Welcome Home

The first part of this episode follows our characters leaving and setting out from Blossom House.  
          Prince/Senior Yu readily accepts Ge'er's wish to bring Yan Xue home without any questions.  This desire may be rooted in the fact that he could be concerned for her safety as it is revealed that Ge'er has never left the villa, other than this trip to explore the courtesan houses for answers to her questions.  She agrees to his request that they depart tomorrow because he has received word that Zhan Feng wishes to annul the engagement immediately.  Ge'er would like him to annul it in person.

       Then the Prince goes to visit Yan Xue.  Because Yan Xue does not speak loudly and the prince must ask him to come forward so he can read his lips, I again submit that Senior Yu is faking his disabilities to survive the palace.  Moving on, this seems to be a scene where the two men size each other up, and Yan Xue seems to be aware of--and amused by--this or he could just be amused by everything.  Senior Yu seems to be slightly disconcerted by this, perhaps because he can't get a clear read on him.  Either way, their is tension.  
       
       As she leaves the Blossom House, Ge'er has a major realization: she sees now that she was allowed into the Blossom House because of Yan Xue.  He knew he would be selecting her as his partner, and so the Madame let her in.  It had nothing to do with her wit or skill.  She concludes that she cannot trust the people here.

      After saying goodbye, Ge'er rejects the offer to ride with Yan Xue and chooses to ride with the prince.  Yan Xue's face is rather flat (his smile is gone), but it returns as he stands outside of her carriage.  The Mistress of Blade City, whom I will refer to as Miss D (short for Diao) is so offended by them ignoring Yan Xue that Ge'er invites him into her carriage.  She then comments on the obvious tension between both men, which they both reject.

     Miss D and Master Lei (of the Thundersect) decide to invite themselves along in order to figure out why her holder brothers and his father's second wife all are so hungry for Yan Xue and seem to want him dead (something which has been going on for 2 years it seems....hmm....doesn't that coincide with Zhan Feng bringing home that courtesan??).  Miss D agrees out of her respect to her obvious feelings for Yan Xue, which Master Lei enjoys teasing her about. On a separate note, Miss Feng is given a seal belonging to the prince, along with a promise that this incident will be looked into.

The Middle Part of this Episode Follows The Journey back to Flame Villa and the Arrival of the Group
       On a lunch break, an interesting scene occurs.  Ge'er hand feeds Senior Yu tasty snacks and only has eyes for him.  While this action is very innocent coming from her, others could misinterpret their affections.  Yan Xue, who sits several feet from them, watches this all with an amused smile on his face.  Not once does she look his way or offer him anything.  Meanwhile, from the side, Miss D watches this and believes that Yan Xue is being treated rudely.  Master Lei watches Miss D and is clearly finding Miss D's anger to be funny, while Senior Yu hardly spares Ge'er a glance, instead watching Yan Xue.  

     The team arrives in Pan City where they are stopped by members of the flame villa.  At first they will not let them enter because they only see Miss F and Master Lei.  When Ge'er shows her face, the leader of the group, Master Ji(?)  seems to calm down.  Although they normally do not allow sudden guests in, or strangers, he lets them in, perhaps because Yan Xue admits to them that he and her father are 'old friends'.

      A monologue then reveals that the Flame Sect is perhaps the most central and powerful sect having come to power 19 years ago after obliterating the now defunct Dark Water Palace Sect.....the plot thickens...

       Prior to getting out of the carriage, Ge'er asks Senior Yu how she looks.  He says she looks wonderful.  But Yan Xue, with a serene smile, says she looks awful and that he will never lie to her, while the prince is using flattery on her.  She does not believe him, such is her faith in Senior Yu.  They then are greeted by her father, who shocks everyone by not only confirming that Yan Xue is indeed an old friend, but that Ge'er is to address him as 'Uncle'. He is then given the Pearl Quarters, rooms that have been vacant for decades, having only been occupied by a man who 'trained beneath the descendants of gods' and is responsible for planting the pear trees there....(methinks that this Yan Xue)

     Alone with her father, we see that he is very prone to doting on his daughter and is willing to force Zhan to marry her but she rejects this, wanting him to be willing.  She then goes to see Zhan Feng, a.k.a. ghost prince a.k.a. the emperor of china showing off some martial arts.  He passionately kisses her--and then smirks and says that she has learned nothing while at the brothels.  NATURALLY she slaps him and then asks him why he is like this, and that they can go back to the way things were but he essentially tells her to f*** off and that he is annulling the engagement.

The End of the Episode
 
      Zhen Feng returns to his rooms where we also meet Yang Mi (the courtesan).  His fellow sect brother explains that Feng could inherit the villa, have everything, if he would marry Ge'er who is a great catch but he rejects this and states that he is going to be with the woman he really loves and then is all romantic with Yang Mi, disgusting his sect brother.

    Elsewhere, Miss D and Master Lei are shown to a room.  She is shocked that they will be sharing but he could care less.  He points out that she should just enjoy the show, and we see that Master Lei is more perceptive than he looks, and is perhaps smarter than he lets on, as he points out that the Flame Leader has but three desciples: Zhan Feng, Yu Zi Huan and Ji Jing Lei (who showed them their room).  He has one daughter, and one god son, Yi Lang, all of whom were present in the grand hall except for Zhan Feng.  He is insinuating that a lot of drama will unfold because of Zhan Feng.  

Meanwhile,

    Ge'er wonders if she is being disliked because she is not a frail woman like Ying Li.  Her loyal servants, De Yi and Xun Yi are adamant that is not the issue.  They also yell at her for sneaking out without a word.  The two woman devise a plot to bully Yang Mi, but Yang Mi graciously handles the bullying, and they are even able to deflect Master Lei's criticism of them (which also makes him interested in the servant)....

     Finally, Ge'er visits Yan Xue.  He admits to her that he investigated her secretly in order to gain entry to the flame villa because people are after his life.  She does not believe this to be the reason.  He also tells her that he cannot help her with Zhan Feng because he is the kind of man who, once his mind is made up, does not waver....

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