Ni Chang Episode 3 Recap
> Ni Chang Recap
The first round of the Jinxiu Grand Assembly concluded with the Su family securing a dominant lead, earning eight votes compared to the Xie family's single vote. The lone vote for the Xie family came from the President of the merchant guild, who noted that while the Su family’s embroidery was intricately crafted, the Xie family’s piece, though simple, was creative. He expressed his anticipation for their future contributions.
Yuan Daocheng officially announced the Su family's provisional victory with an 8-1 score. The second round, focusing on color fastness, was scheduled for three days later. During this period, Su Wenyu encountered Xie Xiaoni on the street. Xie Xiaoni, initially mistaking him for a typical arrogant young master, refused his attempt to apologize for a past incident. Upon discovering he was a member of the Su family, she openly accused them of deceit.
Unsettled by her words, Su Wenyu returned home and overheard his father and uncle, Su Gongming, in a heated argument. His father vehemently condemned Su Gongming for compromising the family’s integrity by cheating, citing the impossibly short time in which their elaborate embroidery was completed. He revealed that Su Gongming had bribed Gao Xuan, acquired the fabric, and known the competition theme in advance to prepare. Su Gongming, however, declared that he was too deeply involved to withdraw.
Later, Su Wenyu found Xie Xiaoni at her family’s cloth store and sincerely apologized, admitting that the Su family had indeed cheated and had thus forfeited their honor as merchants. Xie Xiaoni urged him to confess to the Cloth Office, but he refused, unwilling to betray his own family. He then proposed marriage, believing that a union between their two powerful families would establish the largest merchant house in the capital.
Xie Xiaoni rejected him forcefully, vowing to ensure the Su family’s undeniable defeat in the upcoming round. Three days passed, and the second round, testing color fastness, commenced. Both families’ fabrics were immersed in vats of rainwater, vinegar, and white wine. After the allotted time, no fading was observed on either, making it impossible to determine a winner. Xie Feng proposed an additional challenge: to expose both fabrics to direct sunlight.
He confidently asserted that the Xie family’s fabric would remain vibrant even after prolonged sun exposure. The President of the merchant guild endorsed the idea, and Yuan Daocheng, emphasizing fairness, agreed despite Gao Xuan's reservations. After three incense sticks' worth of time under the sun, the Xie family’s fabric maintained its original color, while the Su family’s visibly faded. This outcome secured Xie's victory in the second round, evening the overall score.
The third and final round, centered on dyeing with the theme "Red", was set for five days later. Xie Xiaoni found herself struggling to conceive an innovative approach for the "Red" theme. Ouyang Ziyu, whom she affectionately called Baozi, presented her with his drawings. His innocent gesture of pointing to a rainbow outside sparked a brilliant idea within her: to create a fabric that subtly captured the spectrum of a rainbow, a symbol of auspiciousness.
She enthusiastically shared her concept with Xie Feng, who acknowledged its beauty but noted that the traditional recipe for such an iridescent fabric was too expensive for mass production. Xie Xiaoni then proposed using crushed seashells as a more affordable substitute for pearls, a suggestion her father agreed to try. As the final round approached, Ouyang Ziyu wandered off into the bustling streets. Xie Xiaoni was about to leave for the competition when she learned Baozi was missing.
Frantic, she immediately began searching for him. Ouyang Ziyu, meanwhile, indulged in street snacks, eating several steamed buns from a vendor without paying. The vendor, angered by the unpaid bill, struck Ouyang Ziyu, rendering him unconscious. Xiao Lu, Ouyang Ziyu's attendant, was eventually able to retrieve his master after a doctor recognized the unconscious prince. Unaware of these events, Xie Xiaoni continued her desperate and fruitless search for Baozi.
At the Jinxiu Grand Assembly, the Su family presented their entry for the final round: a rich, royal red fabric embellished with gold foil, designed for grand imperial celebrations. Su Wenyu, noticing Xie Xiaoni's absence, discreetly left the venue to look for her. The Xie family then presented their fabric, which initially appeared unremarkable, prompting Su Gongming to mock its plainness.
However, when Xie's father had the cloth draped over a model, it magically revealed a stunning array of rainbow colors under the light, captivating the audience. Su Gongming and Gao Xuan swiftly accused the Xie family of deviating from the "Red" theme. Xie's father eloquently countered, explaining that "red" is the foremost of all colors, and their fabric uniquely intertwined and expanded red to encompass all seven colors, a profound interpretation they named "Colorful Cloth".
Despite the audience's admiration, Yuan Daocheng regretfully stated that he could not declare them the winner due to the perceived departure from the theme. Just as Yuan Daocheng prepared to announce the Su family as the champion, Ouyang Ziyu made a dramatic entrance, impeccably dressed in noble attire. He had recovered from his amnesia and remembered that day was the final round of the Cloth Conference, though he retained no memory of his time with the Xie family.
All officials, including Xie's father and Xie Feng, immediately knelt in deference to the Prince. After examining both exhibits, Ouyang Ziyu praised the Su family's skilled dyeing but declared the Xie family’s "Colorful Cloth" truly "stunning," marveling at its ingenious concept and recognizing the Xie family’s dedication to producing affordable goods for the populace. To ensure absolute fairness, he ordered all officials to cast their votes.
The final count was five votes for the Xie family and four for the Su family. Ouyang Ziyu proclaimed the Xie Cloth Store as the imperial merchant, awarding them a hundred taels of silver and commissioning them to create summer garments from the "Colorful Cloth" as a prestigious gift for the Western envoy, symbolizing the nation’s power and artistry. Xie's father subtly restrained Xie Feng from approaching Ouyang Ziyu, who showed no sign of recognition.
Later, Xie Xiaoni wandered the streets, distraught and worried about Baozi, entirely unaware that Ouyang Ziyu’s carriage passed by her at that moment. Su Gongming, incensed by the outcome, confronted Yuan Daocheng and Mr. Gao. Mr. Gao consoled him by asserting that the Xie family, now affiliated with the Cloth Bureau, would present numerous future opportunities for them to retaliate.
He then instructed Su Gongming to handle the arrangements and expenses for a celebratory banquet at the Cloth Bureau in three days, much to Su Gongming’s private irritation. Back at the Xie household, celebrations were in full swing. Xie's father and Xie Feng discussed Ouyang Ziyu’s unexpected return and his apparent memory loss regarding his time with them. They deduced that he must have recovered his royal memories but forgotten his "Baozi" persona due to his head injury.
They decided to conceal his true identity and his amnesia from Xie Xiaoni to prevent any potential embarrassment for the Prince and avoid future complications. Shortly after, Su Wenyu visited Xie Xiaoni to congratulate her, delivering the news of the Xie family's victory. He then invited her to a lively "Qian Gou Hui" festival at the Yingchun Garden in ten days, renowned for its beautiful camellia blossoms, which Xie Xiaoni happily accepted.
Meanwhile, Ouyang Ziyu and Yuan Daocheng summoned Xie Feng to discuss the Western envoy’s gift. Gao Xuan suggested that the national gift should be distinct from ordinary commercial fabrics to enhance its prestige. However, Ouyang Ziyu, recognizing the superior quality and vibrant charm of the "Colorful Cloth," sided with Xie Feng, affirming its suitability as an exceptional national gift.
