Chang Gong reluctantly begins Operation Get Xue Wu Pregnant. An De confesses to Duan Shao and Hulu Sr. that there is more to the story that he didn't tell the prince. While Chang Gong is off sowing his oats, the emperor has temporarily put Gao Wei in Chang Gong's position. While the men are outside talking, something starts flying around in the night sky. Bats? Dementors? Drones?
Eh, must be bats, and they're attracted to the fish blood Eunuch Si Xi innocently smeared on the emperor's windows. The windows rattle as the blood suckers attack. The emperor is shitting his pants and to be honest I would be too if this was happening to me.
The next morning everyone is talking about the mysterious events at the palace last night. The crown prince offers to guard his father's rooms tonight and prevent the disturbance from happening again. Gao Wei forces Si Xi to apply double the amount of "sacred water" to the emperor's windows.
That evening the bats return and the windows rattle even more. The emperor fears it is the vengeful spirit of the brother he had murdered. Gao Wei puts on a performance outside on the porch. As he has his men throw water on the windows (to wash away the fish blood), Gao Wei draws his sword and acts like he is combating ectoplasmic attackers. With no more blood to attract them, the bats fly away. Everybody goes YAY!
The next morning the emperor meets with his son to thank Gao Wei and to ask, "Just what did you do?" Gao Wei says he had the help of someone very wise. Would the emperor like to meet him? He's right outside, fresh from the pig sty. Since Zu Ting helped drive away the annoying spirits, the emperor graciously allows the little piggy to return to his post at the imperial astrology department.
Xue Wu and the gang are playing with sacred mud from the temple of Nu Wa. This is supposed to help get Xue Wu pregnant. Everyone has great fun. You know who else is having great fun? Team Crown Prince, now consisting of Gao Wei, Zu Ting, and Zheng Er. (I'm not a fan of her new hairstyle.) Zu Ting has yet another plan up his sleeve to get the throne for Gao Wei.
Chang Gong and Xue Wu move back to his mother's house for a few months. She still worries about the evil omen in the sky.
Zu Ting goes to the market and buys a little beggar boy. Back at the crown prince's manor house, Zu Ting drugs the boy, dresses him up in royal clothing and has the kid set on fire. Gruesome.
Later, the imperial astrologer meets with the emperor. They talk about the inauspicious star in the night sky. Zu Ting warns the troubles have just started. If the emperor wants to save himself, he should consider abdicating and appointing a new emperor.
In the middle of this meeting, Si Xi comes running in with the bad news that Gao Wei's son (never mentioned before until this episode) has mysteriously been burnt to death. The evil star has struck again! With the supposed loss of his favorite grandson, the emperor reconsiders Zu Ting's suggestion of abdication.
The emperor decides to take a month long sabbatical to go pray to the gods. He's leaving the empire in Gao Wei's hands; a sort of trial run to see how the crown prince will do as a ruler.
*Blink* The time just flew by and the emperor is back. He tells Zu Ting to go ahead and pick an auspicious date to announce the emperor's abdication.
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