Episode Summary
Qingqing returns home but grows suspicious about her mother's death and the Saintess bloodline. Zhongli Yuan plots with Kui Fang to use a "divine drum" and orders the assassination of the Princes. We learn the tragic backstory of Guxi and Zhongli Yuan; his arrival at her village as a boy led to a massacre that only they survived, forging a bond of shared vengeance. In the present, Zhongli Yuan invites the Princes to a banquet, confesses his feelings to a suspicious Guxi, and then lures her into a secret chamber where he knocks her unconscious.
Spoiler Alert
Qingqing's Uneasy Homecoming
Qingqing finally heads back to her hometown. She has an official decree from Zhongli Yuan, so it's all legit. The town is no longer sealed off, and she even has a fancy new title. Things should be peaceful. She starts making plans with the villagers to find a better place to live.
But she can't relax. Her mother's last words are stuck in her head. All that talk about the Saintess bloodline and the need to be cremated feels very important now. She's worried her mother’s body could be used for something awful. She also has a sinking feeling that Granny Su is in serious danger.
Zhongli Yuan's Dangerous Game
Speaking of danger, Zhongli Yuan is busy with his own dark plans. He's questioning a masked man from Kui Fang about a "divine drum." Apparently, this drum is supposed to make his army unbeatable. Zhongli Yuan isn't buying the whole story. He thinks the guy is holding back.
To prove his loyalty, the Kui Fang agent gives Zhongli Yuan an antidote. It will protect him from the drum's magic when it's used. Then Zhongli Yuan gives a chilling order. He wants the Princes dead. Soon. He sees them as a huge threat that needs to be eliminated.
A Dark Past Revealed
Guxi's Terrible Prophecy
Guxi is on edge. She did a divination that predicted a massive disaster for the country, and she can't shake the bad feeling. Just then, Jiang Wenhuan shows up for a visit. He asks her to do a reading on Zhongli's future. He flat-out says that Zhongli Yuan isn't the innocent guy he pretends to be. He claims there's a lot of scheming under the surface.
This pushes Guxi to finally tell a story from her past.
The Day the Village Died
Years ago, Guxi predicted that a single person would bring a great disaster to her village. She stood guard at the entrance, determined to keep any outsiders away. That's when she met a young Zhongli Yuan. He was a mess, claiming his family had just been murdered and he was lost.
She felt bad for him. She gave him some water but tried to send him on a different path, away from the village. It didn't work. Her own father found him while hunting and brought him back.
Guxi, terrified of her prophecy, begged her father to send the boy away. But it was already too late. The men hunting Zhongli Yuan found the village. They slaughtered everyone. Guxi watched her own father die trying to protect her. In the end, only she and Zhongli Yuan were left alive.
A Vow for Vengeance
Zhongli Yuan, full of guilt, covered her parents' bodies. He handed her a dagger and told her to kill him. She stabbed him, but it didn't make her feel any better. She just wanted to die, too.
That's when he told her his own horror story. He'd been trapped in a carriage for a month with the rotting corpses of his parents. He escaped, and he swore he would get revenge. He then made a promise to Guxi. In ten years, he would personally avenge her entire village. From that day forward, they began secretly plotting to take down the State Preceptor.
The Trap is Set
The Palace Invitation
Back in the present, things are moving fast. Jiang Wenhuan tries to get Gongsun Wuyu to stop looking for the immortality pill. He knows it's just poison and will bring ruin to the whole Prince Camp. He fails.
Then, an invitation arrives from Zhongli Yuan. He wants all the Princes to come to a palace banquet in three days.
A Tense Confession
Zhongli Yuan tries to have a tender moment with Guxi. He brings her new clothes and jewelry. She tells him she doesn't want gifts. She just wants him to be a good ruler who protects his people. He takes this as his cue to confess his feelings for her.
She uses the opportunity to push him for answers. She asks him point-blank if he is involved with skinning people from the Su clan to make his magic drum. He completely avoids the question. All he says is that he would never, ever hurt her. His defensiveness makes her even more suspicious.
The Secret Chamber
Later that night, Guxi decides to follow Zhongli Yuan. He leads her to a secret underground room. It turns out this was all a setup. He knew she was following him. And then he knocks her out cold.
