Royal Nirvana Episode 3 Recap, Plot

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Xiao Dingquan took Gu Fengen to his late mother's former palace, reminiscing about a time when young Xiao Dingquan found Maid Zhang crying over a broken jade hairpin. He compassionately offered to hide it for her, promising the Queen would not know. His mother, the Queen, eventually discovered the hidden hairpin. She told her young son that he was still small, and that she might not find it when he grew up.

Addressing Maid Zhang, the Queen said she would not punish her, but hoped Maid Zhang would return the kindness should Xiao Dingquan ever face a similar plight. In the present, Xiao Dingquan, guided by these memories, searched the hiding spot and found a scroll, which brought tears to his eyes. Just as Xiao Dingquan and Gu Fengen were about to leave, Emperor Xiao Ruijian arrived with Xiao Dingtang.

Xiao Dingquan, after a brief hesitation, presented the scroll to the Emperor, only for it to be revealed as a blank sheet of paper. The Emperor angrily tossed the blank paper aside, ordering Xiao Dingquan confined to his palace for reflection and to confess his sins before the officials the next day. Xiao Dingtang, witnessing Xiao Dingquan's predicament, gloated, mockingly advising Xiao Dingquan to stop acting childishly to avoid angering their father.

As Xiao Dingtang confidently walked away with the Emperor, Xiao Ruijian suddenly slapped him, leaving Xiao Dingtang stunned before the Emperor departed in anger. Xiao Ruijian then instructed his guards to release Xiao Dingtang after the morning court. Later, Emperor Xiao Ruijian privately conversed with Li Chongkui, admitting that he knew both his sons were lying. He explained his actions by stating that Xiao Dingtang was his first son, while Xiao Dingquan was primarily his subject.

He then tasked Li Chongkui to advise Xiao Dingquan the next morning, urging him to behave well and not be as imprudent as he had been today, clarifying that these words should be presented as Li Chongkui's own insight, not the Emperor's direct order. Meanwhile, Lady Jiang and Wu were searching for the scroll. Wu, fearing she knew too much and would be silenced, attempted to escape. Lady Jiang pursued her and witnessed a palace servant brutally strangling Wu.

In her final moments, Wu realized she had been used by Xiao Dingtang. The servant claimed to be acting on Xiao Dingtang's orders. Lady Jiang, who had previously received a message from Xiao Dingtang's faction assuring her that the Crown Prince finding the scroll would not matter as Xiao Dingtang had a plan, began to question if Xiao Dingtang had been lying to her and why she had been involved.

As night deepened, Xiao Ruijian, unable to sleep, looked at the portrait of the late empress. His gaze softened as he murmured, reminiscing about young Xiao Dingquan playing on the stone lions, and how his son used to run from him, even denying his own name. He recalled how Xiao Dingquan would call for his mother and uncle instead of asking for his forgiveness, leading him to wonder if he was already less important than them in his son's heart.

At the same time, Li Chongkui brought Xiao Dingquan food, urging him to eat. He relayed the Emperor’s sentiment, suggesting that despite the harsh words, the Emperor still cared for him. He advised Xiao Dingquan to simply bow his head and admit guilt the next day, assuring him that the matter would then pass, and the Emperor would not make things difficult. Xiao Dingquan, feeling a flicker of warmth, questioned if these words truly came from the Emperor.

The next day, Xiao Dingquan arrived at the grand hall. Reflecting on the Emperor's perceived promise of protection, he removed his outer robes, dressed in plain clothes, and knelt to confess. He took full responsibility for the events of the capping ceremony, claiming he had fabricated a denunciation against Prince Qi because Prince Qi had not gone to his fief after his marriage and capping ceremony as per ancestral rites.

He further distorted the truth, asserting that he had ordered Maid Zhang to throw this denunciation before the public, but Maid Zhang, out of loyalty to the late empress and fear of retaliation, chose to die, causing chaos and terminating the ceremony. Xiao Dingquan concluded his confession by accepting his immense guilt without refutation. Xiao Ruijian, maintaining an expressionless facade, declared that Xiao Dingquan's actions disqualified him from the capping ceremony, which was now canceled.

He further decreed a forfeiture of two thousand acres of land and three years of salary for the Crown Prince. However, Li Baizhou immediately argued that this punishment was too light and would not be convincing to the world. He then seized the opportunity to accuse Lu Shiyu of dereliction of duty and shaking the foundation of the state, demanding his dismissal and prosecution.

Xiao Dingquan interjected, stating that the matter was his own and had nothing to do with Minister Lu. However, Li Baizhou continued his tirade, accusing Xiao Dingquan of unfilial conduct and framing a royal brother, asserting that such a person was unfit to be the future ruler. He demanded Xiao Dingquan be punished according to national law, claiming that not doing so would imply Prince Qi's guilt, which would be unacceptable to the court and the world.

Caught in a difficult situation, Emperor Xiao Ruijian ultimately decided to send Xiao Dingquan to Zongzheng Temple for introspection, awaiting his final punishment. He sternly reminded everyone that the hall was a place of national law, and he would not show partiality to anyone, even the Crown Prince, if they broke the law. Deeply disappointed by his father's words, Xiao Dingquan declared he would go to the temple on his own.

Unable to bear Xiao Dingquan's injustice, Lu Shiyu passionately pleaded for a joint investigation by the Ministry of Penalty, Dali Temple, and the Censorate to thoroughly examine the case. He reaffirmed his belief in the Crown Prince’s benevolent character and offered to die for it, if necessary, to clear Xiao Dingquan's name, regardless of the investigation's outcome. Li Baizhou, however, mocked Lu Shiyu's pledge, highlighting the severity of framing a Crown Prince and the collective punishment it entailed.

He urged Xiao Dingquan to accept his fate and move to the temple, promising to prove his innocence if a joint investigation was approved. Xiao Dingquan, his patience exhausted, accused Li Baizhou of being disrespectful by interrupting him while he was reporting to the Emperor in the solemn setting of the hall. He then firmly declared that he had already yielded and conceded much, and there was no need for the three departments to intervene.

With confidence, he announced that he possessed both human and material evidence, and commanded them to be brought forward. At Xiao Dingquan's words, a commotion erupted in the hall as Wu, carrying a scroll, appeared alongside the palace servant who had seemingly strangled her. It was revealed that this servant had been deliberately arranged by Xiao Dingquan and Gu Fengen, and Wu had not died.

Wu, now identifying herself as a maid of the Shangfu department, firmly declared her true allegiance, confirming she was there at the Crown Prince’s bidding. Seeing Wu alive, Xiao Dingtang's face drastically changed. Xiao Dingquan proceeded to unequivocally recount the true events. He explained that Prince Qi had ordered Wu to fabricate the official denunciation to defame him at the ceremony. Maid Zhang had accidentally discovered this plot and, out of loyalty to the late empress, secretly informed Xiao Dingquan.

Xiao Dingquan revealed that it was not he who pushed Maid Zhang, but that she was pushed from the gate, and the scroll was thrown to the Emperor and the world to scapegoat him. Li Baizhou immediately dismissed Xiao Dingquan's account as "Nonsense," questioning how he could overturn the facts with merely a maid from nowhere. Xiao Dingquan, however, challenged Li Baizhou's confidence, pointing out that Wu was now present and ready to reveal all the inside information she knew.

He asked the Chancellor if he dared to take that risk. Xiao Dingtang, still attempting to deny his involvement, stammered that the scroll could not have been written by him. Xiao Dingquan, with unshakeable conviction, offered to present the evidence right then and there. He challenged Xiao Dingtang to a test of public trust, urging the commander to open the scroll publicly for all to see the truth.

Panicked, Xiao Dingtang blurted out that the scroll he had given was not meant to be incriminating, effectively incriminating himself by admitting his involvement with a scroll. Exasperated, Emperor Xiao Ruijian ordered Xiao Dingtang to explain himself to the world. Assistant minister Du immediately interjected, stating that while framing the Crown Prince was a serious offense punishable by collective punishment, Prince Qi, as a royal member, held privilege and his case must be decided solely by the Emperor. He subtly shifted focus, implying that the Chancellor, Li Baizhou, might not share such privilege if found culpable in the broader scheme.

Episode 2 Recap

Episode 4 Recap