A Dream Within A Dream Episode 34 Recap
> A Dream Within A Dream Recap
Nan Rui eagerly tried to explain to Song Yiting that the geese sent as part of the marriage proposal were not his idea, denying he had instructed his father, the Emperor, to arrange the marriage. He swore he wasn't lying and promised to speak to his father immediately to dissuade him from the idea. Song Yiting thanked him.
Nan Rui then hesitantly asked if, hypothetically, Shangguan He weren't in the picture, or if he treated her poorly, she would consider him. Song Yiting did not reply and turned to leave. Nan Heng accompanied Song Yimeng on her return visit to the Song Residence. Only Song Yude came out to greet them initially.
Inside, Song Yiting's mother, who the subtitles refer to as Madam and Mrs. Song, was angry about Song Yiting's marital choices and was having a spat with her daughter. She instructed someone to tell Song Yiting that if she wanted to drive her to her grave, she should continue associating with the vagabond.
Song Yiting retorted defiantly, telling someone to inform her mother that if she kept forcing her to marry the Eighteenth Prince, she would have a child with Shangguan He just to spite her. This infuriated her mother further, who accused her of lacking shame and threatened that Song Yiting was trying to kill her. Song Yiting sarcastically suggested her mother had plenty of shame and should marry the Eighteenth Prince herself.
During the family dinner, Nan Heng attempted to ease the tension, but Mrs. Song was unyielding. She remarked that Shangguan He was Nan Heng's subordinate and seemed to blame Nan Rui for not managing him properly. Song Yiting accused her mother of making everyone uncomfortable at Song Yimeng and Nan Heng's homecoming banquet. Her mother brought up the incident at Zijin Pavilion, clearly holding a grudge against Nan Heng and demanding an explanation.
She insisted that if Nan Heng felt apologetic, he should banish Shangguan He to Jiangnan so they would never see him again. Nan Rui tried to offer a toast to defuse the situation. Mrs. Song prevented Nan Heng from taking a braised pork trotter, a specialty of the Song Residence, claiming the dishes were too salty, and instead tried to feed him a quail egg, managing to hit him near the eye.
Song Yiting again defended herself, stating that her decision not to marry the Eighteenth Prince was her own and had nothing to do with Nan Heng or Shangguan He. Nan Heng calmly stated he would handle the matter concerning Shangguan He himself and asked his mother-in-law to stop making things difficult for others. Feeling the tension was too much, Song Yiting announced she was finished eating and left.
Nan Heng also excused himself due to official duties, leaving Mr. and Mrs. Song at the table. After the tense family meal, Song Yimeng reflected on Shangguan He's feelings for Song Yiting, sensing he was interested but unwilling to make a move.
Nan Heng expressed understanding towards Shangguan He, explaining that he was afraid he couldn't provide the future and life Song Yiting deserved due to his lack of status as a mere martial arts practitioner, especially with someone like Prince Nan Rui pursuing her. Nan Heng believed Shangguan He felt it was better not to start a relationship at all if he couldn't offer what he desired for her. Song Yimeng dismissed this as male ego.
She then turned the question to Nan Heng, asking why he wasn't afraid of not being able to give her a future, yet insisted on starting their relationship. Nan Heng confidently declared he was the male lead and could give Song Yimeng anything she wanted. Song Yiting went to Xiyue Pavilion to sever ties with Shangguan He.
She stated that bringing him to the Song Residence was merely to complete the mission assigned by Nan Heng and since Song Yimeng was now married, his task was complete and their arrangement should be concluded. She handed him the monthly payment she had promised him, stating it was time for him to leave. Shangguan He, noting the amount, offered to use the money to buy her a zither he knew she liked.
Song Yiting grew agitated, accusing Shangguan He of being indecisive and dragging things out. She expressed her frustration at him leaving their relationship ambiguous while she faced societal pressure. She demanded a clear answer from him about their relationship, stating if he had no other reply, he should just leave. Meanwhile, Lord Qianyu, accompanied by Chu Guihong and the Qianyu Army, returned to the capital.
Nan Rui was surprised to see Lord Qianyu alive, as he was believed to have died in battle. Jixiang, who was with Chu Guihong, prevented Nan Rui from approaching him. Upon hearing the news, the Emperor arranged a banquet to welcome them. Song Yimeng was startled by this development, feeling it significantly deviated from the plot she knew and was worried about future events.
Nan Heng reassured her, suggesting that since they had already broken the script's original mechanisms, they could find ways to deal with subsequent changes. At the banquet, Lord Qianyu asked the Emperor why he had appointed Nan Heng as Crown Prince. Nan Rui stepped in to explain, praising Nan Heng's leadership and suggesting the matter between Chu Guihong and Nan Heng be settled.
Lord Qianyu, seemingly aware of the Emperor's suspicious nature, dismissed the matter and prompted Chu Guihong to apologize to the Emperor for leaving his post and attempting to assassinate the Crown Prince. The Emperor accepted Chu Guihong's apology but warned him that if he ever disrespected Nan Heng again, he would not be so lenient. Chu Guihong then apologized to Nan Heng, acknowledging the disturbance he caused on Nan Heng's wedding day and expressing remorse despite Nan Heng's magnanimity.
Nan Heng, however, seemed suspicious about Lord Qianyu's survival from the Pingrong Battle. The Emperor had a dish of famed Daze venison served. Lord Qianyu ate it with apparent enjoyment, which further deepened suspicions among those present, especially Chu Guihong.
Lord Qianyu then recounted a story of how he was knocked unconscious, disguised in enemy armor, and hidden among the dead to escape the city, explaining his subsequent absence by saying he misunderstood Nan Heng and later felt ashamed of his failure at Pingrong, only surviving for the sake of his son. He then expressed a desire to put past grievances aside and work with Nan Heng. After the banquet, Chu Guihong confronted Lord Qianyu in private, drawing his sword.
He questioned his father, pointing out his former strict rule against eating venison due to the Heyuan people's cruelty and accusing the man before him of not being his real father for disregarding this rule at the banquet. The man claiming to be Lord Qianyu argued that he had to abandon rigid rules like not eating venison to survive and see his son again.
He then ordered Chu Guihong to go to the ancestral hall and receive a punishment for challenging him. Later, as Song Yimeng was looking for Nan Heng near Fanghua Hall, she was suddenly grabbed and had her mouth covered by the man claiming to be Lord Qianyu. He called her "Song Xiaoyu" and used modern code words, including referencing "Imperial Jade Liquor" and "excavator technology," to confirm her identity as someone who also time-traveled from the modern world.
He then introduced himself as Li Bixiong, the screenwriter of the original story, pen name Bixiong. Song Yimeng recognized him as the source of the constant keyboard noise that seemed to precede dangerous events for her and Nan Heng in the past. Bixiong complained that her and Nan Heng's constant changes to the original plot made it impossible for him to finish his drafts and deliver them to the production team for the upcoming drama.
He explained that he had written himself into the story in the character of Lord Qianyu out of desperation to see what was happening after his main characters kept deviating from the script. He then asked for her help, explaining that Chu Guihong was already becoming suspicious of him due to his changed behavior, and if his identity was discovered, the world could collapse.
He suggested staying at her place and avoiding Chu Guihong, but Song Yimeng pointed out that as the Crown Prince's Consort living in the Crown Prince's Residence, having him stay there would cause even more problems. Song Yimeng recounted the encounter to Nan Heng, telling him that the person inside Lord Qianyu was the screenwriter who knew the entire original plot. She suggested preparing valuable gifts to try and appease him, warning that offending the screenwriter might have consequences.
Nan Heng was skeptical, believing the screenwriter must have a purpose for coming to this world and noting that the world's rules seemed to be changing. He believed that since they had already broken the original mechanisms, they had less to fear from the screenwriter now, and perhaps the screenwriter was the one who should be worried about the changes.
Just as they stepped outside, Lord Qianyu arrived at the Crown Prince's Residence with lavish gifts, stating they were specifically for Song Yimeng as he needed her help understanding the rules of this world since he was new here. Nan Heng noted the difference in behavior between this version of Lord Qianyu and the dignified old king.
The screenwriter, as Lord Qianyu, again complained about Song Yimeng and Nan Heng changing the script, explaining how it disrupted his work as a writer. Bixiong revealed to Song Yimeng that he knew how to return to the modern world. He explained there were three key mechanisms in the script world: the hero always saves the heroine, iconic scenes must happen, and completing the script's famous scenes until the finale allows them to return.
He explicitly mentioned needing her cooperation to complete scenes like the "city tower choice" and the future events where Song Yimeng would become a "human pig". Song Yimeng flatly refused, stating she didn't want the Song family to be destroyed, which was the original fate according to the script. Bixiong was dismissive of the characters' fates, calling them mere fictional beings.
He argued that if they didn't follow the original plot, they would be trapped in this world forever, preventing her from becoming a successful actress and him from becoming a top screenwriter. Song Yimeng insisted she was happy in this world, believing that Nan Heng's character had changed and he would no longer harm her or her family.
She argued that this world was real, not just a fictional construct, and demonstrated it by causing Bixiong pain, proving his body was real. She told him that outside the script, he might be the creator, but in this world, he was just a newcomer and she would show him the reality of this place.
Meanwhile, a subordinate reported to Nan Heng that Song Yimeng and Lord Qianyu were talking and that she wanted to take him to Waning River Crescent, which caused Nan Heng concern, especially given the history between Song Yimeng and Chu Guihong involving Lord Qianyu. Just then, Nan Heng suddenly coughed up blood. He instructed his subordinate to be discreet and not reveal what happened.
