Episode Summary
In this episode, Li Fengxia leaves Shen Jianshe after feeling unappreciated for years. Lin Yan gets a confession that links the Dou family's crimes to the Prince of Zhao and a contact in Juxian Alley. The Shen restaurant hires a great new chef, but Shaoguang's heart is broken by a rumor that Lin Yan is engaged to someone else.
Spoiler Alert
The Shen Family Marriage Hits the Rocks
Li Fengxia Walks Out
So, the big family drama finally boiled over. Li Fengxia sits her husband, Shen Jianshe, down for a talk. She asks him if he even remembers how long they've been married. He can't answer. That pretty much says it all.
She lays it all out for him. She recounts all the hard years they went through. Back when he wasn't making any money, she was the one working herself to the bone. She admits that the stress made her short-tempered. But now that they've made it in this new time period, he takes all the credit. He never acknowledges her sacrifices. The disappointment has been building for a long time.
She's had enough. She throws a divorce letter on the table and walks right out of the Ruyue Pavilion.
With the new chef handling the kitchen, Li Fengxia is finally free. She starts going on massive shopping sprees. She buys so much stuff she can barely carry it. At one point, she even falls over in the street but just lies there laughing. Shen Jianshe secretly follows her around. He's totally confused about why she's so happy without him.
Shaoguang Gives Her Dad a Reality Check
Shen Shaoguang can tell something is wrong with her parents. She catches her dad on his way out and confronts him. He pulls out the divorce letter and complains about how unreasonable Li Fengxia is being.
Shaoguang isn't having it. She reminds him that her mom used to be a gentle person. Life's hardships wore her down. She points out that he always boasts about his own success. He never sees what his wife has given up for the family. Shen Jianshe finally starts to see his own faults. He decides he's going to win her back. His big plan is to impress her at the upcoming Chef God Competition.
Lin Yan's Investigation Gets a Break
A Classic Interrogation Trick
Lin Yan's case is moving forward. Liu Chang reports that they've captured one of the Dou family's men, a guy named Dou Shuba. The tip came from Mrs. Zheng.
They throw Dou Shuba in a water prison, but he refuses to talk. So, Lin Yan pulls a pretty brutal, old-school move. He gets a block of wood and paints it to look like a severed head. He wraps it in a cloth and tosses it in front of Dou Shuba, pretending it's one of his men. The trick works perfectly. Dou Shuba breaks down and confesses everything.
The Prince of Zhao Connection
The confession is a bombshell. We learn the Dou family has been funneling a ton of money to the Prince of Zhao. The prince is using the cash to support an army of soldiers who are officially off the books. He's building a secret force.
Dou Shuba's job was to transport salt and grain for this operation. He had a contact person, but they never met face-to-face. He would just drop the goods at a fixed location. But one time, he got curious. He secretly followed the contact and saw them running a business in Juxian Alley.
Lin Yan immediately goes to Juxian Alley to warn Shen Shaoguang to be careful. She thanks him and tries to give him a box of food from the restaurant. She even offers to keep making meals for him. He turns her down.
Restaurant Drama and Heartbreak
A New Chef and an Old Lie
Back at the restaurant, they post a notice to hire a new chef. A man named Yu Sanlang shows up. He makes an incredible dish called "Peacock in its Pride" and gets the job instantly. His cooking makes the restaurant even more popular.
Meanwhile, Shen Yangyang is really missing her brother, Shen Shaojie. She gets a letter from him right on cue. In the letter, he claims he's become a huge success over the past six months. He says he's dabbling in acting, business franchising, and calligraphy. The truth? He's failed at everything and is now begging on the street.
A Crushing Rumor
Pei Fei stops by the restaurant to try the new food. Shaoguang takes the opportunity to ask him a personal question. She wants to know why he won't accept the Grand Princess's feelings for him.
Pei Fei explains that their social statuses are just too different. He says it's like the gap between her and Lin Yan. Then he drops the real bomb. He casually mentions that Minister Meng has been going around court telling everyone that his niece is about to marry Lin Yan. Shaoguang is visibly crushed by the news.
A New Lead in the Conspiracy
Liu Chang is still digging. He tracks down the old woman who scammed Shen Shaojie out of his money. She gives him a new name. Lu Yun, the owner of the Yunlai Tavern.
This Lu Yun is supposed to be in the food business. But he also has a warehouse full of military weapons. Even more suspicious, Zhao Xunzhi was a regular at the Yunlai Tavern right before he died.
The episode ends with Minister Meng sending an invitation to the Jingzhao Prefecture. He's formally inviting Lin Yan to attend the Chef God Competition with him.
