The First Jasmine Episode 6 Recap
> The First Jasmine Recaps
Ye Li continues her conversation in the palace, praising the noble deeds of Empress Dowager Guo Jin. She details the monumental waterway reform of the fifth year of the Xide Era, which spared tens of thousands of trackers from conscription and slashed taxes by forty percent.
She also highlights the establishment of civil examinations in the third year of the Xide Era to offer underprivileged scholars a chance to serve at court, along with the autumn tax reforms that allowed payment in cash, a move celebrated in poetry by Master Gu. Ye Li credits the current peace and prosperity of the nation entirely to the Empress Dowager's benevolent governance.
Guo Jin listens quietly before noting that while Ye Li's grandfather, Xu Qingyun, was a humble and reticent man who only spoke up on matters of state, Ye Li is remarkably eloquent. Ye Li quickly humbles herself, explaining that her grandfather is a pillar of the state whereas she is merely a simple woman seeking a peaceful life.
She reassures the Empress Dowager that her words are not flattery, but a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the tranquil era they live in. Satisfied with her sincerity, Guo Jin accepts her explanation. During the gathering, a palace attendant suggests that Prince Li, Mo Jingli, perform a new musical piece he recently composed. Mo Jingli politely declines, stating that the composition is still incomplete and might displease the Empress Dowager.
Instead, he offers to play an old melody, "Qingmei Yin" (Green Plum Prelude), to liven up the gathering. As Mo Jingli plays the melody, he is swept away by memories of his childhood at Lishan Academy. He recalls the stern teachings of Master Yu, who reprimanded him because his tremolo did not sound clear and crisp, comparing his playing to a toad jumping into a pond. During those days, a young Ye Li had hidden nearby, listening to his practice.
Lost in these nostalgic thoughts, Mo Jingli accidentally cuts his finger on the guqin string. His wife, Ye Ying, rushes to his side in deep concern. Guo Jin comments that forcing a transition to a plaintive key only made it a sorrowful tune. With the performance cut short, Guo Jin dismisses the gathering. As the guests depart, Ye Ying stops Ye Li to vent her anger.
She taunts Ye Li for her newfound status as Princess Ding and her favor with the Empress Dowager. Ye Ying brings up the past, accusing Lishan Academy of nearly destroying the Ye family through their rebellion, claiming it was only her own father’s desperate pleas in the snow at Anshang Gate and her mother’s household management that saved the family. Ye Li remains entirely unfazed by the tirade.
When Ye Ying accuses her of stealing family assets, Ye Li calmly reasons that if all dowries belong to the husband's household, then Ye Ying's marriage dowry must belong to Prince Li, meaning the entertainers in his mansion are free to spend her money. Left speechless by the retort, Ye Ying accuses Ye Li of insulting her mother.
Ye Li then delivers a final blow, reminding Ye Ying that since Mo Xiuyao and Mo Jingli are close relatives, Ye Ying should show proper respect and address her as Aunt. Seeing Mo Jingli’s carriage leaving without her, Ye Ying is forced to stomp off in frustration. Mo Xiuyao, who observed the confrontation from his wheelchair, playfully asks Ye Li if she enjoyed the spectacle. Ye Li chides him for failing to defend his own wife.
Mo Xiuyao lightheartedly replies that the relationships are far too complex for him to intervene, but Ye Li retorts that his suspicion is simply too deep. Before they can leave, Senior Eunuch Shunxi approaches, claiming that Ye Li left an item at Anqing Palace and must return. This is a ruse to allow the Empress Dowager to speak with Ye Li in private. Alone with Ye Li, Guo Jin asks about the daily lives of the students at Lishan Academy.
Ye Li paints a picture of a tranquil life filled with reading, writing, farming, and hunting, mentioning her grandfather's poem, "Beihuo Yao" (Song of Roasting Tea), which celebrates finding inner peace over courtly ambitions. Guo Jin confesses that she has studied Master Liu's Qingshan calligraphy style for twenty years but has never quite captured its spirit.
She asks Ye Li about the core message of his "Ode to Self-Cultivation", to which Ye Li replies that the path of utmost sincerity leads to wonders. Ye Li expresses her profound gratitude for her imperial marriage, which allowed her to descend the mountain and experience the world.
When Guo Jin asks if her mother, Xu Wanzhou, was pleased with the match, Ye Li quietly reveals that her mother fell gravely ill on her way back to Lishan and passed away before reaching the foot of the mountain. Back at Prince Li's Mansion, Ye Ying tends to Mo Jingli's wounded finger and asks if he is troubled by his composition. Mo Jingli dismisses her worry, asking instead about her childhood with Ye Li.
Ye Ying explains that she grew up primarily with her younger brother, a child prodigy who read Confucius and Mencius at age five. She notes that Ye Li only lived with them until age thirteen and frequently traveled back to Lishan, so they were never close.
At his prompting, Ye Ying recalls a few ordinary childhood memories, such as a hot summer in Hengzhou where she accidentally bumped Ye Li into a lake, and a rainy day where Ye Li dragged her to run in the downpour, which left Ye Ying terribly sick. Hearing these simple tales, Mo Jingli smiles. Meanwhile, Mo Xiuyao notices Ye Li asking the servants for a shovel and a saw.
Suspicious of her late-night movements, he orders his shadow guards to follow her as she slips out to the backyard. Ye Li, accompanied by her maid, enters a dilapidated courtyard belonging to the He family. While her maid keeps watch, Ye Li uses the saw to cut down a ginkgo tree. The loud crash of the falling tree wakes the homeowner, He Jin. Realizing they have been discovered, Ye Li and her maid flee.
Mo Xiuyao, who has followed her in his carriage, pulls her inside to escape the shouting residents. Inside the carriage, Mo Xiuyao questions why the Princess Ding is stealing trees in the middle of the night. Embarrassed, Ye Li denies stealing and explains that she was fulfilling a promise to her senior classmate, He Minghui.
He Minghui, who was obsessed with the Zhouyi, believed the ginkgo tree in front of his family home was blocking his career luck after he failed his civil exams twice. Because his father had forbidden him from cutting it down and even beat him for trying, He Minghui had begged Ye Li to chop it down once she descended the mountain.
Mo Xiuyao is amused by the tale and tells her there will be no next time, though he questions her daily running routine, which she claims is for her health and agility. The next morning, He Jin visits the Ding Mansion. He asks Ye Li if she was the one responsible for cutting down his ginkgo tree. Ye Li admits to the deed and apologizes for her secrecy. He Jin quickly reassures her that he is not there to complain.
He explains that his son has sent no word for eight years, and the sudden fall of the tree made him hope his son had returned. Knowing the mountain is still sealed and only Ye Li has descended, he figured she did it on his son's behalf. Ye Li comforts He Jin by assuring him that He Minghui is doing well, farming and eating plenty of wild fruits, and has even learned to make flatbreads.
He Jin is relieved to hear of his son's diligence, even though he worries that He Minghui remains unmarried at thirty-two. Before departing, He Jin leaves a family letter with Ye Li, which she promises to forward to his son through her regular correspondence with the academy tutors. In the city, a caravan from the Western Regions arrives with a pair of blue peacocks.
Eager to please Mo Jingli, Ye Ying has the caravan and their famous animal trainer brought to Prince Li's Mansion so she can learn how to control the birds. The trainer teaches her a melody called "Lingque Yin" (Spirit Bird Prelude) on a seven-hole xiao, but Ye Ying's attempts are painfully out of tune. Frustrated but stubborn, she refuses to eat and vows to master the art to win her husband's favor.
Later, on her way back from Shende Xuan, Ye Li witnesses a group of children cornering and beating Mo Wuyou, the young lord of the Ding Mansion, on the street. Ye Li steps in to stop the violence and drives the bullies away. Mo Wuyou remains quiet and defensive, refusing to explain the conflict other than mentioning they are his classmates.
Ye Li gently encourages him, telling him that while it is brave to withstand a fight, it takes a different kind of bravery to share his troubles with his family. She advises him not to let troublemakers drag him down. When Ye Li returns to the mansion with mud on her shoes, Mo Xiuyao notices and asks if the path from Shende Xuan was particularly difficult. Ye Li admits that she joined a street fight to protect Mo Wuyou.
She chides Mo Xiuyao for doubting her, pointing out that as the boy's uncle, he has a duty to protect him. She argues that it is wrong for a young lord to wander in and out of the mansion without even a page boy, getting injured with no one noticing. Mo Xiuyao silently reflects on her words and takes them to heart. Meanwhile, the household is filled with joy upon learning that Mo Xiuyao has been appointed to a post in the Jingzhao Prefecture.
