Li Ming proposes to hold a Winter Celebration, hoping to make a final stand at the banquet. During the banquet, everyone has their own schemes. Lin Fei Bai and Su Rong Hua compete in a lion dance fight as a performance. But they are actually fighting against each other as love rivals over Shangguan Ya. The fight is fierce and intense. In the end, both are injured.

Pei Wen Xuan suggests to Li Rong that she establish the Inspectorate, leaving Li Rong in a dilemma. Qin Zhen Zhen is grateful to Li Rong for saving her life, while Li Rong plans for Qin Zhen Zhen to live on under the identity of a guard, Xun Chuan.

Pei Wen Xuan takes advantage of the situation to file a report on Yang Quan to Li Ming. After Yang Quan fails to kidnap the princess, he assassinates a court official. Moreover, he continues to get defeated on the northwest battlefield. Wen Xuan voices out that there's something fishy going on. Li Ming takes that opportunity to promote Pei Wen Xuan to a censor and asks him to investigate the Yang family.

After Li Rong is imprisoned, Liu Chuan visits her in prison. A lady was following him. It turns out that the lady is Qin Zhen Zhen. Pei Wen Xuan thought that Qin Zhen Zhen canceled the marriage because her family forced her to do so. However, Qin Zhen Zhen says that she did so of her own accord.

To promote Prince Su, Li Ming decides to send Consort Rou's brother, Xiao Su, to the frontline to replace Li Chuan. A day before the wedding, Pei Wen Xuan hands out red envelopes to other officials. And Su Rong Qing shows up unexpectedly.

On their wedding night, Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan can't sleep well. Instead, they discuss plans for after their divorce. Pei Wen Xuan deliberately arranges for Su Rong Qing to pick her up during their wedding day, while Li Rong is also thinking about how to stop Qin Zhen Zhen from entering the palace.

With no other options, Li Rong secretly sends Pei Wen Xuan out of the capital to gather evidence. He has to return before the scheduled execution of the Qin family. Li Rong, under immense pressure, rescues the Qin family from the Ministry of Justice and shelters them in her residence, while Su Rong Qing arrives to intervene.

Lin Fei Bai was sentenced to military exile to the southwest border. Before his departure, Shangguan Ya goes to see him off. The intensity of their conflict was greatly reduced. Before Lin Fei Bai's departure, Shangguan Ya gives him a set of Leaf Cards, forming an affinity between them.

With the supplementary examination approaching, Pei Wen Xuan is determined not to be outdone and is pulling out all the stops to attract scholars, engaging in a competition with Su Rong Qing. Unexpectedly, Su Rong Qing’s enthusiastic efforts to host scholars from all over the country seem to have an ulterior motive.

Li Rong and Su Rong Qing confront each other in front of Li Ming at the imperial study. With Hong De's suicide and his son's disappearance, Li Ming suspects Su Rong Qing. Li Ming questions Su Rong Qing if he is the culprit.

Consort Rou is in charge of investigating the examination fraud case. She's in trouble as the noble families make things difficult for her. Li Ming suggests her to use Pei Wen Xuan. Pei Wen Xuan acts as if he's loyal to the emperor. Consort Rou is happy with his performance. She has no idea that Pei Wen Xuan has ulterior motives.

Li Rong waits patiently for the conflict between Consort Rou and the noble families to reach its climax. After that, she arranges for Chen Hou Zhao to return to the capital. She prepares evidence and threats of Consort Rou's threats to dissuade students from filing complaints, launching a vigorous counterattack in court and defeating Consort Rou in one fell swoop.

In the past, Su Rong Qing did not kill Li Rong. He gave Pei Wen Xuan a fragrance pouch to slow down the poison of Fragrant Beauty. It means Li Rong was already poisoned before she fell ill. Li Rong never expects that instead of her husband, who has opposed her for decades, and Su Rong Qing, who has a deep grudge against her, it is her brother, Li Chuan, who wants to harm her.

Pei Wen Xuan knows Li Rong's issue has been resolved and guides her patiently. He tells her the truth about the past and hopes Li Rong can untie the knot in her heart.

Li Rong uncovers the identity of the assassin leader and learns about the mastermind behind. Li Rong proposes a deal with Lin Fei Bai to assassinate Xie Lan Qing instead. Lin Fei Bai finds himself in a dilemma.

Pei Wen Xuan has just left Qionghua Palace when he is summoned to the Imperial Study by Li Ming. Yang Quan is already waiting there, his eyes burning with envy at the sight of Pei Wen Xuan. Despite Pei Wen Xuan's sarcastic remarks, Yang Quan has no choice but to implore Li Ming to grant his marriage to Li Rong. However, Li Ming remains indifferent.

Pei Wen Xuan expresses that Li Rong was the only person he loved in the past. He never had any feelings for Qin Zhen Zhen. Li Rong becomes speechless, and she chooses to avoid him. Her cold attitude chills Pei Wen Xuan's heart.

Li Rong orders Xun Chuan to find the veterans and obtain their testimonies. At the same time, she intends to acquire information from the Ministry of Justice. Pei Wen Xuan was bullied in the Censorate as he went against the noble families. He has to work overtime day after day.

At the execution site, the noble families keep applying pressure on Li Ming. Just when Li Ming is about to execute them, Pei Wen Xuan finally returns with the evidence.

Li Rong solves the case and becomes the Head Inspector of the Inspectorate. The Inspectorate is established officially. At the same time, Li Ming assigned Su Rong Hua as the Vice Inspector to control Li Rong.

The next morning at the imperial court, Xie Lan Qing brings Lin Fei Bai to accuse Li Rong of an assassination attempt according to Su Rong Qing's instructions but it backfires when Li Rong counters his accusation.

Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan make decisive choices, using their past investigations to come up with countermeasures. But they feel that Consort Rou alone cannot come up with such plots. However, she's familiar with the delay of Crown Prince's wedding. They realize that Su Rong Qing taught Li Rong that idea in their past life. Only then did they realize that Su Rong Qing was...

Feeling desolate after losing Consort Rou, Li Ming summons Xiao Qian to the palace. Upon hearing this, Li Rong deduces that Li Ming intends to recall the troops to the capital.

Li Cheng dies from poisoning. Xiao Qian brings in Li Cheng's double and burns his corpse.

Li Rong sees Li Chuan again. They reminisce about the past together. Li Chuan says that his wish is to embark on a northern expedition as his mother said that the northern part was plagued by war. If they lose the war, Li Rong, his eldest sister, will be sent there to establish a marriage alliance.