Resumo do episódio 36 de Pursuit of Jade
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Three days after the events in the capital, Xie Zheng, the Marquis Wu'an, made a grand return to the city wearing his ceremonial crown. The streets were lined with admirers, as the women of the capital were deeply enamored with the victorious commander. Fan Changyu watched the procession with her companions.
When she was teased for coming to see the man she was already close to, she explained that since he had supported her when she first entered the capital, she wanted to cheer for his triumphant return. The atmosphere was festive, with women leaning over balconies to toss silk handkerchiefs at the Marquis. Realizing she hadn't brought a handkerchief, Changyu untied her own hair-tying cloth and threw it instead.
To the shock of the onlookers, Xie Zheng ignored all the expensive silks and caught only her simple ribbon. This sparked a heated argument between the "fans" of the Marquis and the supporters of the "Flower-Pinned General." One side claimed the "butcher's daughter" was unworthy of their hero, while the other insisted their general was a warrior who didn't need to marry into a marquis's household. In stark contrast to Xie Zheng’s glory, Song Yan faced a humiliating downfall.
For his failure to uphold his duties in the Ministry of Rites, an imperial decree stripped him of his rank and banished him to his hometown, never to serve in the government again. Broken and destitute, he sat by the road clutching a jar of wine, weeping and cursing the heavens for the perceived injustice. While the city celebrated, a confrontation took place at the Xie family cemetery. Chancellor Wei Yan arrived to pay his respects to Xie Zheng’s parents.
When Xie Zheng appeared, the tension was immediate. He accused his uncle of coming every year only to disturb his parents’ peace, but Wei Yan insisted that the ritual must be completed before any grievances were aired. Once the incense was burned, Wei Yan turned on his nephew, berating him for falling in love with the daughter of an enemy. He called the romance an act of disloyalty and filial impiety, ordering Xie Zheng to cut ties with Changyu immediately.
Xie Zheng refused to be treated as a mere "sharp blade" forged for Wei Yan’s political gains. However, acknowledging the seventeen years of upbringing he had received, he agreed to settle the debt. According to the family rules, an unfilial son must endure one hundred and eight lashes. Xie Zheng accepted the punishment willingly, intending to use his own blood and flesh to buy his freedom from Wei Yan’s influence.
The Chancellor delivered the strikes with such force that Xie Zheng’s back was left a bloody mess. As Xie Zheng drifted in and out of consciousness from the pain, he saw a figure approaching and briefly mistook her for his late mother. It was actually Changyu, who had rushed to the mausoleum. Despite Wei Yan’s mockery that she was intruding on a sacred site without a formal betrothal, Changyu declared herself the Lady Marquis.
Xie Zheng, supported by her, told his uncle that the punishment had been served and that Wei Yan no longer had any right to dictate his life. He then formally introduced Changyu to his parents' spirits, swearing that she was his lifelong partner and that he would never betray her. The Chancellor’s wife, who had always been kinder to Xie Zheng, arrived shortly after.
She viewed the couple as a perfect match and had come to deliver osmanthus cakes—the favorite of Xie Zheng's mother—because Wei Yan had forgotten them. She urged Changyu to take the wounded Marquis home to tend to his injuries, watching them leave with a sense of approval. Meanwhile, Qi Min continued his efforts to secure Yu Qianqian’s loyalty.
During a long night of drinking and playing a game from her hometown, he revealed a surprise: a phoenix crown and robes intended for the Empress. He asked what it would take for her to willingly stand by his side. Yu Qianqian told him that in her home, a man must kneel to ask for a woman’s hand. To her surprise, Qi Min dismissed his guards and knelt before her.
Yu Qianqian feigned being moved and promised to wait for the day he took the throne. Her true intentions were far more dangerous. While Qi Min slept, Yu Qianqian contemplated killing him but was softened by his murmurs in his sleep. Instead, she stole the tiger tally from his neck. She entrusted the tally and a bag of money to her maid, Zisu, ordering her to deliver the package to the General’s residence and then flee the capital.
Yu Qianqian chose to stay behind, knowing that if she disappeared, Qi Min would likely slaughter everyone in the villa. Back at the Marquis's residence, Changyu looked after Xie Zheng as he recovered. He confessed that he had spent his life haunted by the memory of his mother's death, as he had always blamed his childhood greed for those cakes as the reason she found the chance to take her own life.
Changyu comforted him, reminding him that the debt to his uncle was paid and it was finally time for revenge. Their resolve was strengthened when a gyrfalcon brought a secret message. The note revealed that Wei Yan had once been in a forbidden relationship with Qi Rongyin, who later became Consort Shu. The two had been deeply in love before an imperial edict forced her into the palace. At the Li residence, political maneuvering reached a peak.
Li Xing faked a serious illness to draw his elder brother, Li Huai’an, into a trap. Once Huai’an arrived, Li Xing had him seized and detained. Their grandfather revealed that he was also faking his ailment, scolding Huai’an for being too "soft" and swayed by his studies. He argued that the family had to ensure the Imperial Grandson took the throne to protect their future. To prevent any interference, Li Xing ordered that Huai’an be kept under house arrest until the palace banquet concluded three days later.
