Glory Episode 11 Recap
> Glory Recaps
Yan Bailou was heading to a moon-viewing gathering at the invitation of the Old Madam when he was intercepted by Rong Yunxi in the corridor. Yunxi had been making frequent appearances on his usual paths, and Yan Bailou immediately saw through her intentions. When she mentioned their shared invitation and questioned if he looked down on her, he claimed to have caught a cold to avoid the gathering.
He told her a story from his time on the mountain, explaining that while she was as radiant as the moon or the dawn, she was not the specific "star" that had brought him enlightenment. Realizing he was a man of unfathomable depth and "Buddhist rhetoric" who could not be easily manipulated, Rong Yunxi lost interest, dismissing him as a "monk with hair" and telling her maid she found such an oddity disagreeable.
Late that night, Lu Jianglai was unable to sleep, tormented by his love for Rong Shanbao. He went to the large tea tree she often visited, reminiscing about their time together. Rong Shanbao arrived shortly after and, seeing him standing there, recognized him as a man of rare character she did not want to lose. Later, she led Yang Dingchen into the Rong's Ancestral Temple.
Pointing to the dragon and phoenix pillars, she explained that unless a man was truly recognized by a Rong woman, he could never enter the hall. She told Yang that despite the secret he held over the family, he would never be more than a recognized partner in name only, lacking any real status. Enraged, Yang Dingchen reminded her that his secret could destroy the Rong family's century of honor.
He demanded they consummate their wedding on the twenty-fifth, an auspicious day, or he would cause a public scandal. Shanbao, feeling cornered, picked up a camellia flower from where Lu Jianglai had stood earlier to comfort herself as she slept. The weight of the impending marriage hung heavy over the household. Meanwhile, Rong Yunshu asked her suitor, He Xingming, if he would accompany her to offer incense at her mother’s grave.
He Xingming, who had only agreed to the engagement as a temporary measure, reacted with disdain. He insulted her status as a maid’s daughter and scoffed at the idea of paying respects to someone his grandmother despised, warning her that she was a "burden." The next morning, Yang Dingchen shamelessly sent his men to the Rong Residence to prepare the bridal chamber in Qilan Garden, a breach of custom that caused the servants to whisper.
Lu Jianglai, worried that Shanbao could not handle the intrusion, arrived with news of an "emergency" at the tea plantation, claiming sudden rains had flooded the drainage ditches. Taking the opportunity to escape, Shanbao left with him, though Yang Dingchen reminded her to return early for their wedding night. Lu Jianglai drove the carriage toward the busy market to distract her before eventually heading to the docks for a night cruise.
Sitting on the boat, Shanbao admitted she had never felt so peaceful, though her mind was occupied with how to rid herself of Yang Dingchen. She half-jokingly asked if Lu would help her bury a body if she committed murder, and he agreed without hesitation. During their talk, Lu revealed he had read thousands of volumes in the Rong library and was well-versed in music.
He confessed his fear that she would belong to someone else before he could reclaim his identity. Shanbao warned him that being a husband to a Rong woman was the most difficult task in the world, but Lu insisted he wanted to marry her regardless of the cost. Upon returning to the Rong Residence, the sight of the red bridal decorations and Yang Dingchen’s shadow in her room was too much for Shanbao to bear.
She turned away and sought out Lu Jianglai in his room. There, she found him looking at a portrait he had secretly painted of her to keep him company during lonely nights. Moved by his sincerity and desperate to escape her fate with Yang, Shanbao proposed that they become husband and wife that very night.
She suggested they let the moon be their witness and the spring breeze their officiant, stating she didn't care about his past as long as he never deceived her. When Lu asked if their union would last for a night, a month, or a lifetime, she chose the man before her over the one forced upon her by a secret.
