Episode Summaries

Maomao wakes from a dream of her father. She visits Gyokuyou to request use of the parlor, a request which is granted. Hongniang escorts her, and there Maomao is presented with the same soup that had been sabotaged at the Garden Party. After investigating the bowl, she concludes four people made contact with it. She deduces the poison was introduced by an outsider who should not have touched the dish.

Maomao theorizes that Lishu's taste tester swapped the meal as an act of harassment, unaware it was poisoned. Gaoshun finds it difficult to believe a lady-in-waiting would bully a high-ranking concubine. Maomao clarifies this is only her assumption. She believes Lishu's ladies-in-waiting hold a vendetta against her, which is unusual as concubines typically rival other concubines. Maomao suspects their grudge stems from Lishu becoming the previous emperor's concubine at a young age, and now, since she is to wed her deceased husband's son, they find her actions distasteful.

Maomao explains she protected Lishu's food taster the prior day because she understands the demanding nature of their lives. Gaoshun relays all of this to Jinshi, who believes the incident is an inside job and laments his fatigue. The next morning, Maomao converses with Xiaolan about hairpins. Xiaolan states she can now leave the Inner Court, explaining that receiving a hairpin grants permission to depart when escorted by a specific man. She suggests Maomao could also arrange this.

Lihaku is informed that Maomao wishes to meet him. He wonders how to refuse her. During their meeting, Maomao hands him a hairpin and asks to visit her home. Lihaku is displeased at being used for a family visit. In exchange, Maomao offers him a flower-viewing session at the Verdigris House with three well-established courtesans: Meimei, Joka, and Pairin. Lihaku accepts.

Jinshi arrives at Gyokuyou's quarters and is told Maomao has left the palace on a three-day homecoming trip. At the Verdigris House, Lihaku departs with a girl to meet Pairin. The elderly proprietor asks Maomao why she vanished for months. Maomao gives her half of her salary for assisting with Lihaku's arrangements and is told to visit her father. She spends time catching up with him on her current predicament. As she sleeps, the episode closes with her father puzzled over how Maomao ended up in the Inner Court and obtained her present position.