Joy of Life Episode 31 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
Fan Jian asked Fan Xian if he had genuinely fallen for Lin Wan'er. Fan Xian didn't understand what he meant. Fan Jian told him that the Eldest Princess had been kneeling in front of the Imperial Study for quite some time. Since the outcome was decided, he advised Fan Xian to be more magnanimous and plead for the Eldest Princess, not to push things too far. What's more, she was Lin Wan'er's biological mother after all.
Fan Xian was somewhat moved. He did not refuse and said he needed to think carefully. After Crown Prince Li Chengqian received the news, he hurried to the palace. He questioned Li Yunrui in a low voice, why she had secretly bribed Zhu Ge and contacted Zhuang Mohan without his knowledge. Li Yunrui retorted, saying that if he hadn't been kept in the dark, the two of them would be kneeling here now.
Li Chengqian growled in a low voice, saying that the situation wasn't much better now. He quickly knelt down and loudly requested to see Emperor Qing. Emperor Qing ordered Hong Sixiang to summon the Crown Prince in. The Crown Prince knelt and begged Emperor Qing for mercy to spare Li Yunrui. Emperor Qing, however, said, "Wait a bit longer and see if anyone else comes to plead for her."
The Crown Prince said sadly, "In this situation, no one else will be willing to get involved in this mess." Just as he finished speaking, Fan Xian's voice requesting an audience came from outside. Fan Xian's arrival was somewhat unexpected for Li Yunrui. Just when Emperor Qing also thought Fan Xian had come to plead for Li Yunrui, he stated that he was there to request that Li Yunrui be severely punished. Emperor Qing was quite satisfied upon hearing this.
In his opinion, Fan Xian would have to manage the Royal Treasury and the Investigator's Office in the future, and the path he would take must be that of an isolated minister. Fan Xian frankly admitted that he hadn't thought about it that much. He just felt that Teng Zijing shouldn't have died in vain. Emperor Qing sighed, saying that Fan Xian's decision for the sake of a guard showed he still lacked sufficient tempering.
Fan Xian, however, insisted that no matter what, one must not lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Emperor Qing didn't say more. He immediately issued an imperial decree, ordering Li Yunrui to leave the capital and return to her fiefdom in Xinyang. Li Yunrui learned that Fan Xian had not come to plead for her, but to kick her while she was down, and she actually laughed.
Li Chengqian wanted to delay a bit longer and find an opportunity to plead for her. But Li Yunrui knew that once Emperor Qing made a decision, it could no longer be changed. As the two turned and left, Emperor Qing picked up a bow and arrow and shot an arrow at the armor placed in the hall. The sharp arrow went straight through the heart area. Li Yunrui heard the sound and turned back.
In a trance, she saw Emperor Qing holding a bow and arrow pointing at herself. She turned her head back, wanting to smile, but tears fell uncontrollably. Lin Wan'er received the news and rushed to see Li Yunrui. But she found that the maidservants and attendants in the residence were all packing their things and leaving. The palace was chaotic for a moment, then frighteningly silent. Li Yunrui originally didn't want to see her.
But Lin Wan'er's personality was stubborn, and she insisted on waiting in the cold wind, refusing to leave. Finally, Li Yunrui was still worried about her frail health, and had a maidservant bring her in. Mother and daughter sat facing each other, speechless for a moment. Li Yunrui sighed that she was now defeated. She shouldn't have come to see her.
She instructed Wan'er to act as if she didn't know her after tonight and not to come see her off tomorrow. Lin Wan'er remained silent. After Li Yunrui finished speaking, she suddenly asked, "Did you betray Qing Kingdom?" Li Yunrui was stunned for a moment. Lin Wan'er continued, saying that if she had been wrongly accused, she would go see Emperor Qing and plead for her.
Li Yunrui didn't need her to do these things at all, so she simply admitted it. Lin Wan'er then asked if she had harmed Fan Xian. Li Yunrui nodded without hesitation. Lin Wan'er's eyes had turned red without her knowing when. Since she was born, the times her mother, Li Yunrui, had come to see her were few and far between. At that time, she thought that perhaps she had difficulties and things would be better when she grew up.
But later, she was sent out of the inner palace and was seriously ill. Li Yunrui still hadn't come even once. When she was most ill, she once wondered if her mother would come to see her just once before she died, and whether she had ever truly cared about her, this daughter. Lin Wan'er questioned Li Yunrui, saying that for the sake of power, she could unhesitatingly attack Fan Xian, because she had never considered her feelings.
The last sentence completely ignited the anger in Li Yunrui's heart. She told Lin Wan'er that living brings pain and sorrow, but only by living could she experience these things. Therefore, as long as she lived well, she didn't care about anything else. Lin Wan'er's face was unconsciously covered in tears. Li Yunrui continued, saying that what she had done was not just colluding with Northern Qi and betraying Qing Kingdom.
That's why she never visited her, out of fear that one day when things came to light, she would be implicated. Lin Wan'er was shocked and quickly asked what else she had done. Li Yunrui refused to say more. She only instructed Lin Wan'er that after this separation, they should not contact each other again and should live well. Lin Wan'er was unwilling and retorted, "Is it possible that you harmed Fan Xian for my own good?"
Li Yunrui said softly, "If Lin Wan'er hadn't fallen for Fan Xian, I wouldn't necessarily have had to take his life. Because Fan Xian's arrival in the capital was far more than just taking over control of the Royal Treasury's finances. Emperor Qing's intention was for him to take over the Investigator's Office. In the future, he would be a person standing at the cusp of danger.
He could also be seen as a bait in the struggle for imperial power. When the giant beast lunged, he would meet no good end other than being crushed to pieces. That's why Li Yunrui had tried every means to kill him, to prevent Lin Wan'er from ending up on a dead end in the future." Li Yunrui instructed Lin Wan'er to definitely find an excuse to break off contact with Fan Xian.
She would find a way to help her cancel the marriage engagement. Lin Wan'er kept listening. She suddenly asked Li Yunrui if she knew what she liked to eat. Li Yunrui was stunned by the question. Lin Wan'er told her that she liked eating chicken drumsticks; her mother didn't know, but Fan Xian did. She liked the starry sky; her mother didn't know, but Fan Xian did.
He was the person who understood her the most and was most willing to understand her. Even if the path he took in the future was a dead end, she would follow him without hesitation, because she had entrusted her deepest fears and greatest loneliness to him. At the same time, Lin Wan'er realized that the man Li Yunrui had entrusted her life to was not her father. She wanted to know who that person was.
Li Yunrui did not answer. Lin Wan'er could only bow silently and withdraw. Li Yunrui called out loudly behind her, reminding her not to see her off when she left tomorrow. The next day, Li Yunrui left the capital in a carriage. The Crown Prince saw her off outside the city gate, saying that he would definitely visit her if he had time.
Li Yunrui reminded him that if that were the case, the Second Prince would definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble. The Crown Prince sighed upon hearing this. Li Yunrui smiled at him and lowered the carriage curtain. At this moment, Fan Xian, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward. He stepped forward and bowed to the Eldest Princess, saying he had come to see her off on behalf of Wan'er.
Li Yunrui said to him with a smile, "Fortunately, you didn't plead for me that day, otherwise it would have been difficult to retaliate against you." Fan Xian also smiled and said, "I once said I would make you leave the capital. Now that I have succeeded, I am already very happy." Before leaving, Li Yunrui told Fan Xian that she had also left a gift for him. This sentence sent a chill down Fan Xian's heart.
Fan Xian watched Li Yunrui leave. Wang Qinian, who had been observing the whole time, advised him to be more careful, lest he fall into Li Yunrui's trap. Just as they were talking, Fan Xian suddenly felt a killing intent coming from behind him. He quickly sidestepped to dodge it. Guo Baokun, who had ambushed him from behind, tripped and fell headfirst because he used too much force.
He got up awkwardly, uttered a harsh threat, and fled in a panic. At this moment, Fan Xian saw Lin Wan'er, who had been hiding to the side. He stepped forward and apologized to her. Lin Wan'er didn't blame him. Because she knew very well that her mother had deliberately harmed him, and he was merely protecting himself.
Lin Wan'er told Fan Xian that even if the path he chose was truly a dead end, she would accompany him all the way. What they didn't know was that, at this time, outside the Imperial Study, a large group of ministers were kneeling. They had all submitted memorials accusing Fan Xian of leaking information, which led to Yan Bingyun's capture. But Emperor Qing ordered them to put down their memorials and leave.
A few days later, Lin Ruofu used the matter of regretting a move in chess to teach Fan Xian about how to conduct himself in the world, and reminded him that Emperor Qing would likely summon him soon. At that time, no matter what His Majesty said, he should not agree. Fan Xian felt somewhat awkward. Lin Ruofu told him that the relationship between ruler and minister was not that of master and servant.
It was like two chess players competing. Even if pieces were lost, what should be contested must still be contested. Just as he finished speaking, a servant came to report from outside that an oral decree from the palace ordered Fan Xian to enter the palace for an audience with the Emperor. Lin Ruofu once again instructed Fan Xian, saying that Emperor Qing was skilled at controlling people's hearts. He was currently tempering him.
No matter what he said, he should not agree. After Fan Xian entered the palace, he did not see Emperor Qing. Instead, he saw the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. Not understanding what was going on, he could only sit down to the side as well. Soon, several eunuchs were seen arriving one after another, carrying trays. They filled the table with food and dishes. At this moment, Emperor Qing walked in. He said it was a family banquet and told them to feel at ease. Upon hearing this, Fan Xian stood up, wanting to leave. But Emperor Qing stopped him.
