Court Lady Episode 6 Recap, Plot

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Lu Qi chastised Lu Yingying for not calling for help when a stranger approached her with a dagger. Lu Yingying argued that the man knew their father and had only used the dagger to open a clamshell, even giving her a pearl. Lu Qi was frustrated, saying she nearly got killed for a "dumb pearl." Lu Yingying countered that Lu Qi no longer loved her before she was even married.

Lu Yunj stopped their argument, excusing Lu Yingying by blaming the guards. He then asked if she knew the man's name, to which she replied that Lu Qi had scared him off before she could ask. Lu Yunj then instructed her to draw a portrait of Yan Zifang once they reached Chang'an. After the fire, Fu Rou and her family arrived in Chang'an, where they were warmly welcomed by Fu Yongan and his family.

Before joining them, Sheng Chumu assured Fu Rou that he would return home to secure his mother's approval for their marriage. Upon arriving home, Sheng Chumu immediately told Sheng Consort he wished to marry, surprising her with his directness. Sheng Consort correctly guessed his intended was named Fu. Sheng Chumu praised Fu Rou as intelligent, gentle, and perfect, asking for his mother's consent. Sheng Consort refused, stating the Duke of Lu State manor could not be in-laws with merchants.

Sheng Chumu declared he loved Fu Rou and would marry her regardless. Sheng Consort then opposed due to Fu Rou being from Guangzhou, fearing it meant she would abandon her parents. Sheng Chumu clarified that Fu Rou's entire family, including her parents and sister, had also moved to Chang'an. Exasperated, Sheng Consort accused the Fu family of coming to Chang'an to "steal" her son.

She then noticed Sheng Chumu’s injury, implying it was caused by Fu Rou, and warned him that if he married that "vixen," she would disown him, forcing him to choose between her and Fu Rou. Sheng Chumu chose Fu Rou, stating that if his mother would not accept the person he loved, she should not accept him as her son.

Seeing his determination, Sheng Consort immediately feigned a severe chest pain to keep him by her side, preventing him from leaving. Ignorant of his sister's true intentions, Sheng Chumu furiously broke into the Prince Han Manor, demanding Fu Rou's release. The Princess Consort Han was incensed, asking if he dared draw his sword in her residence, reminding him it was the home of the Fourth Prince, not a brothel.

She accused him of becoming more foolish despite his training, and of risking the destruction of the Duke of Lu State manor over a commoner. Sheng Chumu admitted his error but pleaded for Fu Rou's return, arguing it had nothing to do with her. The Princess Consort refused, stating Fu Rou would remain to "wake him up" from his rash and unyielding ways. She threatened to kill Fu Rou if Sheng Chumu persisted in his demands.

Sheng Chumu then knelt, confessing his deep affection for Fu Rou and begging her not to harm her. Helping him up, Princess Consort Han reminded him of their father’s lifelong sacrifices and urged him not to be reckless. She explained that if he truly wished to be with Fu Rou, he must first secure Sheng Consort’s approval, promising she would not hinder them thereafter.

However, she issued a stern warning: if he dared to act disrespectfully in the Prince Han Manor or secretly visit Fu Rou, she would inflict his punishments upon Fu Rou. Back home, Sheng Consort erupted in anger upon learning Sheng Chumu had gone to Prince Han Manor to see Fu Rou, blaming her maid, Junhui, before ordering him to be brought back.

When Sheng Chumu returned, he knelt by his mother’s bed, tearfully apologizing and promising to abandon his frivolous ways, study diligently, and become a responsible son and older brother to make her proud. Sheng Consort, stunned by his sudden change, worried he was seriously ill. Sheng Xiaojing, observing Sheng Chumu's newfound seriousness in guiding his younger brothers, Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun, even assigned twenty elite guards to train with him.

After some time, Sheng Chumu felt he had proven himself. He asked his brothers to pretend to be dutiful for their mother, who, after hearing them recite texts and seeing Sheng Chumu's martial arts skills, expressed satisfaction. However, when Sheng Chumu again proposed marrying Fu Rou, Sheng Consort refused, now arguing that his excellent behavior meant he should marry a princess, such as Princess Xin Nan, rather than a merchant's daughter.

Frustrated, Sheng Chumu confided in his friend, Du Ning, lamenting his inability to sway his mother. Du Ning, who also shared a personal struggle to impress Fu Yin's family, suggested a "prodigal son returned home is worth more than gold" strategy. Sheng Chumu then took his brothers to a temple, dramatically announcing his intention to become a monk to escape worldly desires and asking the monk to ordain him.

He even requested a message be sent to his mother in Duke of Lu State manor, stating he would repay her kindness in his next life. Panicked, Sheng Chuling and Sheng Chujun rushed home to inform their mother. Sheng Consort hurried to the temple, but Sheng Chumu escalated his act, threatening to self-castrate if she didn't allow him to become a monk.

Sheng Consort, desperate, tried to dissuade him by presenting several beautiful women, but he dismissively declared he had lost interest in such worldly pleasures. Even when Sheng Consort specifically mentioned Fu Rou, Sheng Chumu feigned indifference, insisting he wanted to be a monk or would starve himself. Finally, convinced of his resolve and fearing he might truly harm himself or take his vows, Sheng Consort capitulated, agreeing to let him marry Fu Rou.

Sheng Chumu then swiftly left for Prince Han Manor. In the Prince Han Manor, a fellow embroidery maid, Xia Han, was severely reprimanded by Granny Lu for not completing Princess Consort Han's robe despite having taken many gold and silver threads and gems. Fu Rou, upon seeing Xia Han's distress, offered to help.

Xia Han confessed that she had secretly hoarded the precious materials to make a wedding dress for her younger sister, explaining that after their parents died, she sent most of her wages to her uncle to support her sister. She longed to make her sister a beautiful wedding gown herself. Fu Rou, deeply moved, empathized, sharing that she also had a younger sister for whom she wished to embroider a wedding gown when the time came.

Meanwhile, Du Ning visited Fu Yin, presenting her with a set of antique ink. Fu Yin recounted how she had previously saved her allowance for months to buy a similar set for Du Ning's birthday, only to lose it in the fire that also claimed her mother. Du Ning, seizing the moment, proposed marriage, but Fu Yin, still wishing to honor her deceased mother’s hope of her marrying an official, declined.

Du Ning, determined to fulfill her mother's wish, vowed to study for the imperial examinations and asked Fu Yin to wait for him. Fu Yin, deeply touched, pledged to wait for him for "one year, ten years, one hundred years." Once Fu Rou finished mending Princess Consort Han's robe, the Princess Consort praised the work but noticed the missing gems.

Fu Rou explained that removing some gems created a more elegant and less garish design, likening embroidery to painting where appropriate "blank space" enhances beauty. While acknowledging the improved aesthetic, Princess Consort Han still deemed Fu Rou's unauthorized actions a transgression. As punishment, she tasked Fu Rou with embroidering a complex peony painting by Fan Luzeng, promising a reward for success and severe punishment for failure, including her previous misdeeds.

Lu Yunj had put a high bounty on the Four Seas Gang, forcing Yan Zifang and his subordinate, Haihu, to constantly evade pursuers. Haihu remarked that since the Lu family posted the reward, people swarmed them like "stinky bugs that ran into blood." Yan Zifang, inspired by an earlier encounter, mused about changing their approach, choosing to face Lu Yunj "honorably and openly" instead of through theft and robbery.

Meanwhile, in Chang'an, Lu Yingying presented the portrait of Yan Zifang to Lu Qi. Although Lu Qi immediately dismissed the person in the drawing as "not anyone good," Lu Yingying had deliberately added a beard and a mole to the image, subtly altering his appearance to prevent him from being recognized and captured. Xia Han made a sachet and asked Fu Rou to deliver it to Xiong Rui, as she could only leave the manor on holidays.

While searching for Xiong Rui, Fu Rou encountered Chen Ji, who informed her that Xiong Rui was out of the manor but offered to deliver the sachet on his behalf. Fu Rou confirmed that Xia Han had sent it, and after Chen Ji introduced himself as "Chen Ji, as in 'plead' and 'auspicious'," she entrusted the sachet to him and returned to her embroidery.

Granny Lu, impressed by Fu Rou's needlework, spoke to her, having heard rumors about her and Sheng Chumu. She advised Fu Rou not to place too much faith in young masters from noble families, warning that such relationships often lead to hardship due to social disparities and noting that Sheng Chumu hadn't visited her since she entered the manor. Granny Lu urged Fu Rou not to harm herself by clinging to false hope.

However, Fu Rou calmly asserted her unwavering trust in Sheng Chumu, acknowledging that while he had lied to her many times, she still chose to believe him, perhaps due to her own stubbornness. As the Crown Prince’s consort selection commenced, Lu Yingying, after being playfully misled by Lu Qi about the Crown Prince's appearance, was reassured by him that the Crown Prince was in fact youthful, handsome, and respected.

Among the candidates were Sun Lingshu, daughter of Assistant Directorate Sun Tan, whose maternal grandfather Chen Shouxin was a renowned painter, and Li Fuling, daughter of Imperial Chief Secretariat Li Canghao, whose maternal grandfather Lu Chushang was praised as an honest official.

Sun Lingshu's father advised her to prioritize virtue over appearance, while Princess Xin Nan strongly urged her close friend, Li Fuling, to aim for the position, hoping to secure a kind sister-in-law rather than a domineering one chosen by her mother, the Empress. During the review, the Empress praised Sun Lingshu’s modesty and her connection to her painter grandfather. She also complimented Lu Yingying's beauty and her family's good fortune.

However, when Princess Xin Nan brazenly recommended Li Fuling to the Empress, she was sternly rebuked for interfering and sent to her palace for four hours of etiquette training. Unable to decide between Sun Lingshu and Lu Yingying, the Empress sought the Emperor’s counsel. The Emperor, emphasizing the importance of harmony in the Crown Prince's marriage, suggested the Crown Prince choose his own beloved consort, since both candidates had already met the Empress's standards for family background and appearance. The Empress then proposed that Prince Han, being the Crown Prince's full brother, oversee the selection process, a suggestion the Emperor readily approved.

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