Court Lady Episode 4 Recap, Plot

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Sheng Chumu returned home, looking thinner and more tanned. His mother, Mrs. Sheng, was delighted, but Sheng Xiaojing was skeptical of his son's claim to have studied military strategies with Niu Wudi in Guangzhou, accusing him of lying. Mrs. Sheng urged her husband not to be too harsh, explaining that Sheng Xiaojing had been agitated since Lu Yunj's son became a general. Soon after, Prince Han summoned Sheng Chumu, intending to scold him.

Princess Consort Han questioned her husband's urgency, but Prince Han revealed he himself had been reprimanded by the Empress for Sheng Chumu's bad reputation, especially after Sheng Xiaojing had proposed Sheng Chumu marry Princess Xin Nan, leading the Empress to dismiss Sheng Chumu as an "unworthy playboy" who was "unfit to even carry the Princess's shoes." When Sheng Chumu arrived, Prince Han, softened by Princess Consort Han, questioned his recent efforts.

Sheng Chumu asserted he had been diligently learning military strategies, riding, and archery, rather than his old frivolous pursuits. Prince Han tested him, and Sheng Chumu correctly identified the nine types of terrain. Prince Han then brought in Mr. Sun, a tutor, for a more rigorous test. Sheng Chumu expertly discussed military deception, quoted Sunzi's Art of War, and debated the importance of military discipline, even correcting Mr. Sun on the purpose of an army.

On a sand table, he skillfully identified a flaw in Mr. Sun's strategy. Finally, in an archery test, Sheng Chumu hit the bullseye from a challenging distance, astonishing both Prince Han and Princess Consort Han. Princess Consort Han was moved to tears, noting Sheng Chumu was finally showing promise. When asked about his transformation in Guangzhou, Sheng Chumu simply stated he had "suddenly discovered that it feels quite great to be an upstanding, real man."

Leaving Prince Han's manor, Sheng Chumu was met by his younger brothers, Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun, who tried to drag him to a brothel. Sheng Chumu resisted, wanting to be left alone. Later, at a brothel, while his brothers enjoyed themselves, Sheng Chumu sat apart, deep in thought. A courtesan, Lian Yan'er, approached him, and he asked her if he was a "shameless playboy who bullies without remorse." Her flattering response confirmed his suspicion that she wasn't truthful.

He clutched the sachet Fu Rou had given him, reaffirming his resolve to become an honorable man and not a liar. Meanwhile, Fu Tao visited Fu Rou to bid farewell, informing her of his decision to join the army. He emphasized that he aimed to be an upright man and would not disappoint her as Sheng Chumu had. Fu Rou, recognizing his determination, supported his choice. Fu Tao secretly left a letter for his mother before departing.

Upon finding the letter, Third Madam became hysterical, lamenting that Fu Tao had joined the army without consulting the family and accusing Fu Rou of instigating him. Fu Rou defended Fu Tao's ambition, which only further enraged Third Madam, who physically attacked her. Eldest and Second Madam intervened, calming the situation.

Third Madam, hearing of military recruitment in Zhan State, insisted on going there to find Fu Tao, despite the Grand Master's protestations that he had already left on the fastest horse. Back at Sheng Chumu's home, Mrs. Sheng was pleased to see him dedicated to studying, hoping he might achieve official status. Sheng Xiaojing, however, remained cynical, dismissing his son's change as temporary. He summoned Junhui, who revealed that Sheng Chumu had been infatuated with a beautiful woman in Guangzhou.

Hearing this, Mrs. Sheng's hopes began to wane. Lu Qi reported Sheng Chumu's supposed transformation to his father, Lu Yunj, who scoffed at the idea, calling Mr. Sun a mere "dog" of Prince Han and reiterating his belief that Sheng Chumu was beyond redemption. Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun spied on Sheng Chumu, thinking his "Lun Yu" (Analects of Confucius) was a disguised erotic book, only to be shocked later when they found he was genuinely reading it.

Sheng Chumu himself, while reading, found his thoughts drifting to Fu Rou, wondering if he was losing his mind. Fu Rou informed her family that she would personally escort a large and complex dye shipment to Zhan State, as Uncle Song was ill and she couldn't trust anyone else with the critical task. Second Madam expressed concern about the dangers of sea travel, but Eldest Madam supported Fu Rou, believing the trip would be beneficial.

Fu Rou reassured them the sea route to Zhan State had been safe. Third Madam, having overheard "Zhan State," secretly boarded the ship, hoping to find Fu Tao. The ship was soon attacked by pirates. Fu Rou quickly urged Third Madam to hide, fearing that revealing her identity would lead to a ransom demand. The pirate leader, Dulong, boarded the ship.

One of his men warned him that Yan Zifang, the leader of the Four Seas Gang, had forbidden them from touching Fu family ships. Dulong, defiant of Yan Zifang's authority, dismissed the warning. Discovering the ship contained only low-value fabrics, Dulong's men found Third Madam. She initially claimed to be poor but then, fearing for her life, revealed she was from the wealthy Fu family. Dulong ordered her captured for ransom.

To save Third Madam, Fu Rou stepped forward, identifying herself as the Second Miss of the Fu family, offering herself in exchange for Third Madam's release and promising ransom. Dulong agreed, taking Fu Rou and sending Third Madam home. Meanwhile, Yan Zifang and his pirates intercepted Lu Yunj's ship, seizing a large amount of property that Lu Yunj had unlawfully hoarded from a rebel general.

Yan Zifang deliberately spared Lu Hanxing, Lu Yunj's nephew, telling him to relay a message that the Four Seas Gang leader sent his regards. Shortly after, Yan Zifang received news that Dulong had captured Fu Rou. He immediately rushed to rescue her, confronting Dulong and freeing Fu Rou. Fu Rou, initially terrified and unaware of Yan Zifang's identity, gradually relaxed as she sensed no malice from him. Yan Zifang gently applied medicine to her wounds.

As he prepared to leave, a longevity lock she had given to a childhood friend, her brother, accidentally fell from his possession. Fu Rou recognized it and urgently asked how he had obtained it. Yan Zifang fabricated a story about a boy who had been shot, rescued by his foster father, and later died, and that he had kept the lock. Heartbroken, Fu Rou questioned him, stating the boy was like her older brother, and they grew up together.

Yan Zifang coldly confirmed the boy's death. Fu Rou demanded the lock back, but Yan Zifang refused, playfully claiming she was his, and so was the lock. When she pressed for his identity, he revealed he was "Four Seas Gang's gang leader, surnamed Fang." He then ordered Fu Rou to make him a new cape, claiming the previous one smelled of another woman.

He also asked her to make a sachet and to stay with him, tempting her with a life of luxury. Fu Rou vehemently refused, criticizing his pirate lifestyle as shameful and declaring she would rather die than associate with bandits. Yan Zifang, already aware of Dulong's defiance, received a report that Dulong and other gangs were planning to conspire against him at Zhuiying Island.

He remained unperturbed, having intentionally allowed Dulong to gather more enemies so he could "cast the net and scoop them all up." Sheng Chumu, having arrived in Guangzhou, was distraught to learn of Fu Rou's capture. He tracked down Boss Chen, a fence who dealt with stolen goods for pirates, and extracted information about the largest pirate den through coercive methods.

Armed with this knowledge, Sheng Chumu, identifying himself as "Guinan County, Lieutenant Zhechong," used his official token to command the Lingnan Navy. He led the troops in an assault on the pirate stronghold. Seeing the overwhelming force, Yan Zifang executed a tactical retreat, having already moved his valuable treasures to Xianhuang Island. He dismissed the island's meager structures, emphasizing that "save your life and you can still have a future."

As Yan Zifang carried Fu Rou away to Xianhuang Island, she managed to drop a handkerchief with a hidden message. Sheng Chumu, entering the deserted pirate den, found Fu Rou's handkerchief with its embedded clue, which offered him some relief.

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