Joy of Life Episode 27 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
Emperor Qing's expression darkened as he saw the poem on the scroll. Zhuang Mohan stated that even without the physical copy, the poem's latter four lines clearly depicted a desolated and frustrated life, an emotional depth only attainable by someone who had experienced profound personal hardships. He questioned how Fan Xian, young and successful, could possibly possess such a sorrowful mindset, suggesting that a young man feigning deep sorrow often overdoes it and invites ridicule.
Fan Xian, however, appeared to ignore the accusations, continuing to drink until his gaze became hazy. Seeing the perceived disgrace brought upon Nanqing, Emperor Qing's face was grim. Guo Baokun, unable to contain his glee, stepped forward to accuse Fan Xian of deception and shaming the nation's scholars. He passionately urged the Emperor to strip Fan Xian of his official title, banish him from the capital city, and forbid him from ever holding office again.
Fan Xian, surprisingly calm, challenged Guo Baokun, asking why he was so overjoyed if Fan Xian had indeed disgraced Nanqing. He pressed Guo Baokun on when he had learned of Zhuang Mohan's planned revelation, pointing out that Guo Baokun had confidently predicted Fan Xian's downfall the moment he arrived at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. Fan Xian suggested Guo Baokun either had prophetic abilities or had conspired with Zhuang Mohan in advance.
Unable to justify himself, Guo Baokun's father, Guo Youzhi, quickly intervened. He downplayed the long-standing animosity between his son and Fan Xian as irrelevant, redirecting the focus to Fan Xian's alleged plagiarism, arguing that it warranted severe punishment to appease public opinion. With no option left, Fan Xian walked to the center of the hall, glass in hand, and admitted to copying the poem.
He clarified, however, that he had copied it from Du Fu, the Saint of Poem, also known as Shaoling Yelao, not from Zhuang Mohan's teacher. Zhuang Mohan, enraged, declared he had never encountered the name Du Fu in his entire literary career. Fan Xian solemnly explained that Du Fu was absent from historical records because his poems belonged to another world, a realm of timeless elegance and brilliant literature that could be described as a fairyland.
He claimed it was a memory, a vivid picture scroll, from his dreams. This fantastical explanation drew widespread laughter, prompting Guo Youzhi to immediately urge Emperor Qing to punish Fan Xian for deceiving the Emperor with such an absurd tale. Ignoring Guo Youzhi, Fan Xian turned to Zhuang Mohan, inquiring if his teacher had any other unpublished poems. Zhuang Mohan confirmed there was only one.
Fan Xian then gave a bold smile, grabbed a wine jar, and called for paper and ink. Eunuch Hou promptly volunteered to transcribe for him. Fan Xian, perhaps truly inebriated, described how the memories of that other world were deeply etched in his mind, allowing him to recall every word and book he had encountered with perfect clarity. Guo Baokun scoffed, believing Fan Xian was simply talking nonsense out of desperation.
Inspired by ancient poets, Fan Xian, in his drunken state, began to recite an astonishing number of poems, one after another. The audience grew increasingly astonished and silent, requiring seven or eight eunuchs to keep pace with his rapid dictation. After Fan Xian concluded his recitation, a still-muddled Guo Baokun muttered about the non-existence of a fairyland. The Second Prince seized the opportunity to ask where such poems could have originated if not from a fairyland.
Guo Baokun reflexively claimed they must be Fan Xian's own creations. Realizing his blunder, he quickly retracted, arguing that even if Fan Xian had written thousands of poems, it didn't prove he hadn't plagiarized the original seven-character verse. The Second Prince, with a sneer, pointed out that a person capable of effortlessly composing timeless masterpieces would have no reason or desire to plagiarize another's work.
Fan Xian then swayed over to Zhuang Mohan's seat, pointed at him, and declared with a chuckle that while he might be inferior in explaining classic texts and being a literary giant, he surpassed Zhuang Mohan in reciting poetry and in character. With those words, he collapsed onto the floor, completely unconscious. Zhuang Mohan, his seventy years of literary reputation shattered in an instant, was overcome with shame and mortification. He coughed up blood and collapsed, unconscious.
The evening banquet had dissolved into a dramatic farce. Wang Qinian carried the seemingly unconscious Fan Xian back to the mansion. On the way, Fan Xian quietly whispered to Wang Qinian that their plan remained unchanged and that Wang Qinian should wait for him outside the palace walls. Meanwhile, Fan Jian and Liu Ruyu had been informed by Eunuch Hou about Fan Xian's astounding poetic performance at the banquet, which had brought immense honor to Nanqing.
Fan Jian was filled with pride, while Liu Ruyu busied herself with arrangements to help Fan Xian sober up. Fan Ruoruo insisted on personally caring for her brother, gently ushering all the other servants out of the room. Once they were alone, Fan Xian took a pill, which caused him to vomit profusely, clearing the alcohol from his system.
Hong Sixiang reported the events at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest to the Empress Dowager, confirming Zhuang Mohan had indeed coughed up blood. He added that after tonight, Fan Xian would truly be known as a "poetic genius," thus exposing Zhuang Mohan's false accusations. The Empress Dowager lamented Zhuang Mohan's ruined reputation at his advanced age and dismissed Hong Sixiang. Elsewhere, Emperor Qing reviewed the transcribed poems.
He mused that Nanqing, historically strong in martial arts, had always been overshadowed by Beiqi in civil administration, a regret of the late emperor. He marvelled at how, almost overnight, Nanqing had gained such literary prestige, surpassing Beiqi, feeling as though he was dreaming. Still, he questioned whether Fan Xian had truly written all the poems himself.
After sobering up, Fan Xian confided in Ruoruo, revealing that Princess Royal Li Yunrui and Guo Youzhi had conspired with Zhuang Mohan, calling the Princess Royal insidious despite her earlier pretense of defending him. He explained that his feigned drunkenness provided the perfect cover for him to sneak into the palace tonight. He instructed Ruoruo to guard his room and prevent anyone from entering, and she promised that as long as she lived, no one would get in.
Later, dressed in a nocturnal costume, Fan Xian met Wuzhu outside the palace. Fan Xian expressed concern about Wuzhu's distinct appearance, but Wuzhu calmly explained that his clothes and sword were stolen from the Dongyi Town mission. He intended to lead imperial investigators to believe that Si Gujian's first apprentice, Yun Zhilan, was the intruder, a tactic he was familiar with from his adventures with Ye Qingmei.
According to their plan, Wuzhu would distract Hong Sixiang for roughly half an hour while Fan Xian entered the palace to retrieve the key. Fan Xian cautioned Wuzhu about Yan Xiaoyi's formidable arrows, to which Wuzhu casually replied that the vastness of the imperial harem meant they might not even encounter him. Wuzhu swiftly scaled the palace walls, but was quickly spotted by Hong Sixiang. Wuzhu, feigning confusion, claimed he had taken a wrong turn and attempted to leave.
Hong Sixiang, however, was not easily deceived, noting that wandering into the imperial palace by mistake was an unprecedented feat. He refused to let Wuzhu depart, initiating a fierce confrontation. As they clashed, Wuzhu deliberately employed Si Gujian's martial arts techniques, confirming Hong Sixiang's suspicion that he was indeed facing Si Gujian's first apprentice. The two Great Masters engaged in a destructive battle, their powerful movements carrying them rapidly away from the Empress Dowager's palace.
Fan Xian, observing from the shadows, saw Wuzhu successfully draw Hong Sixiang away. He then agilely leapt over the palace wall. Imperial Guard Director Yan Xiaoyi, who was on patrol, heard a disturbance. He ordered his men to fetch his bow and arrows, then ascended a rooftop to locate the source of the sound. Fortunately, Fan Xian had prepared for Yan Xiaoyi's exceptional hearing and eyesight.
Remembering Wuzhu's earlier advice to avoid running, jumping, or climbing high, Fan Xian moved cautiously. Yan Xiaoyi's subordinate suggested the sound might have been caused by the palace's famously plump leopard cats, and Yan Xiaoyi ordered his guards to continue their patrol. Following the route he remembered, Fan Xian quickly found the Empress Dowager's palace. He placed an anesthetic incense in the censer, rendering both the Empress Dowager and her attendant unconscious.
He then opened the secret compartment beneath the bed and successfully retrieved the key. Outside the palace, Fan Xian met with Wang Qinian, who recounted witnessing a "weirdo" and an "old eunuch" in a high-flying chase near the palace, causing some damage. They proceeded to meet the pre-arranged locksmith, who, after some initial confusion about the unique key and lock, managed to create a rough replica in about fifteen minutes as instructed.
Fan Xian generously paid the locksmith and had Wang Qinian arrange for his immediate departure from the capital city for a period, rejecting Wang Qinian's more ruthless suggestion to eliminate him. Wang Qinian, impressed by Fan Xian's compassionate nature, jokingly called him soft-hearted but a good friend, and lightheartedly demanded the money for the locksmith and a loan receipt for himself, which Fan Xian dismissed with a laugh.
As Fan Xian prepared to return the fake key to the palace, he spotted Princess Royal Li Yunrui’s personal maid escorting a mysterious cloaked and veiled figure into the palace. Intrigued, he discreetly followed them to the Princess Royal's palace, where he discovered the mysterious person was Zhuang Mohan. Fan Xian overheard their conversation.
It was revealed that Princess Royal Li Yunrui had disclosed Yan Bingyun's identity as a Nanqing spy to Beiqi in exchange for Zhuang Mohan's help in ruining Fan Xian's reputation at the banquet. Zhuang Mohan had gambled his lifelong integrity to save his younger brother, Xiao En. Though Zhuang Mohan’s objective was achieved with Xiao En's return to Beiqi, Princess Royal Li Yunrui's plan to utterly destroy Fan Xian had failed.
She expressed her rage and resentment, telling Zhuang Mohan to inform the Beiqi emperor that he owed her a favor that would eventually be collected. Zhuang Mohan questioned why Princess Royal Li Yunrui was so determined to kill a talent like Fan Xian, especially after sacrificing a valuable spy like Yan Bingyun, who, despite suffering, was still alive. Princess Royal Li Yunrui fiercely declared that she simply wished to see Fan Xian in a state of utter desperation.
Startled by her words, Fan Xian accidentally made a noise as he turned and saw the Princess Royal's personal maid approaching along the corridor. Discovered, he quickly engaged in a fight, gaining the upper hand. However, the commotion alerted Yan Xiaoyi. Fan Xian desperately tried to escape, but Yan Xiaoyi's arrow struck him, sending him tumbling from the palace wall. By the time Yan Xiaoyi and the imperial guards arrived, Fan Xian had vanished.
They found only a broken arrowhead and torn fabric on the ground. Yan Xiaoyi, certain his arrow had hit its mark and that anyone struck by it would be injured, immediately ordered the imperial guards to spread out and search thoroughly.
