Episode Summary
In this episode, Xiao Jue and He Yan navigate the high society of Jiyang, where they encounter a jealous rival, Yan Min'er. Xiao Jue publicly defends He Yan's honor during a banquet with an impressive qin performance. All the while, the search for Chai Anxi intensifies after a suspicious fire, and an attack on Chu Zhao reveals a possible connection to the Wutuo people.
Spoiler Alert
To establish a foothold in Jiyang, Cheng Lisu guides Xiao Jue and He Yan to the city's finest clothing store for a new wardrobe. Their shopping is interrupted by the arrival of Miss Yan Min'er, the daughter of the Imperial Censor. Instantly smitten by the handsome Xiao Jue, her admiration turns to jealousy when he introduces He Yan as his wife. In a fit of pique, Miss Yan proceeds to buy every garment that He Yan shows interest in.
Unfazed, Xiao Jue enters the main room and, ignoring Miss Yan completely, asks the owner to bring out the shop's most prized dress. Despite its steep price of one hundred silver taels—a sum that makes Yan Min'er's own maid advise her against such extravagance—Xiao Jue purchases the exquisite gown for He Yan without a second thought.
Later, at a banquet, Yan Min'er is dismayed to see the striking couple, Xiao Jue and He Yan, and learns they are the nephew and niece-in-law of their host, Cui Yuezhi. Aware that she is being targeted because of Xiao Jue, He Yan deliberately acts sweet and affectionate with him in front of everyone. Provoked, Yan Min'er approaches to offer a toast, only to accuse He Yan of using her beauty to bewitch and cause trouble.
The tension escalates when a musician named A Xiu and Yan Min'er challenge He Yan to play the qin, an instrument she is not skilled with. She quietly pleads for Xiao Jue's help, but he initially refuses. After some gentle coaxing from He Yan, Xiao Jue intervenes, announcing that they had an agreement before marriage that his wife would only play the qin for him. He gallantly offers to play in her place. When he brings out his own instrument, He Yan immediately recognizes it as the one she once gifted him. Xiao Jue, a man of both literary and martial talents, proceeds to captivate the entire room of noble ladies with his masterful performance, leaving even He Yan impressed.
As the evening continues, He Yan is led away by Mrs. Cui to chat with the other noblewomen. She cleverly captures their attention by weaving tales of her "husband-taming techniques." Unaware that Xiao Jue has been brought nearby by Cheng Lisu, she spins a wild story about how Xiao Jue fell for her during the Lantern Festival, proposed the very next day, and even threatened to hang himself from a tree if she refused. He listens in silence until He Yan is about to reveal a particularly scandalous detail about them viewing "fire-avoidance pictures" together, at which point he swiftly interrupts her before she can say more.
Amidst the social maneuvering, the underlying mission continues. Fei Nu reports a lead on the whereabouts of Chai Anxi. That night, a fire breaks out at the Cuiwei Pavilion, and the body of an accountant with a leg impairment is discovered. Xiao Jue remains unconvinced that Chai Anxi is dead, believing he is still hiding somewhere within Jiyang.
Meanwhile, a separate plot unfolds as the men tailing Chu Zhao launch a sudden attack. However, upon seeing a jade pendant on him, they inexplicably abort their assassination attempt and flee. Chu Zhao notes that their weapons, crafted from polished bone, are characteristic of the Wutuo people. The episode closes with Fei Nu's men tracking Chai Anxi to a secret room, seemingly cornering their target.
