Episode 3 recap: Fan Xian went to Baoyue Tower to find someone.
Fan Xian inquired about the situation at Baoyue Tower from Sang Wen and learned that it had recently opened and quickly became prosperous. It had also recruited many top performers from various famous brothels in the capital. Sang Wen had never seen the owner of Baoyue Tower. Fan Xian couldn't wait to ask Sang Wen about the whereabouts of Teng Zijing and his family. Sang Wen had not seen them, but she witnessed a girl surnamed Jin attempting to escape and being caught. Fan Xian decided to start with this girl named Jin. Sang Wen pleaded with Fan Xian to rescue her as she was forced to sign a contract to sell herself to Baoyue Tower. She had enough money to buy back her freedom and only asked Fan Xian to give her the opportunity to do so. Fan Xian promised to rescue her after finding Teng Zijing and his family.
Li Cheng Ze concluded that Fan Xian would come to Baoyue Tower to find someone. He used the memorial ceremony as an opportunity and issued tickets, hoping to lure Fan Xian. However, Fan Xian never showed up. One of Li Cheng Ze's trusted subordinates, Fan Wu Jiu, and his men were stationed outside Wang Qi Nian's house, but they never saw Wang Qi Nian or Fan Xian. Li Cheng Ze ordered Fan Wu Jiu to capture Wang Qi Nian's wife and daughter as hostages.
Wang Qi Nian and Fan Xian waited on the street and saw a convoy from Baoyue Tower approaching. Wang Qi Nian provided cover for Fan Xian, who hid in a basket of vegetables. Old Jin, a vegetable seller, also hid in the basket. He intended to rescue his daughter at Baoyue Tower. The two of them successfully infiltrated Baoyue Tower.
Old Jin briefly recounted his ordeal. He used to deliver vegetables to the palace but was constantly deducted money because he couldn't afford to give bribes to the vegetable inspector, Dai Gong Gong. In the end, he ended up owing 500 taels of silver. His daughter had to sell herself to repay the debt. Old Jin only wanted to see his daughter once and redeem her as soon as possible. Baoyue Tower was heavily guarded, and Fan Xian didn't know where to find the person he was looking for. He intended to find Teng Zijing's wife and daughter through Old Jin, and he emptied all the money he had and asked Wang Qi Nian for help. Finally, they gathered enough money, 500 taels, to give to Old Jin as the redemption fee, allowing him to win the door plaque at the memorial ceremony.
Old Jin performed a scene where Fan Xian recited poems while drunk. He portrayed the scene vividly and successfully obtained the door plaque of Baoyue Tower. Old Jin happily entered Baoyue Tower, but before entering, he turned back and gestured to Fan Xian. Fan Xian swore to settle the score with Dai Gong Gong. Fan Wu Jiu and his men arrived at Wang Qi Nian's house, but they found it empty. He had no choice but to return and report to Li Cheng Ze.
After the memorial ceremony ended, people dispersed, and Fan Xian and Wang Qi Nian sat outside Baoyue Tower, waiting anxiously. Old Jin came out alone and staggered towards Fan Xian. Fan Xian learned that the redemption fee had increased to 10,000 taels. The 500 taels he had gathered only allowed Old Jin to meet his daughter for two hours. Old Jin apologized profusely to Fan Xian and expressed his intention to sell vegetables to repay him later.
Just as Old Jin took a few steps forward, he fell to the ground and died. Fan Xian only then noticed that he was covered in injuries. The thugs from Baoyue Tower dragged Old Jin away and meticulously cleaned the bloodstains at the door with brooms and buckets of water. Fan Xian was furious and wanted to rush in and hold the manager of Baoyue Tower accountable. Wang Qi Nian desperately stopped him, urging him to survive honorably before thoroughly investigating the matter.
Wang Qi Nian and Fan Xian returned home through a secret passage and discovered that Mrs. Wang and her daughter were nowhere to be found. They suspected that they had been kidnapped. Wang Qi Nian wanted to go to Baoyue Tower to rescue them, but Fan Xian stopped him. Fan Wu Jiu studied hard day and night, hoping to achieve academic success in this year's imperial examination. Li Cheng Ze couldn't help but tease him, and Fan Wu Jiu was puzzled, unaware of how Wang Qi Nian's wife and daughter had escaped.
Wang Qi Nian personally saw Fan Xian heading to Baoyue Tower, so he went to inform Li Cheng Ze. He revealed Fan Xian's deception of faking his death and deceiving the emperor, and he also mentioned that Fan Xian had gone to Baoyue Tower to meet someone important. Li Cheng Ze didn't believe that Wang Qi Nian would betray Fan Xian. Wang Qi Nian expressed his loyalty to Li Cheng Ze, and Li Cheng Ze ordered Wang Qi Nian to lead the way to Baoyue Tower and capture Fan Xian.
Today, the owner of Baoyue Tower was coming to inspect the accounts. Yuan Meng gathered the girls and instructed them to do their best to please the owner. She specifically reminded Sang Wen to perform well. Fan Xian hid in the rafters and sprinkled some white powder on Sang Wen's qin. Sang Wen looked up and saw Fan Xian, nodding to him in acknowledgment.
The owner hastily arrived and eagerly took out the account books to check. Yuan Meng asked Sang Wen and the others to sing and entertain him. Fan Si Zhe grew impatient and chased everyone out. Fan Xian was stunned in disbelief. He never expected that the owner of Baoyue Tower would be his own younger brother, Fan Si Zhe. Yuan Meng stood by, fanning Fan Si Zhe, but he found it bothersome and forcefully sent her away so he could focus on the accounts.
Fan Xian descended from the rafters, and when Fan Si Zhe saw his resurrected brother, he couldn't contain his joy, his mouth unable to close.
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