Episode Summary
A drunken night leads to an awkward morning-after conversation between Jiang Wenhuan and a cold E Shun. Later, at a tense banquet, Chongyi Wu publicly humiliates his brother, Chongyi Biao, and his own wife, forcing Chongyi Biao to finally stand up for himself and realize he must build his own power.
Spoiler Alert
A Messy Night and a Tense Banquet
Things got messy this episode. You know it’s serious when the wine starts flowing and family drama explodes in public. I’m still thinking about that banquet.
The Awkward Morning After
The episode kicks off right after the drinking. Kunwu finds both A'si and Jiang Wenhuan completely wasted. He does the sensible thing and gets A'si home safely.
But he feels bad for Jiang Wenhuan, who is still at the tavern. So, he goes back. He finds Jiang Wenhuan sitting on the floor, feeling sorry for himself. Jiang Wenhuan is upset that E Shun helped A'si but gave him the cold shoulder. An old man at the tavern gives him some simple advice. He tells him that friends should just talk things out to clear up misunderstandings.
The next day, Jiang Wenhuan takes that advice and finds E Shun at the armory. He’s a bit awkward. He doesn't know what to say. Then he learns that it was E Shun who carried him home. He musters up the courage to thank him. E Shun, in typical fashion, is cold. He says he only did it so he wouldn't get dragged into Jiang Wenhuan's problems.
A Banquet Goes Sideways
Everyone is practicing archery when some news drops. Chong Da Gongzi and his wife are coming to the banquet tomorrow. This immediately makes Gongsun Wuyu and Jiang Wen Feng suspicious. A simple ancestral worship ceremony isn't a big enough deal for such an important visit. They go to meet him at the city gate. Chong Da Gongzi claims he's just there to see his younger brother, Chongyi Biao. Nobody really buys it.
That night, the banquet begins. A'si shows up looking great. The Crown Princess, who is known as the most beautiful woman on the plains, performs a dance. Everyone is captivated.
Everyone except Chongyi Biao. He just sits there, looking miserable.
The Drama Explodes
This is where it all goes wrong. Chongyi Biao's older brother, Chongyi Wu, decides to cause trouble. He asks Chongyi Biao if he misses watching his sister-in-law dance. It’s a low blow, meant to humiliate him in front of everyone. Xin Jia tries to run interference by proposing a toast, but Chongyi Wu isn't finished. Jiang Wen Feng also has to step in.
Chongyi Wu then turns his attention to E Shun. He toasts him as his "savior," a move clearly designed to create a rift between E Shun and Chongyi Biao. But E Shun was ready for this. He had already told Kunwu not to be polite.
Kunwu steps up. He asks Chongyi Wu if he remembers a warning he was given on his wedding day. Then he asks if the trade route in Li Bei is still running smoothly. Chongyi Wu finally gets it. He realizes E Shun has been disrupting his business for years. The tension is thick. Jiang Wenhuan tries to calm things down, but it's too late.
Chongyi Wu invokes tribal tradition. He demands E Shun drink three full pots of wine. E Shun is weak and can't possibly drink that much. Just as he's about to be forced, Chongyi Biao stands up. He drinks the third pot for E Shun.
Furious, Chongyi Wu turns on his own wife, Xin'er. He forces her to toast Chongyi Biao and then physically attacks her. Jiang Wen Feng intervenes, telling him his behavior is a disgrace to his tribe. But Chongyi Wu keeps going, insulting his wife's background to provoke Chongyi Biao further.
Chongyi Biao is shaking with rage. You can see he wants to kill his brother right there. But he holds back, not wanting to betray the debt he owes E Shun for saving his life. In a powerful moment, he drops his sword. He tells his brother that he isn't even worthy of being killed by him.
Later, Chongyi Biao reads a letter from E Shun. He finally understands E Shun's plan. He knows now that he must become strong and build his own power to survive in his tribe.
