Royal Nirvana Episode 45 Recap
> Royal Nirvana Recap
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Knowing Kou Zhu's time was short, Wenxi brought her a clean set of clothes and urged her to adorn herself to see Xiao Dingquan one last time. Kou Zhu gave a sad smile, dressed meticulously, and offered to comb Xiao Dingquan's hair. Xiao Dingquan appeared detached. Kou Zhu had accompanied him for fifteen years, from a young child to a mature youth, but never expected to say goodbye in this way.
As Kou Zhu combed his hair, Xiao Dingquan reminisced about his childhood, recalling how besides Lady Zhang, Kou Zhu was the only one who could manage his hair because he used to move around so much. He recalled her giving him "twisted knots" and then lamented that Lady Zhang was gone and he missed her. Xiao Dingquan then gently asked if Kou Zhu had anything to say to him.
Kou Zhu commented on his developing white hairs, but Xiao Dingquan pressed her, saying he thought she would speak of something else. Tearfully, Kou Zhu confessed her deep transgressions, explaining that Xiao Dingtang held her entire family hostage, leaving her no choice but to obey his every command. Xiao Dingquan dismissed this as an excuse, not a valid reason.
What Kou Zhu found most unbearable, however, was that despite accompanying Xiao Dingquan for the longest time and being the closest to him, his true heart had been given to another. She questioned why he would give "the clothes" (a metaphor for his heart/trust, referring to the clean clothes Wenxi had given her earlier) to the newcomer.
She warned Xiao Dingquan not to trust "her" (referring to Wenxi) too much, stating that although she, Kou Zhu, had schemed against many, Xiao Dingquan had withheld his true self from her, and he should not give "her" (Wenxi) the chance to hurt him either. Xiao Dingquan, though visibly pained, simply acknowledged their fifteen years together and stated that he would consider her words to be "good words from a dying person".
Although Xiao Dingquan felt unbearable, he had to let Kou Zhu die. Kou Zhu, feeling she had no other options, chose to hang herself among several methods, ending her humble life. Xiao Dingquan instructed for something to be allowed for her to take with her. Meanwhile, in Changzhou, Li Ming'an and his wife were enjoying the market with young Lu Wenjin. They encountered Gu Fengen, who bitterly complained about Commander Yang Sheng hindering military operations.
Li Ming'an defended Commander Yang Sheng, reminding Gu Fengen that despite Commander Yang Sheng's harsh words and bad temper, his reputation among the enemy was as formidable as Gu Fengen's own father's. Gu Fengen recounted how Commander Yang Sheng's hesitation and fear of battle led to an enemy leader escaping during a chase, a claim Li Ming'an quickly dismissed as nonsense.
Gu Fengen recounted how he himself wanted to chase the enemy leader into the woods, but Commander Yang Sheng stopped him, questioning if he was sure there were no ambushes. Commander Yang Sheng also tied them up for leaving the barracks without permission. Li Ming'an further explained that Commander Yang Sheng's caution was justified, reminding Gu Fengen of the upcoming captive offering ceremony in the capital, which even the Emperor and the Crown Prince approved.
Gu Fengen then noticed young Wenjin, who innocently mentioned his sister was at home. Madam Li quickly interjected, explaining that Wenxi was simply too comfortable at home and preferred not to go out. Before parting ways, Gu Fengen bought a high-quality musk sachet, acknowledging that Changzhou, being near the production region, offered superior quality to the capital.
He then presented the sachet to Li Ming'an as a gift, thanking him and calling him "uncle," to which Li Ming'an playfully remarked on the change in address. Li Ming'an then told Gu Fengen it was getting late and he should return to camp. Back in the palace, Wenxi was resting, her injuries slowly healing. Xiao Dingquan entered, and Wenxi quickly feigned sleep.
Recognizing her act, Xiao Dingquan unceremoniously lifted her and carried her away on his shoulder, drawing the attention of other palace staff. He deposited her onto a bed and ordered a medicinal soup for her. As Wenxi grimaced at the bitter taste, Xiao Dingquan mischievously forbade anyone from offering her candied fruit, openly enjoying her discomfort. Wenxi, feigning helplessness, pouted and pulled at Xiao Dingquan's robe, asking him to stay and reiterating that she hadn't hidden any love letters.
Yielding, Xiao Dingquan had a table brought to her bedside and resumed his work, while Wenxi lay with her eyes closed. Wenxi expressed her gratitude to Xi Xiang for remaining with her. Later, Zhang Shaoyun arrived, carrying flowers to express his affections for Wenxi. He was scared away, however, by the appearance of Xiao Dingquan.
Soon after, Xiao Dingquan was speaking with Zhang Luzheng, the Chancellor and Zhang Shaoyun's father, who was assisting him in presiding over the captive offering ceremony. Xiao Dingquan acknowledged Zhang Luzheng's competence. He also advised Zhang Luzheng to take time to properly manage his son, Shaoyun, noting his age and lack of achievements, suggesting it was time for him to start a family. Wenxi's injuries had mostly healed, and she was now serving in Xiao Dingquan's study.
Ostensibly intending to punish her, Xiao Dingquan instead played a prank, secretly placing a caterpillar in her hand. Startled, Wenxi threw the insect, accidentally landing it on Xiao Dingquan's head. The two then engaged in a playful chase and laughter around the room. When Wenxi tried to escape, Xiao Dingquan pulled her back and passionately kissed her lips. Her heart pounded, and she shyly ran off. Their intimate shadows were observed and chuckled at by the inner maids guarding outside.
Wenxi, blushing, later lied to an inner maid that she was "stung" (referring to a past experience with an insect). Xiao Dingquan, still in high spirits from their playful antics, was speaking with Commander You about the logistics of palace passes and security.
However, his mood quickly soured when Commander You casually mentioned that seven days prior, a young inner court official (eunuch) had used Xiao Dingquan's handwriting/letter to exit the palace late at night, and had insisted on retrieving the decree that accompanied it. Xiao Dingquan, recalling that his private seal had been sent for hardening about ten days ago and was still with the goldsmith and silversmith workshop, realized he hadn't issued any passes himself.
He pressed Commander You for details about the eunuch's appearance, and Commander You, though unable to recall specifics, mentioned finding it strange that the eunuch had unusually delicate hands. Connecting this to events seven days ago, Xiao Dingquan instantly deduced that the "eunuch" was none other than Lu Wenxi.
His face darkened with a mixture of anger and betrayal as Eunuch Wang, unaware of the full implication, voiced concerns about the audacious crime and capital punishment involved in forging a decree to leave the palace. As Eunuch Wang frantically tried to stop him, Xiao Dingquan, now enraged, hurried towards the closing palace doors, his expression grim.
