Qiao Ruohui discovered that He Shenwei had secretly taken money from the accounts and was found hiding a woman’s handkerchief, suspecting He Shenwei of having an affair. She wrote a letter to her sister, Qiao Ruolan. He Shenwei intercepted the letter, forged a reply in Qiao Ruohui’s handwriting to reassure Qiao Ruolan, and Hua Miao, fearing that Qiao Ruohui would uncover his and He Shenwei’s conspiracy to seize control of the Qiao family distillery, concocted a poison for Qiao Ruohui.
He Shenwei presented the bowl of poison to Qiao Ruohui. Given her frail health, she adamantly refused to drink the medicine brought by He Shenwei and desperately asked him if he was unfaithful. He Shenwei confessed without hesitation and forcibly forced the poisoned bowl into Qiao Ruohui’s mouth, leading to her rapid poisoning and subsequent death.
Upon hearing He Shenwei’s account, Qiao Ruolan was furious, gritting her teeth and drawing her sword to kill He Shenwei in revenge for her sister Qiao Ruohui’s death. Luo Shu desperately tried to stop her, while He Shenwei shifted all blame onto Hua Miao. Hua Miao vehemently denied the accusations, but He Shenwei publicly exposed Hua Miao as Bai Zhi Shan, the second-in-command of the White Ants gang—White Paper Fan. Hua Miao refused to admit guilt, and He Shenwei proclaimed that he was Hua Miao’s weapon. Considering that Qiu Niang was pregnant with his child, He Shenwei spared him. However, Qiu Niang stepped forward to exonerate Hua Miao, admitting that her child was not He Shenwei’s. He Shenwei was left stunned, realizing he had fallen into Hua Miao and Qiu Niang’s trap.
Hua Miao berated He Shenwei, mocking him by saying he was worse than a stray dog. Humiliated, He Shenwei drew his sword to stab Hua Miao. Qiao Ruolan brought Luo Shu to the distillery, reminiscing about the playful moments she and her sister spent there as children, filling her with mixed emotions. Luo Shu encouraged Qiao Ruolan to stay strong and honor her sister Qiao Ruohui’s expectations.
Hua Miao was incarcerated and refused to confess his crimes. Han Muzhi explained the stakes to him, but Hua Miao remained obstinate. Han Muzhi ordered harsh interrogations, leading Hua Miao to finally confess his crimes of using the White Ants to rob respectable women. Han Muzhi vowed to eradicate all White Ants in the city. Chen Meiqing advised him to reconsider, reminding him of the prefect who attempted to suppress the White Ants five years ago but was brutally beaten in the bustling market, resulting in deafness and forcing him to leave Linfen. Despite Chen Meiqing’s counsel, Han Muzhi was resolute and unwilling to tolerate corruption.
Han Muzhi wrote a letter to Pingyang Guard in Taiyuan seeking assistance and waited quietly at the county office for news. Luo Shu sensed Han Muzhi’s intentions and took out a long-forgotten pipa (a traditional Chinese string instrument) to play a melody. News of victory soon arrived: Pingyang Guard had dispatched forces to cleanse the White Ants. Han Muzhi personally greeted the triumphant Pingyang Guard at the county office entrance, only to find that the leader was Qi Menglin. Qi Menglin, now the deputy commander of Pingyang Guard, led the troops to eliminate the White Ants, with the populace cheering them on enthusiastically.
Han Muzhi expressed his gratitude to Qi Menglin for eradicating the White Ants that had plagued Linfen for over a decade. Luo Shu confined all captured White Ants to custody before reporting back to Han Muzhi. Qi Menglin boasted in front of Luo Shu, but she ignored him. Chen’s father rushed with a flock of sheep to the county office to find Chen Meiqing, pressuring him to return home and marry Zhao Hua, leaving behind a sheep to help Chen Meiqing recover his health. Chen Meiqing had been avoiding the arranged marriage, fearing his father would force him, and now he was distressed by his father’s demands.
Han Muzhi hosted a banquet to celebrate Qi Menglin’s achievements. Qi Menglin eagerly bragged about his military successes, while Lian Shu criticized him from the sidelines. Qi Menglin ordered Lian Shu to be quiet. Luo Shu congratulated Qi Menglin, and Cai Baozi requested Qi Menglin to invite everyone to watch a theater performance by the Pingyang opera troupe. Qi Menglin agreed enthusiastically, curious about the status of Chen Meiqing’s unmarried bride. Cai Baozi joined in the merriment, and when Chen Meiqing sulked, he threatened to remove the lamb meat he had brought, forcing everyone to remain silent.
After the banquet, Han Muzhi and Luo Shu played chess in the courtyard. Luo Shu thanked Han Muzhi on behalf of the women of Linfen for his support. Han Muzhi clarified that his mission to suppress the bandits was motivated by his concern for Luo Shu and confessed his feelings to her. Caught off guard by his sudden confession, Luo Shu was unsure how to respond. Han Muzhi gave her a day to consider his proposal. Chen Meiqing overheard their conversation from outside the wall.
Chen Meiqing approached Luo Shu to confront her, advising her to give up on Han Muzhi. He informed her that Han Muzhi was already engaged to Liu Wan, the daughter of Prefect Liu Yiqing. Even if Luo Shu became Han Muzhi’s concubine, Prefect Liu Yiqing would never approve. If Han Muzhi insisted on marrying Luo Shu, it would ruin his future. Chen Meiqing noticed that Luo Shu also had feelings for Han Muzhi and vowed to do everything possible to prevent them from being together. He urged Luo Shu to make Han Muzhi give up on him.
Luo Shu developed deep feelings for Han Muzhi over time. Chen Meiqing’s words made her realize the situation, and she decided not to attend Han Muzhi’s meeting. Han Muzhi waited until late, but Luo Shu never appeared, leaving him disappointed. Han Muzhi learned from Cai Baozi that Qi Menglin had invited the county officials to watch a play. Luo Shu agreed to watch the performance. Han Muzhi arrived early at the theater stage, and Luo Shu followed shortly after. Qi Menglin invited everyone to watch “Zi Chai Ji” (The Tale of the Purple Hairpin). Han Muzhi was uninterested in the play and focused intently on Luo Shu, trying to read her expressions for answers. Luo Shu ignored him completely.
“Zi Chai Ji” tells the story of a man who gave up marrying the daughter of a grand marshal to marry a commoner woman with shared ideals. Luo Shu left halfway through the performance, and Han Muzhi followed her out. She inadvertently approached the chessboard, and Han Muzhi questioned her about missing their appointment the previous night. Luo Shu refused to become Han Muzhi’s concubine and didn’t want to hinder his future, expressing that she only desired someone who loved her wholeheartedly. Qi Menglin, hearing Luo Shu and Han Muzhi’s conversation, made a silent determination to pursue Luo Shu. From that day on, Luo Shu set aside her romantic feelings for Han Muzhi and regarded him solely as her superior.
