Episode 4 recap: Fan Xian and Li Cheng Ze openly challenge each other.
In front of Fan Xian, Fan Si Zhe boasts about being the owner of Baoyue Tower. His parents are still unaware of this fact. He incessantly talks about his business experiences. Fan Xian is infuriated and clenches his teeth. He never expected that the Baoyue Tower, which is notorious for its crimes and killings, is actually owned by Fan Si Zhe. Fan Xian punches and kicks Fan Si Zhe, leaving him bruised and swollen. Fan Xian demands that he pay for the lives of Old Jin and others, while Fan Si Zhe remains oblivious to the situation.
Suddenly, Fan Xian collapses due to a recurrence of old injuries. Concerned about Fan Xian being held accountable, Fan Si Zhe summons all the thugs from Baoyue Tower. However, he also worries about Fan Xian's well-being and decides to return alone to see him. Fan Xian, weakened and coughing up blood, inquires about the whereabouts of Teng Zijing's wife and children. Fan Si Zhe claims to have no knowledge of it. He repeatedly emphasizes that Baoyue Tower is not a brothel engaged in the flesh trade in the traditional sense, and that the girls he selects are well-educated and refined. Fan Xian realizes he is not lying and suspects that someone else is manipulating things behind the scenes.
Upon hearing the news, Yuan Meng rushes over. Fan Xian quickly hides, and Fan Si Zhe desperately tries to find excuses to cover up his injuries. He asks Yuan Meng to bring Sang Wen to play a tune. Yuan Meng repeatedly instructs Sang Wen to keep Fan Si Zhe company.
Yuan Meng attempts to eavesdrop from outside but is chased away by Fan Si Zhe. Through Sang Wen, Fan Si Zhe learns about Baoyue Tower's coercion of innocent people into prostitution and its disregard for human life. He becomes terrified and reveals to Fan Xian that Baoyue Tower is jointly owned by him and the Third Prince. The Third Prince is the son of Liu Ru Yu's sister, Yi Gui Pin.
The Third Prince visits Baoyue Tower for inspection and provides Yuan Meng with numerous suggestions for improvement. Yuan Meng obediently listens to him and urges him to go upstairs and meet Fan Si Zhe. The Third Prince is solely focused on making more money and shows no interest in the account books. He eagerly lectures Yuan Meng about business.
After finishing his inspection, the Third Prince asks Yuan Meng to take him to meet Fan Si Zhe. Fan Si Zhe sends Yuan Meng away, and when he least expects it, Fan Xian attacks the Third Prince from behind, knocking him unconscious.
Li Cheng Ze ordered his men to surround Baoyue Tower, and then Wang Qi Nian, Fan Wu Jiu, and others swaggered into the establishment. Yuan Meng and the thugs were too frightened to even breathe. Fan Xian had been waiting for this moment and instructed Fan Si Zhe to bring Li Cheng Ze upstairs.
Face to face, Fan Xian exposed Li Cheng Ze's various plots to assassinate him. Li Cheng Ze admitted to his actions and accused Fan Xian of faking his death and deceiving the emperor, as well as engaging in the illegal sale of people and coercing innocent individuals into prostitution through Baoyue Tower. He also tried to incite conflict between Wang Qi Nian and Fan Xian. Wang Qi Nian pleaded with Li Cheng Ze to release his wife and daughter, and Li Cheng Ze reluctantly admitted that he didn't have them in his custody, as they had already escaped.
Li Cheng Ze took the initiative to propose a reconciliation with Fan Xian and promised to release Teng Zijing's wife and children. Otherwise, he threatened severe consequences for Fan Xian. Crown Prince Li Cheng Qian arrived just in time to defuse the situation, accompanied by the local officials and soldiers. With a command from Li Cheng Qian, all of Li Cheng Ze's men were detained. Li Cheng Ze listed the crimes of Fan Xian's faked death and deceit of the emperor, as well as Fan Si Zhe's disregard for human life. Li Cheng Qian pretended not to see Fan Xian and deliberately feigned ignorance.
When Li Cheng Ze saw Wang Qi Nian returning to Fan Xian's side, he realized that he had been deceived. It was a carefully orchestrated plan by Fan Xian. Wang Qi Nian had pretended to defect to Li Cheng Ze, gaining his trust. After Fan Xian arrived at Baoyue Tower, Wang Qi Nian informed Li Cheng Qian of the situation.
Li Cheng Ze attempted to solidify the charges against Fan Xian and advised Li Cheng Qian not to get involved. However, Li Cheng Qian harbored deep hatred for Li Cheng Ze and Li Yun Rui's secret collusion. He exposed Li Cheng Ze's actions, as well as the triangular relationship between Yuan Meng, Li Hong Cheng, and Li Cheng Ze, in which Li Cheng Ze used Yuan Meng to manipulate Baoyue Tower and harm Fan Si Zhe. Li Cheng Qian forced Li Cheng Ze to release Teng Zijing's wife and children. Realizing the unfavorable situation, Li Cheng Ze had no choice but to instruct Fan Wu Jiu to let the captives go, leaving behind a fierce threat before departing.
Fan Xian became increasingly suspicious. Li Cheng Ze wouldn't give up so easily, and he was always cautious in his actions, unlikely to leave such a glaring loophole with Yuan Meng. Lacking concrete evidence, Fan Xian could only watch the situation unfold. He instructed Fan Si Zhe to release Old Jin's daughter by canceling the contract that sold her into servitude.
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