One and Only Episode 1 Recap
> One and Only Recap
In the snowy winter, a woman dressed in fur leisurely walked into the courtyard. Her name was Cui Shiyi, and she was the Crown Princess by betrothal before birth. This time she came to the inner courtyard to receive a generous gift from the Eastern Palace. An eunuch from the Eastern Palace conveyed the royal wish, hoping Cui Shiyi would have good fortune all year round, finish her studies early, and enter the palace to marry.
The generous gift could not make Cui Shiyi smile. She could not sleep in the middle of the night and went to the rooftop to watch the myriad lights of the city. Finally, she waited for the victory report she had been longing for. Zhou Shengchen, bringing the victory report, appeared before her safe and sound after a great victory. For her, who could not speak, this was the best gift.
Among this branch of the Cui clan, Cui Shiyi was the only girl; most of the others died in infancy. Due to the family's excessive power, she was betrothed to the Crown Prince before she was born. That year was exactly Cui Shiyi's tenth birthday. She happily waited for her father to return. Her mother, Cui Wenjun, came to urge Shiyi to go to the banquet. This time, the mansion held a grand banquet.
Cui Wenjun's elder brother, Cui Guang, sat in a high position. Shiyi asked about her father's whereabouts. Cui Wenjun only said he was not in the mansion, causing Shiyi to be filled with disappointment. Shiyi's father, Seventh Master, had offended the Empress Gao clan. The Emperor, considering Cui Guang as an elder statesman who served two dynasties, demanded Cui Wenjun divorce Seventh Master so the two would never see each other again. But Seventh Master insisted on seeing Shiyi once.
Cui Wenjun was also very reluctant to part with Seventh Master. How could their years of marital affection be severed just like that? Cui Guang angrily rebuked Cui Wenjun, asking Cui Wenjun to be more clear-headed. She was not only Seventh Master's wife but also the Third Lady of the Cui family. What she should protect was the Cui clan. Seventh Master saw Shiyi once before she fell asleep. Outside, the cold wind was biting.
He knew deeply that this was very likely his last meeting with Shiyi. After seeing Shiyi with utmost reluctance, Seventh Master came to see Cui Wenjun. The couple's affection was deep and profound. Facing this unavoidable separation, the two still cared for each other. To avoid implicating Cui Wenjun, Seventh Master decided never to see Cui Wenjun again in this life. The next day, Shiyi got up and hastily searched for Seventh Master, but Seventh Master had already left.
Cui Guang came and told Shiyi that Seventh Master had left. He had abandoned this family. From now on, Shiyi would only have her mother and uncle, and would no longer have a father. Shiyi did not believe Cui Guang's words. She fainted in utter grief. After waking up, she could no longer speak. The mansion invited famous doctors to perform acupuncture for half a year, but Shiyi still could not speak. --- Changes occurred within the palace.
Zhao Teng brought a letter from Noble Consort Qi Zhenzhen. Cui Guang, bringing Cui Shou, entered the palace. The two arrived in the palace and confirmed the Emperor's demise. Thus, his faction supported Concubine Qi's son Liu Hui to ascend the throne. Now that Liu Hui had ascended the throne, Concubine Qi began to worry about Zhou Shengchen, fearing that Zhou Shengchen might question if Liu Hui's enthronement was legitimate.
Cui Guang showed no signs of panic; he only decided to first send off the Former Emperor's funeral procession according to ancestral rites. A victory report came from the front line. Junior Prince of Nanchen Zhou Shengchen achieved a great victory. He stood valiantly on his warhorse, his face full of youthful bravery. Military Advisor Xie Chong congratulated Zhou Shengchen on winning this battle.
His disciples Zhou Tianxing and Hong Xiaoyu prepared to celebrate the victory by butchering animals and making fires. But Zhou Shengchen saw a secret report from Gongzhou, learning that his imperial brother had passed away. Zhou Shengchen had previously sworn an oath that he would never enter Zhongzhou in this life nor enter the palace city. But with his imperial brother's demise, Zhou Shengchen still wanted to go to Zhongzhou to bid farewell.
Xie Chong was afraid that the palace would suspect Zhou Shengchen of raising troops to rebel. But Zhou Shengchen knew his mind well. He ordered three thousand cavalry to head to Zhongzhou. Xie Chong accompanied Zhou Shengchen. Zhou Shengchen stationed his troops outside the city. Cui Guang came up with a plan. He had people in the palace force Zhou Shengchen to enter. If Zhou Shengchen was willing to enter the palace, he could immediately support Liu Hui as Emperor.
If he was unwilling to enter the palace, it would confirm his reputation for rebellion. How could Zhou Shengchen not know what the people in the palace were thinking? In his youth, he had sworn an oath in the hall, willing to abandon his royal surname and defend Xizhou, and never step into Zhongzhou again from then on. It was only to see his brother one last time that he still broke his oath.
Moreover, his young nephew had ascended the throne, and people's hearts were unstable. His action was also intended to help Liu Hui stabilize the populace. In order to dispel the rumors that he intended to raise troops to rebel, he swore an oath in the hall that he would not marry or take concubines in this life and would not have offspring, thus having no reason to rebel.
Hearing this, Cui Guang brought up Shiyi, wanting Zhou Shengchen to take Shiyi as a disciple, so as to draw closer the relationship between the royal family, the Cui family, and the Nanchen Royal Mansion. Concubine Qi greatly praised this idea, and Zhou Shengchen could not refuse. He could only agree to this request.
