Court Lady Episode 13 Recap, Plot

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Empress gave her permission for Fu Rou to recover in Consort Yan's palace. Consort Yan explained to the Empress that she had vowed to Buddha to save someone if Prince Zhou recovered from his illness, and it was a coincidence that Fu Rou then fell ill.

The Empress also instructed Wei Song to send a white jade scepter and liver and lungs nourishing pills from the Imperial Medical Bureau to Princess Consort Han as a consolation for the recent death of her younger brother, and out of concern that her grief might affect her health and ability to have children. Fu Rou remained listless, refusing to eat or drink. Prince Zhou confronted her, accusing her of wanting to starve herself to death for Sheng Chumu.

He forcefully administered medicine by kissing her, threatening to feed her this way for every meal if she did not comply. Fu Rou, blaming herself for Sheng Chumu's expedition, began to take the medicine willingly. She then requested Prince Zhou to take her to Sheng Chumu's grave. Prince Zhou, having anticipated her wish, agreed. Prince Zhou escorted Fu Rou to Sheng Chumu's empty grave, explaining that his body was never found amidst the chaos of battle.

Fu Rou asked to be left alone at the graveside, and Prince Zhou respected her request. Kneeling before the empty grave, Fu Rou tearfully promised Sheng Chumu that she would wait for his return for the rest of her life, vowing never to break her word. Meanwhile, Sheng Chuling was deeply saddened by Sheng Chumu's presumed death. Princess Xin Nan, finding herself at a loss for comforting words, simply stayed by his side.

Sheng Chuling shared how much he missed his elder brother, acknowledging that his brother's persistence in making him study and practice sword skills prevented him from becoming a mere dandy. He regretted having harbored resentment for his brother's strictness. Princess Xin Nan, admitting her inability to offer eloquent solace, pledged to always remain by his side, which brought Sheng Chuling some comfort. News reached the palace that the Crown Princess's monthly period was overdue.

An imperial physician's examination, though not fully conclusive due to the early stage of pregnancy, indicated she was most likely with child. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were overjoyed by this development. As the Crown Princess would be unable to serve the Crown Prince during her pregnancy, the Empress considered finding a new concubine for the Crown Prince and had a particular interest in Lu Yingying. However, Fu Rou, wary of the Lu family's growing influence, subtly intervened.

She deliberately compared Lu Yingying to Zhuang Jiang, an ancient princess renowned for her beauty and intelligence but who ultimately remained childless, and whose beauty was said to have brought chaos and suffering to her state. Fu Rou suggested that beautiful women often faced unfortunate fates, receiving less fortune. The Empress considered Fu Rou's words seriously and instructed Wei Song to no longer present Lu Yingying's portrait when selecting women for the East Palace.

Despite successfully preventing Lu Yingying's entry into the palace, Fu Rou later felt she had acted despicably. Prince Zhou found her contemplating the poem "The swallow is about to fly," a classic ode to farewell, and encouraged her not to dwell in the past. Sheng Chumu, having fallen from the cliff, was rescued by Yan Zifang. Initially, Sheng Chumu was suspicious of Yan Zifang's motives and declared that he, as General Dingyuan of Great Tang, would never collaborate with pirates.

Yan Zifang, recalling advice from Fu Rou, revealed his tragic past. He recounted how his father, a county magistrate, was murdered by a powerful official (Lu Yunji) who coveted his valuable hawk, and how Yan Zifang himself was shot and left for dead in a river, only to be saved by the leader of the Four Seas Gang. Sheng Chumu then revealed that he too was targeted by Lu Yunji, who used rebels to frame his demise.

Realizing they shared a common enemy in Lu Yunji, Sheng Chumu deduced Yan Zifang's true intentions: he had been fighting other pirate gangs to consolidate power and establish a reputation, aiming to secure an amnesty from the imperial court. Yan Zifang confirmed this, admitting he needed someone of high status like Sheng Chumu to facilitate his connection with the court.

He expressed his desire to shed his pirate life and live honorably, even if it meant taking risks, and Sheng Chumu acknowledged that clearing the seas of pirates would indeed benefit the Great Tang. Back in Chang'an, Lu Yunji's army returned in triumph, welcomed by cheering crowds. The Sheng family watched Lu Yunji's triumphant procession with seething anger, convinced he was responsible for Sheng Chumu's death.

Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun wanted to exact revenge immediately, but their father, Sheng Xiaojing, cautioned against rash actions, vowing that they would settle scores eventually. Lu Yunji, accompanied by his son Lu Qi, later visited the Duke of Lu State manor, where he offered a twisted account of Sheng Chumu's death to Sheng Xiaojing.

He claimed Sheng Chumu, after successfully capturing Jiuzhu City, impulsively insisted on leading a small force into Anxi Gorge against Lu Yunji's advice, resulting in his tragic end. Sheng Xiaojing, while maintaining a facade of acceptance, subtly warned Lu Yunji that "humans do, but the gods are watching." Lu Yunji then presented Sheng Xiaojing with a basket of pears, making a cynical pun about the pain of a son "leaving" (li, similar to the word for pear).

Sheng Xiaojing retorted with a veiled threat, wishing Lu Qi a safe life and hoping Lu Yunji would not experience the same "grieving for your dead one." Later, Sheng Chuling expressed his desire to attend the royal hunt with Sheng Chujun, mentioning the dangerous animals there as a subtle threat against Lu Qi. Sheng Xiaojing, however, sternly warned them against reckless behavior, reminding them they could also become cenotaphs if they were not careful, thus preventing them from acting.

The Emperor, pleased with Lu Yunji's military achievements, rewarded him with a promotion to Right Prime Minister. As Lu Yunji celebrated his new appointment with a grand banquet at his manor, Sheng Chumu made his unexpected return to Chang'an. En route to the palace, he briefly encountered a stunned and overjoyed Fu Rou, but had to rush to see the Emperor, asking her to wait for him.

Sheng Chumu then presented his case to the Emperor, detailing Lu Yunji's corruption, his greed in ordering the army to raid Jiuzhu City, allowing soldiers to rob and rape its residents, and his deliberate act of sending Sheng Chumu with minimal forces into Anxi Gorge, revealing his whereabouts, which led to Sheng Chumu's severe injury and fall into the sea.

Although initially enraged, the Emperor was hesitant to condemn Lu Yunji solely on Sheng Chumu's testimony, given Lu Yunji's recent military success. However, Sheng Chumu was prepared, presenting a scroll inscribed with the "blood and tears" of the people of Jiuzhu City, bearing their names and fingerprints as irrefutable evidence of Lu Yunji's atrocities.

The Emperor, in a furious rage, immediately ordered the arrest of Lu Yunji and further commanded the capture of Lu Qi, who Sheng Chumu revealed was also involved in looting the residences of rebel officials. Imperial guards stormed Lu Yunji's celebratory banquet, arresting both father and son, leaving the guests in shock. After his audience with the Emperor, Sheng Chumu rushed to the Duke of Lu State manor to reassure his parents of his safe return.

His family was overcome with joy and relief, celebrating his unexpected and triumphant homecoming. Fu Rou's attendant, Yang Bai, noted her radiant happiness, correctly attributing it to Sheng Chumu's return. Fu Rou, grateful for Yang Bai's help in informing Prince Zhou when she was nearly sent to the Bureau of Healing, gave him a hairpin, a reward from Consort Xi, to give to his sister-in-law.

Imprisoned, Lu Yunji instructed his nephew, Lu Hanxing, to bribe several central ministers to collectively petition the Emperor for their clemency. He clung to the hope that the Emperor would remember his decades of loyal service and his act of saving the Emperor's life, and show leniency for his minor transgressions of "filling his pockets a bit." However, the Emperor, upon learning of Lu Yunji's unrepentant attempts to bribe officials from prison, became even more furious.

He immediately ordered the confiscation of all stolen wealth from the Lu family and the arrest of Lu Hanxing, vowing absolutely no leniency for Lu Yunji and Lu Qi. Desperate, Lu Yingying knelt outside the palace gates, pleading for an audience with the Emperor and threatening to kneel until her death if he refused. The enraged Emperor, however, dismissed her, stating he would grant her wish and let her kneel to death.

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