Liu Wan publicly humiliates Luo Shu at the court gathering, forcing her to play the pipa for their entertainment. Still unsatisfied, she demands that her female companions choose songs on the spot. Luo Shu, not wanting to cause trouble for Han Muzhi, musters her courage and complies.
Upon hearing the news, Han Muzhi rushes to the scene, intending to defend Luo Shu but hesitates to publicly challenge Liu Wan’s authority. He stands there, bewildered. Qi Menglin hurries to support Luo Shu, leveraging his status as the governor’s son to exert pressure. He Xiang abuses her power, mocking Qi Menglin, who responds by harshly reprimanding her. Liu Wan steps forward to argue her case logically with Qi Menglin, but he retorts sarcastically, leaving Liu Wan fuming and speechless.
Two wealthy young ladies come forward to ridicule Luo Shu’s humble origins. Qi Menglin dismantles their arguments, exposing their flaws, and then leads Luo Shu away. Approaching Han Muzhi, Qi Menglin mocks him as a hypocrite, warning him not to provoke Luo Shu any further. He then takes Luo Shu to the riverbank, advising her not to become Han Muzhi’s concubine. Despite being publicly humiliated, Han Muzhi is too intimidated to come to her aid, leaving Luo Shu heartbroken.
Lu Cong, the son of wealthy merchant Lu Wanchang from Linfen, arrives at the county office to file a complaint. His father, Lu Wanchang, has been arrested for the alleged murder of neighbor Ma Tianjin and is seeking to clear his name. Han Muzhi recalls the case vividly: Lu Wanchang and Ma Tianjin had a longstanding grudge, culminating in Ma Tianjin’s murder by a single stroke. Despite public suspicion, Lu Wanchang confessed to protect his family from further trouble, signing the statement under duress. Recently, Lu Cong discovers a wanted notice in Hejin County stating that two bandits confessed to attacking the Ma family, prompting Han Muzhi to seek assistance from Liu Yiqing, unsure how to proceed.
Liu Yiqing is well aware of Han Muzhi’s actions and advises him to avoid meddling in minor cases to prevent jeopardizing his future. Hearing about Qi Menglin causing a scene at Liu Wan’s court meeting, Liu Yiqing reprimands Han Muzhi without understanding the full story. Frustrated, Han Muzhi suspects that someone within the county office is leaking information to Liu Yiqing and decides to clean up the corrupt officials. Chen Meiqing advises him to reconsider, reminding him that his position in Linfen is still unstable after just one year. Reluctantly, Han Muzhi agrees and sends Chen Meiqing to Hejin County to gather more information.
Luo Shu learns that Captain Cai intends to accompany Chen Meiqing to Hejin to investigate the case. Having previously interrogated Lu Wanchang and finding him formidable, and questioning why bandits targeted Ma Tianjin instead of the affluent Lu family, Luo Shu suspects numerous inconsistencies in the case. Determined to uncover the truth herself, she insists on joining the investigation. Chen Meiqing agrees, hoping to use the opportunity to avoid Liu Wan’s interference. Qi Menglin, wanting to accompany Luo Shu and investigate her delayed renunciation papers, reluctantly agrees after Luo Shu insists she cannot add to his troubles.
As Luo Shu prepares to depart, Han Muzhi arrives to bid her farewell. He overhears Luo Shu and Qi Menglin discussing their plans, leaving him feeling uneasy. Early the next morning, Luo Shu attempts to secretly go to the dock, but Qi Menglin has already been waiting and insists on accompanying her. Together, they board a boat to Hejin County’s dock, where they witness two young beggars stealing baozi. Qi Menglin trades a meat strip for a baozi and learns that their master is bringing a woman across the river, who hands them a basket of baozi. Suspicious of bloodstains on the boat’s gang, Qi Menglin inspects a nearby wine jar, discovering a severed head inside. The young beggars brandish daggers towards Qi Menglin, prompting Luo Shu to sense danger. She pulls Qi Menglin into the river to escape.
Captain Cai arrives in time to rescue Qi Menglin from the river, while the young beggars seize the opportunity to flee by boat. Grateful for Luo Shu’s lifesaving actions, Qi Menglin remains uneasy, suspecting that the severed head was intended for the woman delivering baozi. He plans to use himself as bait to lure the beggars’ master, but Luo Shu remains cautious. Just then, the beggars’ master arrives at the dock in a hurry. Without hesitation, Luo Shu rushes to board the boat, urging the elderly beggar to speed up. Qi Menglin, fearing for Luo Shu’s safety, watches as Captain Cai leaps onto the boat, falsely claiming that Luo Shu is his wife to persuade her to return home. Luo Shu denies Cai’s accusations, exposing him as a human trafficker. The elderly beggar accelerates the boat’s departure, while Captain Cai jumps onto it. The young beggars attempt to kill Luo Shu with daggers, but Qi Menglin throws a stone that strikes one beggar’s chest, causing him to drop his knife. The elderly beggar jumps into the river to escape, followed by the two young beggars.
Yang Zhan, the Hejin County captain, arrives promptly with his team, capturing all three beggars. Captain Cai and Yang Zhan, old acquaintances, reunite joyously. Determined to interrogate the true culprits behind Ma Tianjin’s murder, Luo Shu meets with Warden Lao Song, who accompanies her and Qi Menglin to the county jail. The alleged murderers, Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San, confess that they killed Ma Tianjin for financial gain. However, Luo Shu persistently questions them for more details, but they evade her inquiries. Warden Lao Song scolds them and invites Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, Yang Zhan, and Captain Cai to dine together.
Luo Shu believes that Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San are innocent and that Captain Cai shares her suspicion. Qi Menglin suggests waiting until after dinner to re-interrogate them. After their meal, Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Captain Cai return to the jail to question the suspects again. Convinced that the two are taking the fall for someone else, Luo Shu explains the stakes and urges them to reveal the true culprit. Warden Lao Song hurries to deliver food to Jin Lao Liu and Zheng Lao San’s wives.
Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Captain Cai split up to follow the two women. Jin Lao Liu’s wife cheerfully heads to the rouge shop, while Zheng Lao San’s wife goes home to care for her child, showing no suspicious behavior. Luo Shu, Qi Menglin, and Captain Cai all suspect that Warden Lao Song is up to something, but he couldn’t possibly be directly collaborating with Lu Wanchang’s family in Linfen. Luo Shu deduces that there is an inside informant within the Linfen county office, working together to help Lu Wanchang find scapegoats.
