Joy of Life Episode 31 Recap
> Joy of Life Recap
After Li Yunrui's schemes were exposed, Fan Jian summoned Fan Xian to his study, inquiring about Lin Wan'er's significance to him. Fan Jian asked if Fan Xian sought to marry her for the Neiku's power of wealth or for Lin Wan'er herself. Fan Xian firmly replied that he would marry no one but her, even if she were a mere maidservant. Fan Jian noted that this meant Fan Xian had truly fallen in love.
He then revealed that the Princess Royal had been kneeling outside the Imperial Study for quite some time. Given that the battle was decided, Fan Jian urged Fan Xian to be magnanimous and intercede on her behalf, suggesting it would prevent further animosity and ease Lin Wan’er’s feelings, as Li Yunrui was, after all, her mother. Fan Xian was touched by this, stating he needed time to consider.
Fan Jian reminded him that this night was his only chance to intercede. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, learned of Li Yunrui's activities, including bribing Zhu Ge and contacting Zhuang Mohan without his knowledge. He angrily confronted her, demanding to know why she kept him in the dark. Li Yunrui retorted that if he had been aware, two people, not just one, would be kneeling before the Emperor now.
The Crown Prince, realizing the dire situation, knelt outside the Imperial Study, loudly requesting an audience with Emperor Qing. Emperor Qing summoned him inside. Li Chengqian pleaded for his aunt, citing her physical weakness, but Emperor Qing remained unmoved. He remarked that soft-hearted princes rarely came to a good end and chose to wait, wanting to see if anyone else would dare intercede for her.
Li Chengqian believed no one would, but just then, Fan Xian's request for an audience was announced. Li Yunrui was genuinely surprised by Fan Xian's arrival. Everyone, including Emperor Qing, expected him to plead for the Princess Royal. However, Fan Xian declared that he came to request severe punishment for Li Yunrui. He explained that someone had reminded him of Lin Wan’er’s feelings, acknowledging that despite the animosity, they were still mother and daughter.
He had found a quiet place to organize his thoughts. He explained to Emperor Qing that while he was willing to make concessions for Lin Wan'er if Li Yunrui was only his enemy, he could not forgive her for Teng Zijing's death. He stated that it was for Teng Zijing’s life, not merely for a house guard, that he insisted on justice.
Emperor Qing appeared satisfied, noting that for Fan Xian to lead the Investigator's Office and the Neiku, he must walk a path of an "isolated minister." He also commented that Fan Xian’s decision, made for the sake of a guard, showed he still needed more tempering, but Fan Xian insisted that he would not lose his sense of right and wrong. Emperor Qing then decreed that Li Yunrui must leave the capital city and return to her fiefdom in Xinyang.
Upon hearing that Fan Xian had not interceded for her, but rather pressed for her harsh punishment, Li Yunrui surprisingly laughed, finding it "fantastic." The Crown Prince still hoped to delay her departure and find a chance to plead for her, but Li Yunrui knew Emperor Qing's decision was final. As they turned to leave, Emperor Qing took up a bow and shot an arrow into the heart of a suit of armor displayed in the hall.
Li Yunrui glanced back, momentarily hallucinating Emperor Qing aiming the bow at her, before turning away with a forced smile, tears unconsciously falling. Lin Wan’er, having heard the news, rushed to see her mother. She found the palace in disarray, with maids and servants packing. Li Yunrui initially refused to see her, but Lin Wan’er stubbornly waited in the cold wind. Concerned for her fragile health, Li Yunrui eventually allowed her in.
Sitting opposite each other, mother and daughter shared an awkward silence. Li Yunrui sighed, stating that she was defeated and Lin Wan’er should not have come. She urged her daughter to pretend they were strangers after tonight and not to come to see her off the next day. Lin Wan’er broke her silence, asking if Li Yunrui had betrayed Qing Kingdom. Li Yunrui was momentarily stunned. Lin Wan’er offered to plead with Emperor Qing if her mother was innocent.
Li Yunrui, seeing no need for such an act, admitted to the betrayal. Lin Wan’er then asked if she had tried to harm Fan Xian, to which Li Yunrui nodded without hesitation. Tears welled in Lin Wan’er’s eyes. She spoke of her childhood, where her mother rarely visited. As a child, she believed her mother faced difficulties and things would improve with age.
But even after she was sent from the imperial harem and suffered from severe illness, Li Yunrui never visited. During her gravest illness, Lin Wan’er wondered if her mother would visit her before she died, questioning if she truly held her daughter in her heart. She confronted Li Yunrui, accusing her of readily harming Fan Xian for power, never considering Lin Wan’er’s feelings.
Li Yunrui, her anger ignited, retorted that life contained joy, suffering, loneliness, and sadness, but only by living could one experience them all. She declared that she only cared for Lin Wan’er’s survival, nothing else. Weeping, Lin Wan’er listened as Li Yunrui revealed that her actions were more complex than merely colluding with Beiqi and betraying Qing Kingdom. She avoided Lin Wan’er precisely to protect her from future implication.
Lin Wan’er was alarmed and pressed for more details, but Li Yunrui refused to elaborate, only reiterating that they should sever ties and live their own lives in peace. Lin Wan’er, still unwilling to accept, challenged her mother, asking if harming Fan Xian was also for her own good. Li Yunrui softly admitted that if Lin Wan’er hadn't loved Fan Xian, she might not have been so determined to kill him.
She explained that Fan Xian's arrival in the capital city was not merely about taking control of the Neiku's power of wealth; Emperor Qing also intended for him to take over the Investigator's Office. This would place him directly in the midst of imperial power struggles, making him bait for formidable adversaries. Under such attacks, he would be shattered beyond recovery. Li Yunrui claimed she sought to kill him to prevent Lin Wan’er from facing a dead end.
She advised Lin Wan’er to find an excuse to break off contact with Fan Xian, promising to arrange the cancellation of their engagement. Lin Wan’er, listening intently, suddenly asked Li Yunrui if she knew her favorite food. Li Yunrui was at a loss. Lin Wan’er then told her that she loved drumsticks, a fact her mother didn't know, but Fan Xian did.
She also loved the starry sky, a private solace from her lonely upbringing, a fact her mother didn’t know, but Fan Xian did. She explained that Fan Xian understood her most deeply and genuinely desired to understand her. Even if his chosen path led to death, she would follow him without hesitation, for she had entrusted him with her deepest fears and greatest loneliness.
Lin Wan’er then observed that the man Li Yunrui had truly entrusted her life to was not her father, and asked who it was. Li Yunrui offered no answer. Lin Wan’er silently bowed and left. As she departed, Li Yunrui called out, reminding her not to come to her farewell. The next day, Li Yunrui departed the capital city in a carriage. The Crown Prince saw her off at the city gate, promising to visit her if time permitted.
Li Yunrui cautioned him that such a visit would provoke the Second Prince. She smiled faintly before drawing the carriage curtain. Then, Fan Xian, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward. He bowed to the Princess Royal, stating he had come to bid her farewell on Lin Wan’er's behalf. Li Yunrui, with a cheerful smile, remarked that it was fortunate he hadn't interceded for her the previous night, as it would have complicated her plans for revenge.
Fan Xian laughed, replying that he was already pleased to have fulfilled his promise of driving her out of the capital city. Before leaving, Li Yunrui informed Fan Xian that she had left a "gift" for him, sending a chill down his spine. As Fan Xian watched Li Yunrui's carriage depart, Wang Qinian advised him to be wary of her "gift." Suddenly, Fan Xian sensed danger and dodged an attack from behind. Guo Baokun, his attacker, stumbled and fell.
He scrambled up, uttered a threat, and fled. Fan Xian then noticed Lin Wan’er, who had been hiding. He apologized to her, but Lin Wan’er assured him she understood, knowing her mother had tried to harm him, and he was merely defending himself. Lin Wan’er reaffirmed her commitment, telling Fan Xian that even if his chosen path truly was a dead end, she would accompany him all the way.
Unbeknownst to them, outside the Imperial Study, numerous officials were kneeling, submitting memorials impeaching Fan Xian for allegedly leaking information that led to Yan Bingyun's capture. Emperor Qing, however, dismissed them, ordering them to leave their memorials and return home.
A few days later, Lin Ruofu, using a game of Go and his habit of retracting moves as a metaphor, advised Fan Xian on human nature, emphasizing that absolute fairness rarely existed and sometimes one must resort to various means to achieve a good outcome. He also warned Fan Xian that Emperor Qing would soon summon him and instructed him not to agree to any requests unless explicitly stated in an imperial edict.
Fan Xian expressed his reluctance to refuse the Emperor, but Lin Ruofu stressed that the relationship between ruler and minister was not that of master and slave, but rather like two chess players who, even if they lose pieces, must fight for what is necessary. He reminded Fan Xian that he had committed no wrongdoing, and with his reputation as the "Poetic Genius," even Emperor Qing could not openly coerce him.
Just then, a servant announced an imperial summons for Fan Xian to meet the Emperor. Lin Ruofu reiterated his advice, warning Fan Xian that Emperor Qing was a master of controlling hearts and was currently testing him, so he must agree to nothing without an explicit edict. Upon arriving at the palace, Fan Xian did not meet Emperor Qing directly but found the Crown Prince and Second Prince already present. Perplexed, he took a seat.
Soon, eunuchs entered, arraying a lavish spread of dishes on the table. Emperor Qing then appeared, declaring it a "family meal" and instructing them to be at ease. Fan Xian rose, intending to excuse himself, but Emperor Qing stopped him, saying he was "thick-skinned" and it was perfectly acceptable for him to stay.
