The Fu parents realize that Er’kang is already a lost cause, so Lady Fu decides to talk to Ziwei instead.
It doesn’t take long for Ziwei to understand what’s going on. Lady Fu insists that she loves Ziwei and would like to find her a home, which could have been well-received by Ziwei if it wasn’t coupled with a request to leave Er’kang alone.
Ziwei knows what to do now. She isn’t about to stay there and give these people a chance to compensate for her or whatever. She hates to be regarded as a burden. She and Jinsuo leave at dawn the next day. Hah! Imagine Er’kang’s face when he learns of this.
Well, we don’t have to imagine. Ziwei leaves Er’kang a letter and he goes berserk immediately after reading it. He accuses his parents of bullying Ziwei, shouts at them like a kid who is denied popcorn at the movies, and runs away to find Ziwei. He’s worried she can’t take care of herself and might be slaughtered the minute she steps out the door. That might be true considering Ziwei’s fragile state but judging by her character so far, I can guarantee that she is stronger than Er’kang can ever be.
Lady Fu didn’t think Ziwei would act this quickly and with this much conviction so she is in shock too and says nothing when Er’kang bolts.
Liu Qing and Liu Hong don’t know where Ziwei is — they do, they just don’t want to tell Er’kang — so the Trio go find Xiaoyanzi.
Xiaoyanzi wonders whether Ziwei left because of her, but Yongqi tells her not to worry, in his exact words: It’s Erkang’s doing. It’s kind of like a sneaky scolding.
Xiaoyanzi snaps at Er’kang, who snaps back and launches into a brief speech about what he is willing to give up for Ziwei, making Yongqi nervous and tell him to stop talking.
That still doesn’t stop Er’kang from yelling. He’s like, if I can’t get my girl back, none of you can live in peace.
Xiaoyanzi claims emergency and leaves with the Trio to look for Ziwei. They stop by the orphanage first. Liu Qing is stubborn but Liu Hong gives in and gives them directions to the cottage Ziwei is staying in. She’s not there at the time, though. But the location reminds Er’kang of a place nearby where he has taken Ziwei to once: a spring.
Er’kang rides there and, indeed, Ziwei is there, tossing flower petals into the water.
They hug, Ziwei says she still loves him but that his mom is correct: their situation is hopeless. Er’kang says he is willing to leave everything and run away with her. Ziwei turns that down, saying that it would be irresponsible. Maybe men who abandon duty for romance turn her off. She is her mother’s daughter, after all.
Er’kang gives up convincing her to run away, but they still need to talk things through. Basically, here are the things they know WILL NOT work for them:
– eloping
– a harem
– a breakup
So this time, Er’kang calls a meeting with the whole gang for real to figure out what to do, because he thinks he might die of shock if something like this happens again. Yeah, I can believe that.
They all sit down, like… under direct sunlight (?) for a discussion. You know there are plenty of shaded spots in this area, right?
Here’s Er’kang’s idea: let Ziwei enter the palace. Ziwei is so much like her mother, while Xiaoyanzi is like a breath of fresh air; Er’kang believes the emperor will end up liking them both. Then, when they tell him the truth, Xiaoyanzi won’t get punished. Win-win. There are potential dangers of course, but it’s worth a try. See, when Er’kang isn’t possessed by his love for Ziwei, he actually has good ideas.