Glory Episode 20 Recap
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Following the chaotic disruption of her wedding, Rong Shanbao realized the situation involving the "dead" Madam Yang was far more dangerous than she had imagined. To prevent the scandal from escalating, she immediately sought out Yang Yitang. Though he initially attempted to maintain a facade of ignorance, Shanbao cut him off, revealing she knew exactly why he had come to the Rong residence.
She informed him that the woman he was looking for—his aunt, Yang Yun—had already been taken into custody by the government. Shaken by the news, Yang Yitang hurried away to inform his father. Shortly after, Yang Yitang returned with his father, Yang Jisheng, to appeal to Shanbao. He admitted that while the Wei family had indeed been cruel to Yang Yun and caused her to suffer a miscarriage, the legal implications now threatened to ruin both of their families.
Since Yang Yun was in the hands of the authorities, the Yang family feared her testimony might reveal secrets that could destroy their reputations. During this tense meeting, the sensible Rong Yunshu arrived and stepped in to help analyze the risks for the Yang family, offering strategic advice on how to navigate the impending legal storm. Meanwhile, Lu Jianglai’s mentor, the Grand Secretary Xu, visited the prison. He observed that Yang Yun remained stubbornly silent despite interrogation.
He advised Lu Jianglai that Yang Yun was the linchpin of the investigation and that the case would only move forward if he could convince her to speak. He also warned Lu that the Prefect, Xu Song, would likely be under immense pressure to ensure the case was buried, as a retrial could implicate many officials who handled the original investigation years ago. As the court date approached, Lu Jianglai issued a formal summons to the Rong family.
Knowing that refusing to attend could result in imprisonment, Rong Shanbao accepted the post and prepared to face her former fiancé in court. Grand Secretary Xu also attended the hearing with his daughter, Xu Meiying. Having heard of Lu Jianglai’s brilliance from her father, Meiying was eager to witness his performance. Back at the Rong residence, the atmosphere was thick with resentment.
Shanbao’s staff were furious, calling Lu Jianglai an ungrateful man for turning on the woman who had saved his life. However, the Old Madam was more concerned with the family legacy. She expressed her frustration to Rong Yunshu, arguing that while saving one woman’s life was a small kindness, protecting the livelihood of thousands of tea workers and a century of family reputation was the greater good.
She feared that being accused of harboring a criminal would destroy the Rong family name. The trial began with a confrontation between Yang Jisheng and the woman claiming to be his sister, Yang Yun. In a shocking display of betrayal, Yang Jisheng refused to acknowledge her, insistently claiming his sister had died years ago. He suggested that the woman was an imposter found by the Wei family to overturn the original verdict.
Hearing her own brother lie so brazenly after he had once sold her and tried to drown her broke Yang Yun’s silence. Driven by ten years of suppressed agony, she erupted in court, detailing her brother’s history of greed. She recounted how he had been expelled from the Songhe Academy and whipped thirty times by their father, and how he had sent her into the abusive Wei family just to secure tea fields for himself.
She even revealed that when she tried to return home, he had drugged her and attempted to kill her at the well. Lu Jianglai supported Yang Yun’s testimony and ordered Yang Jisheng to be taken into custody for perjury. As the first day concluded, Meiying looked at Lu Jianglai with deep admiration. However, the victory was short-lived. That night, Xu Song visited the jail to see the broken Wei Kejian.
He realized that a simple bribe of food was enough to make the delirious man confess to anything. Xu Song planned to use this "confession" to force a quick end to the case. Lu Jianglai found himself unable to sleep, dreading the next day when he would have to face Rong Shanbao on opposite sides of the law. He was torn between his official duty and his desire to protect her.
When the court reconvened, Xu Song brought in Wei Kejian. Reeking and mentally shattered, Wei Kejian began screaming that he was the murderer, though he couldn't even recognize the woman standing before him. Xu Song immediately pushed for the case to be closed, claiming the murderer had confessed and therefore the woman in court must be an imposter. The situation grew more dire when a woman named Madam Zhang appeared to testify.
She claimed that the woman in court was actually a prostitute named Dongling who had been a concubine in Luzhou before escaping her service. Madam Zhang even pointed to a specific brand on the woman’s arm as proof. Yang Yun wept in despair, claiming the mark was merely a childhood scar, but she realized her identity was being systematically erased. Seeing the misery of the woman they had sheltered, Rong Shanbao’s eyes turned red with tears.
Distressed by the emotional toll on Shanbao and the conflicting testimonies, Lu Jianglai was forced to adjourn the court again. In the aftermath, Shanbao met with Yang Yitang in the flower hall. She reprimanded him for his family's underhanded tactics with the false witness, but Yitang argued it was a matter of survival for the Yang clan.
To prevent her sixth sister, Rong Junwan, from testifying and potentially ruining the Rong family's reputation by confirming Yang Yun's true identity, Shanbao decided to send her away. That night, she arranged for Rong Junwan to be moved to a remote tea plantation, ordering that she remain hidden until the legal battle was finally over.
