In the Name of Blossom Episode 4 Recap
> In the Name of Blossom Recap
Having finally found a suitable reason to send Lianzhou away, they effectively removed the thorn Prince Ning had planted in the residence. Jiang Zhangyang was overjoyed and praised He Weifang for silently helping him eliminate several obstacles. When he asked what reward she wanted, He Weifang bluntly asked for several more jars of osmanthus wine.
Their peaceful days didn’t last long before one of the servants rushed to report to He Weifang that Lady Xiao had once again sent Xuexi to stay at the residence. He Weifang couldn’t help but sigh at the never-ending stream of grand guests. Xuexi was the treasured daughter of the Xiao family, and this stay at Jiang Zhangyang’s residence clearly had an agenda—evidently, the Princess intended to pair Xuexi with Jiang Zhangyang. Pei Zhong was infatuated with Xuexi.
Upon learning that the Princess intended to give her to Jiang Zhangyang, he could no longer hold back and tried every means to get close to her. Despite knowing the Princess’s intentions, Xuexi, still a pure and innocent young woman, accepted Pei Zhong’s invitation and arrived on time. However, Pei Zhong was far from the noble gentleman he appeared to be. To force Xuexi into submission, he even resorted to drugging her.
As soon as she drank a cup of tea, she began to feel drowsy. Fortunately, Jiang Zhangyang was boating nearby with He Weifang. He Weifang was curious why Jiang Zhangyang had suddenly become so romantic, but he pointed to a nearby window—through it, they could see the silhouettes of Pei Zhong and Xuexi, and He Weifang understood. Just after Pei Zhong and Xuexi drank their tea, he drew the curtains, which puzzled He Weifang.
Why draw the curtains while having tea? Jiang Zhangyang smiled meaningfully and deliberately caused a malfunction with the boat, creating the illusion of an accidental encounter, and went ashore to dine at the inn where Pei Zhong was staying. By that time, Pei Zhong had already removed his clothes and was holding Xuexi on the bed. Had Jiang Zhangyang arrived a moment later, Xuexi’s chastity would have been lost. He Weifang rushed ahead and hid behind the screen.
Seeing Xuexi’s torn clothing, she quickly covered her, while Jiang Zhangyang reminded Pei Zhong that a forced melon is never sweet, and that Xuexi was a virtuous woman. If she found out she had lost her innocence, she would never marry someone she didn’t love and might even choose to become a nun. Since the Xiao family only had this one daughter, they would never let Pei Zhong off easily.
Hearing this, Pei Zhong began to panic, and ultimately allowed Jiang Zhangyang to take Xuexi away. When Xuexi woke up, she was in tears. He Weifang comforted her gently, telling her that she just needed to be cautious of Pei Zhong in the future. Xuexi was deeply grateful for He Weifang’s rescue but could not speak openly of the humiliation she had suffered, as Pei Zhong was backed by the Princess.
She knew she would have to act carefully from now on. Liu Chang had recently noticed unfamiliar faces lingering around his boat and feared that his secrets might be exposed. He ordered his men to investigate these strangers thoroughly and later discovered that one of them frequently appeared near Jiang Zhangyang’s residence. Suspicious, Liu Chang began plotting to frame her again. At court, many officials were recommending the Imperial Consort’s son as Crown Prince.
The Emperor was growing weary of the matter. His advisers offered various suggestions, pointing out that it didn’t matter who took the position as long as he was capable and his mother was the Empress. Because of this, the Imperial Consort had become a thorn in the side of many. On one occasion, the Imperial Consort hosted a tea gathering for many noblewomen. Jiang Zhangyang brought He Weifang with him.
With good intentions, Jiang Zhangyang invited the Imperial Consort to try some pastries. He Weifang, upon tasting them, detected several ingredients—some of which would conflict with the Imperial Consort’s regular medicinal meals—so she advised her to eat them the next day instead. The Imperial Consort casually fed the pastry to her pet, but the animal began vomiting blood and collapsed dead shortly after. Enraged, the Imperial Consort immediately ordered an investigation to find the poisoner.
The doctor examined all the pastries, and only the Imperial Consort’s portion was poisoned. Clearly, the poison was meant for her specifically. However, someone present shifted the blame onto Jiang Zhangyang, claiming he was responsible for purchasing the ingredients and was therefore a suspect. They even demanded that the Princess imprison Jiang Zhangyang.
