Episode 17 recap: Xue Shu once again schemed against the female lead.
To prevent Xue Yuan from succeeding, Xie Wei signaled to Yan Mu and Yan Lin not to resist. When Xue Yuan intended to torture Yan Mu, Xie Wei informed him that physicians were exempt from such punishment. Reluctantly, Xue Yuan gave up on the idea. Before Yan Lin was taken away, he discreetly handed a purse to Jiang Xue Ning and instructed her to keep the sword safe for him.
After Yan Mu and Yan Lin were taken away, Xue Yuan ordered a search of Yan Mansion. In addition to looking for evidence of Yan Mu's crimes, he also wanted to find the military tokens of the Yan family's army. However, what he didn't anticipate was that Yan Mu had secretly handed the tokens to Xie Wei. Seeing the Xingwu guards rummaging through the house, Jiang Xue Ning worried they would find evidence against the Yan family. Xie Wei assured her not to worry, as Xue Yuan, in his self-assuredness, was unknowingly trapped in someone else's scheme.
Upon receiving news from Tongzhou that the Yan family's army was not involved in any rebellion, the Emperor rebuked Xue Yuan. Seeking revenge, Xue Yuan suggested to the Emperor that punishment be imposed on the Yan father and son. Unwilling to be manipulated by Xue Yuan, the Emperor summoned Xie Wei. With just a few words, Xie Wei enlightened the Emperor.
Xie Wei informed the Emperor that Xue Yuan couldn't find any evidence of Yan Mu's rebellion and wanted to detain him because he coveted Yan Mu's military power. After hearing Xie Wei's words, the Emperor finally understood Xue Yuan's intention to use punishment against the Yan family as a means to kill them and silence any witnesses. As a result, he instructed Xie Wei to investigate in the prison and find the military tokens of the Yan family's army.
Shen Jie pleaded for mercy on behalf of the Yan father and son, but the Empress Dowager denied his request. Shen Jie knelt in front of the Empress Dowager's door, refusing to rise. Xue Shu attempted to persuade Shen Jie, but he was deeply disappointed in her. Xue Shu was puzzled by Shen Jie's uncharacteristic stubbornness. Upon hearing Xue Shu's questioning, the Empress Dowager suspected that Shen Jie had been instigated by Jiang Xue Ning. She contemplated how to deal with Jiang Xue Ning when a eunuch entered and informed her that Lady Qin showed signs of pregnancy. This infuriated the Empress Dowager. After all the effort to bring down the Yan family, if Lady Qin was truly carrying the Crown Prince, their efforts would have been in vain. Xue Shu then offered a suggestion to the Empress Dowager.
Xie Wei visited the prison and shared his thoughts with Yan Mu. He advised Yan Mu to hand over control of the Tongzhou military to the Emperor in order to survive the current crisis. Then, when Xue Yuan made a mistake, they could take action. However, Yan Mu worried that the Emperor would not treat the tens of thousands of soldiers well. Reassuring him, Xie Wei promised to find a way to take care of those soldiers.
Jiang Xue Ning went to class, and people discussed the events happening in the Yan family. They praised Zhang Zhe for his courage and wisdom, but Yao Xi deliberately belittled Zhang Zhe and mocked Jiang Xue Ning in front of everyone. She picked up things Jiang Xue Ning didn't want and treated them as treasures. Hearing this, Jiang Xue Ning didn't tolerate her behavior and poured a glass of water on Yao Xi's face.
Yao Xi was about to explode when Huang Gonggong suddenly delivered an order. The Empress Dowager wanted everyone to go to the imperial garden to appreciate the flowers. On the way to meet the Empress Dowager, Jiang Xue Ning reminded Jiang Xuehui that this matter was definitely not as simple as flower appreciation and told her to be careful. After arriving at the Empress Dowager's palace, the Empress Dowager intentionally asked Qin Gui Ren to pick flowers and had Jiang Xue Ning accompany her. Jiang Xue Ning suspected that the Empress Dowager had ill intentions, so she asked Xue Shu to go along as well. Xue Shu also brought Yao Xi along.
Jiang Xue Ning suspected that the Empress Dowager might target Qin Gui Ren, so she pretended to have a stomachache and left. Jiang Xue Ning initially thought that once she left, Qin Gui Ren would be safe. However, shortly after she walked away, she heard Qin Gui Ren scream. Qin Gui Ren was frightened by several mice and fell to the ground. Yao Xi, trying to please Qin Gui Ren, approached her, but Xue Shu falsely accused Yao Xi of pushing Qin Gui Ren. Before Xue Shu could take further action, Jiang Xuehui discovered that Qin Gui Ren was pregnant.
When the Emperor learned that Qin Gui Ren was pregnant, he naturally became very happy. He called Xie Wei and shared the good news with him. Xie Wei brought another surprise to the Emperor—the military tokens of the Yan family's army had been found. The Emperor was doubly delighted. While he was happily celebrating, Zhang Zhe suddenly questioned Xie Wei. He mentioned that the Xingwu guards had mobilized three to four hundred men and searched for a long time without finding the tokens. Zhang Zhe doubted how Xie Wei managed to find them. Xie Wei explained to the Emperor that he used reasoning in the prison to persuade Yan Mu, and Yan Mu voluntarily handed them over. However, Zhang Zhe believed that Xie Wei's words were not trustworthy.
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