Episode Summary
Ming Tingyuan faces accusations of mistreating refugees and forcibly recruiting labor, leading to his impeachment orchestrated by Su Wenchun. Despite Jiang Xu's suspicions of a setup and an attempted "rescue" on the road, Ming Tingyuan is stripped of his title and demoted to a commoner, with his family's assets confiscated. Jiang Xu's investigation points to a deeper conspiracy, possibly involving coerced individuals. Ming Tan is devastated by her father's public humiliation upon his return to the capital as a prisoner. The situation escalates dramatically when Ming Tingyuan is further accused of treason and smuggling, with Su Wenchun manipulating Ming Tan by suggesting Jiang Xu is behind solidifying the charges.
Spoiler Alert
The episode kicks off with Ming Tingyuan already in hot water. Displaced people are accusing him not only of forcibly recruiting men for labor but also of getting violent with his own daughter, Ming Tan. Talk about a PR nightmare! With the refugee situation worsening by the day, Su Wenchun and a group of officials seize the moment to impeach Ming Tingyuan for supposedly bungling the disaster relief efforts. Our man Jiang Xu, ever loyal, steps up and offers to personally escort Ming Tingyuan to the capital. Unfortunately, this doesn't prevent Yangxi Lu from changing hands. Jiang Xu has a strong gut feeling that Ming Tingyuan is being framed and rightly suspects that someone might try to permanently silence him on the road to the capital.
And wouldn't you know it, during the journey, some mysterious individuals try to "rescue" Ming Tingyuan from his prison cart, claiming they were sent by Jiang Xu. But Ming Tingyuan is no fool; he knows Jiang Xu is far too meticulous for such a clumsy operation and was already on his guard.
Meanwhile, Ming Tan is, understandably, falling apart. The Jing'an Marquisate is surrounded by angry refugees demanding the entire estate be confiscated. She bravely decides she needs to return and manage the crisis. When Lu Ting arrives with official orders to seal the Marquisate, Ming Tan, not wanting to put him in an awkward position, simply asks him to pass a message to the household staff: tell them the Emperor hasn't made a final decision yet, so they should try to remain calm. However, in a truly heart-wrenching moment, she also instructs that if the worst does happen, they should return the servants' contracts, give each of them an extra two taels of silver, and allow them to seek their own fortunes. The emotional weight of that decision is heavy.
Jiang Xu, however, isn't just standing by. He manages to capture a few of the agitators who were stirring up the refugees. The Dali Temple confirms these individuals have no official household registration and their origins are unknown. After some rather... intense interrogation by Jiang Xu (two of the three don't survive it), the last one confesses that they are all members of Haiyoumen. Adding another layer to the conspiracy, Shen Yu sends word that there was indeed an attempt on Ming Tingyuan's life during the escort, and the attackers were Dingbei Army soldiers! The soldier they captured managed to commit suicide by poison before he could reveal anything. Jiang Xu is, to put it mildly, enraged.
Despite these suspicious circumstances, Su Wenchun successfully pressures the Emperor. Citing Ming Tingyuan's past meritorious service but current "failure" in disaster relief, the Emperor strips Ming Tingyuan of his noble title and demotes him to a commoner. All the private property of the Marquisate is confiscated and becomes state property. Following the confiscation, Zhang Momo, a loyal family retainer, leaves the Marquisate and goes to Ming Tan. With nowhere else to go, she tearfully asks to stay with Ming Tan, who immediately takes her in. Zhang Momo firmly states that she doesn't believe Ming Tingyuan is capable of such cruelty, having served him for many years and knowing his true character.
Later, the Emperor meets secretly with Jiang Xu, who shares the details of his own investigation. It's clear to Jiang Xu that the hidden agenda behind Ming Tingyuan's downfall is far more complex than just a simple demotion. His investigation reveals that the soldier who attacked Ming Tingyuan had only recently joined the army and was likely coerced because he had a critically ill child.
Ming Tan, after an agonizing day of waiting for news, finally sees Jiang Xu. She urgently questions him about why her father would confess so readily and why the Emperor would issue such a hasty conviction, passionately insisting on her father's innocence and demanding that the court uncover the truth. Jiang Xu gently reminds her of their previous agreement (essentially, to trust him), advises her to get some rest, and tells her they will go together the next day to meet Ming Tingyuan upon his arrival in the capital.
Ming Tingyuan's arrival is a painful spectacle. He's paraded through the streets as a criminal, and the very refugees he was accused of mistreating hurl vegetables and eggs at his prison cart. Ming Tan witnesses this public humiliation and is utterly heartbroken. Ming Tingyuan, seeing her distress, desperately urges her to leave, telling her it's not something she should see. Jiang Xu reassures Ming Tan that he will make all the necessary arrangements to ensure Ming Tingyuan doesn't suffer unduly while imprisoned in the Dali Temple.
Just as Ming Tan prepares some food to send to her father, the Jingzhao Yin (the Capital Prefecture Governor) arrives with his men to search her residence! Ming Tan tries to protect the Prince's mansion, and Jiang Xu rushes back to support her. The Jingzhao Yin declares that they are there to confiscate Ming family assets and that the Dingbei Prince's mansion is also implicated. Jiang Xu orders his men to guard the Dingbei Prince's mansion while he goes to the palace to find out what’s going on. This new assault comes after Ming Tan, connecting too many "coincidences," had already asked Jiang Xu the previous night if Su Wenchun was involved and if Liu Mo was one of Su Wenchun's people.
In a desperate attempt to save her father, Ming Tan goes to see Su Wenchun, hoping he might intervene. Su Wenchun, however, coldly informs her that Ming Tingyuan is now accused of colluding with the enemy and smuggling – charges so severe that no one can possibly save him. This is a shocking and dangerous escalation. Even Jiang Xu is stunned by these new accusations, but the Emperor seems helpless to do anything. Ming Tan, of course, refuses to believe her father is guilty of such crimes and tearfully begs Su Wenchun to show mercy. In a stunning display of manipulation, Su Wenchun then implies that it's actually Jiang Xu who is trying to ensure Ming Tingyuan's conviction is solidified. The audacity!
So, there you have it. Ming Tingyuan has gone from being disgraced to facing charges of treason. Ming Tan is caught in an increasingly dangerous political storm, and Jiang Xu is battling a shadowy enemy who always seems to be one step ahead, with Su Wenchun looking more and more like the mastermind pulling all the strings. It’s an absolute mess, and the next episode can't come soon enough to show us how Jiang Xu and Ming Tan will navigate this treacherous situation!
