Court Lady Episode 14 Recap, Plot

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Lu Yingying remained kneeling outside the palace gates for an entire day and night. As officials arrived for morning court, they observed her persistence, and one remarked that despite General Lu Yunj's character, he certainly had a filial daughter. Sheng Chumu approached Lu Yingying, urging her to leave and explaining that her father and brother were accused of dereliction of duty and corruption, making her actions futile. She refused.

During the morning court, the Emperor promoted Sheng Chumu from General Dingyuan to General of Declared Might, praising his loyalty and valor. The Emperor, however, forbade him from returning to the battlefield, citing his recent near-death experience, and instead tasked him with guarding the capital's gates in Chang'an. Sheng Chumu, grateful, affirmed his commitment.

At home, his brother Sheng Chuling excitedly reported that their father had completely recovered and had heartily eaten six bowls of rice and almost an entire dish of steamed cured meat. Sheng Chuling acknowledged the prestigious nature of Sheng Chumu's new role, only given to highly favored generals. Sheng Chumu, however, expressed a preference for being a palace guard, hoping it would allow him to see Fu Rou.

He asked Sheng Chuling if he could arrange a meeting, but Sheng Chuling explained it was impossible, given his own limited duties and the restrictions on guards interacting with female officials. Sheng Chuling then playfully teased Sheng Chumu about prioritizing beauty over power, just like their second brother, before warning him not to speak of his relationship with Princess Xin Nan.

Crown Princess Sun Lingshu, witnessing the Crown Prince conversing with a haggard Lu Yingying, became suspicious, believing Lu Yingying was feigning weakness to gain his sympathy. When the Crown Prince urged her to leave, Lu Yingying refused, stating she would be unworthy of the Lu family if she could not endure such suffering for them.

Later, while greeting the Empress, Sun Lingshu overheard a eunuch report that Lu Yingying was still kneeling, causing her to mutter that Lu Yingying was intentionally shaming the Emperor. The Empress, however, dismissed her concerns, stating that the Emperor would decide the Lu family's fate. After Sun Lingshu left, the Empress privately lamented Sun Tan's poor upbringing of his daughter, yet acknowledged Lu Yingying's unwavering filial piety.

Meanwhile, Fu Rou, despite her dislike for Lu Yunj, admired Lu Yingying's devotion and discreetly arranged for Yang Bai to deliver water to her, which Lu Yingying accepted before resuming her vigil. Later, upon learning the Crown Prince was spending the night with Lin Liangyuan, Sun Lingshu feigned illness to summon him.

When he arrived, he quickly discerned her deception but, understanding her feelings, promised not to be intimate with any woman during her pregnancy, provided she would not lie to him again. In the palace, Fu Rou worked late into the night, embroidering a coin pouch, fan pouch, fan pendant, and clothes. Her assistant, Shu'er, remarked on her tireless efforts, but Fu Rou simply claimed she was practicing.

When Fu Rou was delivering embroidery for Princess Xin Nan, Prince Zhou intercepted her. He teased her, claiming the work for Xin Nan was more exquisite than anything she had made for him. Discovering a man's robe among the items, he playfully claimed it as a birthday gift for himself and refused to return it, even after Fu Rou pleaded with him.

Unable to retrieve the garment, Fu Rou later entrusted a bag containing the remaining items to Sheng Chuling, instructing him to deliver them to Sheng Chumu and cautioning him not to tamper with them. Princess Xin Nan spotted Sheng Chuling with the bag. Suspicious, she demanded to know who the woman was, believing Sheng Chuling was involved with someone else. Sheng Chuling's refusal to answer only fueled her anger. She snatched a scented sachet from the bag, getting it dirty.

When Sheng Chuling tried to clean it, she ordered him to throw all the items into the water. He adamantly refused, declaring the items "very important." Enraged, Princess Xin Nan called him a "scoundrel" and questioned what could be more important than her. Her servant then clarified that the embroidery was made by Fu Rou, causing Princess Xin Nan to lash out, calling Fu Rou a "foxy vixen." Back home, Sheng Chuling delivered the bag to Sheng Chumu.

After Sheng Chuling left, Sheng Chumu eagerly opened the sachet and found hidden messages embroidered by Fu Rou. He delighted in reading her declarations of love and longing, such as "You miss me that much? You miss me too much to sleep," and "You are devoted to me. I know. I am the same," and "You love me more and more. I'm so happy." He then mused about how to bring Fu Rou out of the palace.

Meanwhile, in prison, Lu Yunj and Lu Qi were given spoiled food after their usual bribes ceased. Lu Yunj reflected on the Emperor's "ruthlessness," believing himself and Lu Qi to be mere "dogs waiting to die." Outside, Duke of Chang advocated for Lu Yunj to the Emperor, acknowledging his crimes but reminding His Majesty of his past contributions.

The Emperor, noticing a portrait of Lu Yunj with black hair, commented on Lu Yunj's aged appearance and graying hair, a change that Duke of Chang attributed to his loyal service. When informed that Lu Yingying was still kneeling and had fainted multiple times but resumed, the Emperor, touched by her filial piety, called her a "good child."

He summoned Lu Yingying, who appeared before him in her father's old, mended battle armor, filled with "slash marks" and "cracked" places mended with "wires," signifying his decades of service. She eloquently pleaded for her father's life, invoking Mencius's "sense of sympathy and compassion" and offering to die in his stead.

Moved by her devotion and Lu Yunj's long service, the Emperor declared that Lu Yunj's "merit in conquering Sheng state" would cancel out his "slaughtering the city" crime, and ordered the release of both Lu Yunj and Lu Qi. Upon returning home, Lu Yunj was deeply saddened to learn of his daughter's suffering. The next morning, Lu Yunj, now free, arrived at the palace gates in a sedan chair, thanking Duke of Chang for his intercession.

Sheng Xiaojing mocked him, implying he was too weak to ride a horse after prison. Lu Yunj retorted that the sedan chair was a special imperial bestowal for injuries sustained during a campaign against Tuyuhun, turning the jab into a display of past glory. Later, the Empress, impressed by Lu Yingying's unwavering filial piety, expressed her fondness for Lu Yingying and encouraged her to visit the palace more often, noting that even the Emperor had praised her.

Separately, Princess Xin Nan and Sheng Chuling had a heated argument. Xin Nan demanded an apology for Sheng Chuling's earlier actions, but he refused, accusing her of arrogance and irrationality, and longing for the "Xin Nan who stayed and comforted me when I was heartbroken." She countered that it was only because his brother had died, further angering him when she suggested she'd do it again if his brother died once more. Sheng Chuling, enraged, walked away.

Soon after, Fu Rou delivered more embroidery to Princess Xin Nan, who, still in a foul mood, capriciously cut up the finished work and ordered Fu Rou to remake it. Fu Rou, disheartened, noted that it was her "hand-embroidered" work. Later, while delivering another item to Consort Xi, Fu Rou encountered Lu Yingying. Lu Yingying graciously thanked Fu Rou for the water she had sent, promising to repay her kindness.

Fu Rou then confessed that she had spoken to the Empress to dissuade her from arranging a marriage between Lu Yingying and the Crown Prince, explaining that becoming a Lady of Excellence was essentially being a concubine, and that Fu Rou understood Lu Yingying would prefer "to be a chicken's head than a cow's tail." Lu Yingying, grateful for Fu Rou's intervention, sincerely thanked her.

During morning court, Sheng Chumu boldly proposed that the Emperor pardon Yan Zifang, the leader of the Four Seas Gang, who had saved his life and wished to join the imperial court. Yan Zifang, Sheng Chumu explained, offered to eliminate pirates in the Guangdong region to secure peace for Great Tang's seas. Lu Yunj vehemently opposed the idea, labeling Yan Zifang as ruthless pirate who had engaged in killings and robberies.

Sheng Chumu countered, accusing Lu Yunj of hypocrisy, reminding the Emperor of Lu Yunj's own past actions of pillaging civilians. The Emperor intervened, cautioning Sheng Chumu against dwelling on past incidents. Lu Yunj continued to condemn Yan Zifang, highlighting his lawlessness in robbing both merchant and official ships, to which Sheng Chumu retorted that Lu Yunj's own ships had been robbed, too. The Emperor grew angry, questioning Sheng Chumu's loyalty for speaking on behalf of a pirate.

Unfazed, Sheng Chumu refused to apologize, asserting that he spoke "only for the Great Tang," not for personal reasons. He cited historical examples: Confucius accepting the criminal Gongye Chang as a disciple, and an ancient king buying a dead horse's bones to attract swift horses, arguing that pardoning Yan Zifang would demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence and encourage other wrongdoers to pledge allegiance, thereby preventing further conflict and ensuring peace.

To further his case, Sheng Chumu presented a gift from Yan Zifang: the legendary Tapestry of Splendid Land, hand-embroidered by Lady Hui. Sheng Chumu explained the tapestry's lore: Lady Hui had hidden a "huge secret" left by her father within its threads, a secret that had led to many conflicts but remained unsolved. Yan Zifang had acquired it after defeating four pirate gangs. The Emperor, intrigued by the tapestry, promised to consider the matter of the Four Seas Gang.

In Yicheng Hall, the Emperor recounted Sheng Chumu's audacious proposal and the mysterious tapestry to the Empress. The Empress, comparing Sheng Chumu's stubbornness to his father, Sheng Xiaojing, offered insight into the tapestry. She explained that it was rumored to be a "treasure map" containing vast riches hidden by the six kingdoms before the Qin dynasty, a secret passed down through Lady Hui's father.

She noted the proverb that "the one who owns these treasures will be the ruler of the world," which she presented as a "wonderful blessing" for the already ruling Emperor. The Emperor, accepting this interpretation, entrusted the tapestry to her, asking her to uncover its secrets, even if it merely served as a decoration. He then departed to visit Consort Yan.

The Empress summoned Fu Rou, who, having studied Lady Hui's embroidery since childhood, confirmed the tapestry's authenticity due to its unique technique. The Empress tasked Fu Rou with deciphering the map. Fu Rou observed mountains, clouds, and waterfalls depicted in the tapestry, concluding that the treasure was "hiding in the mountains," but could not yet pinpoint the exact location.

Meanwhile, an official named Chen Ji attempted to pick red flowers from a cliff for the pregnant Crown Princess, who enjoyed the color red. The Crown Prince had earlier dismissed the idea of picking flowers as troublesome. Despite being advised to be careful, Chen Ji slipped and injured his foot.

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