Court Lady Episode 19 Recap
> Court Lady Recap
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
The Empress appealed to the Emperor to forgive the Crown Prince, stating that if he did not, she would not either. She emphasized that the Crown Prince had been misguided and lacked proper advisors. The Emperor reassured her, acknowledging that Kaiqing was their eldest son and deserved a chance to mend his ways. He promised to carefully select loyal and honest officials to assist the Crown Prince after the imperial examinations.
The Emperor also expressed his deep concern for the Empress's health, urging her to recover quickly, as he could not be without her. When the Emperor reviewed the top-tier examination papers, he found one particularly striking. Zhan Xuanzhi highlighted a bold essay by a candidate named Du Ning, whose words were radical, even criticizing the Emperor and the nobles. Despite the initial low grade given by examiners, Zhan Xuanzhi advocated for Du Ning, noting his talent, intellect, and honesty.
The Emperor, recognizing a resemblance to his younger self, agreed to grade Du Ning as first-class and appointed him to the Hanlin Academy. Soon after becoming an official, Du Ning approached Fu Yin and confessed his feelings, proposing marriage. He expressed his intention to inform his parents and then formally propose to her family if she agreed. Fu Yin happily accepted his proposal.
Later, while strolling through the imperial garden, the Emperor lectured the princes and Du Ning on self-cultivation and governance. The Crown Prince, however, was preoccupied with thoughts of Chen Ji and appeared distracted. The Emperor sternly reminded him to uphold propriety and to internalize Zhan Xuanzhi’s loyal advice. Prince Han then seized the opportunity to express his ambition to compile a comprehensive "Treatise of Geography of Great Tang," detailing every state and county.
The Emperor praised his initiative and granted him special permission to establish a Literature Hall at his manor to recruit scholars without fear of being accused of gathering a private faction. Noticing the Crown Prince's continued inattentiveness, the Emperor, clearly displeased, dismissed him to rest. The Emperor later visited the Empress and found the Crown Prince asleep beside her bed.
A court official informed the Emperor that the Crown Prince had been diligently caring for the Empress day and night after completing his official duties, having visibly lost weight. Realizing he had misjudged his son, the Emperor felt a pang of paternal affection and draped a cloak over the sleeping Crown Prince. As Fu Rou left the palace, seemingly to meet Sheng Chumu, Yan Zifang suddenly appeared, surprising her. Fu Rou confronted him about concealing his true identity.
Before Yan Zifang could explain, Sheng Chumu arrived and interjected, revealing Yan Zifang had been a pirate and was too ashamed to face Fu Rou. The two men began to bicker over Fu Rou, who clarified to Yan Zifang that she only viewed him as a brother. Yan Zifang, however, reminded her of their childhood engagement, insisting he never saw her as a sister. Sheng Chumu countered by proudly displaying an embroidered pouch Fu Rou had made for him.
Prince Zhou then unexpectedly arrived, claiming Fu Rou's affections and boasting that he had kissed her. As Sheng Chumu grew furious, Ma Hainiu suddenly appeared and confirmed that Sheng Chumu had kissed her, causing Sheng Chumu to lose his composure. He frantically tried to explain to Fu Rou that it was a misunderstanding. The three men, Sheng Chumu, Yan Zifang, and Prince Zhou, then engaged in a chaotic brawl over Fu Rou.
Overwhelmed and exasperated by their childish behavior, Fu Rou left them to their fight and returned home. At the Fu residence, Fu Rou learned of Fu Yin's engagement to Du Ning. Fu Yin tearfully asked Fu Rou to help her wear a bracelet, a cherished dowry from their late mother, expressing her wish for their mother to see her in a wedding gown. Fu Rou comforted her, promising to create the most beautiful wedding dress in the world for her.
Meanwhile, Sheng Chumu, remembering his commitment to bring Fu Tao home, rushed back to the Fu family with him. However, they were too late; Fu Rou had already returned to the palace. Later, after a brief reunion with Fu Yin, Fu Tao prepared to leave, instructing Fu Yin not to reveal his return to anyone. He explained that he was working undercover for Lu Yunj, who was unaware of his true identity.
He then revealed the shocking truth: the fire that killed their mother was not an accident but was deliberately set by Lu Yunj. Fu Yin was devastated by this revelation, distraught at the thought of losing her brother after already losing their mother, but Fu Tao was determined to avenge their mother. The Crown Prince went to the Emperor to return the cloak. The Emperor's demeanor had softened considerably.
He engaged the Crown Prince in a discussion about a difficult political matter concerning Yu Kangping, the assistant to the governor of Tongzhou. The Emperor expressed his understanding of parental love and recalled past instances of his deep concern and hopes for the Crown Prince, including naming him Kaiqing and praying for him during a childhood illness.
The Crown Prince attempted to explain his friendship with Chen Ji, but the Emperor vehemently dismissed it, maintaining that Chen Ji had led him astray and forbidding any further mention of the man. The Emperor reaffirmed his commitment to appoint loyal and righteous officials to guide the Crown Prince, warning him that he would not repeatedly forgive his mistakes as he had when he was younger. Later, the Crown Prince visited Chen Ji's tomb in the East Palace.
He found Sun Lingshu kneeling there, expressing deep remorse and powerlessness to atone for her role in the tragedy. The Crown Prince then revealed that Chen Ji had been injured climbing a cliff to pick red wild flowers for Sun Lingshu, his pregnant wife, because the Crown Prince had told Chen Ji that she loved red. This injury led to Chen Ji temporarily staying in the East Palace, which ultimately set in motion the tragic events that followed.
Fu Rou was visiting Lady of Treasure Li, who was irritated by the incessant chirping of white birds outside her pavilion. Frustrated with her maid, Lady of Treasure Li decided to personally take a bamboo pole and knock down their nest. Coincidentally, the Emperor and Empress arrived at Huayin Pavilion to admire the white birds, which palace staff had declared an auspicious sign for the Empress’s recovery. They witnessed Lady of Treasure Li destroying the nest.
The Emperor, furious, viewed this act as a deliberate destruction of a good omen and suspected Lady of Treasure Li of harboring ill will towards the Empress. Fu Rou bravely stepped forward to intercede. She eloquently argued that true auspiciousness lay in a prosperous country and a peaceful populace, not in a few birds, referencing historical precedents where such signs proved meaningless in times of hardship.
She also cautioned against excessive punishment, which could harm the Emperor's reputation as a sagely ruler. Persuaded by Fu Rou's wisdom, the Emperor reduced Lady of Treasure Li's punishment to a mere reduction of provisions for half a month. Recognizing Fu Rou's sharp wit and articulacy, the Empress suggested she serve at Yicheng Hall.
The Emperor then promoted Fu Rou directly to the position of Chief of Communication, an appointment she gratefully accepted, despite Lady of Treasure Li's initial disappointment about her own fate. Lady of Treasure Li later acknowledged that the position of Chief of Communication held significant influence, making Fu Rou a powerful figure within the palace.
