Episode 05

**Episode 05** is an episode of Nirvana In Fire. The primary plotline concerns Mu Nihuang's Suitor Tournament and contains the resolution of the Attempted Rape Of Mu Nihuang.

## Events

* Outside Wuying Hall, Mei Changsu gives the three slaves a pep talk before their fight with Baili Qi, telling Lu Yuan that as the oldest, it's his job to look out for the younger boys. Prince Jing, Mu Nihuang, and Mu Qing join them outside the Palace door. Mei Changsu compliments them for being on time.
* Inside the Wuying Hall, the Emperor is holding an audience with Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan, Prince Yu, and Meng Zhi. The Emperor asks Meng Zhi his opinion on the slaves's chances. Meng Zhi reports that, though he can't guarantee they'll win, he is sure it will be a good fight. Prince Yu points out that Mu Nihuang can beat any of the other challengers who have progressed to the written examination part of the suitor tournament. Prince Yu says that Mu Nihuang is already a skilled warrior, so shouldn't need a skilled warrior to be her husband, and so the Emperor should focus on other factors when selecting Mu Nihuang's husband. Crown Prince Xiao Jingxuan and Prince Yu argue briefly over their preferred choices for Mu Nihuang's husband (the Crown Prince preferring Sima Lei and Prince Yu preferring Liao Tingjie), before the Emperor interrupts them to tell them to first see what happens today before discussing Nihuang's marriage.
* Inside Wuying Hall, people are gathering and preparations are being made for the bout. Mei Changsu tells Mu Nihuang that Grand Princess Liyang asked him to warn her about the Qing Si Rao and to be careful with invitations from the women of the Inner Palace and if she is forced to accept an invitation, be careful of what she eats or drinks. Mei Changsu tells Nihuang that her habit of not taking a maid with her is dangerous. Nihuang asks how Mei Changsu knows she doesn't take a maid with her. Yan Yujin interrupts them, and Mu Qing pulls him away and tells him off for interrupting his sister.
* The Emperor is announced and enters.
* Tingsheng, Lu Yuan, and the youngest slave fight Baili Qi with the sword formation technique. The slaves win.
* Mu Nihuang and Mei Changsu get into an argument in front of the Emperor about who would be allowed to take in the freed children, eliding the discussion on if the reward for the children will be freedom from slavery, or even if the children will be rewarded at all instead of only Mei Changsu. The Emperor tells Mu Nihuang and Mei Changsu to settle the custody of the children between themselves, allowing the children to go free.
* The ambassador for Northern Yan is convinced to withdraw Baili Qi from the tournament and return home.
* The Emperor tells Mei Changsu that he will reward him when the written examination part of the suitor tournament is complete and then takes his leave.
* Outside Wuying Hall Mu Nihuang tells Mu Qing to take the boys out of the Palace and wait for her there. Yujin and Jingrui also go wait outside so Mu Nihuang and Mei Changsu can have a private conversation. Nihuang asks Mei Changsu about the sword formation, saying that she can tell it should not have defeated Baili Qi. Mei Changsu tells her that Baili Qi is a member of the Jiangzuo Alliance who was planted in the suitor tournament in case Mei Changsu needed to influence the outcome in any way. Since that was not necessary, Mei Changsu instead ordered him to lose to the children so they could be freed. Mu Nihuang points out that if she could see through it, Meng Zhi will also certainly be able to see through it. Mei Changsu says that he feels confident that Meng Zhi will not mention it.
* Qi Hong arrives outside Wuying Hall and tells Mu Nihuang that Empress Yan wishes to see her and invites her to Zhenyang Palace. Mu Nihuang accepts the invitation, exchanging glances with Mei Changsu, and then goes with Qi Hong.
* Outside the Palace, Yujin points out that the freed slaves ended up going to Mu Manor, asking why Mei Changsu didn't keep them. Mei Changsu says that he is a guest at Xie Manor and so it would be inconvenient to take in three children. Yujin says that he will tell Liao Tingjie all about the battle when they play pool later. Mei Changsu realizes that if Liao Tingjie will be playing polo with Yan Yujin, he isn't inside the Palace as part of the plot to rape Mu Nihuang, and so the danger comes from Noble Consort Yue and not from Empress Yan. Mei Changsu starts having a coughing fit.
* Inside Zhenyang Palace, Empress Yan tries to get Mu Nihuang to eat the light refreshment food laid out, but Nihuang refuses. When Nihuang reaches for a polite way to refuse eating dinner with Empress Yan, Noble Consort Yue jumps in to say that Nihuang had already agreed to eat dinner with her at Zhaoren Palace instead and talk about their shared home in Yunnan.
* Outside the Palace, Meng Zhi rushes over to Mei Changsu, Yan Yujin, and Xiao Jingrui. Mei Changsu asks Meng Zhi for help with qi strength, while squeezing his arm and signaling to him that they have to speak privately. Meng Zhi sends Yujin and Jingrui to get the royal physician and bring warm water. Once they are gone, Mei Changsu tells Meng Zhi that he was wrong and that Mu Nihuang is in danger from Noble Consort Yue, not the Empress.
* Inside Zhaoren Palace, Noble Consort Yue tells Mu Nihuang that Sima Lei would be a good match for her and ask Nihuang to support Crown Prince Xian. Nihuang says that since the Crown Prince is already appointed as the Crown Prince, her family will of course support the Crown Prince when he ascends in the same way they currently serve the Emperor. Noble Consort Yue suggests a toast as an apology for her asking the question. Nihuang notices that the cups were already poured and hers is set out in front of her. She thinks back to Mei Changsu's warning from earlier in the day as she watches Noble Consort Yue drink. Noble Consort Yue shows Nihuang the empty cup that Yue had just drunk. Nihuang thinks back to Mei Changsu shaking his head quickly in warning, but she is forced by social convention to drink the Qing Si Rao.
* Outside the Palace, Mei Changsu tells Meng Zhi to tell Prince Jing to go to Zhaoren Palace, to send someone to tell the Empress, since she will not want to lose a chance to up against Noble Consort Yue, and to send soldiers to Zhaoren Palace and wait outside to catch and arrest Sima Lei as an unauthorized person inside the Inner Palace.
* Inside Zhaoren Palace, a servant announces Crown Prince Xian and Sima Lei. Mu Nihuang is disoriented by the Qing Si Rao, but manages to fight her way out of the palace.
* In the Grand Empress's Palace, Empress Yan is ushering the Grand Empress toward the exit, telling her that Mu Nihuang wants to see her.
* Outside Zhaoren Palace, Xiao Jingyan arrives and fights his way through the guards blocking his way. Seeing Mu Nihuang stumble out, Jingyan goes to her and puts her arm around his shoulder to help support her. Noble Consort Yue orders the guards to stop them. Noble Consort Yue tells Crown Prince Xian to order the guards to shoot Jingyan. The Crown Prince tells the guards that Jingyan broke in to assault Noble Consort Yue and Nihuang, and orders the guards to kill him. Jingyan fights off the arrows, then flies through the air and takes Crown Prince Xian hostage with a sword up against his neck.
* The Grand Empress Dowager is announced to Zhaoren Palace. Noble Consort Yue tells Sima Lei to leave through the back, which he does.
* As the Grand Empress enters with Empress Yan, Xiao Jingyan goes to Mu Nihuang and helps her up from the ground. Noble Consort Yue and Crown Prince Xian greet the Grand Empress and Empress Yan. The Empress notices Nihuang being held by Jingyan and asks Noble Consort Yue what happened. Noble Consort Yue says that Nihuang got drunk. The Empress asks what all the palace guards around are for. Noble Consort Yue says they were there to demonstrate a sword and arrow technique.
* Elsewhere in the Palace, Sima Lei is running through walkways when he is ambushed by Mu Qing, who has his men beat up Sima Lei in revenge for what he attempted with Mu Nihuang.
* Mu Nihuang, Empress Yan, Noble Consort Yue, and Crown Prince Xian all go to Yangju Palace to speak to the Emperor. Nihuang kneels and asks for justice. She charges Noble Consort Yue with drugging her and conspiring with the Crown Prince and Sima Lei to rape her. Noble Consort Yue claims she is innocent.
* Xiao Jingyan arrives at Yangju Palace and requests entrance to testify as a witness to the attempted rape.
* At Xie Manor, Prince Yu bids goodbye to Mei Changsu. Yan Yujin asks him if things have been settled. Mei Changsu nods. Yujin invites him to come watch him play horse polo.
* Xiao Jingyan enters Yangju Palace and bows to the Emperor. Kneeling throughout the audience, Jingyan testifies that he saw Sima Lei at Zhaoren Palace and that Noble Consort Yue and Crown Prince Xian ordered the guards to fire arrows at him, so he was therefore forced to take the Crown Prince hostage to delay until the Grand Empress arrived.
* Meng Zhi is announced at Yangju Palace. He enters and reports that he caught Sima Lei outside Zhaoren Palace. Noble Consort Yue tells the Emperor that the plot was all hers and her son Crown Prince Xian is innocent in it and was only doing what a good son should and obey his mother.
* The Emperor tells Meng Zhi to bring Sima Lei. Meng Zhi says that will have to be on a stretcher, because Mu Qing's men broke Sima Lei's leg. The Emperor passes sentence on Sima Lei, saying that he is to be stripped of his title and banished to Shanzhou. His father Sima Xu will be demoted by one rank and fined three years pay.
* The Emperor demotes Noble Consort Yue to a lower rank of concubine and will have her stipend lowered. She will also be confined to Qingli Court to reflect.