Under Jiang Changyang’s threats, Peony reluctantly stabbed herself, only to find the knife was a toy that retracted upon impact. Realizing she’d been tricked, she was stunned and angry. From outside the hall, Xu Zuping’s voice startled her, revealing the supposedly dead dean alive and well. Jiang Changyang then revealed the truth behind the events of that fateful rainy night.
On that evening, Jiang had been waiting at Xu Zuping’s residence to discuss important matters, but when the dean failed to return, Jiang went out to search for him. He encountered an assassin trying to kill Xu and intervened, killing the attacker and saving his teacher. To protect Xu, Jiang found the body of a prisoner who resembled him, threw it into the river, and staged Xu’s death. This ensured that Prince Ning would believe Xu was dead.
Since Jiang’s estate often received visits from powerful figures, it was unsafe for Xu to remain there. Peony immediately understood Jiang’s intent and offered to host Xu at her shop. Xu volunteered to work as her accountant, leaving Peony both honored and surprised. Jiang entrusted Peony with Xu’s medicinal bath powders and tea, demonstrating his trust in her to care for his revered teacher. To Sheng Yi, Peony kept Xu’s true identity a secret, only mentioning that she had recruited him as an accountant after great effort.
That day, Jiang’s estate was bustling with an opera performance. Curious, Peony went to watch and learned from Chuanyu that it was the death anniversary of Jiang’s mother. Someone had arranged the performance to curry favor with Jiang, hoping to secure an official position. However, Jiang dismissed the attempt, accusing the person of bribery, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor.
The opera depicted the love story of Jiang Yuantang and his first wife, but Jiang revealed to Peony later that the story was a farce. Deep into the night, as Peony grilled meat, Jiang was drawn by the aroma. She invited him to join her, and in a rare moment of vulnerability, Jiang confided that the public’s belief in his parents’ lifelong love was a lie. After moving to Chang’an, his father became infatuated with another woman, bringing her into a separate household. When Jiang’s mother passed away, his father wanted to formally bring the woman into the main residence, a plan Jiang thwarted by threatening to take his own life.
Jiang and Peony, both disillusioned with marriage, made a bet: whoever broke their vow to remain unmarried first would pay the other 100,000 coins. Instead of drafting an agreement, Jiang carved the wager into a stone table, signing it with the phrase “First to Marry is the Winner.” Peony added her signature with a peony flower sketch.
Drinking among the flowers, they fell asleep on a soft couch. The next morning, Peony woke first and was about to admire Jiang’s handsome sleeping face when a group of people suddenly appeared, startling her. Jiang addressed the leader of the group as “Auntie,” revealing her as Madam Feng, a powerful matriarch.
Madam Feng ordered Jiang to be tied up and taken to the ancestral hall, where she scolded him for sullying Peony’s reputation by sleeping beside her. She insisted they marry to protect Peony’s honor. Jiang, surprisingly, did not resist and even agreed repeatedly.
Peony, however, explained that her relationship with Jiang was purely financial. Noticing Jiang’s meekness in Madam Feng’s presence, Peony took advantage of the situation. Pretending to be humiliated, she slapped Jiang and stormed off in mock outrage.
Madam Feng, rather than offended by Peony’s boldness, admired her courage, calling her the first woman brave enough to slap Jiang. She later sent Peony a collection of gold and silver hairpins as an apology gift. Peony recalled a message Chuanyu had relayed from Jiang: he agreed to amend their profit split to 70-30 but insisted that Peony refuse Madam Feng’s proposal completely.
