Royal Nirvana Episode 6 Recap, Plot

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Crown Prince Xiao Dingquan interrogated the initial group of cheaters, who confessed that Chancellor Li Baizhou had deliberately allowed them to bring crib sheets into the exam and then orchestrated a search of the exam hall. While Xiao Dingquan understood Li Baizhou's scheme, he acknowledged that this evidence only pointed to the use of crib sheets and the search, not a direct leak of the exam questions.

Du Heng, an official from the Ministry of Penalty, expressed his frustration, noting that it was difficult to prove someone was guilty, but almost impossible to prove innocence. He explained that only the Chancellor and Minister Lu Shiyu knew the exam paper, and if the true instigator of the leak remained unknown, both examiners, Li Baizhou and Minister Lu, along with all implicated individuals, would face severe punishment.

Xiao Dingquan knew Li Baizhou's character well, believing the Chancellor had already planned his escape by shifting all blame onto Minister Lu. Meanwhile, Minister Lu Shiyu questioned Zhao, an official who had served in the Ministry of Rites for over twenty years. Minister Lu remembered that Zhao's wife's surname was Xu, immediately connecting Zhao to the cheating examinee, Xu Changping.

Confronted, Zhao nervously admitted that Xu Changping was his wife's nephew, and driven by a desire for his success, he had stolen the exam questions. However, Zhao claimed he had no knowledge of how Gu Fengen and Lu Wenpu became involved. Minister Lu found this suspicious, recalling that the exam papers were perfectly sealed before the examination, showing no signs of tampering.

Zhao then confessed to copying the test onto white linen paper, re-sealing it, and burning the original to eliminate traces. Minister Lu was stunned by the extent of the deception, realizing the paper had been entirely replaced. Considering Zhao's age and long service, Minister Lu, unable to bring himself to immediately detain him, allowed Zhao to leave. Upon leaving, Zhao immediately went to see Li Baizhou. It was revealed that Li Baizhou had caught Zhao stealing the exam questions.

Li Baizhou then coerced and enticed Zhao, threatening him with the capital crime of stealing the papers, to forge copies of the questions using white linen paper and seals provided by Li Baizhou, instructing him to hide the authentic exam papers at home. This gave Li Baizhou a powerful hold over Zhao, whom he then forced to falsely accuse Minister Lu Shiyu before the Emperor, warning Zhao that otherwise, he, his wife, and Xu Changping would not survive.

Simultaneously, Xiao Dingquan learned from Xu Changping that Zhao had stolen the exam questions and still held the originals at home. Realizing the urgency, Xiao Dingquan knew he had to retrieve the authentic papers before the imperial court could search Zhao's house, as Zhao would undoubtedly blame Minister Lu Shiyu, making it impossible for Minister Lu to clear his name.

Lu Wenxi, present at the time, offered to go, stating Zhao's home was not far from hers and she could ride a horse. But Xiao Dingquan dismissed her, ordering imperial guards to go instead. As Xiao Dingquan prepared to dispatch his guards, Prince Qi Xiao Dingtang, who had been tipped off by Li Baizhou, appeared to obstruct him. Xiao Dingtang proudly declared he was there on the Emperor’s orders to protect the Crown Prince, effectively blocking his movement.

Shortly after, the Emperor himself arrived, angrily reprimanding Xiao Dingquan for his clandestine actions and explicitly warning him against meddling in the case, lest Minister Lu suffer the consequences. The Emperor then sent his own guards to search Zhao's home. In the ensuing imperial interrogation, Zhao's familial connection to Xu Changping was brought to light.

Zhao, under duress from Li Baizhou, lied to the Emperor, claiming that Minister Lu Shiyu had discovered him stealing the papers and then instructed him to take them home, intending to pin all blame on Zhao should the plot be exposed. Zhao further alleged that Minister Lu had ordered him to find someone to ghostwrite three exam papers, the drafts of which were supposedly hidden in Zhao's home.

Minister Lu found himself in an indefensible position, admitting to oversight but denying leaking papers to Gu and Lu. The Emperor then summoned Gu Fengen, Lu Wenpu, and Xu Changping. Gu Fengen, in a heated moment, protested the unfairness, asking if the Emperor had already determined Minister Lu's guilt. The Emperor dismissed his words and ordered Gu Fengen to be severely whipped.

Xiao Dingquan, watching from behind, was enraged by the injustice inflicted upon his teacher and cousin but was restrained by his father. Xiao Dingtang, witnessing Xiao Dingquan's distress, barely concealed a cold smirk. Just then, the drafts allegedly from Zhao's home were presented to the Emperor. Upon examining them, the Emperor’s expression shifted, and he ordered an immediate halt to Gu Fengen's whipping. Confused murmurs spread through the court.

Xiao Dingquan, composed, then posed a hypothetical scenario: what if the Emperor were holding a private correspondence between Xu Changping and Xiao Dingtang, and the original exam questions were found at Prince Qi's residence? Xiao Dingtang looked utterly bewildered, unable to fathom how the questions could be in his palace. He was unaware that Xiao Dingquan, foreseeing such a move, had already orchestrated a counter-scheme.

Earlier, Xiao Dingquan had entrusted Lu Wenxi with the authentic exam papers, instructing her to deliver them to Princess Qi. Lu Wenxi, posing as a maid from Denghua Palace, claimed that Prince Qi's guards had retrieved the papers from Dong Palace's men, and Prince Qi wanted the Princess to keep them safe. Princess Qi, being naive and believing they were from her husband, dutifully accepted and stored them away. Indeed, the Emperor was holding a letter.

It instructed Xu Changping to transform the exam questions into an essay and discreetly place crib sheets in the examination rooms of Gu Fengen and Lu Wenpu. Xu Changping, trembling, confirmed that Xiao Dingtang had written the letter. It dawned on Xiao Dingtang that Xiao Dingquan had anticipated his and Li Baizhou’s plot, having arranged with Zhao and Xu Changping to lay a trap within their own scheme, to protect his people.

Xiao Dingquan, with an unperturbed gaze, confronted Xiao Dingtang. He pointed out the suspicious "coincidence" of Zhao, who had served Minister Lu for over twenty years, being "caught" by Li Baizhou while stealing the exam papers, questioning how Li Baizhou and Xiao Dingtang could have overlooked such an obvious setup. Xiao Dingquan then openly admitted to forging the letter found by the Emperor, claiming he had spent an entire night copying Xiao Dingtang's handwriting, honed from his teacher's calligraphy skills.

He also stated that the forged drafts were consistent with the crib sheets found earlier, presenting solid evidence. Zhao then dramatically reversed his previous testimony, confessing that Chancellor Li Baizhou had coerced him into framing Minister Lu Shiyu. The Emperor’s face grew darker.

To protect Xiao Dingtang, Li Baizhou stepped forward, attempting to shoulder all the blame himself, claiming he had provided the white linen paper and seals for the forgery, and had given the original paper to Princess Qi, all without Prince Qi's knowledge. However, with the overwhelming evidence, including the testimony that Princess Qi believed the papers came from her husband, Xiao Dingtang's complicity could not be denied.

Enraged, the Emperor ordered the Ministry of Penalty to arrest Li Baizhou, and Xiao Dingtang was also destined for severe consequences. Xiao Dingtang was left speechless, having suffered a bitter defeat. Xiao Dingquan turned and walked away, reminding Xiao Dingtang of his past warning not to harm his people and stating that if he hadn't harbored ill intentions, none of this would have happened.

Xiao Dingquan and Lu Wenxi then visited Gu Fengen, Lu Wenpu, and Xu Changping in the prison. Lu Wenxi confirmed Princess Qi's high chignon and her own use of the name Wenjin, her brother's name, when delivering the papers. Zhang Shaoyun, the son of Minister of Penalty Zhang Luzheng, also barged in. Unaware of Xiao Dingquan's identity, he loudly taunted the imprisoned examinees, particularly Gu Fengen, mocking his royal connection and Lu Wenpu's father's position.

He disrespectfully attempted to lift Lu Wenxi's veil, wanting to see her face and commenting on her sister's beauty. Xiao Dingquan quickly stepped in front of Lu Wenxi, declaring her "his person." Just then, Du Heng arrived with an imperial decree for Gu Fengen to return home to recover from his injuries and remain there until the case was settled. Du Heng then swiftly took the boisterous Zhang Shaoyun away, ordering Minister Zhang to discipline his son.

Gu Fengen, though grateful for Xiao Dingquan's intervention, politely asked him to remove his hand from his sister. After leaving the prison, Xiao Dingquan saw Lu Wenxi off. She, still wearing her veil, blushingly rode away like a shy deer, unwilling for him to see her face. Xiao Dingquan watched her retreating figure, pondering if she left due to his presence as a stranger or if her makeup was ruined from the day's events. He mused that Lu Ying had such a daring daughter, who would likely cause trouble in the future, all the while filled with a burgeoning fondness for her.

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