Episode Summary
Jiang Chun's suicide attempt is stopped by Chu Yu, and she is given control of the household to restore her sense of purpose. During the funeral procession, Cao Yan tries to arrest Wei Yun, leading to a public confrontation. To prove her family's honor and save her son, Liu Xueyang kills herself by striking her head on the coffin. Chu Yu protects a devastated Wei Yun from a whip lash. Though a Grand Tutor's intervention provides a temporary delay, Cao Yan arrests Wei Yun after the burial and brutally tortures him at the Dali Temple. Witnessing the family's collapse, Chu Yu decides to stay and formulates a plan to help them.
Spoiler Alert
A Family on the Brink
This episode picks up in the middle of the Wei family’s grief. It gets a lot worse before it gets any better.
Jiang Chun's Despair
The Second Madam, Jiang Chun, is completely broken. She decides to follow her husband, Wei Shu, in death. She tries to hang herself. Her maid finds her and screams for help. Everyone rushes in. Chu Yu is the quickest. She cuts the cloth and saves Jiang Chun’s life.
Chu Yu gives her a reality check. She tells Jiang Chun that killing herself won't solve anything. It just makes a bigger mess for everyone else. The mention of her child, Ling Chun, finally gets through to her. Jiang Chun realizes she has to live. With Wei Jun unmarried, Jiang Chun is now the senior sister-in-law of the house. So, Liu Xueyang gives her the family’s jade command token. She is now in charge of the household. It’s a heavy burden, but Liu Xueyang hopes it will give her a reason to keep going.
Wei Yun's Suspicions
Wei Yun pulls Chu Yu aside. He doesn't trust her. He demands to know her real reason for getting close to his brother, Wei Jun. Chu Yu doesn't tell him the truth about her own family's past. But she insists she means the Wei family no harm.
Later, Liu Xueyang has a quiet talk with Chu Yu. She tells her something important. The world might see Chu Yu as Wei Jun's widow. But the Wei family never held a formal wedding for her. They never officially brought her into the family. This means Chu Yu is free. Once the funeral is over, she can leave without any obligation. No one will hold her to it.
A Funeral Interrupted
Chu Yu finds her maid, Wan Yue, searching Wei Jun’s study. She tells her to stop. They barely found a vague location for the Armory Division after all their work. Wan Yue isn't going to find a detailed map just by flipping through some books.
Cao Yan Makes His Move
The Wei family begins the funeral procession. They are taking the coffins for burial. But Cao Yan shows up and blocks the street. He is there to arrest Wei Yun. He wants to drag him to the Dali Temple for questioning. The crowd starts to turn on the Wei family. They mutter that the family was reckless and greedy for glory.
Wei Yun gets on his knees. He begs Cao Yan to show some mercy. He just wants to bury his father and brother. Cao Yan ignores him. He even tries to force his way to the coffins. He wants to desecrate the dead.
An Unthinkable Sacrifice
Wei Yun has had enough. He stands up to Cao Yan. He plants himself in front of the coffins and refuses to move. He’s ready to die right there. Liu Xueyang sees her son is about to do something he can't take back. She tells him not to be impulsive.
Then she does something shocking. To prove her family’s innocence and unwavering loyalty, Liu Xueyang runs straight at the coffin. She smashes her head against the wood and dies instantly.
Wei Yun completely snaps. His father and brother are not even in the ground yet. Now his mother is dead right in front of him. He looks like a wild animal. As Cao Yan raises his whip to strike Wei Yun, Chu Yu jumps in the way. The whip cracks across her back instead.
The Price of Defiance
Some people in the crowd are horrified. They shout at Cao Yan for pushing the family too far. He doesn't care. He just orders his guards to arrest them, too. Wei Yun sees this. He can't let innocent people get hurt for his family's sake. He agrees to go with Cao Yan.
A Temporary Reprieve
Just then, the Grand Tutor Xie Mingyi arrives. He speaks up for the Wei family. He uses his authority to call out Cao Yan’s blatant abuse of power. Cao Yan doesn't want to be accused of using his position for a personal vendetta. He reluctantly lets the funeral procession continue.
Jiang Chun suggests that Liu Xueyang be buried with her husband, the Marquis Wei Zhong. It's only right, since she died for his honor.
Torture at the Dali Temple
The moment the burial is over, Cao Yan is back. He arrests Wei Yun and hauls him to the Dali Temple, the capital's high court. Everyone knows what happens there. The Emperor himself ordered the investigation. If Wei Yun resists, it's treason. The Wei family cannot handle another charge against them.
Inside the Dali Temple, they torture Wei Yun. They want a confession. But he refuses to admit to crimes he didn't commit. The more he resists, the worse the torture gets. The sound of Wei Yun’s screams just makes Cao Yan smile wider. It's a disgusting display of a petty man enjoying his power.
Back at the Wei estate, Wan Yue puts medicine on the raw whip mark on Chu Yu's back. Chu Yu looks at the state of the Wei family. Their house is falling apart. It's exactly what happened to her own family. She knows she can't leave them like this. She has an idea. She thinks she has found a way to help them.
