A young woman of a wealthy family devotes her time to running an orphanage for abandoned children. This is a labour of love she inherited from her dead mother who had the asylum built in a corner of the family compound. One day a poor girl called Gyokuka asks for work at the refuge, saying she is an orphan and will work for food. Very shortly she begins to look sleek and attractive and catches the eye of Reikun's father, who marries her.

Josei's wife volunteers at the orphanage, dragging Shou with her, and sees the family situation up close. Gyokuka introduces her male cousin Kei to the asylum, saying that he will work there since there's no place for him in the family store. Reikun's father is besotted by his new young wife and bedecks her with jewels, refusing Reikun more money to look after the abandoned children whose number is steadily increasing because of the lack of food in the country. At Gyokuka's urging he even makes Reikun marry Kei. Shortly thereafter he leaves on a business trip of several months. Reikun surprises Kei and Gyokuka kissing in the former's study. One day while looking for a receipt in her husband's desk Reikun finds a letter from Gyokuka to Kei, written long ago, saying she's caught a foolish rich old man and that Kei should come join her in the capital, pretending to be her cousin. Why, the rich man even has a daughter who'd be just right for Kei. 'And that way we can meet every day.'

Several days later comes a message from Reikun's father, saying he has to stay longer at his new place of business and won't be home for another three months. Gyokuka goes white- and next day is found dead with an empty medicine paper beside her. The inquest finds she was pregnant and the paper had contained drugs to cause an abortion. But other signs show that it wasn't the abortifaciant that killed her- it was poison.

This is the story which has the episode where the Emperor promises Hibaku his daughter in marriage while Josei is in attendance. Hibaku is overcome with gratitude and can only stammer out his thanks. 'Of course she's four years old now so the ceremony will be in ten years' time.' Hibaku is stunned. Josei goes home humming happily to himself. His wife notices his good mood and laughs at it. 'You're pleased that your darling Baron won't belong to another woman for ten years.'

A street fortune teller in Beijing is having trouble getting clients. She comes up with a brilliant plan- kidnap the son of a rich house, demand an exorbitant ransom that will take a long to time to get together, and in the meantime declare that she's had a dream revealing the victim's whereabouts. When the son is found unharmed her reputation will be made. So she and her confederates kidnap Shou. But Shou's father refuses to pay any ransom, period!

A friend of Josei's father-in-law is a famous general who had a miraculous rise through the ranks due to being in the right place at the right time. He and his three sons come to visit Josei and his father-in-law for a plum blossom viewing. But all is not wel at the general's house. The wife of his second son committed suicide and the man has never recovered. The third son is told by his older brother that it's time he gets married. The family will look for a suitable wife. "See that she's ugly!" is all he says.

But in fact she's very attractive. And during the wedding banquet the general mysteriously disappears. Next day the new bride is discovered missing as well. Gossip says they ran away together, but Josei has doubts that either of them is still alive. A story that looks at the darker side of the Confucian system where fathers have absolute control over their families.