Royal Nirvana Episode 55 Recap
> Royal Nirvana Recap
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Xiao Dingquan remained in a state of deep despair, refusing to eat despite repeated attempts by his attendants to offer him food. His brother, Xiao Dingkai, came to his chambers to persuade him, finding Xiao Dingquan alone in a corner, pale and haggard.
Even with Xiao Dingkai's earnest pleas, including a warning that his defiance would be seen as rebellion by the Emperor and a reminder of Wu Dehou's precarious situation, Xiao Dingquan remained unmoved, declaring that only the "butcher" should worry about the "pig's" fate. When a new attendant arrived with an imperial decree to care for him, Xiao Dingquan sent everyone away, stating he was tired.
Observing his stubbornness, someone remarked that Xiao Dingquan seemed to be playing a "living pawn" in a larger game. Meanwhile, in the military camp, a soldier attempted to give water to Gu Fengen, who had also refused sustenance for three days. Corporal Yang discovered this act and severely punished the soldier with eighty lashes. Soon after, Li Ming'an arrived with an imperial decree ordering Gu Fengen's return to the capital.
However, he found Gu Fengen unconscious and too weak to travel, acknowledging that Corporal Yang's harsh treatment was a desperate measure to keep Gu Fengen incapacitated and thus unable to travel, implicitly protecting him from a more direct threat. Consequently, Li Ming'an decided to remain in the military camp until Gu Fengen recovered enough to make the journey. Back in the capital, Xiao Dingkai reported Xiao Dingquan's continued refusal to eat for four or five days to the Emperor.
The Emperor, aware of the approaching Double Ninth Festival, chastised Xiao Dingkai for his failure. He then sent a plate of fresh mandarin oranges to Xiao Dingquan, declaring them a royal gift that must be consumed. The Emperor also sent a grim message: he would personally preside over Lu Ying's case on the Double Ninth Festival, and Xiao Dingquan should eat to ensure he could endure the impending interrogation.
Xiao Dingkai, disturbed, lamented that no festival could save Xiao Dingquan, while another commented that the Crown Prince's predicament was due to his "good cousin" and "good uncle." It was also revealed that Gu Fengen had not yet departed for the capital. The Emperor, for his part, contemplated how everything Xiao Dingquan possessed had been bestowed by him, questioning who Xiao Dingquan could truly protect. Alone, Xiao Dingquan defiantly vowed to return everything the Emperor had given him.
That night, as Xiao Dingquan sat leaning against a wall, he brusquely ordered an approaching figure to leave, assuming it was a servant. To his surprise, it was Lu Wenxi. She had been brought there by Xiao Dingkai. She gently peeled a mandarin orange and offered it to him, urging him to take care of himself, and Xiao Dingquan finally ate. As she prepared to leave, Xiao Dingquan, visibly affected, tried to hold onto her sleeve, but she pulled away.
Xiao Dingkai, seeking to make her stay, pleaded with her to consider Xiao Dingquan's pitiful state. Lu Wenxi, however, maintained a distant demeanor, stating that his current situation was of no concern to her. She only stopped when Xiao Dingkai revealed that the Emperor would personally try Lu Ying's case on the Double Ninth Festival, a revelation that clearly impacted her. Gu Fengen's health began to improve.
Li Ming'an diligently administered his medicine, emphasizing the need for recovery to reach the capital by the Double Ninth Festival, which he noted was also Xiao Dingquan's twenty-first birthday. Back with Xiao Dingquan, Lu Wenxi had ultimately chosen to stay, much to Xiao Dingquan's delight. He asked her directly why she hadn't left, to which she coolly replied that the city gates were closed, preventing her departure, and that she would leave once they reopened.
When Xiao Dingquan playfully suggested she feed him more, she politely declined, maintaining a careful distance, unwilling to engage in any ambiguous ties with him. The Double Ninth Festival arrived, marking both the Emperor's scheduled trial of Lu Ying's case and Xiao Dingquan's birthday. Lu Wenxi lit numerous water lanterns for him, creating a poignant scene. Xiao Dingquan, deeply moved, confided in her, expressing his sorrow that the Emperor had never remembered his birthday, always favoring his elder brother.
He fondly recounted how only his uncle and Gu Fengen had ever truly celebrated with him and provided him with genuine family warmth. He declared that his uncle was supremely important to him, and if he could not protect him, living would be an unbearable torture. As the Emperor's personal interrogation of Xiao Dingquan began, the Crown Prince unexpectedly took full responsibility for everything, confessing to instigating Lu Ying's murder and orchestrating the ballad case.
When the interrogator questioned the authenticity of his confession, citing a lack of vigor in his handwriting, Xiao Dingquan retorted that forty-eight lashes the night before could easily affect one's penmanship. He firmly stated that the seal and style name on the document were his, confirming his full admission of guilt.
Xiao Dingquan then directly challenged the Emperor, who had been secretly observing the proceedings, asking what Gu Fengen's absence from the capital had to do with him, and whether his father would only be satisfied after subjecting him to every torture device in the room. Enraged by Xiao Dingquan's defiance, the Emperor intervened, rebuking him for his insolence and commanding that he be seated to endure the planned torture, in the very place where Xiao Dingquan's uncle had tragically died.
