Episode Summary
Chu Yu's protest succeeds, and Wei Yun is freed, but not before being brutally tortured by Cao Yan, who is arrested for his actions. As alliances shift, Duke Ning delivers a cruel punishment to Gu Chusheng for his silence in court.
Spoiler Alert
The Long Kneel
The episode starts with a powerful image. The entire Wei clan is kneeling outside the palace. They are in mourning clothes. They hold the ancestral tablets of their family. It’s freezing, and snow is coming down hard.
They stay there all night. People start collapsing from the cold and exhaustion. By morning, only the old, the women, and the children are left. They are still kneeling. Government officials arriving for court have to walk past them. Most of them feel bad. One official, Zhang An, even uses a side gate out of respect for the dead.
But then you have Cao Yan. He sees Zhang An take the side gate and just scoffs. He calls it a pathetic performance. Then he walks straight through the main gate, right past the grieving family. It tells you everything you need to know about him.
A Divided Court
Inside the palace, things are just as tense. This whole situation has split the court down the middle.
Chu Linyang Makes a Stand
Chu Linyang decides he's finally going to court. He's been recovering from his injuries since returning from Fengling City. His grandmother, Xie Yun, does not want him to go. She's worried about his health. His sister, Chu Jin, even threatens to cut ties with him if he gets involved. He ignores them both and walks out the door. He knows he has to be there.
The Princess Intervenes
The Emperor can't make up his mind. He just waffles back and forth. Then, Grand Princess Li Changming arrives. Her presence changes the room. She gives a subtle signal to the Crown Prince, Li Huan.
He gets the message. The Crown Prince speaks up. He asks the Emperor to pardon Wei Yun. Then Li Changming adds her own voice. She warns the Emperor not to betray the 70,000 soldiers who died for their country. This gives other officials the courage to speak up, too. They all start begging the Emperor to reconsider.
The Reckoning
The pressure works. The Emperor goes outside to face Chu Yu himself. He asks her what she wants. She is weak but she makes her case with passion and logic. The Emperor finally gives in. He orders his guards to bring Wei Yun to him.
Wei Yun's Horrific State
No one was prepared for what they saw. When the guards bring Wei Yun in, the entire court is shocked. The Emperor only ordered him to be detained. He never approved of torture. But Wei Yun has clearly been beaten. He's so weak he can't even kneel properly. He just collapses onto the floor.
Cao Yan Gets What's Coming
Cao Yan tries to talk his way out of it. He claims Wei Yun is a convicted criminal. But Wei Yun, from the floor, fires back a question that leaves Cao Yan completely speechless. Panicking, Cao Yan looks to Duke Ning for help. But the Duke sees which way the wind is blowing. He immediately cuts Cao Yan loose. He offers no support.
The Emperor is furious. He realizes Cao Yan went behind his back. He orders guards to drag Cao Yan to the dungeons to await punishment.
Aftermath and New Wounds
Wei Yun is officially pardoned. He stumbles out of the palace gates into the snow. He looks so frail. A few feet away, Chu Yu is still kneeling alone among the memorial tablets. She somehow looks even more broken than he does.
A Quiet Moment in the Snow
Wei Yun walks slowly toward her. He holds his umbrella over her head to shield her from the snow. Chu Yu is barely conscious. She looks up and sees his face.
Meanwhile, Chu Linyang shows up at the Wei house. He wants to take his sister home. He tells her there are other ways to find the truth. She doesn't have to tie her fate to the Wei family. But Chu Yu refuses to leave. She is determined to see this through.
A Painful Past
The Emperor tries to have a heart-to-heart with his sister, Li Changming. It doesn't go well. She has no interest in pretending they are a happy family. We learn why there is so much tension. Years ago, she was married off to a brutal warlord. It was a political move to secure his support for her brother's claim to the throne. She was horribly abused in that marriage. The Emperor feels guilty, but she is not ready to forgive.
A Brutal Warning
The episode ends with a nasty scene. Duke Ning, Wang Jingzhi, is angry. He's mad that his ally, Gu Chusheng, didn't speak up for their side in court. His daughter, Wang Linlang, tries to serve him tea to calm him down.
The Duke decides to use the tea for a different purpose. He makes Gu Chusheng hold the teacup. Then he deliberately overfills it. The boiling hot tea spills over the sides, scalding Gu Chusheng's hands. Gu Chusheng doesn't flinch. He just holds the cup, enduring the pain. When the Duke finally stops pouring, Gu Chusheng drinks the entire cup of scorching tea in one gulp. Wang Linlang screams. It's a clear and brutal warning.
