Episode Summary
In prison, Ming Tingyuan confronts Su Wenqun, accusing him of betrayal before being fatally poisoned by him. Ming Tan arrives to witness her father's death, immediately suspecting Su Wenqun and is devastated. Jiang Xu detains Su Wenqun and begins an investigation, while inwardly struggling with secrets he cannot reveal to Ming Tan. Overcome with grief, Ming Tan annuls her agreement with Jiang Xu and later holds a vigil at the sealed Jing'an Marquis Mansion's ancestral hall. There, she questions why her father left her in the capital years ago. Yun Yi reveals Ming Tingyuan's past conversation with Jiang Xu, explaining he did so to protect Ming Tan from hardship, though Ming Tan's resentment had been evident. Meanwhile, Bai Minmin arranges for Yun Yi to send a farewell message to Zhang Huaiyu, who is departing for Lingzhou.
Spoiler Alert
The episode opens with Ming Tingyuan arranging a private meeting with Su Wenqun in his prison cell. Su Wenqun arrives bearing food and wine, feigning remorse and attributing the dire situation to his family's relentless ambitions. Ming Tingyuan, however, sees through the charade, retorting that Su Wenqun is no different from the rest of his scheming family. Su Wenqun attempts to defend himself, claiming he always considered Ming Tingyuan a brother and treated Ming Tan, Ming Tingyuan's daughter, as his own. Ming Tingyuan scoffs at this, resolutely stating that right is right and wrong is wrong, and Su Wenqun cannot twist the facts. Meanwhile, Jiang Xu, who has been making his own preparations, is caught off guard by the news of Ming Tan's impending arrival. As Bai Jingyuan escorts Ming Tan and Bai Minmin for what they believe will be a final visit with Ming Tingyuan, Jiang Xu attempts to block their path, sparking a heated argument.
Inside the cell, when Su Wenqun inquires if Ming Tingyuan has any last wishes, Ming Tingyuan declares his only regret is the "scoundrels wreaking havoc in the imperial court." Enraged by this thinly veiled accusation, Su Wenqun watches as Ming Tingyuan suddenly coughs up a significant amount of blood and lunges at him. Terrified, Su Wenqun stumbles backward. A nearby jailer witnesses the dramatic turn of events and hurries to inform Jiang Xu. Ming Tan, sensing something amiss from Jiang Xu's urgent reaction, follows him to the cell. There, she is confronted with the horrifying sight of her father's lifeless body. Her eyes widen in shock as the devastating reality of his death sinks in. Ming Tan immediately deduces that Su Wenqun poisoned her father, tearfully questioning why he would resort to such cruelty when Ming Tingyuan's fate was already sealed. Jiang Xu orders Bai Jingyuan to take the distraught Ming Tan home, even as she struggles to comprehend Jiang Xu's seemingly cold and detached behavior. Since Su Wenqun was the only other person present in the cell with Ming Tingyuan, Jiang Xu has him detained for further investigation into the sudden death.
A subsequent coroner's examination confirms that Ming Tingyuan indeed died from poisoning. Jiang Xu then dispatches an envoy to seek imperial permission for Ming Tingyuan's proper burial. Ming Tan is utterly consumed by grief, with her loyal friend Bai Minmin remaining steadfastly by her side to offer comfort and support.
Later that night, Bai Minmin recalls that Zhang Huaiyu is scheduled to depart for Lingzhou the following day. She asks Yun Yi for a favor. Shu Jingran is present to bid farewell to Zhang Huaiyu, offering a great deal of advice, but Zhang Huaiyu is visibly preoccupied, clearly waiting for Bai Minmin to appear. When Bai Minmin fails to show, Yun Yi arrives on her behalf. Yun Yi relays Bai Minmin's heartfelt message for Zhang Huaiyu to exercise caution during his journey and ensure his safe return. Touched by her concern, Zhang Huaiyu asks Yun Yi to convey his own message to Bai Minmin, urging her to take good care of herself in his absence. During this exchange, Shu Jingran finds himself quite captivated by Yun Yi's presence, but she swiftly mounts her horse and gallops off, without giving him so much as a second glance.
The profound loss of her father leaves Ming Tan looking visibly aged and weary. In a moment of deep despair, she tears up the agreement she had previously made with Jiang Xu. She declares that the Jing'an Marquis Mansion is no more, and consequently, Jiang Xu is released from any compelled actions or words he might have been forced to undertake on its behalf. Jiang Xu watches her, his heart aching with unspoken truths, yet he remains bound by secrets he cannot reveal, forced to conceal the complex reality of the situation. Ming Tan retreats to the solitude of Hanyan Temple to mourn by her father's memorial tablet. Jiang Xu, though not intruding on her grief, keeps a protective watch over her from a distance.
Ming Tan had initially planned to spend two days praying at Hanyan Temple. When Bai Minmin goes to collect her at the appointed time, she discovers that Ming Tan left earlier that morning. This unexpected departure throws Bai Minmin into a panic. Yun Yi promptly sends word to Jiang Xu. Maintaining his composure, Jiang Xu immediately suspects that Ming Tan has gone to the sealed and confiscated Jing'an Marquis Mansion.
His intuition proves correct. Ming Tan is found in the ancestral hall of the deserted family estate. She explains her intention to wait there through the night for her father's spirit. According to tradition, the spirit of the deceased is believed to return home on the third day after death. She has lit lamps throughout the hall, fearing he might not find his way in the darkness. Jiang Xu, Bai Minmin, and Yun Yi find her there, deeply moved and reluctant to intrude too heavily on her solemn vigil.
Bai Minmin decides to stay with Ming Tan, offering silent companionship. In this vulnerable moment, Ming Tan finally voices a question that has haunted her for years: why, when her father was assigned to a remote regional post, did he choose to take only his concubine and her half-sister, Ming Chu, leaving Ming Tan behind in the capital? She confesses that she diligently managed the affairs of the Marquis Mansion all those years, driven by a profound desire to earn his respect and approval. Upon his recent return to the capital, she had cherished the hope of having more time with him, never foreseeing that death would separate them so abruptly and permanently.
Yun Yi then steps forward. Although she never personally met Ming Tingyuan, she gently reveals a conversation he once had with Jiang Xu. Ming Tingyuan had explained his difficult decision not to take Ming Tan with him to the harsh borderlands; having lost her mother at a young age, he wished to spare his daughter further suffering and hardship. Yun Yi points out, however, that Ming Tan's subsequent and consistent refusal to ever see her father off on his departures clearly signaled her deep-seated disappointment and lingering resentment over his choice.
