Mao Mao wonders about Lacan's intentions, who constantly tries to get closer to her despite all her rebuffs. The apothecary thus challenges her: if he wins at xiangqi, she must acknowledge him as her biological father, but if she manages to defeat him, he must buy one of the courtesans from the grey-green palace!
Unfortunately for the strategist, the young girl manages to win, not without cunning. As he falls unconscious, Lacan's memories resurface, revealing a painful past alongside a mysterious woman of bewitching beauty...