Hua Zixu (花子虚) is arrested and Ximen Qing (西门庆) is drawn into the affair. Li Ping'er (李瓶儿) entrusts him with boxes of silver and court garments and begs him to intervene. Ximen uses his connections in the capital and secures help through the influential Cai Jing (蔡京). The magistrate Yang Shi (杨时) presides as arranged. The court releases Hua Zixu but orders three family properties to be auctioned. The sales leave the household impoverished. With Li Ping'er's five hundred taels and his own influence Ximen buys the mansion next door. The brothers share the proceeds and Hua Zixu uses part to buy a modest house on Shizi Street (狮子街). He collapses from shock and travel and soon dies. Li Ping'er grows colder toward her late husband. She quickly resumes social life with Ximen. Their intimacy deepens. Gifts of gold hairpins bind allies and provoke envy among other women in the household. Li Pinɡ'er hosts lantern-viewing on the fifteenth night. She entertains several of Ximen's wives upstairs. Pan Jinlian (潘金莲) behaves boldly at the window. Meng Yulou (孟玉楼) is embarrassed. Sun Xue'e (孙雪娥) is ordered to stay behind in plain dress and feels humiliated. Ximen first lingers with friends at the eastern market and at the Lichun Courtyard (立春院). He leaves them and slips away to join Li Ping'er's gathering. Late that night Li Ping'er brings Ximen to the second floor. She kneels and begs him to marry her. Moved, he promises to take her in time. He plans to build a play pavilion in his back garden and house her there. Wu Yue Niang (吴月娘) urges caution. She notes the unpaid mourning, the bargain purchase and the danger of public talk. They agree to delay the formal match until the new building is finished. As bridal garments are prepared and workmen start construction, an urgent knock interrupts. Dai'an (玳安) and then Chen Jingji (陈敬济) appear. Chen falls at Ximen's feet and pleads for help against his powerful father Chen Hong (陈洪). The sudden plea closes the episode on a tense cliffhanger. FREE transcripts of the audio files are available for download at: https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/

花子虚遭官差押入狱，西门庆闻讯与吴月娘商议营救。李瓶儿将箱中金银和宫中服饰托付西门庆代为保管，恳请他出手。西门庆暗中托人走动，借蔡京之力将案件引到开封府知府杨时处办理。花子虚获释，但三处家产被拍卖分割，家产大损。西门庆以李瓶儿筹出的五百两购得紧邻宅院。分得款项后花子虚买得小宅，迁居不久因病离世。李瓶儿在葬后迅速与西门庆来往，二人关系渐密。李瓶儿施赠金簪礼物，令府内诸人或喜或嫉。正月赏灯时，李设上楼观灯，潘金莲放肆，孙雪娥被令留守内宅，心生委屈。西门庆先在外与友聚饮，后悄然赴狮子街应邀。夜深李瓶儿引西门庆上楼，跪求成婚。西门庆被动情所动，允诺在后园建楼安置她，但因孝期未满且怕街谈，遂与吴月娘商议拖延。正当筹备嫁妆与修建花楼时，门外突闻急报，陈敬济上门求救，局势再生波澜，情节至此紧促收束。 音频文件的字幕稿可在以下网址免费下载： https://www.truelake.com/qrpages/pingshufreedownloads/