Rebirth For You Episode 24 Recap
> Rebirth For You Recap
Zhao Yi, wanting to see Commandery Princess Jiang Baoning, deliberately sent a false message to Bingzhou, exaggerating the Grand Empress Dowager's illness, even though the Grand Empress Dowager had specifically instructed that Jiang Baoning not be informed to avoid worrying her. Upon Jiang Baoning's arrival, the Grand Empress Dowager mildly rebuked Zhao Yi for alarming Jiang Baoning.
Zhao Yi then proposed staying to accompany both of them, but Jiang Baoning politely declined, stating that her husband, Li Qian, would soon arrive and they would accompany the Grand Empress Dowager together. The Grand Empress Dowager also urged Zhao Yi to attend to his court duties. Feeling thwarted, Zhao Yi secretly instructed the guards at the Gate of Divine Might to find an excuse to prevent Li Qian from entering the palace.
Meanwhile, at the Li mansion, He Cuihua was scolding her daughter, Li Dongzhi, for running away from home. He Cuihua expressed her worries and her desire to cook all of Li Dongzhi's favorite dishes. Li Dongzhi, however, was impatient, stating that her mother's constant discipline, restrictions, and pressure to marry were the reasons she left.
Offended, He Cuihua declared that she would no longer meddle in Li Dongzhi's affairs, a statement Li Dongzhi initially challenged but soon realized was genuine when her mother continued to ignore her. Even after Li Dongzhi tried to appease her by dressing in a more ladylike fashion, a style He Cuihua preferred, her mother remained indifferent, leaving Li Dongzhi feeling crestfallen and worried she couldn't mend the rift.
Back in the palace, Jiang Baoning spoke with Su Su, learning that Zhao Yi had exaggerated the Grand Empress Dowager’s illness to summon her. Jiang Baoning then noticed Su Su taking medicine and asked if she was unwell. Su Su, with reluctance, confessed that she had been pregnant but suffered a miscarriage due to an accident, believing it was not meant to be. Jiang Baoning offered her comfort, assuring her that she would have another child in the future.
Later, Empress Han confronted Zhao Yi, sarcastically questioning his sudden interest in visiting the Grand Empress Dowager only when Jiang Baoning was present. Zhao Yi, irked by her interference, retorted that his actions didn't require her approval and instructed her to focus on managing the harem and preparing for her own birthday ceremony. Angered, Empress Han vowed to make her ceremony so splendid that it would overshadow any of Zhao Yi's affections for Jiang Baoning.
That night, Jiang Baoning anxiously waited for Li Qian, growing worried as the palace curfew approached. She sent Wei Shu to investigate at the Gate of Divine Might. Wei Shu discovered Li Qian had been denied entry by the guards, who claimed he lacked proper authorization for palace access as a Superintendent. Despite Wei Shu's attempts to intervene, Li Qian stopped him, realizing the order likely came from higher up.
Li Qian instructed Wei Shu to return to Jiang Baoning, assure her of his safety, and tell her he would be staying at the Li family residence in the capital for the night, so she wouldn't worry. Upon hearing this, Jiang Baoning misinterpreted Li Qian's actions as a sign of anger. In the quiet of the night, He Cuihua lay awake, reflecting on Li Dongzhi.
She observed that her daughter had truly grown up, taking charge of the Charity House and even adopting a more ladylike appearance. While outwardly pleased, He Cuihua felt a sense of emptiness, lamenting that Li Dongzhi no longer seemed to need her constant guidance, a sentiment her husband found peculiar. The imperial physician reported to Jiang Baoning that the Grand Empress Dowager had fully recovered.
Feeling relieved, Jiang Baoning then went to see Li Qian, concerned that he might be angry about being barred from the palace. Upon meeting him, she used a wish he had previously granted her to ask him not to be upset, apologizing for the humiliation and her own oversight. Li Qian pulled her into a warm embrace, assuring her he wasn't angry.
He explained that he hadn't wanted to cause trouble for her while she was already worried about the Grand Empress Dowager. Furthermore, as an official from Bingzhou, he lacked the proper authorization for free palace entry, and forcing his way in would only give palace gossips an excuse to criticize them. He even joked that his predicaments stemmed from marrying a Commandery Princess.
Touched by his thoughtfulness, Jiang Baoning, as a reward, promised him the honor of "father getting honor through son." She also reassured him that her body was recuperating well thanks to a prescription from her aunt. The two then sweetly consummated their marriage. Later, while out shopping, He Cuihua encountered Li Dongzhi engaged in a heated argument with a vendor.
The vendor had sold Li Dongzhi an inferior hairpin after she had paid for a higher quality one and refused to exchange it. He Cuihua immediately stepped in, loudly exposing the vendor's deceptive practices to the surrounding crowd, shaming him until he returned the correct hairpin and the money difference. Afterward, He Cuihua sternly lectured Li Dongzhi, emphasizing that her daughter still needed her and shouldn't run away.
Li Dongzhi, overjoyed that her mother was speaking to her again, admitted her fault and revealed that the hairpin was a gift for He Cuihua. He Cuihua was deeply touched by her daughter's thoughtfulness. Li Dongzhi then expressed her wish for her mother to listen to her ideas and trust her more now that she was grown, hoping for a more collaborative relationship.
Although He Cuihua agreed, she almost immediately reverted to dictating Li Dongzhi's clothing choices, preferring her in feminine attire, to which Li Dongzhi, with a sigh, ultimately conceded. The next day, Jiang Baoning and Li Qian attempted to enter the palace, only to be stopped by the same guards at the Gate of Divine Might.
This time, Jiang Baoning firmly asserted her authority as a Commandery Princess, declaring herself Li Qian's "pass" and warning the guards of severe consequences if they dared to obstruct him again, regardless of who issued their orders. The guards, humbled, immediately apologized and allowed them to pass. Li Qian playfully teased Jiang Baoning, saying she was "too gentle" and he would help her vent her frustration next time. Inside, Li Qian apologized to the Grand Empress Dowager for his delay.
She welcomed him warmly, crediting her recovery to their visit. Soon after, Zhao Yi arrived, having been summoned by the Grand Empress Dowager. She immediately admonished him for the guards' disrespectful behavior in blocking her son-in-law, Li Qian. Zhao Yi promised to discipline them thoroughly.
Seizing the opportunity, the Grand Empress Dowager then declared herself fully recovered and insisted that Jiang Baoning and Li Qian return to Bingzhou at once, stating that Jiang Baoning, as a married woman, should not reside in the palace. She cited the recent incident with Li Qian as proof that some already found their presence "against the rules" and wished to avoid further gossip.
Despite Zhao Yi's attempts to persuade Jiang Baoning to stay longer, the Grand Empress Dowager firmly reiterated her decision, leaving Jiang Baoning and Li Qian no choice but to agree and depart. Elsewhere, Empress Han met with officials from the Ministry of Rites to discuss the preparations for her birthday ceremony. When presented with the comparison records, she dramatically burned them, declaring the Ministry of Rites negligent for "losing" such important documents.
She then threatened them with severe repercussions if the "loss" came to light, effectively forcing them to proceed with immediate procurement without further price comparison. She then turned her attention to an official from the Imperial Household Department, who had been deliberately stalling by "checking stock," and ordered him to allocate the necessary items at once. It was revealed that Zhao Yi had implicitly ordered these departments to delay cooperating with Empress Han.
Faced with Empress Han's forceful tactics, the two frustrated officials sought Zhao Yi's intervention, but he simply instructed them to "do what they should do," signaling his reluctant approval for them to proceed as Empress Han demanded. Later, Zhao Yi, on his own, ordered his eunuch, Du Sheng, to inspect his private treasury for funds to be allocated for disaster relief. After their return to Bingzhou, at the family dinner table, Jiang Baoning noticed He Cuihua had a poor appetite.
To cheer her up, Jiang Baoning presented her with the red agate earrings she had lost at the Li family residence in the capital. He Cuihua was overjoyed and asked if Jiang Baoning had made a special trip to retrieve them. Li Qian then casually mentioned that he and Jiang Baoning had spent the night there. Understanding the implied intimacy, He Cuihua immediately became ecstatic, instructing the servants to prepare nourishing tonics for Jiang Baoning to aid in conception.
Jiang Baoning was visibly embarrassed by her mother-in-law's directness. At the Charity House, Li Dongzhi was tending to the disaster victims when she observed a woman becoming hysterical at the sight of a fire, leading Li Dongzhi to quickly assist her. Meanwhile, Gao Fuyu praised the Charity House's success to Li Changqing, acknowledging Jiang Baoning's significant contributions and praising her as an excellent daughter-in-law for bringing glory to the Li family and for attributing all the credit to Li Qian.
Li Changqing readily agreed. Feeling it was his duty as Jiang Baoning's father-in-law to also contribute, Li Changqing summoned Li Lin. He instructed Li Lin to withdraw funds that he had entrusted to him for general use and use them to purchase 5,000 "dans" of rice and 4,000 "jins" of cotton for the Charity House to prepare for winter, emphasizing that Jiang Baoning shouldn't bear the burden alone.
Li Lin then approached Gao Miaorong, who confessed that the funds had been invested in an illegal money house and could not be immediately retrieved. Li Lin expressed alarm, warning that his uncle would hold them accountable if the supplies were delayed. Gao Miaorong, undeterred, suggested Li Lin use his own emergency funds as a temporary solution.
When Li Lin highlighted the large quantities required, Gao Miaorong proposed an unethical plan: purchasing thousands of "dans" of moldy rice from a wealthy man in a neighboring county, claiming it was merely unappetizing but edible for the starving victims, and adulterating the cotton with sand to meet the weight requirements. Li Lin was initially hesitant, but Gao Miaorong then feigned deep distress, offering to take all the blame herself.
Seeing her apparent sacrifice, Li Lin, swayed by her manipulation, reluctantly agreed to her scheme. Tragedy struck the Charity House when a young boy named Chuanwa succumbed to a sudden illness, experiencing high fever and severe vomiting. His mother and other victims quickly suspected the moldy rice they had been eating, noting its distinctive smell.
Li Dongzhi rushed to inform Jiang Baoning of Chuanwa's death, explaining that while moldy rice usually only caused mild symptoms, it could be fatal for those with weak digestive systems. Jiang Baoning immediately dispatched Li Dongzhi back to the Charity House to verify the presence of moldy rice. Soon after, a furious mob, led by Chuanwa’s mother carrying her deceased child, gathered outside the Li family residence, demanding justice.
They accused Jiang Baoning of establishing the Charity House under false pretenses, claiming she used it to "amass wealth" and "fill her own pockets" by procuring moldy rice, which led to Chuanwa’s death. When He Cuihua opened the gate, she was met with a barrage of thrown vegetables. Gao Miaorong seized the moment to publicly chastise Jiang Baoning for bringing scandal upon the Li family.
Jiang Baoning stepped forward, expressing her profound apologies and reiterating the Li family's genuine benevolent intentions. She requested a few days to investigate, promising to provide a satisfactory explanation. Another woman then came forward, displaying a winter coat provided by the Charity House, revealing that half of the cotton stuffing was mixed with sand, questioning if they were expected to freeze to death. Jiang Baoning, visibly distraught, examined the adulterated cotton herself.
She again appealed for a few days to conduct a thorough investigation, then publicly announced that she would contribute 5,000 taels of silver from her own funds to immediately purchase new, quality rice and cotton, and vowed to personally assume all responsibility for any similar incidents in the future. Just as the crowd seemed to calm, a man, secretly incited to cause further trouble, saw the silver and immediately began shouting, urging the villagers to snatch the money. Providentially, Li Qian arrived at that very moment, swiftly intervening to apprehend the instigator and restore order.
