Joy of Life Episode 24 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
As Fan Xian entered the imperial palace, Eunuch Hou greeted Liu Ruyu and informed them that the Empress Dowager and several consorts wished to see Fan Xian. However, the Empress Dowager's audience would not be until after lunch. Liu Ruyu decided their first stop would be Consort Yi, her cousin, as the Empress was unwell. Liu Ruyu cautioned Fan Xian to be discreet and mind his words in the imperial harem. Fan Xian, intrigued, asked about Consort Yi.
Liu Ruyu explained that due to the Liu family's strong ties, frequent visits to Consort Yi could be seen as collusion, effectively making the palace a gilded cage for her cousin. Upon meeting Consort Yi, Liu Ruyu was jokingly chided for her long absence. Fan Xian, being perceptive, immediately addressed Consort Yi as "Auntie Liu," earning him a warm smile and a compliment for being a "good lad."
Meanwhile, in her palace, Princess Royal received a report on Fan Xian's respectful behavior with Consort Yi, which she found "smart" and "interesting." She briefly entertained the idea of playing a trick on him but dismissed it as "too obvious and not interesting enough," instead instructing her attendant to continue observing Fan Xian and report his words. Back at Consort Yi's palace, Fan Xian inquired about the Third Prince, who Consort Yi described as shy around strangers.
Fan Xian related, saying he too disliked meeting unfamiliar people when he was young. Eunuch Hou gently reminded them of their schedule, prompting Fan Xian to suggest he go alone. Consort Yi, however, insisted Liu Ruyu stay and chat, while Ruoruo volunteered to accompany her brother. As Fan Xian departed, Liu Ruyu warned him not to be so frivolous with the other consorts, to which Consort Yi defended Fan Xian, calling him "sincere."
Next, Fan Xian and Ruoruo proceeded to Imperial Consort Shu’s palace, the birth mother of the Second Prince. Ruoruo described her as rigorous but deeply passionate about reading and appreciative of talent. Inside, Fan Xian found the palace brimming with books. Imperial Consort Shu, absorbed in a book, barely acknowledged him at first but eventually praised his poetry. She asked about his newly opened bookstore, inquiring if it held rare editions, though Fan Xian explained it mostly sold novels.
She then mentioned having heard that he wrote "Red Mansions," which Fan Xian modestly attributed to a "Mr. Cao," claiming he merely copied it. Imperial Consort Shu acknowledged the book was excellent. She also remarked that the Second Prince, Chengze, spoke highly of Fan Xian.
When Fan Xian claimed he and the Second Prince had "hit it off," Imperial Consort Shu swiftly corrected him, stating her son was shrewd and deep-minded and never became "instant friends" with anyone, implying Fan Xian had been deceived. She announced her intention to gift him some rare ancient books, promising to select them herself and have them sent to Consort Yi's palace for him to collect later.
Slightly overwhelmed by her abrupt changes in topic, Fan Xian quickly made his excuses and departed. Their final stop before lunch was Lady Ning, the First Prince’s birth mother. Fan Xian wondered why the First Prince, who commanded significant military power on the frontier, wasn't involved in the struggle for the throne. Ruoruo explained that Lady Ning was from Dongyi, brought back by Emperor Qing after a northern expedition.
She nursed the injured Emperor back to health, was granted freedom from slavery, and later entered the palace, giving birth to the First Prince. However, due to her origins, the Empress Dowager disliked her and years ago had her demoted from Imperial Consort to Lady, effectively disqualifying the First Prince from the succession. Fan Xian muttered about the "old lady" being "quite narrow-minded," prompting a nervous warning from Eunuch Hou about speaking carelessly.
Lady Ning, a blunt and martial woman, openly assessed Fan Xian, finding him too fair-skinned and not rugged enough to have killed the Eighth Dan master Cheng Jushu. She stated that as long as Wan’er liked him, his appearance was secondary. When Eunuch Hou reminded her of the Empress Dowager’s impending audience for Fan Xian, Lady Ning realized it was already lunchtime and invited Fan Xian and Ruoruo to eat.
She even suggested setting up Ruoruo with her son, the First Prince, when he returned. Lady Ning insisted Fan Xian, being a martial artist, needed a large bowl of rice, which he reluctantly consumed. After lunch, Eunuch Hou escorted Fan Xian and Ruoruo to the Empress Dowager’s palace. The Empress Dowager, however, refused them entry, instructing them to kneel on the corridor outside and merely glance in from a distance.
Fan Xian grumbled under his breath that he hadn't even knelt before Emperor Qing, but conceded for the Empress Dowager's advanced age. A grim-faced eunuch emerged from the palace. Eunuch Hou quickly identified him as Hong Sixiang. Hong Sixiang, with a stern voice, corrected Fan Xian, saying he knelt out of duty as a subject, not out of respect for age, and further warned him to kneel before Emperor Qing in the future.
Fan Xian, realizing the eunuch's extraordinary hearing and powerful presence, immediately suspected Hong Sixiang was one of the elusive Four Great Masters. Hong Sixiang did not deny it, only warning Fan Xian to be cautious in his words and actions within the imperial palace. He then conveyed the Empress Dowager’s message: Fan Xian must treat Lin Wan’er well, or he would pay with his life if she were ever saddened.
Unintimidated, Fan Xian calmly asked Hong Sixiang to relay a message back: such threats would be counterproductive, only making others fear approaching Wan’er. He affirmed that his affection for Wan’er was sincere, not compelled by anyone. Hong Sixiang paused, then ordered his attendants to escort Fan Xian out of the palace. As they left, Fan Xian turned back and loudly asked Hong Sixiang if he was one of the Four Great Masters.
Hong Sixiang ignored him, walking back into the palace without a word. From afar, the Empress Dowager, having seen Fan Xian, expressed her dislike, vaguely feeling she had seen him before, but ultimately attributed her aversion to a lack of affinity. Outside the palace, a relieved Eunuch Hou congratulated Fan Xian, stating that his marriage to Lin Wan’er was now officially settled. Fan Xian understood the implication and discreetly handed him a generous silver note as a token of gratitude.
Just then, a female attendant from Princess Royal intercepted them, announcing that Princess Royal wished to see Fan Xian, and only him. Fan Xian agreed, acknowledging her as Wan’er’s birth mother. Ruoruo, feeling an unsettling undercurrent from Princess Royal, expressed her apprehension, but Fan Xian tried to reassure her. Fan Xian was led to the Guangxin Palace, which was eerily empty except for Princess Royal seated alone.
After he paid his respects, Princess Royal inquired about his medical skills, acquired from Fei Jie, asking if he knew any remedies for headaches. Fan Xian offered to perform a massage, suggesting it might alleviate pain. When he hesitated due to propriety, Princess Royal smiled, reminding him he would soon be her son-in-law and dismissing his concerns. Fan Xian then complied.
As Fan Xian massaged her temples, Princess Royal engaged him in casual conversation, asking about the Fan family's connections to the Investigator's Office and his grandmother in Danzhou. Once Fan Xian seemed relaxed, her demeanor shifted abruptly. She spoke of the Niulan Street assassination and Teng Zijing, which Fan Xian recounted with a heavy heart, emphasizing that Teng Zijing was not just his guard, but his friend.
Princess Royal then laughed, a strange, chilling sound, remarking on the "interesting" irony of the plotter comforting the victim. She confessed to orchestrating the Niulan Street assassination, revealing that Lin Gong had secretly come under her service without the Crown Prince’s knowledge, making Teng Zijing’s death indirectly her doing. She then taunted Fan Xian, asking if he still sought revenge now that he knew the truth, noting the empty Guangxin Palace offered the perfect opportunity.
Fan Xian was shocked, images of Teng Zijing’s death flashing through his mind. Despite the powerful urge for vengeance, he managed to control his emotions. Regaining his composure, Fan Xian thanked Princess Royal for finally revealing the identity of his would-be killer. Princess Royal openly admitted to being behind the Danzhou assassination as well, stating her initial motive was to prevent the Neiku's control from falling into his hands.
However, she found him "interesting" later, and killing "interesting people" was far more gratifying. Fan Xian, looking at her smiling face, felt a chill. He realized that if he had acted on impulse earlier, he would surely have died. Seeing her ploy uncovered, Princess Royal called out her hidden female attendant and Yan Xiaoyi. Fan Xian, unfazed, simply told her "the day is yet to come" and that they would see what transpired in the future.
As he left, he exchanged a silent challenge with Yan Xiaoyi, vowing they would meet again. Meanwhile, the war between Qing and Beiqi was progressing favorably, forcing Beiqi to dispatch a peace mission to the capital, including the renowned literary scholar Zhuang Mohan. Zhu Ge voiced his concern to Chen Pingping that Zhuang Mohan's esteemed reputation among scholars might sway the peace negotiations.
Chen Pingping dismissed his worries, stating that Emperor Qing alone would decide the terms, and scholars held no sway. Zhu Ge then reported a rising tide of unrest within the Investigator’s Office, with some factions plotting to sabotage the peace talks, aiming to reignite the war and conquer Beiqi once and for all.
Chen Pingping remained impassive, instructing Zhu Ge to manage the situation and emphasizing that no leniency would be shown, even to colleagues within the Investigator's Office, if they dared defy the Emperor's will. Elsewhere, Yan Ruohai held a secret meeting with his subordinates. He proposed assassinating the Beiqi delegation in the capital to halt the peace talks.
When one subordinate worried that Beiqi could simply send another delegation, Yan Ruohai chillingly suggested that if the revered Zhuang Mohan were killed, war would become unavoidable. This would force Emperor Qing to continue the military campaign, leading to the conquest of Beiqi and, implicitly, the safe return of his son. Yan Ruohai framed his actions as serving the "grand cause of Nanqing" and the ultimate unification of the world.
Back at his mansion, Fan Xian recounted his encounter with Princess Royal to Ruoruo, detailing her confession of orchestrating both the Niulan Street and Danzhou assassinations. He recalled the Prime Minister's previous assessment of Princess Royal and concluded that she was indeed "crazy," and her madness only made her more dangerous. He explained that exposing her would be difficult without concrete evidence or witnesses. He realized a confrontation with Princess Royal would require careful planning.
Given his need to find the key in the palace, he asked Ruoruo to draw a detailed map of the palace routes she had memorized. A servant then summoned Fan Xian to Fan Jian’s study. There, he encountered Xin Qiwu, the Deputy Chief of Court of State Ceremonials, who greeted him with excessive flattery, praising his talent. A bewildered Fan Xian learned that Emperor Qing had appointed him as Deputy Emissary for the upcoming negotiations with the Beiqi mission.
Fan Xian expressed confusion, citing his lack of diplomatic experience. Xin Qiwu explained that his appointment was due to the joint recommendations of the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, intended to help Fan Xian gain a stellar reputation. Fan Xian, noting Xin Qiwu's four-rank seniority over him, pointed out the impropriety of being called "Your Excellency."
Xin Qiwu brushed it off, citing a proverb, and then subtly revealed his allegiance to the Crown Prince, implying this was why he was so eager to assist Fan Xian. Xin Qiwu advised Fan Xian to maintain a stern demeanor with all Beiqi delegates except for Zhuang Mohan, towards whom he should show deference.
