While delivering the ransom, Guo Zijie asks Master Ning (Ning Yuanwai) if he has offended anyone in the past. Master Ning explains that he follows the principle of “If others don’t provoke me, I won’t provoke them,” so he doesn’t believe he has any enemies. Meanwhile, Cao Xuanxuan questions a servant, asking if Master Ning has an elder son. Upon learning that he indeed has two sons and strongly favors his younger one, she inquires about some strange markings on the younger son.
Back at the Guo Residence, Master Guo (Guo Zijie’s father) falls ill and cannot go out to greet the guests himself. He has Ah Fu inform the steward to start the banquet in his stead. But as Ah Fu is leaving, he runs into the second madam, who wants to show off her authority in front of the guests. Learning she can represent Master Guo, she takes it upon herself to appear in the front hall and host the gathering.
Elsewhere in the courtyard, Guo Zilu and several servants spot a mysterious woman cursing Master Guo. They try to seize her, but she manages to flee. Meanwhile, in the main hall, the second madam welcomes guests who have come to celebrate Master Guo’s birthday, urging the servants to serve wine quickly. Just as everyone drinks a cup, she suddenly clutches her stomach in pain.
Hearing the commotion, Master Guo summons Ah Fu to learn what happened and then hurries to the main hall. By this time, the second madam has collapsed and is unresponsive. Everyone is baffled, and Ah Fu fears the strange curse might have come true. Lord Song (Song daren), present at the banquet, declares that the second madam died from poisoning. Alarmed at the possibility that the food might be tainted, the guests panic. Lord Song reassures them that such a potent poison would have taken effect immediately, and since they are still fine, the dishes likely weren’t poisoned. Instead, suspicion falls on the wine. Because those who drank from the same wine jug remain unharmed, the poison must have been in the second madam’s cup. Lord Song cannot identify the poison itself, only that it does not appear to be from the Central Plains. Just then, Guo Zilu rushes in and ushers his father away under the pretense of his poor health, insisting on handling the incident himself.
Meanwhile, Master Ning arrives at the appointed exchange spot with the ransom. A masked captor holds a knife to his “son,” whose face is completely hidden by disheveled hair. Cao Xuanxuan senses something off and suddenly rushes forward, grabs the supposed hostage, and tosses him into the air—only to reveal it’s actually a straw dummy.
Enraged at not seeing his real son, Master Ning demands to know where the kidnappers have taken him. At this moment, Cao Xuanxuan unmasks the kidnapper’s true identity: the younger son himself. Back at home, a furious Master Ning scolds the younger son. But Cao Xuanxuan quickly deduces he did all this for his elder brother. The older son’s gambling addiction left him deeply in debt, nearly getting him beaten to death, and his younger brother couldn’t bear to stand by. Hoping to pay off the debts, he staged a “kidnapping” to swindle money from their father. Furthermore, he employed various modern methods—prompting Cao Xuanxuan to ask who taught him.
Because they helped Master Ning save his “kidnapped” son, Guo Zijie and Cao Xuanxuan return home very late. While passing through a forest, a group of masked men ambushes them. Guo Zijie shields Cao Xuanxuan, taking the brunt of the attacks. Fortunately, He Chuner and Sun Weiyan arrive just in time to rescue them.
The next morning, Ah Fu goes to see Master Guo—only to find him dead in his room. Meanwhile, Cao Xuanxuan and the others bring an unconscious Guo Zijie back to the Guo Residence. Tragedy looms over the estate: in one night, both the second madam and Master Guo have died, and Guo Zijie lies comatose. Convinced he now holds absolute power, Guo Zilu dismisses his most capable henchman, seeing no one left who can challenge him. The loyal steward, devastated by this sudden ruin, grieves over how the Guo household has collapsed overnight.
With no head of the family left to turn to, Cao Xuanxuan steps forward and vows to avenge Master Guo, determined to uncover whoever is responsible for these murders. Meanwhile, Guo Zilu shows off his newfound authority throughout the house, commanding the servants with an air of triumph.
