Xue Wu takes her masked marauder aside to scold him for peeping. She threatens the man with getting Chang Gong to rip the man's eyes out, not realizing it is Chang Gong behind the mask. He's keeping mum the entire time as Xue Wu tasks him with finding out if the Prince of Lan Ling knows she's in Zhou.
General Yuchi Jiong is back in town for Prime Minister Hu's birthday party. Old men so love to party. King Yung seems to forgive Yuchi for that muckup back at the battle of Luo Yang. Yuchi pledges his life in service to Yung.
Yung goes on to drop in on Yuwen Hu's deadly dull birthday bash. The two act like the best of friends. Hu is feeling magnanimous enough to offer the king a present. The present being a chained and beaten Yuchi Jiong. Hu wants to lay the blame of Zhou's loss at Luo Yang on Yuchi and execute the beleaguered general by tying him to several horses and tearing him apart. Yuchi, knowing he's a dead man walking, makes a last stand and publically blames the prime minister for the reason they lost the battle.
Yung, unable to do anything to save his man, seizes upon the excuse that Yuchi dared to use the prime minister's full name, a capital offense. Yung grabs a sword and rams it through Yuchi's chest, a more merciful and quick death than being ripped apart. The king returns to the palace to wash off Yuchi's blood and swear more eternal vengeance against Yuwen Hu.
Xue Wu sees how Yung is trying to hide his pain and offers comfort. She's too naive to see how he's falling in love with her. Queen Axina notices it. (I'm still not clear if she's his wife or sister-in-law.)
Yu Tu (with earrings that must be a yard long) overhears the prime minister's plans to poison the king through the imperial chef who's really working for Hu.
Yung takes Xue Wu to the royal library where she gets all excited over the engineering and chemistry scrolls. He's blinded her with science. A jealous Chang Gong sneaks around outside to keep an eye on them. Yung asks Xue Wu to stay in Zhou for Zhen's sake. Xue Wu refuses as she's anxious to get back to the man she loves and pinch his cheeks.
Yu Tu warns the king about the poison plot. Yung asks her to put some feelers out and find out which of Yuwen Hu's cronies are willing to switch sides to support the king.
A masked Chang Gong finally reveals his true identity to Xue Wu.
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