Episode 5
Scene 1: Fuzhou, on the street
Yao Qisheng, the governor-general of Fujian, and his daughter Yao Yun see Haikui on the roadside. She is in mourning for her dead wet-nurse for whose funeral she is begging for money. Touched by this scene Yao Yun persuades her father to help the unfortunate girl. They take her to their house, where she will work for them as their maid.
Scene 2: Jinmen, coastal defense position of Zheng regime
Feng Xifan is enraged about the failed assassination of Zhu Lin and Aman; they missed the chance to wipe out both Shi Lang and the pro-unification fraction on the Taiwan side. Hong Xu calms him down and points out that the growing discrepancies between Laita and Shi Lang may prove to be of great advantage since Laita will have personal motivations to obtain the extradiction of Shi Lang. Feng Xifan, convinced by Hong Xu’s conclusions, seeks to support Laita in his attempt to undermine Shi Lang’s credibility at court by forging a letter of ennoblement for Shi Shizong. Moreover, he commands Hong Xu to promise Laita double profit if he helps them to guarantee Taiwan’s independence.
Yao Yun finds a necklace among Haikui’s belongings bearing the dragon escutcheon of the Prince of Yanping. At first she suspects Haikui of espionage and shows it to her father. He refutes her concerns and asks to see Haikui. Once her cover is blown Haikui tells them about her childhood; she is the daughter of the Prince of Yanping and was kidnapped from Taiwan when she was only two years old. Since then she was brought by her wet-nurse. Yao Qisheng, clearly touched by this, promises to arrange for her safe return to Taiwan and unite her with her family. Until then she is to regard his house as her own.
The ministers of the imperial court are assembling at the east gate to enter the palace premises. Shi Lang awaits Fu Hongji who shall introduce him to Li Guangdi. Fu Hongji is surprised at this uncommon request, as Li Guangdi is known for his arrogance and inaccessibility. However, Shi Lang thinks highly of Li Guangdi; he calls him one the few honest and incorruptible officials at the imperial court for which even the emperor appraises him. Shi Lang regards his friendship and support as the only means to get his Taiwan policy across to emperor Kangxi. Fu Hongji mentions Li Guangdi’s love for ancient books of which he is an esteemed expert. This, Fu Hongji suggests, could be a good way to get into his favor.
Shi Lang and his adoptive daughter Aman visit a bookstore where they purchase the Xijing Zaji (“Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital“), a book from the Eastern Jin period, for 3000 silver taels.
Shi Lang asks Aman to return home without him as he has some important friends to meet. She is a little suspicious about Shi Lang’s intentions and follows him secretly. As Aman suspected, Shi Lang does not meet up with friends. She sees him entering a pawnshop and hurries home.
Shi Lang’s wife catches Shi Lang red-handed taking away the deed of ownership of their house. Confused, she confronts him about his intentions but he makes evasive statements to avoid her.
The ministers of the imperial court assemble at the Eastgate. Fu Hongji awaits Li Guangdi who seems to know him very well. They chat a little until Fu Hongji draws Li Guangdi’s attention to Shi Lang. He inquires whether he knows Shi Lang. Li Guangdi is surprised at this question as there are a large number of ministers that he does not know. However, he admits having heard about him and his failed campaigns to conquer the Penghu archipelago. Fu Hongji seems indifferent to this and states that, which should be of interest to Li Guangdi, is that the “Xijing Zaji” is in Shi Lang’s possession. Upon hearing this Li Guangdi is visibly thrilled and asks Fu Hongji whether he could arrange for a meeting between the two.
Scene 9: Fuzhou, Yao Qisheng’s office
Upcoming negotiations with the Zheng administration are being discussed during a meeting of Qing officials including governor-general Yao Qisheng, imperial commissioner Mingzhu, and chief-negotiator, prefect Mu Tianyan. Mingzhu emphasizes the importance of the impending negotiations that have emanated from the highest wish of the emperor who dearly hopes to bring about a peaceful unification to spare the people the perils of war. Mu Tianyan is appointed as chief-negotiator to lead negotiations with the Zheng administration.
Scene 10: Fuzhou, Yao Qisheng’s residence
At his residence Yao Qisheng asks Mu Tianyan to grant his daughter and Haikui to accompany him to Jinmen, where the Zheng clan currently resides. Mu Tianyan is at first reluctant to take two women with him to this dangerous enterprise. Suddenly Yao Yun and Haikui appear disguised in men’s clothes. Mu Tianyan does not recognize them at first. When Yao Qisheng blows off their disguise Mu Tianyan agrees to take them with him.
The ministers of the Zheng regime are uncertain whether they should receive the Qing delegation, which has already reached Jinmen. Feng Xifan and his followers are strictly against it. He even advocates killing the delegates and sending their heads back to Fuzhou. Feng Xifan, shown in the scene as transgressing the bounds of court etiquette by seating himselve on the throne of the absent Prince of Yanping, no longer wishes to uphold the banner of the Ming dynasty and consider his regime to be part of the imperial mainland, instead he vows to establish an independent state on Taiwan. He believes that the Qing army is not to fear because it is lacking an efficient navy to conquer Taiwan. Liu Guoxuan disagrees and advocates receiving the Qing officials. In his heart, he wants to tell them that the Zheng regime represents the legitimate Ming dynasty and will send its army to free the mainland from the Qing occupiers. However, being a realist, he thinks that after Quanzhou and Zhangzhou have been lost to Qing forces, the regime’s stand in Jinmen is precarious and the supply problems in Taiwan do not allow them to be too assertive about their strength. Therefore, they should avoid enraging the Qing officials in order to maintain the status quo. Fu Weilin agrees. In the end, they decide to receive Mu Tianyan.
Feng Xifan visits Tang Fei, wife of Zheng Jing, to report to her. He seems to stand in her service and together they form the head of the separatist faction. She encourages him to stay firm to their cause and make sure that the Qing officials understand that they are ready to gain their independence on military ways if necessary.
Haikui wants to enter the royal palace of the Zheng clan but is stopped at the gate by a bodyguard. She sends him with her necklace to Dong Taifei, her grandmother, to authenticate her identity.
The negotiations between the Qing delegates (Mu Tianyan) and the Zheng officials (Feng Xifan, Hong Xun, Fu Weilin, together with the Ming prince Zhu Shugui) are strained. Feng Xifan refuses to kneel upon receiving the edict of emperor Kangxi, since the Prince of Yanping has never declared his submission to the emperor Kangxi. Instead he insists on an equal ranking of the Zheng and the Qing officials and on the ceremonial status of a foreign country. Upon hearing this, Mu Tianyan is enraged. He repeats that Taiwan has always been a part of China and cannot be treated as a foreign country. Instead he repeats the importance of the unification of Taiwan with the imperial mainland. The negotiations fail and Mu Tianyan and his delegates leave.
Dong Taifei recognizes Haikui by her necklace. She is thrilled to have her back and sheds tears of joy. She calls upon Tang Fei when suddenly Haikui refuses to reveal her identity to her mother. She thinks her responsible of her childhood and despises her.
Fu Weilin returns home being received by Yao Yun who is awaiting him disguised in men’s clothes. They have met before when Fu Welin had been in Fuzhou as a negotiator and she hands him a letter from her father. Up to this point the content of the letter remains unclear.
Haikui tells her grandmother about Yao Yun and Yao Qisheng, who helped her unite her with her family. Dong Taifei feels indebted to them and asks Yao Yun to stay back for a few days.
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