A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma

The three search in the tomb and find it has been raided by three different groups. They see the remains of those who were killed in traps or killed each other. Zang Hai tries the turtle again and we are all disappointed that nothing is there. He follows the teachings of his father to pay respect to the dead and instructs his friends to help repair the tombs and contents. While he is positioning the body he sees that the pattern is different on two squares. When he fixes the pattern a new puzzle is revealed. One square is missing and there are several words to choose from. The quote he recognizes being from the mentor not the tomb couple. After figuring out the puzzle a device his father created is discovered. It is like the device his mentor was going to use against Marquis and changed mind about fuse. Zang Hai carefully adds gold filament to incense. This will cause a distraction so he can escape tomb at dowager’s memorial service. His mentor shows up and fingers the incense but I did not see him remove anything. At the lighting of incense Zang Hai tries to stall because prince isn’t there and device didn’t go off. He figures the device got moved and another set of incense sticks would fix it. The Marquis refuses to wait and gets suspicious of Zang Hai. Zang Hai wants revenge but he has never killed someone in cold blood. He is sweating bullets and it’s obvious something is amiss. A servant adds to it by bringing his improvised incense sticks up where gold thread is evident. There is a thorough search of the incense container but nothing is there. He has to concoct a story that isn’t as seamless as he usually is when speaking. When he leaves he is looking around and the masked man shows him the device he took. They have a candid chat and Zang Hai is enlightened that this three day threat may have originated from the Marquis. He also reminds him that there were two others that were enemies of his family and that if he impatiently kills the Marquis, he may never discover who third person is. I was mistaken on the fish keys last episode. There are three not two. The Marquis and eunuch have two of them but the third party is unknown. So Zang Hai changes his game plan. He confesses to Marquis that he received a threat to kill him. He shows the Marquis the items he received and played up that two days were wasted because he couldn’t find sender. He begs for mercy and tells the Marquis he wants him to have time to make himself safe. The Marquis isn’t really bothered by the threat which indicates he did most likely authorize the death threat to test Zang Hai’s loyalties. He is told to not hesitate to report such things in future. Since he passed that test I think the Marquis is getting ready to pull the son card to see how Zang Hai will do with next level test when paired with son as advisor. It is also a mystery why second son did not go to dowager’s memorial service. This is the first time Zang Hai showed a true chink in his armor. He failed the test but has been given a chance for future redo thanks to his mentors. Hopefully his disciple bro won’t do anything reckless in the interim.

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Chess killer games!

!Spoiler Alert!
Episode 10 is a tense, layered turning point that blends tomb-raiding intrigue, political traps, and deepening vendettas. Zang Hai reunites with his senior brother Guan Feng to search Liu Xian’s tomb for Kuai Duo’s hidden treasure, only to find it looted. The tomb’s eerie atmosphere, with its reversed coffin engravings and Shan Yizi’s stele, adds layers to the lore, revealing Kuai Duo’s moral dilemma over the deadly bronze case he concealed. When Zang Hai finally unlocks it using the missing character “Heng,” it feels like a moral victory, but a dead end for his revenge. Xiao Zhan’s quiet intensity here is magnetic, especially when he pieces together his father’s final puzzle
At the Marquis’s residence, Zang Hai’s plan to kill Zhuang Luyin during the ancestral ceremony collapses when the trap weapon vanishes. Its return, in the hands of the masked man who rebukes him for recklessness, is a shocking twist. Zhuang Luyin had staged the whole event as a loyalty test. Forced to improvise, Zang Hai fakes the story of the poisoning plot. Xiao Zhan’s transition from panic to controlled vulnerability is flawless. Zhuang Luyin’s cold reassurance “Many want me dead” drips with menace.
The masked man then reveals a larger game: three enemies are after the mysterious treasure: Zhuang Luyin, Eunuch Cao Jingxian, and an unnamed third power. The copper fish tokens are the key. My guess? The third player is someone close, possibly mentor Gao Ming, whose well-timed interventions seem too convenient. As for the masked man, Shi Huai Shan, the ambitious Grand Secretary, fits the role too well to ignore. But many others can fit the shoe, so I'm not really sure. The script writer is brilliant!
Guan Feng’s return adds emotional weight, especially when he tearfully recalls failing to protect their master’s family, but his eagerness to kill Zhuang Luyin raise suspicions. Their bond feels genuine, but this drama thrives on betrayal.
The episode’s final moments, Zang Hai hiding the weapon behind a plaque, vowing to take down all three enemies, set up a long game. With every alliance under question and enemies hiding in plain sight, Episode 10 reminds us this isn’t just a revenge tale, it’s a survival game in a world of shifting loyalties. The storm is coming, and trust is a luxury no one can afford.

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