Nirvana in Fire Episode 17 Recap
> Nirvana in Fire Recap
Xiao Jingrui learned that Zhuo Qingyao was injured during the assassination attempt on Shen Zhui. Full of anger, he burst into Xie Yu's study, questioning his father: What makes a loyal subject? What makes a kind father? He accused his actions of not being righteous. Xie Yu was enraged and slapped him, ordering him out. Xie Yu and Zhuo Dingfeng saw Jingrui fiercely opposed them and began to guard against him from then on.
Prince Yu, to further the Crown Prince's guilt, sent people to create an "accidental explosion" at the private firecracker workshop, destroying 64 civilian houses, killing 121 people, and injuring over a hundred. The scene was horrific. Mei Changsu ordered Li Gang to investigate if Prince Yu was responsible, and then rushed to the explosion site. By this time, Prince Jing had already brought out tents and quilts to settle the refugees.
He sighed, saying: Shen Zhui had already confirmed the fact that the Crown Prince used the private firecracker workshop to gain exorbitant profits, and the Emperor would soon approve it. Who knew such an accident would happen! Mei Changsu replied sorrowfully: This wasn't an accident, it was man-made! Prince Jing was angry at Prince Yu's disregard for human life and then suspected that this matter was Mei Changsu's scheme.
Being misunderstood by his friend made Mei Changsu angry, but he couldn't argue. Princess Nihuang stepped forward to defend him. Prince Jing knew he had wrongly accused Mei Changsu and apologized to him. At this time, a eunuch from Prince Jing's mansion requested instructions on how to handle the military funds used to settle the disaster victims. Prince Jing was preparing to report it to the Ministry of War according to regulations, but was stopped by Mei Changsu.
Mei Changsu told him to deliberately make a mistake to invite criticism from the Ministry of War. Only this way could the Emperor know that after the private firecracker workshop explosion, the Crown Prince and Prince Yu only cared about fighting for power, while only Prince Jing was busy stabilizing the situation and appeasing the people, yet remained quietly unassuming. Consort Yue, though angry at the Crown Prince's greed, had no choice but to clean up after him.
She told the Crown Prince to find censors to impeach him and then bear all the charges himself, so that the suspicious Emperor of Liang would shift his focus to the factional struggle, allowing room for maneuvering when dealing with the matter.
Indeed, although the Emperor of Liang was furious, he did not depose the Crown Prince, only ordering him to move to Gui Jia Palace for self-reflection, and during this period, he was not allowed to participate in court affairs. As expected, the Ministry of War, instigated by the Crown Prince, accused Prince Jing of misappropriating military funds and failing to report it. Prince Jing admitted his mistake, saying he was too busy and forgot.
The Emperor of Liang not only did not punish him but praised him for his decisiveness in handling matters. Mei Changsu personally designed, renovated, and remodeled the Su Residence gardens. He chose an auspicious day to host a banquet for his friends to visit and enjoy the garden. Prince Yu, accompanied by Qin Banruo, arrived uninvited. During the banquet, Mei Changsu deliberately asked Xiao Jingrui, feigning concern about Zhuo Qingyao's condition, which aroused Xia Dong's suspicion.
After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere was lively. Mei Changsu suggested a game: Last night he hid a bamboo scroll of the zither music "Guangling San" in the garden. Whoever found it first would be gifted it. Xia Chun was a music enthusiast, Yu Jin was eager to try, and several groups quickly dispersed throughout the garden to search. Mei Changsu saw that Qin Banruo wanted to search but was holding back and proactively suggested that she also go into the garden to look.
