A Dream of Splendor Episode 28 Recap
> A Dream of Splendor Recap
Since Ge's mother had no money to compensate for the jade Guanyin, she had no choice but to sell her daughter, Ge Zhaodi, to Zhao Pan'er as a slave. After Ge Zhaodi signed the contract of sale, Zhao Pan'er agreed to give Ge's mother five guan as travel expenses. Ge's mother was overjoyed, and at Zhao Pan'er's suggestion, she went to the Chi Manor on her own initiative to demand money.
Chi Yanei was already upset because Gu Qianfan had been promoted, and when he saw Ge's mother attempting to steal his wealth, he immediately ordered his men to beat her soundly and then threw her out of his house. Since Chen Lian returned from the teahouse, he had shut himself in his study, feeling sad and upset.
He even applied to Gu Qianfan to leave the capital to investigate a case, the truth being that he wanted to leave that sorrowful place. At the same time, Zhao Pan'er missed Gu Qianfan, but she hadn't seen the yellow flowers appear outside her door for a long time, and she felt deeply disappointed. Gu Qianfan was also thinking of Zhao Pan'er. After she fell asleep, he went into the room alone and left some banknotes.
However, that night there was a thunderstorm, and the strong wind blew the banknotes and bills onto the floor. Ge Zhaodi didn't notice and simply tucked the banknotes into some papers. Zhao Pan'er still didn't know about the banknotes. Because the owner of Wangyue Tower was urgently pressing for payment, she had no choice but to first sign the contract, promising to send the remaining six hundred guan the next day.
After leaving Wangyue Tower, Zhao Pan'er headed straight for the Capital Security Office. To her surprise, both Gu Qianfan and Chen Lian had already left the capital and were likely not returning for the next few days. Considering that Gu Qianfan must have had important matters to attend to, Zhao Pan'er decided to mortgage her calligraphy, paintings, and property deed to the pawnshop, at least to raise the six hundred guan first.
Sun Sanniang did not agree, as this was their last resort. However, Zhao Pan'er's mind was made up, so Sun Sanniang could only accompany her and Ge Zhaodi to the pawnshop. Initially, the boss was reluctant to accept the deed and the calligraphy/paintings due to Chi Yanei's influence. But when he heard that Song Yinzhang was closely associated with powerful figures, he agreed to accept the deed, valued at three hundred guan, for one hundred guan.
Zhao Pan'er was to redeem it seven days later. Far away in Yongqiu City, Gu Qianfan received a letter from Tokyo, learning that Zhao Pan'er urgently needed to see him. He was instantly filled with anxiety. Coincidentally, there was a landslide, and in saving Yelü Zongsheng, Gu Qianfan was severely crushed by large rocks, resulting in serious internal injuries and two days of unconsciousness.
Xiao Qinyan was concerned about Gu Qianfan's condition and earnestly advised him not to rush back to the capital, hoping to use this opportunity to ease the relationship between father and son. But as soon as Xiao Qinyan left, Gu Qianfan immediately went to find Yelü Zongsheng, honestly explaining the reason for his return to the capital and hoping he would help him deal with Xiao Qinyan.
Yelü Zongsheng was grateful for Gu Qianfan's life-saving grace and also felt that he was a person who valued loyalty and righteousness, so he readily agreed to the request. On the other hand, Ouyang Xu felt his future career was hopeless because of Ke Zheng. He thought he had no one to rely on anymore and spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol. His attendant, Ziming, couldn't bear to watch anymore and advised Ouyang Xu to cheer up.
He told him that if the immortal Bao Yi was not conferred a title soon, it would be difficult for them to return to Tokyo. Ziming heard that Qi Mu had returned home to recuperate from illness and thought this should be an opportunity. He suggested that Ouyang Xu send a gift to Qi Mu to curry favor with him, which might open up another path.
However, Ouyang Xu believed that Qi Mu, being part of the same pure faction as Ke Zheng, would certainly not welcome him. Moreover, Qi Mu's sudden return home meant that he had already been defeated by Xiao Qinyan. However, Ziming did not give up and searched through the boxes for valuable items. Ouyang Xu saw the Night Revels Painting that Zhao Pan'er had longed for day and night and suddenly perked up.
He carefully examined the painting for differences and discovered that the name of Empress Liu Wan was hidden within the musician depicted in the painting. Realizing that the Night Revels Painting was related to the Empress, Ouyang Xu seemed to see hope and finally thought of a way to return to the capital. Gu Qianfan rode his horse towards Tokyo overnight, enduring his internal injuries.
Even though he was so tired he coughed up blood, he refused to rest for a moment. Zhao Pan'er, accompanied by Du Changfeng and others, went to Wangyue Tower to meet the owner. Sun Sanniang quietly asked Ge Zhaodi about Song Yinzhang's situation and learned that Song Yinzhang was still complaining about Zhao Pan'er, still disagreed with opening the restaurant, and would even not attend Zhao Pan'er's and Gu Qianfan's wedding.
Sun Sanniang felt indignant on behalf of Zhao Pan'er, thinking that Song Yinzhang was being unreasonable and disregarding their sisterly bond. However, upon careful consideration, Ge Zhaodi felt that Song Yinzhang was mostly jealous of Zhao Pan'er. When Zhao Pan'er was engaged to Ouyang Xu, Song Yinzhang was determined to marry the jinshi Zhou She.
Now that Zhao Pan'er was about to become a titled lady, Song Yinzhang had begun to attach herself to Shen Ruzuo, enjoying the wealth and status of the Shen family. Although Sun Sanniang found it somewhat unbelievable, she also agreed that there was some truth to it. Moreover, Zhao Pan'er, being so astute, must have also guessed this implication, which was why she hadn't asked Ge Zhaodi or Sun Sanniang to mention it.
Although Song Yinzhang did not agree to open the restaurant, Zhao Pan'er felt that her name should rightfully be included, so she and Sun Sanniang successively pressed their fingerprints on the contract. Du Changfeng was filled with admiration, believing Zhao Pan'er to be a person of profound righteousness, which repeatedly changed his impression of her. Ge Zhaodi saw her own name on the contract and was both happy and shocked. She had never imagined she would become a restaurant owner, so she pressed her fingerprint with great excitement. The few of them smiled at each other.
