A League of Nobleman Episode 27 Recap
> A League of Nobleman Recap
With Zhang Ping now apprehended, Gu Qingzhang stated that everything was proceeding according to his original strategy. He explained that he sought to reclaim what he believed belonged to him and would then abdicate, allowing capable individuals throughout the realm to vie for the throne.
Lan Jue, present during this conversation, expressed concern that such a move would inevitably trigger widespread upheaval in the court and lead to national chaos, but Gu Qingzhang dismissed these worries, finding the prospect of turmoil interesting. He suggested they would meet again at the upcoming funeral. Gu Qingzhang also indicated that someone within the palace was coordinating with his plan. Grand Tutor Liu Xian summoned the court officials to the palace.
Alone beforehand, he consulted the Emperor's lineage record housed within the hall. He recalled personally witnessing the completion of a prince's record twenty years prior, which documented a son. Upon examining the lineage record for the current emperor, he found the entry blank, which led him to believe the truth of Gu Qingzhang's earlier assertion that the reigning emperor was illegitimate.
Reflecting on his life's dedication to upholding the royal lineage, he realized he had been supporting a false sovereign while the true one was now emerging. Suddenly, palace horns sounded, signaling a major event. Grand Tutor Liu Xian emerged and announced to the assembled ministers that the Empress Dowager's condition had rapidly deteriorated, resulting in her sudden death. Ministers expressed surprise, having heard her injuries were improving.
They voiced concern about the Emperor being away on a campaign in the South. Liu Xian lauded the Empress Dowager's contributions to the state and noted that with the Emperor absent, the ministers must collectively handle the funeral arrangements. He then proposed holding the Empress Dowager's funeral concurrently with the impending Grand Ceremony for the Immortal Instrument, scheduled for the following night at midnight, as a way to honor her legacy.
Despite some ministerial objections that combining a funeral with a grand ceremony was improper, Liu Xian insisted on the plan out of respect for the deceased, and the ministers ultimately agreed. Afterward, Grand Tutor Liu Xian confided in Lan Jue, informing him that the true imperial bloodline would ascend the throne during the Empress Dowager's funeral ceremony and that the details of the ceremony's regulations were entirely Lan Jue's responsibility, emphasizing the need for careful and thorough planning.
Lan Jue understood that Gu Qingzhang intended to use Grand Tutor Liu Xian's authority to ascend during the funeral night, then declare his abdication, prompting all capable contenders across the land to compete for the throne. He realized that the various princes and military governors, already gathered in the capital for the Immortal Instrument ceremony, coupled with the army being engaged in distant conflict in the South, left the capital's defenses weak.
If the princes and governors were to fight for the throne, it would devastate the country. Concluding he must prevent Gu Qingzhang's ascent, Lan Jue resolved to act. Lan Jue sought out General Cao privately, stating that Zhang Ping was not the assassin, but rather Dr. Gu, whom he identified as Gu Qingzhang.
General Cao noted this contradicted what Lan Jue had said earlier during the incident at Hanyuan Hall, but Lan Jue explained he had been covering for Gu Qingzhang to extract information. General Cao questioned why such caution was needed for a mere imperial physician.
Lan Jue revealed that Dr. Gu was actually Mr. Jinghu, responsible for the chaos throughout Da Yong, the kidnapping and burning of the Empress Dowager, and who had infiltrated the palace as a doctor for months, charming the Empress Dowager to distance herself from long-time confidantes like General Cao and Eunuch Ying Xi. His purpose was to control the situation, disrupt the ceremony, and create greater chaos.
Lan Jue explained his and Zhang Ping's purpose in the palace was to find the Empress Dowager and stop Gu Qingzhang, but Gu Qingzhang had unexpectedly assassinated her. General Cao confirmed Lan Jue's account aligned with Zhang Ping's, adding that Zhang Ping had mentioned a greater secret he would only reveal to Lan Jue. Zhang Ping was then brought in.
Zhang Ping argued that Gu Qingzhang's sudden decision to kill the Empress Dowager today was uncharacteristic of his usual methods of torture and manipulation. He questioned why her face was burned beyond recognition and even her throat was burned after her disappearance from Banyue Pavilion, noting that since then, only Eunuch Liu (who was suddenly transferred to the Empress Dowager's side and served as Gu Qingzhang's spy) and Gu Qingzhang had seen her true face.
Zhang Ping deduced that Gu Qingzhang had swapped the Empress Dowager after kidnapping her from Banyue Pavilion, and the person rescued from the fire was a fake whose injuries served to conceal her identity and make the swap easier. Therefore, the person assassinated today was the fake Empress Dowager.
Recalling Gu Qingzhang's statements about the world descending into chaos and inviting "her" to watch this "show," Zhang Ping concluded the real Empress Dowager was likely still alive and hidden away to observe the unfolding events. General Cao received a report that Gu Qingzhang had not been found within the palace, suggesting the search should extend outside.
Zhang Ping warned that Gu Qingzhang was likely concealed in the shadows, preparing to launch his plan to usurp power and plunge the world into chaos. He stressed the urgency of rescuing the real Empress Dowager to thwart Gu Qingzhang's plot and stabilize the situation. Lan Jue appealed to General Cao's long-standing loyalty to the Empress Dowager, urging him to act if there was any chance she was alive.
General Cao agreed to release Zhang Ping to search for the Empress Dowager. He instructed Deputy General Xiong Xiao to search near Hanyuan Hall and decided he would trust their findings if Eunuch Ying Xi, who knew the Empress Dowager intimately, could confirm the body was fake "and" Deputy General Xiong Xiao found something.
Eunuch Ying Xi explained to General Cao that the Empress Dowager had a unique feature: she developed water blisters/herpes after childbirth but chose not to take medication or summon an imperial physician to avoid affecting her breast milk and harming the baby. He reported that during the minor dressing ritual for the Empress Dowager's body, Eunuch Liu had prevented him from approaching for a final look, confirming his suspicion that something was amiss due to such concealment.
Deputy General Xiong Xiao reported searching near Zhaode Hall carefully but finding no sign of anyone hidden. General Cao asked Zhang Ping and Lan Jue for an explanation. Zhang Ping requested access to the Immortal Instrument's blueprints from the Ministry of Works. Lan Jue proposed that the Empress Dowager might be concealed within the Immortal Instrument itself.
Consulting the blueprint, Zhang Ping confirmed that Gu Qingzhang, being meticulous, would hide the Empress Dowager where she could witness the events in Zhaode Hall. The Immortal Instrument's base included a row of air vents positioned at the same height as Zhaode Hall, providing a clear view of the hall. Lan Jue noted that the exterior was sealed off and inaccessible, explaining why Deputy General Xiong Xiao's search hadn't located the hiding place.
Zhang Ping pointed out a repair passage in the hydraulic drive chamber beneath the Immortal Instrument's foundation, connected to the palace's main canal and accessible from outside. General Cao agreed they needed to search the passage quickly, stating there was no time to lose. Zhang Ping noted the palace's main canal system was ancient and dilapidated, with sections collapsed, making passage difficult to find quickly. He also argued that involving construction workers would risk alerting Gu Qingzhang.
Zhang Ping volunteered to undertake the search himself, and General Cao assigned Deputy General Xiong Xiao to accompany him. General Cao stated he would remain to preside over the grand mourning and control the rhythm of events, buying Zhang Ping time, but could not personally assist in the search, urging Zhang Ping to be extremely cautious. Zhang Ping accepted the task, understanding the risks.
He told Lan Jue that if he failed to send back a message by the time of the grand ceremony at midnight, it would mean he was in grave danger. Lan Jue assured him that if it came to the worst, he would know what to do. Lan Jue then instructed his long-serving subordinate, Xu Dong, to take funds from the treasury and distribute them among Flying Star, Flowing Cloud, and the other servants.
Xu Dong expressed reluctance to leave him but complied. Zhang Ping and Deputy General Xiong Xiao arrived at the entrance to the palace's main canal. Unexpectedly, Chen Chou appeared, stating Lan Jue had sent him with supplies and insisting he would stay to protect Zhang Ping. Chen Chou relayed Lan Jue's urgent message that the Immortal Instrument would be unveiled at midnight, followed by Gu Qingzhang's enthronement, emphasizing their critical need to find the Empress Dowager before that time.
Meanwhile, the state mourning was announced, and the funeral for the Empress Dowager commenced in Zhaode Hall. Lan Jue presided over the ceremony, reading a memorial. Deep within the dark and eerie underground canal, Zhang Ping, Chen Chou, and Deputy General Xiong Xiao navigated the passages. Chen Chou felt uneasy about the gloomy atmosphere and the drafts of wind, but Zhang Ping explained it was due to the ancient, disused state of the palace's underground channels causing drafts.
Examining different routes, Zhang Ping noted one passage contained a lot of mud, likely discarded construction waste. He focused on the widest passage, hypothesizing it led to the hydraulic drive chamber. He observed that while spider webs in other passages were covered in dust and insect remains, the webs in the widest passage appeared freshly spun, indicating recent activity.
Following this path, they discovered a tell-tale scent – the fragrance of tulip ointment mixed with mercury, substances used in the minor dressing preparation of the deceased's body. Suddenly, they were ambushed and surrounded by people. They were brought before Gu Qingzhang, who acknowledged Zhang Ping's intelligence but stated his constant opposition meant their past connection could not spare him now in this situation.
Zhang Ping demanded to know where the Empress Dowager was hidden, but Gu Qingzhang denied she was there, declaring that Zhang Ping and his companions would die with "her" today. Zhang Ping urged Chen Chou and Deputy General Xiong Xiao to break through the encirclement and inform Lan Jue. As Chen Chou protested, Deputy General Xiong Xiao abruptly turned and stabbed Zhang Ping, a blatant act of betrayal.
Deputy General Xiong Xiao then knelt before Gu Qingzhang, addressing him as "Your Majesty" and presenting the wounded Zhang Ping as a gift for his enthronement. Chen Chou reacted with horror and grief, trying to help Zhang Ping. Gu Qingzhang spoke to the injured Zhang Ping, calling him "Kuruo," commenting on the harshness of the world and how people like Xiong Xiao betray others for survival, questioning if such individuals were worth saving.
Zhang Ping, despite his injuries, firmly asserted that they were worth saving, even if he had to do it ten thousand times over. He countered Gu Qingzhang, stating that even in the world Gu Qingzhang despised, there were still good people like his mother, who would have saved Gu Qingzhang regardless of what happened today. Zhang Ping again asked where the Empress Dowager was. Gu Qingzhang replied she was in a more suitable place, observing and enjoying everything.
Gu Qingzhang then instructed Zhang Ping (as Kuruo) to tell his mother he would soon avenge her and her clan. Enraged, Chen Chou cursed Gu Qingzhang, calling him a bastard worse than pigs and dogs, defending Zhang Ping's mother's memory and daring Gu Qingzhang to kill him as well. Gu Qingzhang, however, ordered his guards to wait, spare Chen Chou's life, and instruct him to remain and collect Kuruo's body.
Chen Chou stayed by Zhang Ping's side, desperately trying to rouse him as midnight approached. Back in Zhaode Hall, the funeral ceremony was reaching its conclusion. Grand Tutor Liu Xian announced that a crucially important person had yet to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager – her biological son, the true imperial bloodline who had been living outside the palace. Gu Qingzhang then appeared.
Grand Tutor Liu Xian presented him to the assembled ministers as the crown prince formally designated by the late emperor in the fifteenth year of the Qingfeng era. The ministers reacted with disbelief and skepticism, pointing out that the current Emperor was presently leading the army in the South and questioning how another prince could suddenly appear. Some openly accused Liu Xian of attempting rebellion during a time of imperial vacancy.
Liu Xian vehemently defended his loyalty, citing his service across three reigns as a teacher of two emperors and his lifelong commitment to upholding the legitimate royal line. The ministers acknowledged the delicate political situation, with all the regional princes and military governors gathered in the capital, adding to the tension. As midnight struck, signaling the appointed time, a piercing scream echoed from outside the hall. Suddenly, a figure resembling the Empress Dowager appeared, shocking everyone and prompting cries of "Ghost!" Grand Tutor Liu Xian reacted with evident surprise.
