A Dream of Splendor Episode 36 Recap
> A Dream of Splendor Recap
Now that he couldn't bring down Gu Qianfan through the Night Banquet Scroll, it meant Ouyang Xu's official career was completely over. To protect himself, he threatened Gao Hui with words, asking her to introduce Gao Fei to help him meet the Emperor, to plead and present his case. From then on, the two would have no more ties, and Ouyang Xu would not trouble the Gao family further.
Since Zhao Pan'er last met Gu Qianfan, she started going through the contents of the official gazette upon her return. Chi Yanei found it strange and concluded it was related to Gu Qianfan, regretting that he shouldn't have let them meet. Zhao Pan'er was utterly annoyed and directly drove Chi Yanei out, then focused on checking records about her father.
In Zhao Pan'er's memory, her father Zhao Qian's act of disobeying orders happened in the first year of the Jingde era, but she searched repeatedly and couldn't find it. Coincidentally, a breeze swept past, and one page caught Zhao Pan'er's attention; the content on it shocked her immensely.
It turned out that Zhao Qian, then serving as Inspector and Patrol Commissioner, was impeached by Left Palace Censor Xiao Qinyan because he had opened the city gates of Dongguang County without authorization and killed the Northern Plains raiders. Thus, Zhao Pan'er finally understood Gu Qianfan's difficulties. This matter left Zhao Pan'er's mind in turmoil; she stood by the window, tears streaming down her face.
Song Yinzhang didn't understand what had happened, so she simply offered guidance based on her own feelings. Following Song Yinzhang's suggestion, Zhao Pan'er went to a temple alone to seek guidance. After listening to the abbot's words, her mood cleared up. --- For a period after that, Yong'an Tower was packed with guests, from notable literati and officials to ordinary citizens; visitors streamed in daily. Lei Jing followed Gu Qianfan's arrangement and deliberately approached Xiao Qinyan and Qi Mu.
This would stabilize the two factions in the court, earn the Emperor's appreciation, and also gain the Empress's favor, allowing him to easily deal with Ouyang Xu and prevent Zhao Pan'er from being implicated. Wang Feng extensively purchased Suhe Yujin Wine, mixed white water into it, let it sit for three days, and then sold it at a cheap price, quickly attracting many customers.
When Chi Yanei learned of this, he took people to question him and ultimately was inevitably injured. In fact, Zhao Pan'er had already notified He Si to monopolize the market supply and was completely unconcerned about other restaurants copying them. Furthermore, she would continue to launch new drinks this time, while also guaranteeing that Chi Yanei could become the Deputy Head of the Spice and Herb Guild.
As soon as she said this, Chi Yanei knelt down to confess his love to Zhao Pan'er, vowing that if the two could become husband and wife, they would definitely dominate Tokyo. Zhao Pan'er was already used to such declarations. She learned through Song Yinzhang that the musicians at Yong'an Tower were all properly arranged, and finally felt at ease. The next step was to settle her own important life event.
When Gu Qianfan came out of the Capital Security Office and saw the wall covered in yellow flowers, he immediately thought of Zhao Pan'er, so he rushed towards Ban Zhe Mian. As expected, Zhao Pan'er had been waiting there for a long time. Zhao Pan'er didn't care about the relationship between Gu Qianfan and Xiao Qinyan; instead, she was convinced that she could not lose Gu Qianfan.
Therefore, she was willing to put down all her self-esteem and pride, forcing him to make a choice. Seeing Zhao Pan'er about to count to three, Gu Qianfan walked over and held her in his arms, promising to spend the rest of his life cherishing Zhao Pan'er and atoning for all his mistakes. Chen Lian and Ge Zhaodi hid in a corner, watching Gu Qianfan lead Zhao Pan'er away, finally feeling a great burden lifted from their hearts.
When Song Yinzhang learned that the two had reconciled, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She also threw her red coral bracelet into the river, formally bidding farewell to the past. Ouyang Xu entered the palace and knelt, begging the Emperor for forgiveness. Considering that he was misled by Qi Mu and was otherwise upright and honest, the Emperor ordered him demoted to Assistant Prefect of a small prefecture.
Gu Qianfan returned to the Gu family residence with Zhao Pan'er. The vast courtyard seemed exceptionally quiet and cold. Zhao Pan'er had already begun preparing to arrange the furniture and look forward to the future, and unknowingly fell asleep leaning on the railing. Empress Liu Wan privately summoned the high-ranking eunuch, praising him for his effective work before, and promised that her brother would take good care of his nephew in the army.
However, to prevent the eunuch from having second thoughts, the Empress continued to admonish him with words, while also lamenting that the Emperor was a benevolent monarch and even a good person, but unfortunately couldn't protect himself, so she could only find ways to protect herself. The next morning, everyone was chattering around Zhao Pan'er, teasing her for having changed clothes and guessing that she had spent the night at Gu Qianfan's house.
When Chi Yanei heard the conversation, he sat there stunned, but unfortunately, he was ignored the whole time. Zhao Pan'er heard that Fu Zifang was being disobedient, so she followed Ge Zhaodi to see what was happening.
