Recaps

Yang Qing used the recovery of stolen valuables and a staged register to expose the bandits’ allies and a Northern Liang agent, while Chu Yifeng and Dai Sheng helped rally Yan Prefecture against the remaining bandits. The story left Yang Qing bound for Yan Pass to investigate Northern Liang, with Tiger still at large after Jiang Zhizhou stopped his ambush.

• Yang Qing arrived in Yan Prefecture and urged its officials and wealthy households to confront Scarface’s bandits, but most resisted until a new caravan massacre forced action.
• Yang Qing traced the stolen valuables to a buried shipment, and Tiger confronted him at the Yang Residence before Wood died and Tiger disappeared.
• Dai Sheng raided Fortune Comes and arrested Hong Fu, but Hong Fu was poisoned in custody, prompting Yang Qing to plant a false register to draw out the bandits’ ally.
• Bu Er recovered the register after killing a masked attacker, and Yang Qing joined Chu Yifeng in using a jade pendant and fabricated attack story to expose Li Hai.
• Li Yi publicly blamed Li Hai and was imprisoned with him, but Yang Qing later gave Li Yi a letter revealing his family’s danger before both men died by poison.
• Yang Qing exposed Master Deng as a Northern Liang agent wearing another man’s face, and Deng died by poison after revealing his allegiance.
• Yang Qing urged Chu Yifeng to strike the demoralized bandits, and Yan Prefecture’s residents volunteered supplies and support for the campaign.
• At Yan Pass, Chen Lin was wounded by Wan Li’s poisoned arrow and privately sent Yan Ming to seek Yang Qing, while Chu Yifeng ordered Yang Qing to investigate the pass and Northern Liang.
• Yang Qing ordered Bu Er to search discreetly for the escaped Tiger, who ambushed him before Jiang Zhizhou stabbed Tiger.

Yang Qing helped defend Yan Pass, then returned to Yan Prefecture as Northern Liang peace talks and a string of political plots placed him under suspicion. After the envoys died and he was stripped of office, he began working from prison while Wei Sizhong secretly protected Fu Bonian from an attack.

• Yang Qing reached Yan Pass, exposed the rumors and schemes surrounding Chen Lin and Zou Donghai, and helped repel Northern Liang’s attack through the Secret Passage and at the West Corner Tower.
• After the victory, Yang Qing returned to Yan Prefecture, where Murong Qian questioned him about his resemblance to a relative she believed had died, while Wei Li began plotting against him.
• Yang Qing learned that the emperor had withheld rewards for the defenders, then accepted responsibility for peace negotiations as Wei Li and Northern Liang’s agents prepared further schemes.
• Yang Qing received Northern Liang’s envoys Liu Mengde and Du Liangcai, rejected their demand for a horse ranch without further discussion, and survived an assassination attempt at the Official Post Station.
• Wei Li died from his wounds, and Liu Mengde later died from a slow-acting poison, and Yang Qing began investigating the deaths as Du Liangcai accused Western Chu.
• Suotu brought an edict stripping Yang Qing of his official rank, but Yang Qing spotted a hidden instruction in its wording and allowed himself to be taken to prison.
• Yang Qing arranged for Bu Er and Phantom Shadow to keep watch while Murong Qian visited him, and he chose to protect her secretly as Fu Bonian was appointed to investigate the envoy case.
• Wei Sizhong revealed that he had secretly brought Fu Bonian to Capital City, but attackers ambushed Fu Bonian’s carriage and killed his steward.

Yang Qing outmaneuvered Fu Bonian, survived scrutiny from Chu Jinghui and Wei Sizhong, and returned to Yan Prefecture before being summoned to the capital to handle Northern Liang’s marriage mission. After refusing Princess Cheng Nazhen’s proposal, he began investigating mysterious illnesses among the delegation as Jiang Zhizhou uncovered a Gu Insect plot.

• Wei Sizhong sent Fu Bonian to accuse Yang Qing, but Yang Qing swapped Fu’s confession and exposed his corruption to Chu Jinghui, who stripped Fu of his rank and sentenced him to execution after autumn.
• Yang Qing donated Northern Liang’s compensation to poor families, then attended the Thousand Longevity Banquet, where Chu Jinghui questioned him about the altered confession and accepted his explanation.
• Wei Sizhong offered Yang Qing a capital post, but Yang Qing refused and returned his focus to Yan Prefecture before Chu Jinghui summoned him to advise on Yan Pass and the proposed marriage alliance.
• Chu Jinghui appointed Yang Qing to receive Northern Liang’s Marriage Envoy Mission, while Jiang Zhizhou warned him that his damaged health and the delegation’s arrival could bring danger.
• Princess Cheng Nazhen declared that she was willing to marry Yang Qing, but he refused, and Nazhen withdrew her proposal.
• Jiang Zhizhou captured a man carrying a Gu Insect that had been intended for Nazhen’s sedan chair, then brought the insect to Yang Qing after another insect killed the suspect.
• Chu Jinghui ordered Yang Qing to investigate illnesses among the delegation, and Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou suspected that someone connected to the mission had brought Gu Insects into the capital.
• Yang Qing visited Nazhen at the Guesthouse, where she confirmed the delegation’s symptoms and dismissed him, and he returned home and sat alone in his unlit study as Jiang Zhizhou and Bu Er waited outside.

Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou exposed Wei Sizhong’s apparent treason while trying to uncover the northern plot and control Chu Jinghui’s response. The arc ended with Wei admitting he had secretly raised Shadow Guards to protect the emperor, as news arrived that their mountain base had burned.

• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou traced the Gu Insect’s threat to the imperial household and Chancellor Wei, then used a hidden box and a concealed Ribbon Blade to bring Wei Sizhong down at court.
• Chu Jinghui stripped Wei Sizhong of his position and imprisoned him, while Yang Qing warned his allies to proceed cautiously and continued investigating the northern delegation.
• Duan Nazhen secretly visited Wei Sizhong in prison, and Chu Jinghui later discovered the jailers neglecting him and ordered them killed and Wei sentenced to execution.
• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou decided to make Wei’s execution appear real to thwart the north’s plan, using Princess Nazhen’s wedding procession to expose Wei’s men.
• Suotu uncovered that the bridal escorts were Shadow Guards from Wei Sizhong’s household and learned that thousands were hidden at a temple outside the capital.
• An assassination attempt at the wedding distracted the court as a fire broke out at the mountain temple, and Chu Jinghui ordered Suotu to seal the routes while the site burned.
• Chu Jinghui confronted Wei Sizhong, who admitted the guards were his and said he had raised them to protect the emperor from another conspiracy like the one in Yan Prefecture.
• Princess Nazhen confirmed that Wei’s guards had watched her delegation, and Wei explained his plans before learning that the fire had destroyed the Shadow Guard base, and Eunuch Zhang then announced Lord Suo’s arrival.