A Dream of Splendor Episode 11 Recap
> A Dream of Splendor Recap
Chen Lian and his colleagues returned by a different route, specifically bringing the best Jiangnan cuisine from Tokyo city. However, when Zhao Pan'er and the two others tasted them carefully, they found that every dish tasted very ordinary, and certainly wasn't authentic. In contrast, Sun Sanniang was skilled in cooking, and Zhao Pan'er was excellent at making tea. Therefore, Song Yinzhang suggested opening a restaurant in Tokyo, which might be a way for them to settle down.
Sun Sanniang agreed in response, but only Zhao Pan'er felt that this place was unfamiliar and needed careful consideration. Moreover, the urgent task was to get back the Night Revels Painting, so she had to go to the Ouyang family again. That night, Ouyang Xu accompanied Gao Gu to a banquet to learn so-called social etiquette. However, he was not good at conversation and was ridiculed.
Now Gao Gu had set the wedding date for the sixteenth of next month, just waiting for Ouyang Xu to finish his audience with the Emperor and receive his official post. At that time, his daughter could ask the Empress in the palace to request an imperial decree granting the marriage.
Considering that his daughter Gao Hui had been pampered since childhood and was not suitable to be too far from the capital, Gao Gu decided to let Ouyang Xu go to Gongzhou for a post, and wait for three years to return to the capital and be transferred to a central government position, so that the whole family could be reunited. Ouyang Xu did not dare to express his thoughts and could only passively accept it.
The woman unilaterally setting the engagement date was also a form of disrespect towards him, making his heart feel heavy and complicated. At this time, Zhao Pan'er arrived with Chen Lian. Chen Lian directly dragged Uncle De nearby and severely beat him, leaving her to talk with Ouyang Xu alone. Zhao Pan'er directly stated her purpose, saying that she already knew about his scheme.
Since he could not meet the three demands, he must hand over the Night Revels Painting within three days, otherwise the matter would escalate, and his third-place official position would certainly not be guaranteed. After Ouyang Xu returned, the doctor examined Uncle De's injuries, shocked by the severity of his internal injuries. Although his bones were not broken, large areas of his tendons and bones were fractured, requiring at least one or two years of recuperation.
A eunuch came bearing an imperial decree, ordering Ouyang Xu to enter the palace tomorrow. Ouyang Xu thought of Zhao Pan'er's warning and knew that the Night Revels Painting was related to a massive case in Jiangnan. So he inquired about the situation from the eunuch and the Emperor's preferences. The eunuch accepted the gift and revealed that the Emperor recently favored the health preservation methods of Yuqing Palace.
After he gained some understanding, when he went to bed to rest at midnight, he found a bloodied knife hidden under the bed. Connecting this to Zhao Pan'er's appearance that night, he realized that the person behind her could not be easily offended. The next day, when he entered the palace, Ouyang Xu was still troubled by this matter.
He happened to observe the layout of the main hall and confirmed that the Emperor, just as the eunuch had said, recently paid close attention to health preservation and favored the Daoist ways. When facing the Emperor's questions, Ouyang Xu's answer was different from other jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examination). He deliberately catered to the Emperor's preferences, expounding on many matters related to Daoism, which indeed piqued the Emperor's interest.
It was precisely because of this that the Emperor immediately conferred upon Ouyang Xu the titles of Zuo Lang (Assistant Secretary) in the Bureau of Writings and Deputy Envoy for the Ritual Offering at Ziji Palace, commissioning him to go to the Western Capital to invite Master Baoyi to emerge from retirement. Ouyang Xu received the conferment, finally feeling a great weight lifted from his heart.
Outsiders thought he was ruining his future by being willing to be a palace official. In reality, it was to temporarily avoid the spotlight, just waiting for Zhao Pan'er to leave Tokyo. As Ouyang Xu walked out of the main hall, he brushed past Gu Qianfan and couldn't help but glance at him again.
Because Gu Qianfan had repeatedly achieved remarkable successes, not only resolving the matter of the prophecy but even solving the Jiangnan private shipping corruption case, the Emperor greatly praised him. Coupled with Lei Jing's repeated recommendations, he was finally appointed as a fifth-rank Deputy Envoy, equivalent to the second-in-command of the Capital Security Office.
At the same time, Gao Gu learned the result of Ouyang Xu's audience with the Emperor and, in a fit of anger, canceled his marriage to Gao Hui. His fellow student Du Changfeng was very confused. After all, the pure officials in the court hated those who catered to the Emperor and those who engaged in Daoist practices and imperial rituals. Yet, Ouyang Xu was a legitimate First Class Jinshi, and this action was equivalent to destroying his promising career.
Ouyang Xu said that he had no choice, all because Zhao Pan'er was aggressive. So he entrusted Du Changfeng to look after his meager property and small house, and his old servant who was confined to bed. Although Zhao Pan'er was extremely vicious in Du Changfeng's eyes, she didn't care at all, and she had already guessed Ouyang Xu's true intention.
Since he was trying to avoid them by doing this, she simply decided to stay, absolutely not letting him get his wish. In order to have a foothold in Tokyo, Zhao Pan'er discussed opening a tea house with everyone, which would be returning to their old livelihood. Originally, Chen Lian was not overly supportive, until he tasted the tea and pastries made by Zhao Pan'er and Sun Sanniang. He immediately offered to find a storefront for them.
In the following days, Zhao Pan'er, Sun Sanniang, and Song Yinzhang acted separately, preparing various items and finalizing the lease agreement with the store owner. Sun Sanniang went straight to the dock to purchase the items needed for fruit tea, and Song Yinzhang also helped buy some suitable tea sets. Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction. In contrast, Ouyang Xu was still planning his retreat.
He deliberately pretended to be a lovesick gentleman, entering the Gao residence at night to meet Gao Hui and return the love token jade pendant. As expected, seeing the object stirred Gao Hui's emotions, and she was extremely reluctant to let Ouyang Xu go, showing an attitude of not wanting to marry anyone else. Her wet nurse saw this and came forward to take Gao Hui away. After they left, Ouyang Xu immediately returned to normal, his expression showing cunning and coldness.
