Episode Summary
In this episode, the Shen family tries to fool Lin Yan by acting like poor, simple relatives, which leads to some very awkward moments. Their attempts to time-travel back to the present fail, but Shen Shaoguang discovers a secret room in the ancestral hall. Lin Yan also finds his father's journal in that room, revealing clues about his family's downfall. The episode ends with the family's bizarre plan to pray to a sleeping Lin Yan, which results in them being locked up and interrogated.
Spoiler Alert
The "Poor Relatives" Act
Shen Shaoguang comes up with a plan. The family needs to act like clueless poor relatives who just lucked into a connection with a high-ranking official. This should make Lin Yan drop his guard. Then they can figure out how to get home.
The family really commits to the bit. It's almost painful to watch. Shen Shaojie drags his sister Shen Shaoguang to marvel at the clean toilets. The parents, Shen Jianshe and Li Fengxia, just wander around the courtyard pretending to be amazed by the scenery. Even the youngest, Shen Yanyang, gets in on it. She and Shen Shaojie just keep brushing their teeth. They act like they've never seen a toothbrush before.
Dinner and a Lie
Dinnertime is awkward. Lin Yan greets the parents with a formal bow. The Shen family panics, thinking it'll shorten their lives or something. So they just bow right back at him. It’s a mess.
Lin Yan isn't big on fancy food. He serves them coarse grains. Shen Jianshe thinks the kitchen is just slow. But Liu Chang, Lin Yan's attendant, tells him this is what Lin Yan eats every day.
Then Lin Yan starts testing them again. He asks what they know about the Cui family after they moved to the capital. Shen Shaoguang has to think fast. Her grandpa never told her these details. She says she knew she wasn't good enough for the Cui family. She figured the engagement would be called off eventually. So she just stopped asking about them. It works. The lie lands, and Lin Yan lets them eat while he leaves for court.
The Failed Escape Plan
After the meal, Shen Jianshe has an idea. They should retrace the exact route they took before they time-traveled. Maybe it will send them back. They split up and walk their paths again. But when they open the main gate, they don't see the modern-day Yunshui Garden. They just see the ancient city. The plan is a bust.
Shen Shaoguang realizes something. They came through the ancestral hall. They probably have to go back through it. The problem is soldiers are guarding it. Shen Jianshe suggests sending one person to scout it out. A single person won't draw too much attention. The family agrees. Shen Shaoguang is the one who has to go.
A Trip to the Ancestral Hall
Lin Yan gets back from court. He sends his guards away and goes to the ancestral hall himself. He's been trying to open a special lock. It has numbers from the Huoxun Kingdom on it. The combination is random and requires millions of tries.
Shen Shaoguang shows up a little later. She sees no guards and thinks she just got lucky. Inside, Lin Yan and Liu Chang hear her coming. They quickly hide behind a screen to watch.
The Secret Room
Shen Shaoguang immediately spots the lock. It's the same one from the museum in her time. She remembers the combination she saw. She puts it in, and the door to a secret room clicks open.
She steps inside, fully expecting to be back in her own time. But she's not. She's in a warehouse. It's filled 벽 with old books and scrolls. As she's trying to figure it out, Lin Yan appears right behind her. He demands to know what she's doing in his secret room.
She lies again. She says she was just taking a walk and stumbled upon the hall. She claims her family's business background makes her naturally good with numbers. Lin Yan seems to back off a little, so she gets out of there fast.
Lin Yan's Discovery
Liu Chang thinks the Shen family might be spies. He suspects they're working for an enemy, trying to uncover the Cui family's secrets. Lin Yan isn't sure, but he knows he needs to check the room.
He finds a journal written by his father. The entry is from the year his family was ruined. His father had discovered someone was manipulating military appointments. He suspected he was in danger. That's why he sent his wife and son, Cui Che, back to the countryside. But it wasn't enough. He was framed and died in prison anyway. The journal is a start, but it's not enough proof to clear his father's name.
The Worst Plan in History
Shen Shaoguang tells her family what happened. They are now 100 percent sure the ancestral hall is their ticket home. Li Fengxia suggests they repeat exactly what they did before they time-traveled. Shen Jianshe remembers they all prayed to an ancestor's portrait.
So they decide to repeat the ritual. But this time, they'll pray to the real thing. They'll pray to Lin Yan himself. While he's sleeping.
That night, the entire Shen family files into Lin Yan's bedroom. They're carrying offering plates. They line up and start praying to him. Nothing happens. As they're all staring at each other, Lin Yan sits up in bed. He stares back. The family freezes in terror.
Caught and Questioned
Lin Yan throws them all in the woodshed. He has Liu Chang bring Shen Shaoguang to him for questioning.
He asks her who sent her to murder him in his sleep. Shen Shaoguang has to come up with her best lie yet. She explains it was a family tradition. It's a ritual to pray for a benefactor's good fortune. She says they felt bad for causing so much trouble, so they wanted to show their gratitude.
Lin Yan seems to buy it, for now. He pushes her again about her real identity. Shen Shaoguang sees he isn't totally convinced. She doubles down. She insists she is the fiancée from his childhood. She then calls his bluff. She says if he's a high official now and is too embarrassed by his poor relatives, they can just pack up and leave. This gets a reaction. Lin Yan quickly tells her that's not what he meant at all.
