Episode 8 recap: That Battle Aims to Use Huang Bei Shuang to Dominate the Central Plains
In Episode 8, Lord Zhu specially sends a gift to Zhen Qu You Jia, complimenting her beautiful new dress and deliberately presenting her with lamp wicks in the name of the city lord. Zhen Qu You Jia responds with jewelry, and Lord Zhu mentions that the city lord enjoys drinking night tea, encouraging her to make a good impression during the festival.
Ye Pei, lacking discretion, curiously asks about the festival celebrations in Ma Sui, prompting Huang Bei Shuang to caution her to watch her words. When Lord Zhu delivers the lamp wicks, he expects a gift in return from Huang Bei Shuang, but instead, he receives pastries. He claims that That Battle likes medicinal tea, hoping to see her make a mistake.
Huo Qing Yun learns that That Battle plans to hold a lantern festival for the Moon Festival and sees this as a golden opportunity to rescue Elder Rong while That Battle is away from the residence. Sha Qu quietly suggests that they can kill two birds with one stone, but Huo Qing Yun pretends not to understand.
That Battle instructs the general to pay attention to the lantern festival, marking his first participation in a public holiday after many years. The general reminds the performers that only a select few have been chosen and urges them to put on a good show in front of That Battle.
Huang Bei Shuang is absorbed in her research on the Qijuan, and Ye Pei encourages her to stretch and relax. As Huang Bei Shuang turns, she spots red silk hanging from a tree, recalling that Huo Qing Yun has a habit of displaying red silk.
That Battle visits Yun Fang Pavilion to see Huang Bei Shuang and asks about her insights from reading the "Shadun" chapter. She humbly admits to only skimming the surface and requests more time to delve deeper. That Battle is not in a hurry, encouraging her to take her time and promising a grand gift once she finishes her studies.
The general reports that the Ma Sui city lord has sent congratulatory gifts, which That Battle dismisses with disdain, mocking the Ma Sui city lord Ge Er Jin Qun as insignificant. Huang Bei Shuang seizes this opportunity to inquire about Ma Sui, learning that they have long been sending gifts in hopes of protection. She deliberately states that while Ma Sui is land-poor, it produces the rare Yunque items.
That Battle expresses contempt for Ma Sui, believing they survive solely on Yunque trade. He initially wants Huang Bei Shuang to accompany him to the lantern festival, but she excuses herself, saying she needs more time to study the Qijuan and cannot join him for now. That Battle does not press her further.
After That Battle left, Huang Bei Shuang asked Ye Pei and Lian Huan if they noticed his attitude toward Ma Sui. Lian Huan sensed That Battle's disdain for Ma Sui, but Huang Bei Shuang couldn't make a judgment and wanted to find another opportunity to probe further. Ye Pei mumbled under her breath, thinking Huang Bei Shuang was still focused on Ma Sui, prompting Lian Huan to remind her to watch her words.
That Battle returned to see Elder Rong, who still did not welcome him and spoke to him sharply. That Battle purposely mentioned how important Elder Rong was to him and expressed concern for his well-being, stating he would send a small gift during the lantern festival. Elder Rong pretended not to understand and continued eating the food That Battle had brought.
Meanwhile, Ruo Wen and his brothers arrived at the Yunque border. He instructed his brothers to split into several groups, disguising themselves to find Huang Bei Shuang. He decided to stay behind to rest, intentionally waiting for Ge Xin Wei to find him. Ge Xin Wei angrily caught up with Ruo Wen, questioning why he had abandoned her, asserting that the person she liked would never escape her grasp. Ruo Wen didn’t care about the reasons, but Ge Xin Wei confessed her feelings for him.
Huo Qing Yun and the others replaced the acrobats, preparing to approach That Battle during the lantern festival. At the festival, Huo Qing Yun spotted Huang Bei Shuang in the market and intentionally appeared in front of her. The two donned masks and enjoyed their time together. Ge Xin Wei helped Ruo Wen choose a mask, and the two joined the festivities in the market.
At the bonfire party, Ruo Wen almost recognized Huang Bei Shuang and had to distract Ge Xin Wei. Man Hu learned that Huang Bei Shuang had been designated as a lady and mentioned he had already arranged for people to be around the venue. Ge Xin Wei was drawn to a magical performance that seemed to bring the dead to life, and Ruo Wen intentionally encouraged her to try it out. However, when the box opened again, Ge Xin Wei had mysteriously disappeared.
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