Glory Episode 3 Recap
> Glory Recaps
Rong Yunxi had long harbored a deep-seated resentment toward Rong Shanbao, jealous of the favoritism their grandmother showed her. Seeing the residence teeming with suitors, Yunxi looked for any opportunity to humiliate her sister. She turned her bitterness toward their youngest sister, Rong Yunwan, cruelly labeling her a "cursed wretch" whose difficult birth had ruined their mother’s health and led to her early death.
Shanbao intervened immediately, shielding the innocent Yunwan and sternly reminding Yunxi that their mother had willingly given her life for the girl. She vowed she would never allow Yunxi to harm her. Hidden nearby, Lu Jianglai overheard the sisters' argument, but a slip of his shadow caught Shanbao’s eye. She instantly ordered a full search of the courtyard and sealed the exits.
Realizing he was cornered, Lu Jianglai smeared mud over his face and emerged from the bushes, claiming he was a stable boy who had misplaced a wooden bucket. He whimpered that he had returned at night for fear of being beaten by the steward, and even used a stolen jade pendant to frame another suitor, Wang Lu, for a physical altercation. While Shanbao watched him with a calculating gaze, a servant reported a fire at Xinfang Pavilion.
The commotion was actually a smoke screen created by a scholar named Mr. Bai. He explained that he had seen suspicious figures sneaking into the room of Shanbao's cousin, Wen Can, and had set his own robes on fire to create smoke to drive them away without a scandal. It was later revealed that dancers had been sent to compromise Wen Can's virtue, though the cousin staggered out of the room appearing completely oblivious and drunk.
Once the commotion settled, Lu Jianglai sought a private audience with Shanbao. Suspecting he was hiding from enemies, Shanbao listened as he presented a voluntary indenture. He pledged absolute loyalty, declaring that since she had saved his life after his fall from the cliff, he would serve her forever. Shanbao accepted his vow, granting him the new name "Lu Fusheng" to symbolize his second chance at life, and reassigned him to look after Wen Can.
Meanwhile, another suitor, Song Yifang, was caught by the manager Yan Jingyi attempting to steal a gold candlestick. Shamed by his family’s poverty, he agreed to stay at the Rong estate as a servant rather than a suitor. The next day, the competition intensified. Shanbao’s elder brother attempted to profit by selling information about Shanbao’s personal preferences to the suitors for gold.
When Shanbao learned of his greed, she publicly shamed him and ordered him to kneel outside the ancestral hall as punishment. She then announced that any suitor attempting to cheat would be disqualified. Eager to stand out, Wen Can attempted a grand, eccentric gesture by dressing in armor and using smoke to create a "celestial" entrance, promising to conquer the world for Shanbao.
Unimpressed, Shanbao treated the display as a symptom of madness and had him locked in his room until he regained his senses. As the formal gift presentation began, one suitor presented a gold headdress, claiming it was a five-generation heirloom, but Shanbao recognized it as a recent purchase from Ruifuxuan and had him escorted out for his deceit.
Another wealthy suitor unveiled a literal "gold mountain," offering half his business empire, but Shanbao remarked that his gold was less appealing than simple tea buds from Xishan. Finally, Mr. Bai presented a humble, hand-transcribed copy of the Classic of Tea. Shanbao admired his calligraphy and the effort put into the encyclopedia of tea culture. Ultimately, she informed the crowd that while she would accept none of their gifts, she would send each man a return gift of equal value. She concluded by stating she would send a steward to personally invite the chosen guest for dinner that evening, before calling for Lu Fusheng to follow her.
