Chu Linyang sets off for Fengling City. Unknown to him, Tuantuan stopped herself on the back of the carriage through Chu Shan’s help. She gets discovered during a rest stop and claims she’s going to Fengling City to be his physician as well as the soldiers’. She also adds that travelling would help her gain more medical skills. She denies it’s because of her feelings for him.
Chu Linyang tried to send Tuantuan back, getting Chu Shan to escort her. He used reasons such as Fengling City being cold and hard to endure. But she was insistent. She refused to be escorted back and walked alongside the carriage Chu Linyang was in. It caused Chu Shan to beg Chu Linyang to make Tuantuan stop before Chu Linyang gave in and let Tuantuan accompany him.
Chu Yu ends up deciding to go to Fengling City as well. Xiang’s story about the whereabouts of Li Changming was suspicious, and so she decides to sneak into Li Changming’s room with Wanyue and Chu Jin with her, hoping to find clues. After looking around, Chu Jin discovers a spot of blood on the bed. Looking under the covers, a plum blossom was discovered on the mattress—a clue.
On their way back to the Chu Mansion, one of Wei Yun’s messengers, Wei Long, awaited Chu Yu. He had dropped by to speak to Chu Yu about Wei Yun’s discovery of a hairpin suspected to be Li Changming’s that was found near Fengling City. The discovery was made after Wei Yun found Li Changming’s departure out of Huajing City suspicious and the presence of North Qi assassins in Qinxi Valley on the day Xiang confessed.
Chu Yu’s decision is fully supported by her mother, despite not being told of the exact reason why she’s heading off to Fengling City. Last time, Xie Yun just thought Chu Yu was being selfish and was doing everything for her own benefit, at the expense of the Chu family’s reputation. This time, Xie Yun sends her off with full trust. She believes she must have her reasons for heading off again, so she only tells her to write back to let her know she’s safe, to not force herself when she encounters trouble and that doing her best is enough. Chu Jin also sees Chu Yu off, making her dumplings and telling her to eat one on the road for good luck.
Meanwhile, Wei Yun heads off to Qingzhou under His Majesty’s appointment to investigate its military governor, Xu Lingzhang for short payment of taxes and even defaulting on it. It was a decision he made after Jiang Chun convinced him to spend some time far away and see the world to see if he truly likes and loves Chu Yu.
Her intention was for Wei Yun to be sure his feelings weren’t confused with liking her out of dependence, possession or simple desire, putting Chu Yu through hardships that, as a man, Wei Yun can’t understand. She wanted him to go to a place where he was disturbed by no one, meet more people and more women, and maybe even try a relationship. After doing this, Jiang Chun seems to imply that if Wei Yun still likes Chu Yu, then she’d not be opposed to his decision if it remained unchanged.
On this mission, Wei Yun is accompanied by Gu Chusheng, Song Wenchang and Song Shilan. Wei Yun is appointed General of Huaihua to lead troops to Qingzhou with Song Wenchang as Left General, Song Shilan as Right General and Gu Chusheng as Supervisor.
Song Zhao has so far been against his sons’ desire to go on the battlefield. It appears as if he disapproves because of the dangers of the battlefield and not wanting them to stay neutral on court matters, but the appointments revealed that he was just worried his sons didn’t truly understand the dangers and wanted them to genuinely want to go onto the battlefield to defend Great Sui. Once he heard Song Wenchang and Song Shilan’s genuine desire, Song Zhao was not only happy for them to take on this appointment but he was also proud.
Back in the day, Song Zhao guarded the western border. It was because he fell ill; he couldn’t return to the battlefield. He seemed to express regret he failed to raise his sons into pillars of society. To see his sons confirm they genuinely want to make something of themselves, achieve great military merits and restore the vigour of what the family once was, Song Zhao finally gives them his approval.
Although Wei Yun and Gu Chusheng don’t get along, Wei Yun hopes for pleasant cooperation with Gu Chusheng during their investigation. The meeting with the military governor of Qingzhou starts off with Wei Yun and Gu Chusheng working together to get Xu Lingzhang to agree to the Wei army replacing the soldiers currently stationed at the border. Xu Lingzhang was persistent on not agreeing to anything before the night and was convinced to rid them by using their rivalry in love.
By nightfall, Gu Chusheng and Wei Yun were fighting after Wei Yun got provoked by a small wood carving of Chu Yu, which Gu Chusheng made, and brought up Wei Yun’s covetous intentions towards Chu Yu. Unable to take Gu Chusheng anymore, Wei Yun hits him.
It goes exactly as Xu Lingzhang had hoped and exactly the way Shen You had hoped, too. The plan to get rid of Wei Yun and Gu Chusheng is actually part of Xue Hanmei’s plan to bring down Great Sui by getting rid of the remaining capable people in Great Sui. Getting rid of them meant the Emperor would be powerless—so powerless that there would be no one left to deal with what Xu Lingzhang’s done. The military governor of Qingzhou is promised that in time he’d rule Qingzhou. It’s a promise, which Xue Hanmei apparently promises to deliver. With this attractive deal, Xu Lingzhang moves to ultimately have Qingzhou become Wei Yun and Gu Chusheng’s resting place.
