EPISODE 11
King Xuan promises to give Xia Yingchun a proper title.

Pang Fen is given an official post as a reward for helping to suppress the rebels. He is angered when he realizes King Xuan is having an affair with Xia Yingchun.

Sensing something amiss, Zhong Wuyan contemplates marrying Xia Yingchun off to a faraway place.

While looking for Huaixiao, King Xuan falls for another beauty, Yuzhi. She pins a piece of cloth with her whereabouts written on it onto a rabbit. She tells King Xuan they will be together if he finds the rabbit.

Zhong Wuyan organizes a groom-selection session for Xia Yingchun. King Xuan has nothing good to say about any of the suitors. Xia Yingchun and the Queen Mother collaborate to trick Zhong Wuyan into letting King Xuan marry her. Annoyed, Zhong Wuyan leaves the palace with Ling.

Cao Yuan has laid plans to kidnap King Xuan and force him to abdicate. Yuzhi is his lackey. The unknowing King Xuan falls into Yuzhi’s trap.   (Source: 8 Days)

EPISODE 12
King Xuan tries to escape from his captors. Mojiang hides the Queen Mother in the imperial kitchen. Pang Fen informs Zhong Wuyan.

Zhong Wuyan arrives just in time to save King Xuan. Xia Yingchun turns up and pretends to be injured.

Cao Yuan and his allies are arrested. Zhong Wuyan is taken aback when King Xuan leaves the hut with Xia Yingchun in his arms.

On the way back to the palace, King Xuan spots Huaixiao, but is unable to talk to her.

Pang Fen is promoted to General. Zhong Wuyan turns down every offer of a reward, but requests instead that King Xuan rid himself of the idea of marrying Xia Yingchun.

Zhong Wuyan resigns herself to having to put up with Xia Yingchun. King Xuan sees them talking and decides to look Huaixiao up.

After enjoying himself by the lake with Huaixiao, King Xuan returns and meets Yuzhi again.   (Source: 8 Days)

EPISODE 13
King Xuan is relegated to sleeping in the study when both Zhong Wuyan and Xia Yingchun reject him.

Li Ying returns from the borders and warns Zhong Wuyan to be wary of Yan. He is frustrated with his wife and son for setting up a noodle shop in his name. As Mrs Li and Li Qiang have been busy with their business, the Lis’ house is in a mess.

Zhong Wuyan visits the noodle shop and is impresses by Mrs Li’s untraditional ideas.

His wife is so obsessed with the business that Li Ying asks Official Lu to shake Mrs Li’s confidence. His plan backfires.

Adviser Kong and Gao Sou also make futile attempts to help Li Ying ruin his wife’s business. Both get into trouble instead.

Li Ying uses a food poisoning incident to get the authorities to close down the shop. Mrs Li nearly kills herself.    (Source: 8 Days)

EPISODE 14
Zhao and Chu are unsure about Zhong Wuyan’s reforms. They send envoys to sound Qi out. Zhong Wuyan and Li Ying deal with them tactfully.

Wei’s envoy, Xu Qi arrives with a question. He threatens to annex Chengci if Qi is unable to provide an answer. Zhong Wuyan promises a reply in 10 days.

Adviser Kong relates how Xu Qi had moved to Wei from Qi when his talents went unrecognized. In Wei, he married a princess and rose the ranks. It is well-known that he is an unfilial son.

Zhong Wuyan makes a trip to Wei to provide the answer to the question. Her insinuations cause Xu Qi to be ostracized by the Wei court.

Zhong Wuyan is forced into the mountains by Wei soldiers.

The Empress Dowager takes Huaixiao back to the palace after watching her perform. When Yuzhi revives her dead flowers, the Empress Dowager lets King Xuan take both Huaixiao and Yuzhi in as his concubines.

The well-pampered King Xuan is oblivious to the danger Zhong Wuyan is facing in Wei.   (Source: 8 Days)

EPISODE 15
With Official Liu’s and Official Zhang’s sons serving the Court, Li Ying insists Li Qiang be made a court official as well.

Zhong Wuyan, Pang Fen and the troops return to Qi with much difficulty. She is infuriated that King Xuan has taken in another two concubines. Huaixiao and Yuzhi attack her, and she is taken to task by King Xuan for harming them. Heartbroken, Zhong Wuyan leaves the palace.

Pang Fen repeats his declaration of love, but Zhong Wuyan rejects him. She falls ill, and Ling nurses her back to health. Grateful, Zhong Wuyan makes Ling her sworn sister.

Li Ying gets Li Qiang a job in the imperial library. Bored, Li Qiang combs the shelves and finds many banned and out-of-print books. With his own interests in mind, he orders the guards and maids to make copies of the books. Sales of these bring in great profits for him.   (Source: 8 Days)

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