Royal Nirvana Episode 5 Recap
> Royal Nirvana Recap
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Under a beautiful spring snow, Lu Wenxi, daughter of Lu Ying, arrived in the capital ahead of her father as instructed, to deliver a birthday gift to Lu Shiyu. Her elder brother, Lu Wenpu, who resided in the capital, was preparing for the imperial examination. Lu Wenxi cheerfully helped him dress, hoping he would excel. She reminded him to take his number plate, which was essential for entry, and learned that examination papers would be distributed inside.
She also mentioned their father's impending arrival, anticipating double happiness if Lu Wenpu passed the exam. Lu Wenpu, teasing his sister, noted how noisy she had become and playfully questioned if she was an impostor. Before Lu Wenpu left, Lu Wenxi again urged him to ride slowly, concerned about the slippery ground.
Meanwhile, Gu Fengen was also ready for the examination, despite having the option to rely on his family's influence for advancement, he was determined to earn his own merit. Xiao Dingquan found Gu Fengen swotting, reminding him that he wasn't ordered to live there and questioning his preparation. An attendant then revealed that Xiao Dingquan himself had stayed up all night to complete his calligraphy homework for the Emperor, which angered Xiao Dingquan, who scolded the attendant for being unruly.
Gu Fengen then interjected, jokingly telling Xiao Dingquan not to scare the attendant, recalling how Xiao Dingquan used to call the attendant "sister" when they were younger. Gu Fengen also asked about last year's wine, hoping to share it upon his return. Xiao Dingquan initially considered advising Gu Fengen to postpone the exam, even proposing to tell him to feign illness.
However, an attendant intervened, stating that Gu Fengen was young and had another chance in three years, and that Xiao Dingquan, "after all, is not a scholar," implying he wouldn't understand the difficulty. Remembering Lu Shiyu's words, Xiao Dingquan swallowed his reluctance and simply wished Gu Fengen "Good luck." After bidding farewell to his teacher, Lu Shiyu, Xiao Dingquan departed.
As Lu Shiyu saw him out, an old man named Zhao, unbeknownst to Lu Shiyu, covertly entered the room, stole Lu Shiyu's keys, and took the imperial examination questions. As Zhao nervously prepared to leave, he unexpectedly encountered Li Baizhou. Li Baizhou's subordinate didn't see Zhao clearly when asked by Li Baizhou. The imperial examination commenced with strict checks against cheating. Examiners issued candles and paper to examinees as they entered their individual rooms.
Later, an examinee, Dizi No. 27, was caught cheating with a crib sheet. A guard reported this to Li Baizhou. Shocked, Li Baizhou ordered all examinees to be summoned and undergo a thorough search, requiring them to remove their outer garments and shoes. A protesting examinee was forced to comply. Lu Shiyu intervened when Li Baizhou suggested an exemption for Gu Fengen, who was hesitant to remove his expensive clothing.
Lu Shiyu firmly ordered that Gu Fengen, like all others, must comply and remove his garments. Xiao Dingquan, upon hearing of the situation from his attendant, was told that Gu Fengen would suffer if he invited trouble, as the exam would last nine days and had just begun. The attendant suggested Xiao Dingquan need not be overly concerned for Gu Fengen.
After the initial search for crib sheets, Lu Shiyu intervened when Li Baizhou was about to dismiss the other examinees, pointing out another grave finding: a leaked test paper. Li Baizhou was furious, recognizing that he and Lu Shiyu were the only ones who knew the questions beforehand. He declared that not only the examinees, but also they themselves, might not "go back" unharmed. Lu Shiyu then discovered yet another copy of the leaked exam.
Inquiries revealed the three implicated examinees were Lu Wenpu (Tianzi No. 60), Xu Changping (Xuanzi No. 2), and Gu Fengen (Tianzi No. 48). News of this major "exam paper leak" reached Attendant Wang, who learned that even the commander didn't know the questions. This crisis led to an imperial decree locking down the examination hall and confining both Li Baizhou and Lu Shiyu inside.
Later, it was revealed that an examinee who had bribed a guard with silver to bring in a crib sheet, confessed that the same guard had been instructed by the Chancellor, Li Baizhou, to deliberately report the cheating, initiating the full search. The critical matter of the leaked examination paper quickly reached Emperor Xiao Ruijian, who worried about the scandal and the implications, especially since only Li Baizhou and Lu Shiyu knew the questions.
He learned that the suspected examinees had been sent to the Ministry of Penalty. Chen Jin reported that despite the paper being sealed and checked by the commander, the incriminating crib sheets were found in the examinees' rooms "after" they had left, and all suspects denied the charges. Xiao Ruijian was particularly troubled to hear that Xiao Dingquan had visited Lu Shiyu at the examination hall the night before the exam.
He expressed his frustration that Xiao Dingquan "doesn't know to avoid arousing suspicion." With Gu Fengen being Xiao Dingquan's cousin, and Lu Wenpu being the son of Lu Ying (Lu Shiyu's recommended student), Xiao Ruijian recognized that both Xiao Dingquan and Lu Shiyu were deeply entangled in the scandal. He decided to personally supervise the case and instructed Chen Jin to warn Xiao Dingquan to remain in the palace and not interfere, or face severe punishment.
Meanwhile, Lu Wenxi, having learned of her brother's predicament, hurried to the Ministry of Penalty, wearing a veil. She requested to see Assistant Minister Du Heng, but the guards, performing their duties, refused her entry, stating that Assistant Minister Du was not easily accessible. As Lu Wenxi despaired, Xiao Dingquan arrived swiftly at the Ministry of Penalty.
Noting his distinguished demeanor and military horses, Lu Wenxi discerned his extraordinary identity and implored him to relay a message to Assistant Minister Du Heng. Upon learning that she was Lu Wenpu's sister and considering Lu Wenpu's status as a suspect, Xiao Dingquan firmly rejected her plea. Undeterred, Lu Wenxi grasped a guard's blade with her bare hand, asserting her unwavering belief in her brother's innocence and that he would never cheat.
She challenged Xiao Dingquan, asking if he had no one he would protect without reason or power. Xiao Dingquan initially responded that he truly did not. Lu Wenxi countered that he had both reason and strength, surely he could help. Xiao Dingquan then questioned why she wore a veil indoors, to which she replied that he was, after all, a male stranger.
In the dark and damp Ministry of Penalty prison, Lu Wenpu, Xu Changping, and Gu Fengen shivered from the cold. Xiao Dingquan entered, sitting solemnly as he interrogated them about how they obtained the exam questions and smuggled them into the hall. Gu Fengen, seeing Xiao Dingquan's serious demeanor, ceased his jovial manner and claimed ignorance about the crib sheet's origin. Lu Wenpu also vehemently denied cheating.
Xiao Dingquan questioned Lu Wenpu, whose father was the head of censors and came from a literary family, stating he did not wish to resort to torture. Lu Wenpu insisted on his innocence. Xiao Dingquan then ordered the guards to bring out the three men for torture, a move that distressed Lu Wenxi, who had suddenly appeared in the cell. Lu Wenpu recognized his sister and was infuriated by her presence.
Lu Wenxi urged her brother to pin the blame on Lu Shiyu, claiming that Minister Lu, as their father's teacher, wanted Lu Wenpu to pass and had therefore given him the questions beforehand. She argued that even if it wasn't true, everyone would believe it, and he couldn't clear his name. She further stated that "His Grace" had promised a commuted sentence if Lu Shiyu was implicated.
Lu Wenpu angrily retorted that his family would never engage in such "filthy things" or "live in disgrace," maintaining that "a clean hand wants no washing." He demanded Lu Wenxi go home and never mention Minister Lu's name again, or he would disown her. Lu Wenxi tried to explain that it was Xiao Dingquan who had coerced her into saying those words to gain entry.
Gu Fengen, observing the scene, accused Xiao Dingquan of being ignominious for manipulating a sister to extract a confession. Xiao Dingquan, in turn, scoffed at Gu Fengen's defiance despite his arrest. He then questioned Xu Changping, who formally stated his identity and charge. Xiao Dingquan informed Lu Wenpu that his "interrogation" had only just begun, implying real torture was coming, and expressed hope that Lu Wenpu's bones would be as hard as his words.
After his test of Lu Wenpu's character, Xiao Dingquan ordered the three examinees to be taken out for official interrogation by Du Heng. Lu Wenxi, anxious for her brother, insisted on following them. In her distress, she blurted out "Your Royal Highness." Xiao Dingquan, surprised, asked how she knew his identity. Lu Wenxi explained that the horses ridden by his guards were military horses—fast, trained, and bearing a distinctive mark.
She concluded that only the Crown Prince could mobilize such imperial guards at his young age. Xiao Dingquan, impressed by her perceptiveness, confirmed that they were indeed his imperial guards and noted her knowledge, which Lu Wenxi attributed to her father having been the censor of the tea-horse trade. Du Heng then arrived to report that the other examinees had confessed. It became clear that Lu Wenpu, Gu Fengen, and Xu Changping had not been tortured.
Instead, other individuals involved in the fraud had been severely beaten and confessed that they were hired to smuggle crib sheets into the examination hall and deliberately draw attention to themselves. In the examination hall, Li Baizhou, seeing Lu Shiyu, mocked the situation, remarking on the irony of their roles as supervisors leading to such an embarrassing predicament. He implied that the upcoming imperial interrogation would quickly extract confessions from the scholars.
After Li Baizhou departed, Lu Shiyu, who had already given Zhao permission to leave, suddenly called out, stopping him. He then confronted Zhao, reminding him that only he and the Chancellor knew the test paper's content, yet Zhao held the key to his room, hinting at suspicion.
