Unknown to the both of them, Mingyu also appears and after some heated words with Ruoxi, the two girls start fighting eventually falling into a pond.
In a moment of pique, Mingyu angers Ruoxi into mounting up, but to her chagrin Ruolan requests that she be permitted to perform and impresses everyone with her grace.
Ruoxi and Yinxiang discuss their lack of etiquette on Yin'e's wedding night but discover that it is all a misunderstanding.
With their misunderstandings cleared, Yinxiang takes Ruoxi to the home of his best friend, Luwu, and the three talks and enjoy each other's company late into the night.
When Rouxi returns to her estate, she realizes that it is very late and goes to Ruolan to apologize but happens upon her sister gazing longingly at a portrait.
Yinsi had always loved Ruolan but when they were wed he discovered that her heart belonged to another, her childhood friend from the steppes, Qingshan.
In a bid to ensure she marries Yinsi, Ruolan's father sends Qingshan to war where he dies in battle.
Yinsi tells her of Ruolan's past, which leaves confused Ruoxi wondering whether he has feelings for her or takes her for her sister's replacement.
As a rookie, she is cautious but with her modern era smarts she gradually gains the confidence of the emperor and soon appointed as the lead tea server.
In fact, it is a ploy by the heir to reduce the power of Yinsi's faction and to make the prince a scapegoat in the event of anything going awry while the emperor is away.
Yinxiang meets Mongolian Princess Minmin at the goat roping arena and become friends, but neither knows of the others' birthright.
However, that night the emperor orders that a party be held and while performing, Minmin sees Yinxiang, who had introduced himself as "Little Star" at the arena.
The crown prince, Yinreng, in a drunken stupor, trespasses into the Mongolian bivouac and is later scolded by the emperor.
News of Yinreng losing his title rocks the capital and causes the ministers, fearing to side with the wrong prince, to speculate on who may be the new heir.
Upon Ruoxi's return to the capital, Yinti delivers a love letter written by Yinsi, which delights and startles her.
She goes to Yutan's home to get news and discovers that there are people in the palace hoping to raise Yinsi to be heir.
She decides to write him a warning letter, but before she can deliver it to him, she encounters Yinzhen and during their conversation, Yinsi departs the court.
Yinsi, saddened by the loss of his rank, seeks Ruolan to lessen his burden but she still treats him coldly.
Her evasion eventually angers Yinti but coincidentally Yinzhen and Yinxiang, who have been looking for Shouxing to have tea, appear.