in the nick of time to help Zang Hai out of that tight spot with the Prince.
The next morning, Gao Ming brought Zang Hai some congee (a man needs his recovery food!). With Prince Yong Rong now seemingly cleared from his suspect list, Zang Hai has a new focus: he intends to dig into Zhao Bing Wen, the Minister of Revenue, the official who had so conveniently pushed for the eradication of those "bandits."
