Episode list

In the third year of the Tianbao Era, operatives of Wolf Squad disguise themselves as merchants amidst the hustle and bustle in the western district of Chang'an city on the eve of the Lantern Festival. The operatives are waiting for the right moment to strike.

Zhang Xiaojing is about to chase Cao Poyan when Cui Qi discloses Li Bi's true motive to him. Li Bi creates a diversion to lead the others away, leaving only Zhang Xiaojing behind. He tells Zhang Xiaojing that he wants to be the nation's Grand Chancellor. Li Bi tells Zhang Xiaojing that while he cannot lift the death sentence, he can allow him to work as a mercenary lieutenant for one more day. Li Bi reports to his superior He Zhizheng about Zhang Xiaojing's, and through a chance encounter he finds out that the Emperor wants to hand over power to Counsellor Lin Jiulang.

Mayor Ji Wen of Xinfeng County gets wind from a mole inside Peacekeeper Corps of another of the Crown Prince's wrongdoings. Lin Jiulang wants to use it to remove the Crown Prince's status as heir to the throne. Zhang Xiaojing maintains pursuit of Tugelu, who out of desperation holds a boy hostage, claims to have the map of Chang'an in his possession, and demands that Chang'an residents drive away Zhang Xiaojing. Li Bi finds out that the operative has been beaten to death, the map has been lost, and Lizheng of the Huaiyuan district has been killed.

Wolf Squad's real intention is to commit arson. Zhang Xiaojing becomes restless, Tan Qi realises his state of mind and reports it to Li Bi.

Long Bo hides in Li's General Store in the Changming district. Yu Chang steals a map off Tugelu amidst the mayhem and hands it to Long Bo.

Zhang Xiaojing wants to invite Ge Lao, who oversees all illegal trade in Chang'an, to assist with the investigation.

Zhang Xiaojing reluctantly exposes Tong'er's lover. Tong'er tells of the location of a residence where Long Bo once took her. Zhang Xiaojing, excitedly leaves for the place, only to be threatened by the mercenaries in Chang'an. The insubordination means there is no one he can deploy, and Yao Runeng also forsakes him under a vague pretext. With the time for the handover of Peacekeeper Corps fast approaching, Li Bi accepts the blame in Lin Jiulang's residence in exchange for the right to investigate the case for one more day.

Wen Ran tells Zhang Xiaojing that everything she has been doing is to help him escape from prison. She hopes he will stop the investigation.

Zhang Xiaojing draws a map of Lin Jiulang's mansion for Wolf Squad and advises them to launch their strike here.

Zhang Xiaojing drives a wedge between Wolf Squad and Blaze Gang, which leads to a melee between the two camps.

Tan Qi is yet to report back, Yao Runeng advises Li Bi that the case must be finalised. Li Bi worries that things are not as reported.

Luda and Ruige from Nobleman Yousha's entourage chases an outstanding debt, only to suffer defeat at the hands of Yu Chang.

Yu Chang promises to disclose Wen Ran's whereabouts to fool Zhang Xiaojing into sending a signal to lead astray the Lyuben Regiment chasing them.

News of the explosion in Changming district travels back to Peacekeeper Corps. Li Bi learns that "stone grease" is an expression referring to the explosives.

Worried that he may be assassinated, Lin Jiulang refuses to attend the banquet and assigns Ji Wen to find out everything about Xu Bin, the Security Office researcher.

With the help of surveillance set up by Peacekeeper Corps, Zhang Xiaojing enters into intense close combat with the enemy, finally eliminating a Wolf operative and a horse carriage.

Guo Lishi delivers an oral edict from the Emperor ordering Peacekeeper Corps to close the investigation.

Li Bi arrives at He Zhizheng's mansion to find it eerily quiet. Unbeknown to Li Bi, all the servants at the mansion have died in mysterious circumstances in the firewood shed.

Zhang Xiaojing and others are in a formidable battle with the Yourao Regiment. General Gan Shoucheng of the Yourao Regiment successfully captures three of them.

Zhang Xiaojing comes clean about his relationship with Wen Ran to Yao Runeng, who decides to release him from Peacekeeper Corps's custody.

Zhang Xiaojing breaks into Puzhe's room and catches a glimpse of the fleeing assassin. He gives chase, and is followed by Yisi.

Lin Jiulang gets wind of Guo Lishi openly supporting Peacekeeper Corps and seizes this opportunity to level charges against the Crown Prince, He Zhizheng and Guo Lishi.

Li Bi interrogates Yu Chang, who not only remains tight-lipped but nearly kills him. Zhang Xiaojing, Tan Qi and Yisi go to Liu's Bookshop to investigate further.

Zhang Xiaojing, Tan Qi and Yisi go to Liu's Bookshop. The person who answers the door is the Fire Master of a paramilitary organisation and Zhang Xiaojing's former comrade-in-arms.

The paramilitaries mistakenly believe that their Fire Master Ding Laosan has been killed by Zhang Xiaojing.

He Fu is locked up with Li Bi., who questions him about whether He Zhizheng was behind the plot to assassinate Lin Jiulang.

Lin Jiulang interrogates He Fu over the reason for the assassination and demands that he implicates He Zhizheng and the Crown Prince.

Zhang Xiaojing runs into Li Bi by chance in the underground city. The two of them come to the conclusion that Long Bo's assassination of Lin Jiulang is just an act.

Zhang Xiaojing goes to Liu's Bookshop with the pass that Ge Lao gave him to see the acting Fire Master.

In a flashback, Li Bi wants to stay in the mountains to practice monasticism, and when Yao Runeng tries to talk him out of it, they have a quarrel and Li Bi gets rid of him.

Li Bi recalls Xu Bin once said that the key to resolving issues is to stay alive.

Li Bi suspects the Emperor wants to use the struggle between Lin Jiulang and the Crown Prince to even up their power and stabilise the Emperor's own power.

A seriously wounded Yao Runeng is ditched in the street. A mysterious man appears to take him away and promises him to make him the pride of his family.

Rebel fighters pretend to be craftsmen, Zhang Luo smells a rat and decides to check things out, only to be pushed into the river by them.

Tan Qi begs Yan Yuhuan to plead with the Emperor to spare Zhang Xiaojing's life by lying about Zhang Xiaojing being her lover.

The Crown Prince and Lin Jiulang enter into a heated exchange, both trying to assign blame to each other.

The Emperor gazes at the magnificent Great Taoist Lantern and marvels at Mao Shun's impressive design.

The survivors' only wish was to return to Chang'an to reunite with their families. Cold and hungry, Wen Wuji began telling them about the delicacies of Chang'an to help alleviate their hunger.

The enemy's 3000-strong reinforcement soon arrived at Fort Beacon. By now, only 13 of the Eighth Squad were left. Ding Laosan raised his sword to call for a final charge. Zhang Xiaojing recalls how the enemies were blown up by explosives then, and is disturbed by the mental images of that deadly explosion. Despite being affected by these traumatic memories, he pulls himself together to try to stop Long Bo, who in fact turns out to be Xiao Gui, his comrade-in-arms from the Eighth Squad.

He Zhizheng fearlessly reminds the Emperor that a ruler who mistreats his own children can never be a great patriarch for his subjects.

The Emperor publicly puts the Crown Prince in a conundrum. Not knowing what to do, he drops to his knees and asks to be excused under the pretext of being overcome.

The Emperor empathises with He Zhizheng's patriotism for Great Tang and his heartfelt support for the Crown Prince, and decides not to hold his actions against him.

Long Bo leads the Emperor through the secret passage. Lin Jiulang and other officials lucky enough to have escaped are rescued by Yuan Zai.

The copyist Zhu Ci from the Ministry of Revenue and his wife and son Zhu Xuan bring relief goods to the residents of a slum in Pingkang district.

Gan Shoucheng is determined that the Crown Prince be put to death, but He Zhizheng and Ning Wangsun come to the rescue.

Cheng Can proposes that the investigation be carried out as suggested by Li Bi, and whoever turns out to be the perpetrator must be severely punished.

Cheng Can believes that Long Bo used the assassination of Lin Jiulang as a pretense, that his real goal was to use He Fu's desperation to seek revenge to plot an assassination of the Emperor.

The Emperor believes firmly that the Crown Prince was the mastermind behind Xu Bin, that he brags about himself being an ideal candidate for the job of Counsellor, and he planned to assassinate the Emperor.