Resumo do episódio 1 de Ashes to Crown
> Resumos de Ashes to Crown
On a day when blood stained the crimson palace walls, Chu Zhao finally realized that there is no room for true affection within the cold depths of the imperial court. Granted a miraculous chance at rebirth, she looks back at how she was systematically led astray, taking steps that brought her family to the brink of absolute ruin. Chu Zhao grew up in the desert of Yunzhong Prefecture under the care of her father, Chu Cen, a legendary border general.
Having lost her mother at a young age, she lived a comfortable life but always felt a deep sense of regret over her mother's early passing. One day, she sneaked away from her father to visit the bustling streets of Chudu, the capital, hoping to find some traces of her mother's past. Her brief visit took a dramatic turn in a crowded market corner when she stumbled upon an angry mob lynching a young servant.
The locals claimed the man had set fire to Wei Village, killing forty-six people, and deserved a painful death. Refusing to stand by, Chu Zhao intervened and snatched the whip, arguing that under the laws of the realm, taking justice into one's own hands was no different from murder.
Before she could do more, her father's deputy general, Zhong Changrong, caught up with her and forcibly dragged her back to the desert, warning her to stay out of the dangerous affairs of influential clans. Back home, Chu Cen was furious, pointing out the immense dangers along the road. Chu Zhao, however, accused him of keeping her trapped. She tearfully explained that she only wanted to connect with her mother's memory in Chudu.
When she confronted him for prioritizing his military fame over her emotional needs, Chu Cen was deeply moved. To make amends, he arranged for her to move into a grand mansion in Chudu, hoping she could live as a proper noble lady. Struggling to fit into the strict etiquette of high society, Chu Zhao felt like an outcast until she met Xiao Xun, the heir of the Lord of Xiaonan.
His gentle care and affection gave her a sense of belonging. A year later, the two traveled to Yunzhong to ask for her father's hand in marriage. During their journey through the desert, their carriage was ambushed by bandits. Fortunately, Fu Jiu, a skilled guard sent by General Chu Cen, intervened and effortlessly neutralized the threat. When the bandit leader used a maid as a hostage, Fu Jiu ruthlessly shot an arrow that killed both.
While Xiao Xun pitied the girl, Chu Zhao noticed the maid wore jewelry matching the bandits' and had only recently joined their household, deducing she was actually an insider. At the general's residence, Xiao Xun presented his formal proposal. Chu Cen flatly refused, stating that a general's daughter was no match for a prominent noble family. Chu Zhao argued bitterly against her father's interference, reminding him of how her mother had wasted her life in the desert.
Seeking to ease the general's doubts about his political motives, Xiao Xun explained his precarious position as a hostage in the capital and declared his unwavering love, even offering his own life to prove his sincerity. Unmoved, Chu Cen dismissed him. Undeterred, Chu Zhao chose to return to Chudu with Xiao Xun, firmly declaring she would never regret her choice or return to Yunzhong. Back in Chudu, Chu Zhao routinely sent her father monthly sand-jujube cakes to ease her guilt.
Two years later, after the Lord of Xiaonan achieved significant military success, the Emperor officially bestowed a marriage between Xiao Xun and Chu Zhao. Right before the wedding, her maid Ale did a promising divination, and Fu Jiu arrived with a grand dowry as a sign of her father's silent support. However, their wedding night was shattered by a rebellion led by the Third Prince, who reportedly murdered the Crown Prince.
Xiao Xun ordered his men to protect Chu Zhao at the Chu Garden while he went to quell the uprising. By successfully eliminating the Third Prince, and with the Crown Prince, the Emperor, and the imperial grandson Xiao Yu all deceased, Xiao Xun ascended the throne as the new Emperor, initiating the Anping era. General Chu Cen returned to Chudu briefly to pay his respects and requested Xiao Xun to treat his daughter well.
Although Xiao Xun invited him to stay, the general chose to return to the border to protect the realm, ordering Fu Jiu to remain behind to guard Chu Zhao. As the new Empress, Chu Zhao enjoyed what seemed to be a perfect marriage. Xiao Xun frequently consulted her on state affairs, even implementing her suggestion to lower textile taxes. Believing her life was secure, she continued to send her father sweet treats monthly, despite never receiving a reply.
On her twenty-second birthday, Xiao Xun surprised her by inviting Chu Cen back to Chudu, promising to build a grand estate for him. To honor his daughter, the general ordered his guards to disarm before entering the palace. But as Chu Zhao happily greeted her father, a shocking imperial decree was read aloud, accusing Chu Cen of treasonous collusion with northern enemies and his brother of poisoning the imperial grandson in the first year of Anping.
Despite her desperate pleas, Chu Cen was executed on the spot. Xiao Xun finally dropped his gentle facade, explaining that he had orchestrated everything to seize control of her father's two hundred thousand frontier troops, which had always threatened his hold on the throne. He coldly admitted that he used her birthday invitation to lure the general into a trap and had been slowly poisoning the monthly sand-jujube cakes she sent to Yunzhong for years.
Xiao Xun then personally strangled Chu Zhao to death, fabricating a story that she had hanged herself out of grief. Immediately after her death, Fu Jiu broke through the guards and stabbed the treacherous Emperor to death with his sword. Suddenly, Chu Zhao finds herself back in the courtyard of her Chudu mansion.
It is the fourteenth day of the seventh month in the nineteenth year of Tianshu—three years prior to her tragic death, on the day the Emperor had just bestowed their marriage. Disoriented and desperate to confirm she is alive, she grabs a passerby to ask for the date. Her maid, Ale, is deeply concerned by her frantic behavior and tries to take her inside, believing she has been possessed.
When Xiao Xun arrives to discuss their upcoming wedding, the sight of him triggers an uncontrollable rage in Chu Zhao. She lunges at him, screaming that she will kill him to avenge her father. Fu Jiu, who is there delivering the dowry, helps handle the situation. Xiao Xun secretly begins to suspect she might have uncovered his true intentions, though others assume she was just startled.
Back in her room, Ale leaves to prepare some calming soup to soothe her mistress. Alone, Chu Zhao looks into a mirror, only to see her reflection dressed in her future empress attire. The reflection, a manifestation of her accumulated hatred and resentment from her past life, encourages her to use this second chance for vengeance.
Realizing she has a rare opportunity to rewrite history, Chu Zhao vows to play her cards carefully, protect her father, and make Xiao Xun pay dearly for the destruction of the Chu clan.
