Royal Nirvana Episode 20 Recap
> Royal Nirvana Recap
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After Xiao Dingquan publicly revealed Lu Wenxi's identity as Lu Ying's eldest daughter, Zhang Luzheng was about to apprehend her. However, Xiao Dingquan intervened, stating that arresting her there would be undignified. He proposed to have her tied and sent to the Ministry of Penalty later. Zhang Luzheng, unable to argue, watched as Lu Wenxi remained hidden in Xiao Dingkai's cloak, her eyes resolute, signaling her refusal to flee.
Xiao Dingquan then prepared to leave, rejecting Xu Changping's invitation to view new brush and ink at the National Academy. As Xiao Dingquan departed, Gu Fengen sighed, admitting he found it increasingly difficult to understand his cousin's intentions. Back in his residence, Xiao Dingquan carefully retrieved Lu Wenxi's painting, its beautiful landscape stirring his heart. He had devised a plan to save Lu Ying: request the Emperor to grant him a marriage.
A grand ducal wedding often brought about a national amnesty, which could spare Lu Ying and his son. When Xiao Dingquan proposed this to the Emperor, he was initially displeased, suspecting Xiao Dingquan was there to plead guilty and interfere with the matter despite his previous promise. Xiao Dingquan clarified he was there to request a marriage, seeking a princess.
He expressed his admiration for Zhang Nianzhi, the virtuous eldest daughter of Minister Zhang Luzheng, whose age was suitable for marriage, as suggested by the Imperial Concubine in Denghua Palace.
Xiao Dingquan explained that this marriage was his solution to both uphold the Emperor's order and save Lu Ying, arguing that only a national amnesty resulting from his marriage to Zhang Luzheng's daughter could temporarily save Lu Ying and prevent the collusion of the Ministry of Official Affairs and Ministry of Punishment with the Chancery. The Emperor, calling him "bold, stupid, and naive," demanded a sufficient reason for his request.
Xiao Dingquan simply stated, "Because I love her," even though he admitted he had never met her. The Emperor did not immediately reject the request, deciding instead to announce his decision at the morning court the next day. Xiao Dingquan bowed, promising to serve the Emperor and the country diligently if his request was granted. In the prison, the imperial decree arrived, condemning Lu Ying and his eldest son, Lu Wenpu, to immediate execution.
Their eldest daughter would be enslaved, and the youngest son exiled. Lu Wenpu, his eyes brimming with tears, combed his father's hair, remarking that he felt no regret, as at least Lu Wenjin had escaped and Lu Wenxi was safe, though her whereabouts were unknown. Lu Ying, tearfully, confessed his fear of his children blaming him, but Lu Wenpu comforted him, smiling bravely as they prepared to face their fate together, their hands tightly clasped.
Soon, Lu Ying and Lu Wenpu were escorted to the execution ground. Zhang Luzheng watched with schadenfreude, while his son, Zhang Shaoyun, unexpectedly ran up to Lu Wenpu to apologize for a past incident. Zhang Luzheng, enraged by his son's defiance, chased him away. A commotion then arose as Xiao Dingquan arrived, under imperial decree, to supervise the execution. As time passed, sweat beaded on Xiao Dingquan's face.
He anxiously awaited news from the morning court, but no announcement came even after the session ended. Preparing for the worst, Xiao Dingquan instructed Gu Fengen to keep an eye on the crowd and prevent Lu Wenxi from witnessing the tragic scene. Indeed, Lu Wenxi was frantically rushing towards the execution ground, stumbling and falling along the way.
Suddenly, Li Ming'an appeared, bearing surprising news: Lu Ying and Lu Wenpu had not been executed but were sent back to the Ministry of Penalty. Overwhelmed, Lu Wenxi collapsed. She was unaware that this reprieve came at the cost of Xiao Dingquan's marriage to Zhang Luzheng's daughter.
Li Ming'an further explained that Lu Wenxi and Lu Wenjin had been pardoned, and Lu Ying and Lu Wenpu's immediate execution had been commuted to a stay of execution, to be carried out after autumn. He pondered Xiao Dingquan's actions—was it bold, foolish, clever, or naive? He concluded that without the Crown Prince's intervention, Lu Ying would have surely died.
He also revealed that the Emperor's decision to sanction the marriage was to prevent the ministries from colluding with the Chancery, viewing it as a test for the Crown Prince against the Chancellor. Lu Wenxi, safe at Li Ming'an's residence, was overjoyed to find Lu Wenjin unharmed. However, remembering Xiao Dingquan's cold dismissal of her pleas earlier, she felt utterly disheartened, unaware of the immense sacrifice he had made. She recalled his words: "Sorry. I am powerless and heartless.
It is I who am ignorant and shameless. I understand. From today on, Young Master Xiao is a stranger." That evening, during a meal with the Emperor, Zhao Guifei, and Xiao Dingkai, Xiao Dingtang requested an audience from outside. The Emperor initially refused, but Zhao Guifei pleaded on his behalf. Xiao Dingquan then rose, admitting he had summoned Xiao Dingtang.
The Emperor, understanding Xiao Dingquan's intentions, instructed him to personally tell Xiao Dingtang to leave the capital by dawn the next day. Standing in the corridor, Xiao Dingtang sarcastically remarked that Xiao Dingquan must be enjoying his departure. Xiao Dingquan, expressionless, countered that everyone carries pain and regret, and Xiao Dingtang was not alone in his misfortune. He then recited a poem, "Willow branches, green and low, Yang flowers, whirling high and fast.
All the willow branches broken, all the flowers scattered, tell me, travelers, do you return?" When Lu Wenjin asked what "departure" meant, Lu Wenxi explained it was "forgetting each other in the martial world," a contrast to "mutual support" which was "being together." She added that people break willow branches to plead with their loved ones not to leave, or at least not for too long, because they simply wish to stay with their family, not for any fortune.
She confirmed that she and Lu Wenjin would also be leaving. Meanwhile, in prison, Lu Wenpu comforted Lu Ying, trusting that Prefectural Governor Li Ming'an would care for his siblings. He lamented not being able to see them one last time. Li Ming'an, preparing to take Lu Wenxi and Lu Wenjin to Changzhou the next day, discussed the imperial politics with his wife.
He speculated that the Emperor's decision to marry the Crown Prince to Zhang Luzheng's daughter indicated his exasperation with Li Baizhou, using this alliance as leverage against the Chancellor. However, Li Ming'an found the Crown Prince's motives perplexing: his mentor Lu Shiyu and Lu Ying had just fallen, yet he immediately allied with Lu Ying's old enemy. He concluded that while the Emperor's heart was hard to predict, the Crown Prince's intentions were even more inscrutable.
He stressed the importance of keeping Lu Wenxi and Lu Wenjin completely disassociated from the Crown Prince, fearing that any involvement could jeopardize his own position, and left Lu Ying's ultimate fate to destiny.
