Episode Summary

At a tense royal banquet, He Yan publicly accuses He Rufei of three crimes: impersonating General Feihong, murder, and treason. The plot thickens when Mrs. He provides evidence of the treason and reveals He Yan's true identity as a woman who was forced to live as a man. The ultimate mastermind, Chancellor Xu Jingfu, is also exposed and attempts a coup, only to be thwarted by Xiao Jue's forces. While the traitors are arrested, He Yan's own future is left uncertain due to her deception of the throne.

Spoiler Alert

The Mother of All Reveals: Treason, Lies, and a Failed Coup

Everyone's at a fancy banquet after the Winter Festival, and the vibe is tense. The prime minister from the rival state of Wutuo, a guy named Maningbu, starts getting pushy about opening up trade markets. The Emperor tries to play it cool, but Maningbu throws a fit.

Just as things are about to boil over, He Yan steps in. She not only shuts down Maningbu but also turns her attention to He Rufei, who's been coasting on her reputation. She hits him with the million-dollar question: is he even the real General Feihong?

Then, she drops the hammer, accusing him of three major crimes right in front of the entire court.

First, she accuses him of stealing her identity as General Feihong.To prove it, she brings in Li Kuang, one of her old soldiers. He confirms He Yan is the real deal, thanks to a secret message she once sent him—a drawing of a date and a turtle, a clever pun that meant "I have returned." He Rufei tries to claim it's a setup, but the seed of doubt is planted.

Second, she accuses him of murdering people to cover up his secret. She even has a letter from the He family's butler to an assassin as proof.

The third and most explosive charge is treason. He Yan claims He Rufei has been colluding with Wutuo.The entire court is in an uproar; this is a crime that could get his whole family executed.

Just when He Rufei thinks she has no hard evidence for the treason charge, his own wife, Mrs. He, makes a dramatic entrance. She's holding a stack of letters that prove everything. It turns out she had secretly asked Xiao Jue for help to get into the palace and expose her husband.

Mrs. He then reveals the He family's biggest secret: they passed their daughter, He Yan, off as a boy to take the place of the sickly He Rufei.She confirms He Yan is the true General Feihong and that He Rufei stole her life and achievements.Right after her confession, Mrs. He collapses, having been fatally poisoned.

With his back against the wall, He Rufei looks to his powerful ally, the Grand Chancellor Xu Jingfu, for help. But He Yan is one step ahead, pointing her finger at Xu Jingfu and naming him the true mastermind behind the entire conspiracy with Wutuo. The Emperor demands a witness, and Chu Zhao steps forward to back up He Yan's claim.

The final nail in the coffin is the testimony from a captured Wutuo spy who hands over letters between Xu Jingfu and Maningbu. The Emperor is furious.

Realizing he's finished, Xu Jingfu decides to go down swinging and attempts a coup on the spot, calling for his army to "cleanse the court." But he gets a nasty surprise: the soldiers who march in aren't his. They're Xiao Jue's elite Jiuqi Camp, who, with the Emperor's permission, disguised themselves to trap the traitors.

Thinking his rebellion is succeeding, Xu Jingfu openly confesses to all his crimes, falling right into Xiao Jue's trap.The Emperor orders both Xu Jingfu and He Rufei to be thrown in prison, awaiting execution.The Wutuo prime minister is placed under house arrest.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger. While the villains have been dealt with, He Yan's own crime of deceiving the Emperor by posing as a man has been exposed, and her fate hangs in the balance.