Episode Summary
Mu Jianhui sets a trap for Xing Zhaohu by offering a high price for artifacts, knowing Xing Zhaohu will get greedy and attract unwanted attention. Mu Jianhui also tries to sow discord by telling Liu Shusheng the artifacts are fake, a claim Liu Shusheng initially dismisses but later reconsiders when Xing Zhaohu becomes arrogant. Meanwhile, grave robbers poison a village dog, leading Fang Kun and Luo Qing to discover a new ancient burial site just as Fang Kun's heartfelt confession to Luo Qing is rejected. Mu Jianhui learns the tomb's location and plots to investigate. The investigation into the dog poisoning reveals a setup to keep a villager, Yan Shoucun, occupied.
Spoiler Alert
So, Mu Jianhui plays it cool with Xing Zhaohu. He's all like, "Hey, I'll give you ten days. If you get a better offer for these goods, go for it. You can even keep the 50,000 deposit I already gave you. That's how sincere I am." Xing Zhaohu, still trying to act like a big shot, basically says he'll let Mu Jianhui's past actions slide... for now.
But the moment Mu Jianhui is out the door, Xing Zhaohu's mind is racing. He figures if Mu Jianhui is willing to cough up five million, these goods must be worth over ten million! Plus, with those bronzes, he's looking at a massive payday. He's got the goods, so all he has to do is wait for the highest bidder. His cronies, like Da Tou, ask if they should loop in Liu Shusheng, but Xing Zhaohu is still salty about Liu Shusheng's attitude and says the goods just aren't meant for him.
Meanwhile, Mu Jianhui gets home, practically beaming. He tells Li Yuanguang he’s finally found items that will impress Zhao Youlin, so naturally, he's thrilled. Li Yuanguang is stressing about where they'll get five million, but Mu Jianhui reveals the kicker: they won't actually have to pay it! He predicts Xing Zhaohu will get cocky, shop the goods around the black market for way more than five million, and that kind of attention will inevitably attract the inspectors. Once that happens, the goods become a hot potato, and Xing Zhaohu won't be calling the shots on the price anymore. Genius, right?
Li Yuanguang, ever the worrier, still thinks it's too risky and frets about the deal falling through. Mu Jianhui, confident as ever, says he has ways to force Xing Zhaohu's hand. But, just in case, he tells Li Yuanguang to start looking for another tomb to excavate as a backup plan. Li Yuanguang has no idea where to even start looking, but Mu Jianhui mysteriously says someone will leak the location.
Cut to Liu Shusheng, chilling at home, studying ancient texts. Mu Jianhui pops over for a surprise visit, suggesting they team up to get Xing Zhaohu's artifacts. Liu Shusheng hits the roof, accusing Mu Jianhui of pulling the same old tricks. He scoffs that the goods are obviously fakes – a Song Dynasty tomb wouldn't have Western Han bronzes mixed with Song porcelain! Liu Shusheng, completely unsuspecting, even mocks Xing Zhaohu for claiming he robbed the Lu family's Song Dynasty tomb. This just confirms Mu Jianhui's suspicions, and he leaves with a smirk.
Over in Yan Shoucun village, things take a dark turn. The grave robbers poison Yan Shoucun's dog, Hei Zui, with pesticide-laced meat buns. The poor pup is found lifeless. The thieves try digging in a cornfield but hit hard soil and move on. At the same time, Fang Kun is on his last survey of the site with Luo Qing and Jiang Xiaobai before he's due to leave. They pass Yan Shoucun's hut, see Hei Zui down, and rush the dog to the vet.
The vet diagnoses pesticide poisoning but manages to save Hei Zui with a stomach pump and IV fluids – talk about a close call! Jiang Xiaobai is exhausted and asleep. Luo Qing tells Fang Kun he should go pack. This is it, Fang Kun summons the courage to confess his feelings for Luo Qing, but she shuts him down. Hard. She says too much time has passed, what they had was a misunderstanding, and now she just wants to be friends. Ouch. Fang Kun is, understandably, crushed.
The next morning, Fang Kun is leaving the village when he spots Yan Shoucun passed out drunk on the roadside. He and the driver help Yan Shoucun home, leave some money, and are about to leave when Jiang Xiaobai frantically yells that Luo Qing is missing! Fang Kun tells Jiang Xiaobai to get help from the village while he follows the shouts. He finds Luo Qing in a newly dug tomb passage. She noticed something odd about the rammed earth in the tunnel wall. Fang Kun jumps in, checks it out, and confirms it looks like an ancient burial ground. They're both stoked about this major discovery.
Mu Jianhui gets word of the tomb's location and, with Li Yuanguang, disguises himself as a walnut seller to sneak into Lu Family Village. Back with our heroes, Fang Kun finds remnants of the poisoned meat bun and immediately contacts Qi Dacang and Yang Qingshi. Under questioning from Qi Dacang, Yan Shoucun spills that he was invited for drinks and stayed the night with Liu Chunhua from the town's barbershop.
So, Qi Dacang and his team go to question Liu Chunhua. She confesses that a man paid her 200 yuan to keep Yan Shoucun occupied. At the exact same time, Da Tou rushes to Liu Shusheng, telling him Xing Zhaohu's goods are all genuine and that Xing Zhaohu has already received a deposit and is living it up. Liu Shusheng tries calling Xing Zhaohu, but the guy isn't picking up. Liu Shusheng then orders Xing Zhaohu to hand over the goods, but Xing Zhaohu, feeling high and mighty with his valuable artifacts, completely blows him off. Liu Shusheng is furious and suddenly remembers what Mu Jianhui had said about the fakes. The plot thickens!
