A Dream of Splendor Episode 2 Recap
> A Dream of Splendor Recap
The Night Revels Painting suddenly turned into a fake. Yang Zhiyuan cried out that he had been wronged. Before he could prove his innocence, he faintly heard a whistle from outside the door. More than ten assassins in black burst into Yang's residence. A volley of crossbow arrows had already killed all the people from the Capital Security Office. What followed immediately was layers of poisonous miasma. Those who inhaled it would lose their internal energy in a short time.
Lao Jia risked his life to protect Gu Qianfan, but surrounded by the heavy encirclement, fortunately, at the crucial moment, he encountered Zhao Pan'er. He immediately shot a poisonous dart at her, threatening her to save him. To save her life, Zhao Pan'er had no choice but to hide with him nearby, watching as the men in black silenced everyone in Yang's residence, leaving no one alive.
As for why Zhao Pan'er did not inhale the poisonous smoke, it was Gu Qianfan's doubt that forced her to reveal the reason for her visit to the residence tonight. At the same time, she found a footprint on the bluestone slab by the pond and identified it as belonging to an official through the pattern.
Zhao Pan'er felt that if they wanted to deal with the Capital Security Office, why would they go to Yang's residence and make this unnecessary move? She suspected their real target was to kill Yang Zhiyuan and offered to help testify. It was precisely because Zhao Pan'er was so straightforward and upright that Gu Qianfan did not make things difficult for her. He even removed the poisonous dart for her before turning and leaving.
The next morning, De Shu came specifically to deliver good news to Zhao Pan'er, stating frankly that Young Master Ouyang Xu had become the third place Jinshi bestowed by the Emperor in the imperial examination, and that in a few days, he would marry the daughter of Deputy Commander Gao Gu. He had been ordered this time to retrieve the token of love, the Connected Heart Pendant.
Sun Sanniang, upon hearing De Shu's intention, cursed Ouyang Xu for being heartless and ungrateful. He and Zhao Pan'er had already been engaged, so how could he suddenly break off the engagement and marry someone else? Back then, when Ouyang Xu was stranded in Hangzhou, he was fortunate enough to have Zhao Pan'er help him purchase property, which allowed him to regain civilian status and re-enter the examinations in Liangzhe.
Who knew that three years of deep affection could not compare to career and fame? He even wanted to dismiss Zhao Pan'er with eighty taels, which greatly disappointed her. So she asked De Shu to reply to Ouyang Xu on her behalf that if he could not produce five hundred taels, she would absolutely not return the Connected Heart Pendant. Gu Qianfan secretly infiltrated the temporary resting place for the dead to look for clues.
As a result, he found a broken arrow engraved with "Qiantang" on Lao Jia's body. He couldn't help but recall Lao Jia's dying words, which indicated that the men in black were prepared and were definitely ordered to silence the witnesses. At the same time, Zheng Qingtian guessed that the Capital Security Office was investigating the matter of the prophecy. However, after burning down Yang's residence last night, there were now no witnesses.
In the original plan, Zheng Qingtian was preparing to shift the blame to a person surnamed Chu from the Ninghai Army. This person had an old grudge with Yang Zhiyuan, and would definitely attract the attention of the Capital Security Office. However, the broken arrow had disappeared out of thin air. Also, because Gu Qianfan was involved, Zheng Qingtian ordered portraits to be posted, framing him as the pirate who robbed and killed the Yang family.
He also demanded that all checkpoints and sentries in the county strictly investigate, arrest all men with non-local accents, and examine them one by one. If they dared to resist, they were to be killed without mercy. After calming down, Zhao Pan'er decided to go to Dongjing alone to find her husband.
She firmly believed that Ouyang Xu's actions were not from his own will, and that he should at least have left a letter explaining the reason instead of sending someone with a verbal message. In fact, it was also difficult for her to accept that her judgment was truly terrible and that she had actually fallen in love with such a heartless and ungrateful person.
Before the whole truth came to light, Zhao Pan'er first left the teahouse in Sun Sanniang's care. Dressed in simple attire, she came to the pier and unexpectedly discovered a wanted poster with Gu Qianfan's portrait, and even encountered him inside the Matchmaker's Temple. Zhao Pan'er, with her eloquent tongue, managed to persuade Old Man Zheng, the boatman, to agree to let her travel with the merchant caravan. Gu Qianfan hid in the cargo hold to avoid being searched.
Historically, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants were ranked in that order, with merchants being the most looked down upon. Sun Sanniang deeply understood this, which is why she wanted her son to study hard. However, her husband Fu Xingui, reeking of money, only wanted Fu Zifang to follow him and learn how to do business.
He even wanted to pass his own son to his sister-in-law to seize her family property, which enraged Sun Sanniang and caused her to make a scene at the family ancestral hall. After sitting in the cargo hold, Zhao Pan'er took off her outer garment behind the hanging curtain and applied medicine to her shoulder by herself, unable to resist complaining about Gu Qianfan a few times.
But considering that Gu Qianfan was seriously injured, she decided not to argue with him anymore and personally treated his wound. Unexpectedly, Gu Qianfan suddenly fainted. Zhao Pan'er discovered a report on Gu Qianfan and realized why he had come to Jiangnan. She quietly tucked it back into his embrace, pretending she had never seen it. When Gu Qianfan woke up, he found Zhao Pan'er sleeping tiredly beside him.
He originally wanted to drape his coat over her, but she immediately woke up. They talked for a few sentences. Because of Ouyang Xu, Zhao Pan'er simply burst into curses, venting everything she had kept in her heart. Afterward, she felt that Gu Qianfan was a good person, at least not a bad person at the moment. Gu Qianfan thought Zhao Pan'er didn't need to be sad for a heartless man, but Zhao Pan'er did not accept his words.
Just as they were about to argue, they suddenly heard the commotion outside. It turned out that the people in the merchant caravan had discovered a body floating in the river. Zhao Pan'er came out upon hearing the noise and recognized Sun Sanniang at first glance. In her desperation, she was about to jump into the sea. However, everyone held Zhao Pan'er back, thinking that Sun Sanniang was likely dead and she shouldn't take any more risks. But Gu Qianfan, in order to repay Zhao Pan'er for saving his life, decided to jump in and save Sun Sanniang in her place.
