The impossible and improbable has occured. Shen Bi and Lu Zhen are working together and not against each other. WHAT? Also, our second male lead who falls head over heels for Lu Zhen has finally decided to show up…. half way into the show.
The Emperor is still learning how to make ceramics, and he is getting healthier because he gets out more, which earns good points in the dowager’s books for Lu Zhen. The Emperor teases Lu Zhen that since Gao Zhan is away and it’s almost valentine’s day, he will probably send back some trinket for her.
The Emperor’s eunuch comes charging up with a secret report about Gao Zhan. The river flooding got worse, and a handful of refugees stormed the place Gao Zhan was working and kidnapped him.
Lu Zhen is stunned and stricken by the news. The emperor wants to send his personal guards to the area but Lu Zhen stops him, tellng him that by the time his guards make it over, it will be three days too late. They need to send soldiers from the area now. The emperor agrees with her and tells his eunuch to give the order. The Emperor, seeing Lu Zhen in distress, hugs her to comfort her. This is seen by the Royal Concubine who is more than shocked.
The Emperor calls Shen Jia Yan, General in command of the Yu Lin Army, the personal army of the emperor. He is also the smarter, more beautiful, older brother of Shen Jia Min (the stupid girl who wants to marry Gao Zhan). He asks if Shen Jia Yan can go and help with the rescue efforts. Shen Jia Yan is smart and cautious; he also knows of the war within the palace. Shen Jia Yan tells the emperor that a few refugees would not be able to cause such havoc against Gao Zhan and his own fighters; therefore, there must be other forces invovled.
Shen Jia Yan asks what he should do if he finds the culprits, and the Emperor tells him to secretly bring them back to the capital. Shen Jia Yan asks to take Shen Jia Min out of the palace. If he is to help Gao Zhan then he knows that Shen Jia Min might be harmed by Gao Zhan’s enemies. He tells the Emperor that he will take Shen Jia Min out today, right now. The Emperor gets a Eunuch to take Shen Jia Yan to Shen Jia Min.
Shen Bi hears Gao Zhan is in danger when she stops a maid who had been carrying news to Lu Zhen.
The eunuch who was taking Shen Jia Yan to Shen Jia Min’s palace had other business and Shen Jia Yan gets lost. (E: How convenient…) He happens to walk upon a sad girl in a garden of Gardenias . He falls in love with the lovely girl on first site.
The girl turns out to be Lu Zhen who asks how an official like him can walk in the inner harem; it’s against the laws. Shen Jia Yan explains that he is lost and Lu Zhen decides to take him to Shen Jia Min, because she doesn’t want him to accidentally walk into some concubine’s pavilion and get beheaded for it.
As they walk Shen Jia Yan learns that Lu Zhen is a lady official in the office of clothes and silks. He asks how she could just trust him so, and she answers that from his clothes, his demeanor and the fact that he wants to find Shen Jia Min, she had already guessed who he was.
He must be Shen Jia Min’s elder brother, the accomplished general Shen Jia Yan. She asks why he is allowing her to lead him, isn’t he affraid that she will do him harm? He tells her no, her eyes are clean. Lu Zhen is sad, and says that long ago someone else had said that to her.
Lu Zhen takes Shen Jia Yan to Shen Jia Min’s palace. He asks for her name, and erring on the side of caution, Lu Zhen decides to lie about who she is to him and tells him that her name is Ling Long. Shen Jia Yan repeats Ling Long to himself as she leaves.
Shen Jia Min pitches a fit when Shen Jia Yan tells her that they must leave now. He gives her three reasons. (1.) The Emperor has given the Edict requiring her to leave with him. (2.) Someone in the palace will try to harm her to get to him, and (3.) he is her elder brother and whatever he says goes so she should pack up her stuff now. He tells her that every sound she makes in protest is a day she can’t leave the house.
While Shen Jia Min prepares, Shen Jia Yan thinks back to the girl he thinks is named Ling Long as he looks at gardenias.
Shen Bi is worried about Gao Zhan. She knows that the Dowager must be behind this and goes to bribe a eunuch who serves the dowager with a thousand taels worth jewel. She uses her best acting skills and begs the eunuch to tell her what he had overheard from the Dowager. The eunuch had overheard Gao Zhan’s location and tells Shen Bi that Gao Zhan is at Ba Fen Du, Wu Jiang town.
Shen Bi runs over to Lu Zhen and asks if Lu Zhen wants to save Gao Zhan’s life. Lu Zhen asks how she has heard the news, and Shen Bi tells her that she had bribed the Dowager’s eunuch. Lu Zhen tells Shen Bi to come with her. They go to the Emperor’s palace and Yuan Fu, the Emperor’s Eunuch, tells Lu Zhen that the Emperor is with the Dowager; he can’t meet her right now.
Lu Zhen says she understands, and asks if the robes she made for the Emperor were good. Yuan Fu repiles that the Emperor likes them, but the Dowager dislikes them very much. Lu Zhen should try to find another way to please him. Lu Zhen understands Yuan Fu’s meaning and pulls Shen Bi away.
Shen Bi yells at Lu Zhen, asking what she and Yuan Fu were talking about. Lu Zhen points out the spy who was following them and Shen Bi understands that the Dowager is probably spying on them. Yuan Fu had meant that the Emperor can’t be of any help now; Lu Zhen needs to find someone else.
Lu Zhen convinces Shen Bi to sneak her out of the palace by using Shen Bi’s dad’s carriage. Shen Bi has to stay within in the palace to cover for Lu Zhen while Lu Zhen goes to find the Eldest Princess to ask her and her Commander General husband for help.
Meanwhile, the dowager tells her son that she has canceled his order for the local army to help Gao Zhan. She also tells him that she is doing this so that his throne will not be threatened by Gao Zhan.
The Dowager confessed to killing Gao Zhan’s mother; she will not left him live either. The Dowager effectively has the Emperor guarded and refuses to let him leave until Gao Zhan dies. The Emperor begs the Dowager not to kill the Royal Concubine, and she agrees, for now.
The Dowager leaves and the Emperor’s eunuch silently looks at Lu Zhen’s white ceramic pot to indicate that Lu Zhen is trying to think of a way to help Gao Zhan.
Shen Bi dresses Lu Zhen in male clothes and tells her that Shen Bi’s father will help her get out of the palace.
However when Lu Zhen gets to the gates, Shen Bi’s father refuses to help Lu Zhen because it’s too risky.
Lu Zhen is desperate and climbs into a carriage and hides under the bench. The carraige starts and a hand grabs her and hauls her out. It turns out to be Shen Jia Yan, who quickly lets go of Lu Zhen’s front.
He tells her to hide when a soldier comes to inspect their carriage. Lu Zhen explains (lies) that she is working under the Emperor’s orders–that’s why she had to sneak out of the palace.
Shen Jia Yan agrees to take Lu Zhen to a street near Eldest Princess’s place. Lu Zhen asks why he is helping her, and he replies that he believes her. She thanks him; they sit awkwardly because he accidently got close and she shyly moves away.
Shen Jia Yan reaches towards Lu Zhen’s face, and she asks what he is doing. He awkwardly tells her that there’s something stuck on her hair, and she lets him take it off for her.
She awkwardly thanks him. He smiles happily to himself
When Lu Zhen gets off the cart, she thanks him and walks away. Shen Jia Yan watches her go and says to himself (answering her early query as to why he is helping her): “Because I like the fragrance of gardenias.”
Lu Zhen learns that the Eldest Princess is at the temples praying for Gao Zhan’s safe return. She is forced to wait because she can’t tell what she knows to anyone else.
When she hears a carriage approach she runs down the steps and kneels down, saying that she has important news. However it is Shen Jia Min who comes out of the carriage.
dramatictealeaves 
and here comes the part of the show that I really do not like (yes I know, I am shocked too). if going into territory of the love triangle why not making it more…. i don’t know… exciting? why must the second lead be almost a carbon copy of Gao Zhan? Beautiful, intelligent, experienced in battle, capable of admiring the beautiful things ( I am speaking about white gardenias, not Lu Zhen with strange things attached to her head…). ok, he has this stern face for his bratty sister (as in contrast to the Gao Zhan’s serene smile given his brother) and he seems to be quicker on the uptake than our Crown Prince (GZ would probably sit the carriage ride through with Lu Zhen under his butt…) but still…he is another…. sophisticated and elegant man in her circle of admirers. of course, we cannot forget Gao Zhan’s simmering rage that is just about to blow the whistle whenever she is in (real) danger, but I would expect her second admirer to be more daring, more exciting, more exotic to the current palace’ life and intrigues ( or maybe I am under a bad influence of the drama I am feasting upon now?)
so Shen Jia Min is less intelligent, less genteel and less beautifull than her brother?
I always knew god is cruel…
I agree! I hate Shen Jia Min but I have a soft spot for Shen Jia Yan. Yes, he’s like the failed prototype of GZ but I’m kind of glad he didn’t do the typical second lead thing, cuz then I would really fall for him.
Can’t help but make a comment about this: It seems like the (lead) actors are better looking than the female actresses in this series. Although, I think the girl who plays Dan Nian is pretty (than the other actresses, except the eldest princess), actually.
Lol, I actually didn’t like how the emperor looked, but he grew on me.
Reblogged this on mieranadhirah's Blog.
Jia Yan… my heart bleeds for him.. he loves Lu Zhen sooooo much but gives in knowing Lu Zhen loves Gao Zhan and acts as her brother instead in the upcoming episodes….