Resumen del episodio 18 de A Splendid Match
> Resúmenes de A Splendid Match
At Baoxiang Temple, Chen Yanyun finds Gu Jinzhao standing in the cold to clear her head. Jinzhao admits she must remind herself that he is now a powerful Grand Secretary rather than just a friend. Chen Yanyun teases her for being overly formal and mentions his decision to keep her father in his position at the Ministry of Revenue; despite his moral failings, her father remained untainted by the recent rebellion.
He then questions why Jinzhao risked her life to help Ye Xian. When she describes Ye Xian as a true friend, Chen Yanyun asks if he holds the same status in her heart. He reveals that matchmakers have been swarming his home and asks if she would be willing to marry him. Jinzhao is stunned and firmly rejects him, stating she has no desire to marry and intends to focus on her business ventures in Shanxi.
Later, Gu Jinzhao confesses to her maid that while she likes Chen Yanyun, she fears losing her freedom in a grand household. Their conversation is overheard by Nanny Zhao, who brings out a wedding gown and a letter left by Jinzhao’s late mother. The letter reveals that the mother stitched the gown in secret to avoid upsetting Jinzhao. In her final words, she expressed deep regret for her own marriage and for sending Jinzhao away to Tongzhou.
She urged her daughter to be independent and strong, much like her maternal grandmother, rather than living a life of quiet suffering. At the Gu family ancestral manor in Daxin, the Old Lady (Madam Gu) and the Second Lady are troubled by growing financial deficits. With Gu Lian’s marriage to the prestigious Yao family approaching, they worry that a meager dowry will lead to her being mistreated.
Knowing that the Fourth Branch has thrived under the management of the Ji family, the Old Lady decides to bring Gu Jinzhao’s father and his children back to the ancestral home, using the excuse that a widower shouldn't be raising children alone. In Tongzhou, Ji Yao discovers that Gu Jinzhao has been secretly purchasing land and shops in Shanxi. She explains that the region is more welcoming to women in business.
Worried by her lack of interest in marriage, Ji Yao impulsively suggests she marry him to find safety. Their conversation is interrupted by Ji Yao’s mother, who treats Jinzhao with hostility. When the older woman makes a pointed remark about Jinzhao’s late mother to discourage a match, Jinzhao retorts that if she is continuously provoked, she might just change her mind and marry Ji Yao after all.
Chen Yanyun, fearing that Gu Jinzhao is fleeing to Shanxi, rushes to the Ji warehouse to stop her. He is relieved to find she is only seeing off her steward, Ping. Seizing the moment, he insists she return to the capital so he can keep a closer watch on her. During their time together, Nanny Zhao reports that while inventorying her late mistress’s belongings, she found a twenty-year-old promissory note.
It reveals that the Old Lady of the Gu family borrowed 20,000 taels of silver from Jinzhao's mother shortly after she married—a debt that was never settled. Upon learning that her father and sister have already moved back to the ancestral home, Gu Jinzhao decides to join them.
Her maternal grandmother supports the move, advising her to not only reclaim the silver but also the valuable furniture—specifically a set of Huanghuali wood pieces—that the Gu family had deviously swapped for cheaper wood years ago. When Jinzhao arrives at the ancestral manor, the Old Lady immediately criticizes her for a lack of propriety. Jinzhao remains composed, handing over the branch's accounts while subtly noting that their income is modest because her father focuses on his career.
The household is soon thrown into a panic by the arrival of Ye Xian, who now serves in the feared Bureau of Justice (Xingdaosi). He pulls Gu Jinzhao aside, his robes still stained with blood from catching fugitives. He explains that he has embraced this path of power because it is the only way to protect his household.
Before leaving, he gives her a bracelet from a confiscated hoard, telling her it is hers to keep if she does not find it too distasteful. Later, during a group embroidery session, Gu Lian intentionally trips Gu Lan and then demands to prick her with a needle as revenge for being bumped. Gu Jinzhao intervenes, exposing Gu Lian’s petty malice. She warns Gu Lian that if the cultured Yao family heard of her cruelty, they might reconsider the marriage.
The Old Lady stops the quarrel but attempts to punish Jinzhao’s sharp tongue by ordering her to massage her legs. Jinzhao complies with a smile, but as she works, she calmly asks the Old Lady when she intends to repay the 20,000 taels of silver she borrowed from Jinzhao's mother two decades ago.
