Jiang Changyang warns Peony that if Liu Shen discovers her, a mere merchant, investigating him, he won’t hesitate to silence her. Peony is puzzled by how Jiang knows about her activities, and Jiang reveals that Chuan Yu spotted the people she hired tailing Liu Shen in the black market. Jiang isn’t advising her to give up but to act within her limits. The corruption in Xishi’s rice trade, including mixing old rice with new, isn’t something a minor official like Liu Shen could orchestrate alone—it involves a much larger web of power. Hearing this, Peony realizes that Jiang also aims to take down Liu Shen’s backers, motivating her to join forces with him. They agree to divide their efforts: Jiang will tackle the officials, while Peony will mobilize the people.
Jiang hosts a banquet, inviting officials, including those from Jingzhao Prefecture. The guests are served moldy millet from the Xishi market, causing widespread illness. Jiang uses the incident to demand that Jingzhao Prefecture investigate the matter thoroughly. Meanwhile, Peony stages a public drama, urging commoners to file complaints against the officials. Her goal is to escalate the issue to force the culprits into making mistakes. She also announces that her store, Huamanzhu, will accept returns of contaminated products and offer affordable medicines for stomach ailments, winning public gratitude.
At Jingzhao Prefecture, officials ignore the complaints of the aggrieved citizens, leaving them outside the gates. This is part of Peony’s plan to fuel public outrage. She continues rallying support, with Lü Xingtou publicly presenting moldy rice as evidence and voicing his solidarity with her. As public participation grows, so does the amount of moldy rice collected, creating a massive spectacle. When Ren Jingzhao arrives to intimidate the crowd, his attempts fail, and he orders the rice to be confiscated. Peony drums up support and demands royal intervention.
The emperor hears of the incident, but Liu Shen and his allies try to downplay it. Jiang, careful not to arouse suspicion among Prince Ning’s faction, glosses over the banquet incident. However, the censor official insists the public unrest warrants a thorough investigation. Jiang suggests Princess Liu lead the inquiry, with assistance from the censor official, and the emperor agrees. Jiang deliberately gives Liu Shen time to move the evidence of moldy rice, knowing Peony and Chuan Yu are ready to catch him in the act. True to form, Liu Shen hastily replaces the bad rice with good and attempts to transport the moldy batch, but Chuan Yu overturns the barrels in public, exposing the evidence.
Liu Shen and his accomplices become public enemies, hunted down by angry citizens. Liu Shen tries to flee but is shot in the leg by Peony’s slingshot, falling into a river and crying for help—only to be arrested by the censor official. Under interrogation, Liu Shen confesses, implicating the Chen family, who are abandoned by Prince Ning. The fallout isolates Prince Ning further, damaging his political alliances.
Meanwhile, Liu Chang is coerced into re-proposing to County Princess Li Youzhen to save Liu Shen from harsher punishment. Li Youzhen uses the situation to corner Prince Ning, declaring she will only marry Liu Chang, forcing Prince Ning to agree.
Finally, Liu Shen is publicly flogged. Though Liu Chang’s marriage into Prince Ning’s family might shield Liu Shen from exile, Zhu Fu advises Peony to remain optimistic. The episode ends with Peony and Zhu Fu discussing the possible sale of Fangyuan Garden, suggesting brighter days ahead.
