Episode Summary
Qiao Manman, with her brother Ji Mo's help, devises a "bait-and-switch" plan with Princess Ariya to avoid their unwanted marriages. They intend to block procession routes and swap bridal sedans. However, the plan goes awry when their hired help, Pei Er, gets scared off by Fu Chengjin's guards. Amidst the chaos, further complicated by assassins sent by the Second Prince to kill Fu Chengjin, Qiao Manman is drugged and faints. This prevents her from swapping clothes with her maid, Chuntao. Consequently, Qiao Manman is mistakenly married to Fu Chengjin under Princess Ariya's identity. Fu Chengjin, aware of the dangers and palace intrigues, feigns acceptance of the marriage.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 2 Recap: Switched Brides and Palace Plots
Utterly perplexed by her situation, Qiao Manman turns to her brother, Ji Mo, for a way out. Ji Mo points out that offending either the Xilin Kingdom or the Luzhao Kingdom is a terrible idea. Since breaking off the engagement is off the table, he suggests a daring "bait-and-switch" scheme.
With no other options, Qiao Manman decides to take the plunge. She conspires with Princess Ariya and her maid, Yuetao. The plan is to block two of the three routes for the bridal procession, forcing it down a single, predictable path. There, Qiao Manman intends to create a diversion and swap the two bridal sedans, allowing both women to get what they desire. Princess Ariya, who has no interest in Fu Chengjin, readily agrees, eager for a chance to marry her true love.
To set the stage, Qiao Manman bribes a man named Pei Er on the chosen route, paying him to gather a group to act as bogus sedan bearers with an extra carriage. She believes she has every detail covered, but the bridal procession soon encounters unexpected trouble.
Pei Er, tasked with instigating the chaos, loses his nerve when he sees Fu Chengjin's formidable, sword-bearing guards. He quickly chickens out and retreats. Seizing what they think is their moment, Qiao Manman and Princess Ariya slip out of their sedans, hoping to escape. But Pei Er’s failure to create a sufficient diversion leaves them stranded and desperate. Fortunately, Fu Chengjin, anticipating potential disruptions, had already dispatched his personal guards to ensure the procession's safety.
According to their agreement, Qiao Manman was to protect Princess Ariya at all costs and ensure her escape. With their plan rapidly unraveling, Qiao Manman frantically tells Ariya to run for it. Qiao Manman herself has no choice but to get into the bridal sedan intended for Ariya and improvise. Fu Chengjin's guards, ever efficient, swiftly escort the bridal sedan directly to the Prince's mansion.
There was a backup plan: Qiao Manman had arranged with her maid, Chuntao, to switch clothes inside the sedan. Chuntao would then pose as the princess. The idea was that Fu Chengjin would later allow "Princess Ariya" (Chuntao in disguise) to return to the Xilin Kingdom on the pretext of visiting her family, from which she would never return. However, during the turmoil of the botched switch, Qiao Manman is hit with a stupefying powder and falls unconscious. This leaves Chuntao with no opportunity to swap their attire. And so, in a dramatic twist of fate, Qiao Manman is married into Fu Chengjin's household under the identity of Princess Ariya.
But Qiao Manman isn't the only one scheming on this chaotic day. The Second Prince is also busy, conferring with his men to plot another assassination attempt on Fu Chengjin. It turns out that besides Pei Er's hired troublemakers, assassins sent by the Second Prince were also present during the bridal procession. They had already managed to kill several people. Luckily, Qiao Manman and Princess Ariya were not in the targeted bridal sedan at that critical moment and survived the attack.
Fu Chengjin, a master strategist, is enraged upon hearing that his bridal procession was attacked. Fully aware of the relentless power struggles within the palace, he has a strong suspicion about who is orchestrating these events. However, to safeguard his own life, he masterfully conceals his fury, feigning willing acceptance of his Emperor Father's decree regarding the marriage.
