Episode 26

Encounter

As a young child, Meng Tinghui fell into the hands of human traffickers. In her moment of despair, a youth clad in red enlightened her : only by studying, becoming an official, and having power can she truly exact revenge.

Standoff

To retrieve the handwritten resume Ying Gua took, Meng Tinghui deliberately leaks his whereabouts on the street to both the Black Tiger Hall and Huo An's faction. That night, Ying Gua returns to Bofeng House with people to confront Meng Tinghui about the betrayal, and the two face off amidst a torrential downpour.

A Deal

Meng Tinghui seizes the opportunity to escape prison and seeks out Ying Gua to propose a deal. She will guide him into Jiuyou City, and in return, he will restore her status as a law-abiding citizen, reinstating her eligibility for the Imperial Examination.

Childhood Memories

Ying Gua returns Meng Tinghui's handwritten resume to her and invites her to go horseback riding. As she recounts the story of being abducted and trafficked as a child, Ying Gua realizes she is the same young beggar who stole his jade pendant a decade ago.

Exposing Fraud

Meng Tinghui's discourse on policy in the Metropolitan Examination is plagiarized, and the perpetrator even attempts to silence her permanently. She decides to blow up the matter, printing and distributing leaflets on Changle Street to expose the fraud surrounding the discourse on policy of the Metropolitan Examination's Top Scholar.

His True Identity

The Magistrate of the Metropolitan Office, Dong Shoucai, conspires with Jiang Mei'er and has Meng Tinghui thrown into prison. Jiang Mei'er orders the prison guards to set the prison ablaze to silence her. At the critical moment, Ying Gua arrives with the Shenwei Army, and only then does Meng Tinghui learn that He Du is actually the reigning Emperor.

Mass Petition

Left Chancellor Xu Ting forcibly abolishes the Women's Special Imperial Examination. Meng Tinghui persuades Right Chancellor Gu Qin to help secure land for women's academies across all the provinces. She then gathers all the female tribute scholars to sign a joint petition and kneels in the rain in front of the Xu residence to plead their cause.

Establishing the Censorship Bureau

Ying Gua announces the establishment of the Censorship Bureau and appoints Meng Tinghui to lead it, but Xu Ting vehemently objects, arguing that it would throw the court into disorder.

Dealing with the Tiger Roar Gang

Meng Tinghui goes to Changle Street to offer a reward for information on the Tiger Roar Gang but unexpectedly uncovers a horrifying crime...

The Last Straw

Meng Tinghui commands the Shenwei Army to publicly cane Lyu Er and his accomplices to death, curbing violence with violence.

Luring the Enemy Into a Trap

Meng Tinghui is ambushed in prison, but the shadow guards arranged by Ying Gua appear just in time to rescue her. That is when she realizes that her imprisonment and the attack on her were all a trap set by Ying Gua to lure out the enemy.

Investigating the Gambling House

Meng Tinghui and Ying Gua become suspicious of Xingrong Gambling House and go undercover to investigate. They discover it is a den where innocent female students are imprisoned and trafficked.

The Real Culprit

Vice Minister Zheng of the Court of Judicial Review shields the culprit and falsely accuses Meng Tinghui of taking bribes. When Meng Tinghui unexpectedly notices the red jade thumb ring and bite mark on his hand, she realizes he is the true culprit behind Yue's murder.

Proposal

Left Chancellor, Xu Ting's son, Xu Runze hears of Meng Tinghui's achievements and falls for her. He shows up with betrothal gifts to propose to her at Bofeng House in front of everyone.

Lifesaver

Xu Ting, Wen Tao, and other court officials demand that Meng Tinghui be severely punished and the Censorship Bureau be dissolved. Ying Gua then reveals a shocking secret: he was the one who rescued Meng Tinghui in Shazhou 10 years ago.

Scandal

In order to distance Ying Gua from Meng Tinghui, he sends Wen Tao's daughter, Wen Ruomei, into the palace. He schemes to get Wen Ruomei close to Ying Gua and create a scandal that will mislead the court and the public.

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Episode 32