Episode Summary
Chu Yu devises a multi-step plan to free Wei Yun. She uses her ex, Gu Chusheng, to get an audience with the powerful Grand Princess. Wei Yun, from prison, sends a mysterious sword to an old family friend, whose father reacts with fear. The episode ends with all the Wei family wives uniting in a silent protest, kneeling outside the palace gates.
Spoiler Alert
The Wives Make a Choice
The episode opens on a heavy note. The loss of 70,000 soldiers isn't just a tragedy. It's a crime that could bring down the entire Wei clan and all their families. Fifth Lady Xie Jiu is the first to say what everyone is thinking. She tells the other wives they need to make a choice, basically giving them an out to save themselves.
Third Lady Zhang Han immediately calls her heartless. But Xie Jiu makes it clear she isn't leaving to find a new husband. She's just being practical. Liu Furen, who also goes by Wang Lan, is pregnant. Her father is pressuring her to come home and have the baby safely away from this mess.
The only one who is completely firm about staying is Jiang Chun. She's the widow of the eldest brother. Her husband asked her to look after the family before he died. She has no intention of leaving. Chu Yu walks in right in the middle of this tense debate.
Chu Yu's Master Plan
Chu Yu doesn't waste time trying to convince anyone. She points out a simple fact. Even if they want to leave, they can't. They need an official release from the marriage, a document only Wei Yun can sign. And Wei Yun is currently locked up in the Dali Temple prison. So, the first and only priority is to get him out. After that, they can decide what to do.
Later, Chu Yu finds Xie Jiu alone. She is burning letters for her late husband, Wei Ya. This is a private moment. It shows she isn't as cold as she appears. Chu Yu understands that Xie Jiu has had a tough life. Her family, the Xie clan, always favored the main bloodline, so she had to fight for everything. Xie Jiu appreciates the understanding. She also confirms her great-uncle, the powerful Grand Tutor Xie Mingyi, will not abandon the Wei family.
Using an Old Flame
Just as Chu Yu is figuring things out, she gets a note from Gu Chusheng. He wants to meet. At first, she's not interested. The Wei family is in crisis. But then she has a talk with her brother, Chu Linyang.
She correctly guesses that he was the one who got Grand Tutor Xie Mingyi to show up at the funeral procession. Chu Linyang confirms it. He stopped the Grand Tutor's carriage and gave a speech about the Wei family's long history of sacrifice. It was enough to get the old man to speak up for them. But her brother says the Grand Tutor's support isn't enough. They need someone with a real, personal connection to the Emperor.
The person with the strongest connection is the Grand Princess. This gives Chu Yu an idea. She remembers Gu Chusheng. He's the son-in-law of a Duke. He has connections. She realizes she can use him to get to the Princess. So, she agrees to meet him at Qinxi Valley.
An Audience with the Princess
The plan works. The Grand Princess, Li Changming, is at the valley when Chu Yu and Gu Chusheng arrive. Chu Yu introduces herself. She also makes sure to mention Gu Chusheng's impressive title at the Hanlin Academy. The Princess has heard of his academic fame. Gu Chusheng was the key. He got her in the door.
Chu Yu tries to flatter the Princess, but Li Changming is sharp. She isn't moved by pretty words. Things look bad for a second. Then one of the Princess's retainers, a woman named Xue Hanmei, speaks up for Chu Yu. This seems to soften the Princess a little. Later, though, the Princess warns Xue Hanmei not to interfere like that again. She is clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Gu Chusheng, for his part, figures it all out. He realizes Chu Yu only used him as a stepping stone. He has no other value to her. You can see he's pretty crushed by it.
A Prison Visit and a Strange Sword
Chu Yu goes to the prison to see Wei Yun. She's surprisingly confident. She even makes a bet with him that she can get him out. He doesn't seem worried. Instead, he gives her a task. He wants her to find Song Wenchang, the eldest son of the Duke of Hu Guo.
We learn that Song Wenchang wanted to come to the funeral. His father, the Duke, physically stopped him. They had a huge fight about it. Wei Yun says he understands. He tells Song Wenchang to go apologize to his father. He also gives him a weapon, the Chiying Sword, and tells him to give it to the Duke.
This is where things get weird. The Duke sees the sword and acts like it's cursed. He refuses to touch it. He even fakes a sudden backache just to get away from his son and the sword. There is definitely a story there. We also see some family drama. Song Wenchang clearly looks down on his younger half-brother, Song Shilan.
A United Front
The Grand Princess gave Chu Yu one crucial piece of advice. To move the Emperor, she has to appeal to law and justice, not emotion.
Chu Yu takes this to heart. She and the second wife, Jiang Chun, take their husbands' memorial tablets and go to the palace. They kneel outside the main gate. It's a silent, powerful protest. They kneel from morning until night.
Then, in the final moments of the episode, the other four wives arrive. They are all dressed in white mourning clothes. Each one is holding her husband's memorial tablet. They walk up and kneel in a perfect line with Chu Yu and Jiang Chun. It's an incredible show of solidarity. Just as they are all assembled, someone appears behind them. They all turn to look. And that's where it ends.
