Needless to say, the Emperor doesn’t take Ouyang’s accusations against the Empress well. He berates Ouyang for daring to insult the Empress. But Ouyang is determined to get his message across. He smashes his head against an ink stone to prove his truthfulness.
Afterward, The Emperor develops a headache later and throws a fit (a mature one) at his courtiers. Although, I believe he is just faking it so the courtiers would leave him alone. He needs time to think over the problem.
One minister mentions Pan’er’s restaurant and the Emperor decides to take a trip there. That should tell you how seriously the Emperor takes your head-smashing, Ouyang. You get head injury and he goes out for some drinks at your ex’.
At the restaurant, Pan’er delights the Emperor like she always does with everyone. At one point, she reminds him of his wife so he takes quite a liking to her.
Their conversation leads to the Yeyan painting, the one which Ouyang uses as proof that the Empress was a lowly pariah and wasn’t chaste when she was crowned Empress. The Emperor knows all of this, of course. He married the Empress in spite of it. But it is now up to him to clear her name with his court, which was against their marriage from the beginning. That’s why the man is pissed. I’ve got to say, these two sound like an ideal First Couple.
Clever Pan’er guesses that Ouyang has something to do with this and hints to the Emperor that the painting Ouyang has might be fake. This is a big risk for her because it’s actually… not fake.
After the Emperor leaves, Pan’er asks to see Qianfan, who rushes to see her like there’s no tomorrow.
Pan’er tells him what she did. As expected, he says it is reckless. But Pan’er has two reasons to want to discredit Ouyang. One: she sympathizes with the Empress; and two: if Ouyang and Qi Mu get their way, they might come for Lord Xiao and Qianfan next. And Pan’er doesn’t want Qianfan to die. Severely maimed by a mousetrap, yes, but not dead.