Resumen del episodio 30 de A Splendid Match
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Fourth Master Chen received confirmation from his associates that the plan to kidnap Gu Jinchao had succeeded. Driven by revenge for his ruined official career, he relished the prospect of making his third brother, Chen Yanyun, suffer the agony of losing his beloved. However, his servant Chen Zhong warned him that a man named Xie had been unable to smuggle Jinchao out of the capital and was currently hiding inside the city.
Chen Xuanqing, overhearing about the plot, deduced that Jinchao was the target and ordered his servants to keep a close watch on Chen Zhong. Upon learning that the kidnappers were still in the capital, Yanyun acted swiftly. He sent his associate Chen Yi to the Five-City Garrison with his personal seal, ordering a complete lockdown and a door-to-door search of the city.
Meanwhile, the kidnappers kept Jinchao and her maid locked up, planning to sell them to a human trafficker the next morning. In an attempt to buy time and secure water, Jinchao negotiated with her guard, offering her pink pearl bracelet—worth at least a hundred taels of silver. Xuanqing later spotted the unique pink pearl and recognized it as a rare dowry given to Jinchao by her grandmother.
Tracking down the human trafficker, Xuanqing tried to buy Jinchao back, offering his silver and a jade pendant to inspect her. However, just as he located the drugged Jinchao, Yanyun and the garrison forces raided the hideout and rescued Jinchao. Xuanqing fled in the chaos, but when a female associate of the trafficker tried to escape, he killed her with a stone to prevent her from identifying him. His companion, Yunting, promised to take the blame for the death.
Shortly after, Ye Xian ordered the kidnappers to be transferred to the Xuanfeng Guard for interrogation. Back at the Chen mansion, Old Lady Chen and Second Lady Chen anxiously awaited news, with the Second Lady gossiping about the scandal of Jinchao being missing overnight. To silence any rumors, Yanyun carried the injured Jinchao directly to her room and warned the household against gossiping.
He then confronted Fourth Master Chen, who was attempting to flee under the pretext of a business trip. Fourth Master Chen confessed to his deep-seated hatred, revealing he had drowned their fifth brother years ago and resented Yanyun for barring him from the imperial exams. Unmoved, Yanyun exiled him to Shaanxi to be dealt with by their second brother. Yanyun and Jinchao agreed to tell Old Lady Chen that Fourth Master Chen had left on business.
Although Yanyun suggested she rest, Jinchao insisted on managing the reopening of her pastry shop, Linxia Zhai, and facing the family openly. The next morning, she presented Old Lady Chen with sugar-free pastries sweetened with licorice and jujubes, specially prepared for her mother-in-law's diabetes. While Old Lady Chen was pleased, the Second Lady tried to humiliate Jinchao by bringing up the exclusive tea gathering of the cabinet wives. Her attempt backfired when an invitation from Madam Wang arrived for Jinchao.
Before departing, Jinchao encountered Xuanqing. When her earring fell, Xuanqing deliberately stepped on it and later ordered his servant to make an identical pair to give to her. Meanwhile, Yanyun warned Jinchao about Wang Xuanfan's hostility, explaining that Yanyun's land equalization policies had forced Wang to pay a fortune in taxes. To retaliate, Wang had incited scholars to protest, but the demonstration backfired, resulting in a public reprimand from the Chancellor.
To salvage her husband's pride, Madam Wang hosted the tea gathering, specifically inviting Jinchao to make her uncomfortable. At the gathering, Jinchao was criticized by Madam Fu for bringing gifts, which supposedly violated their anti-corruption rules. Jinchao gracefully defused the situation, shifting the blame to Madam Wang for failing to advise her beforehand, which forced Madam Wang to apologize for her oversight. While the ladies discussed political appointments in the garden, Ye Xian apprehended censor An Deyu at a city inn, arresting him for selling official posts and neglecting his duties.
