Royal Nirvana Episode 24 Recap
> Royal Nirvana Recap
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
When urgent military intelligence arrived from Changzhou, Gu Fengen immediately rushed into the palace, desperate to know the fate of his father and brother. He learned that both Wu Dehou and the deputy general had gone deep into enemy territory, the army failed to break through, and now, his father Gu Silin and brother Gu Chengen were missing.
Gu Fengen, distraught, demanded to go to Changzhou himself, but the Emperor refused, sternly telling him, "Jia Yibo, you can't intervene in politics." Gu Fengen protested, "They are my dad and brother. How can I stand by?" The Emperor then ordered Xiao Dingquan to keep a close eye on Gu Fengen, warning that if Gu Fengen defied the imperial decree and disturbed military morale by leaving, Xiao Dingquan would share the punishment. Xiao Dingquan reluctantly agreed.
The Emperor, deeply troubled, pondered how the war had declined so despite the nation's full support. A subordinate reported that warhorses were the cause of the battlefield woes, leaving the Emperor puzzled about what could have gone wrong with them. Indeed, the warhorse issue was tied to Li Baizhou and Zhao Yong. Zhao Yong, driven by greed, had brazenly ordered his men to sell warhorses in the market in broad daylight.
Zhou Congxian, a minor official from Ducha, intervened, citing an imperial ban on wartime horse sales and the penalty of banishment. Though Zhou Congxian's men couldn't apprehend the sellers, they sketched their portraits and began a city-wide search. When Li Baizhou learned of this, he was furious, scolding Zhao Yong for risking everything for "little money."
Zhao Yong defiantly reminded Li Baizhou that they were both implicated and questioned why Li Baizhou hadn't dealt with Lu Ying sooner, as Lu Ying knew too much and was a threat. Li Baizhou’s eyes glinted with murderous intent upon hearing Lu Ying’s name. Gu Fengen, still consumed by worry for his family, felt frustrated that Xiao Dingquan, bound by the Emperor's decree, would not permit him to leave for Changzhou.
Believing Xiao Dingquan feared implication, Gu Fengen accused him of being fickle and self-serving, then stormed off to vent his anger by practicing swordsmanship. That night, Xu Changping appeared and began to provoke Gu Fengen, suggesting that Jia Yibo should indeed go to Changzhou for the Crown Prince.
Xu Changping recounted the illustrious military careers of Gu Fengen's grandfather, father, and brother, emphasizing that the Gu family's glory was earned through their own blood and sacrifice on the battlefield, not from the late queen's influence. He sarcastically noted that people often forgot these achievements, preferring "affairs and stories about women in the palace."
Gu Fengen, holding a sword to Xu Changping’s throat, was warned by Xu Changping that without military exploit, the Gu family would have nothing, and without the Gu family, the crown prince would lose his standing. Xu Changping concluded that, since Gu Fengen could no longer achieve civil rank, going to Changzhou was his only path to secure the Gu family’s future, or their bloodline would truly be in danger.
Gu Fengen, though wary of Xu Changping’s intentions, found these words deeply resonant. Meanwhile, Lu Wenxi was teaching the Crown Princess to read poetry. The Crown Princess struggled, and Lu Wenxi explained a line from the poem, "King, why are you worried?" Just then, Xiao Dingquan entered, smiling, took the Crown Princess's hand, and rested his head on her lap. Lu Wenxi, feeling awkward, turned away.
A servant then reported that Gu Fengen had left towards Chunming Gate, prompting Xiao Dingquan to sigh, realizing his cousin wouldn't stay put. As Xiao Dingquan prepared to ride out to intercept him, Wang rushed in with urgent news: someone was attempting to harm Lu Ying and his son in prison. Alarmed, Xiao Dingquan quickly wrote a note and instructed Lu Wenxi to deliver it personally to Zhang Luzheng to save her father and brother.
He provided her with his personal pass and instructed a palace attendant to accompany her since she didn't ride well. Lu Wenxi, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately set off. However, upon arriving at Zhang Luzheng's mansion, she learned he had an unexpected shift at the chancery. Without time to waste, Lu Wenxi, ignoring her attendant’s caution, rushed directly to the prison. There, she discovered her father and brother had narrowly escaped death.
Zhang Shaoyun had already intervened by shouting and scaring off their attackers, and Zhang Luzheng soon arrived to ensure Lu Ying and his son received medical attention and were moved to a safer location, emphasizing that no one could harm them now that they were under his protection. Having entrusted Lu Wenxi with her family's rescue, Xiao Dingquan rode off to stop Gu Fengen. He found Gu Fengen’s horse had inexplicably gone lame.
The cousins confronted each other, and Xiao Dingquan, after an argument, began to physically fight Gu Fengen. Afterwards, they sat together on the city wall. Gu Fengen recalled his youthful promise to assist Xiao Dingquan in becoming a wise ruler. He explained that since he had been deprived of his civil rank, he now had to earn military merits in Changzhou to fulfill his promise and solidify Xiao Dingquan's position.
Moved by Gu Fengen's determination, Xiao Dingquan decided to secretly allow him to leave, even gifting him his own royal horse. When Wang questioned how he would explain the missing royal horse to the Emperor, Xiao Dingquan dismissed it, stating, "Even people are gone, the horse is not a big deal." The cousins parted ways, hoping for a future reunion. Meanwhile, Zhao Yong and Li Baizhou, upon hearing of Lu Ying's survival, had to devise a new scheme.
Royal Consort Zhao subtly suggested to the Emperor that a polo match be held to commemorate the new Crown Princess, given that the dragon boat festival had been suspended for years. The Emperor agreed. Xiao Dingquan frowned, distressed, as he had just given his royal horse to Gu Fengen and was unsure how to explain its absence, especially when the Emperor asked if he had tamed "that horse."
To ease her husband’s worries, the Crown Princess sought Zhang Shaoyun’s help in finding a horse resembling the royal horse. Zhang Shaoyun, ever obedient to his sister and comically timid in front of Xiao Dingquan, listened intently to the Crown Princess's request and then assured Xiao Dingquan that he had asked You Ming to find a solution.
