Serenade of Peaceful Joy Episode 42 Recap
> Serenade of Peaceful Joy Recap
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Xia Song dispatched individuals to impersonate Imperial City Guards, intensely monitoring and frightening Shi Jie. Zhang Maoze, leading actual Imperial City Guards, apprehended these fake officials, causing neighbors to realize their deception and cease accusing Shi Jie of being a rebel. Afterwards, Zhang Maoze visited Shi Jie, who, mistaking him for an envoy sent by Zhao Zhen for arrest, requested time to prepare himself.
Zhang Maoze clarified that he had arrested the fake guards and advised Shi Jie to seek him out if further trouble arose. Confused, Shi Jie emphatically denied any involvement in factionalism or rebellious intent, stating he could not tolerate such slander. Zhang Maoze assured him of his belief and explained that he was sent by Yan Shu to remind Shi Jie to dedicate his talents to the Song dynasty.
Xia Song, observing Zhang Maoze's intervention in Shi Jie's predicament, pondered if this indicated Zhao Zhen's will or perhaps an improvement in Zhao Zhen's condition. Later, Zhang Maoze encountered Zhang Chengzhao, whom he knew to be Xia Song's man, sneaking around the imperial harem and probing the front court. Zhang Chengzhao, flustered, initially claimed he was delivering items for Liang Huaiji. Zhang Maoze subtly warned Zhang Chengzhao against violating rules or engaging in inappropriate conduct, without directly exposing his actions.
Meanwhile, the court attendant Gu Caier fell ill with a plague, rendering her unable to continue serving Zhao Zhen. Zhao Zhen then summoned Dong Qiouhe to Funing Hall to comb his hair. Dong Qiouhe, in turn, asked the maid Xiaowu to serve Cao Danshu. Upon learning this from Xiaowu, Cao Danshu became concerned for Dong Qiouhe and rushed to Funing Hall without announcement to check on the situation.
Zhao Zhen, emerging from the inner chambers disheveled, was surprised to see Cao Danshu. Cao Danshu, not seeing Dong Qiouhe there, initiated a discussion about hair combers, explaining Gu Caier's illness and recommending Hu Yuewei to comb Zhao Zhen's hair, out of fear that he might choose Dong Qiouhe. Zhao Zhen revealed he had already summoned Dong Qiouhe and found her combing technique superior to Gu Caier's, intending to select her.
Cao Danshu objected, stating Dong Qiouhe was too young for the position of court attendant. Zhao Zhen questioned if Cao Danshu feared Dong Qiouhe becoming his attendant or if she worried about Dong Qiouhe's character, suggesting she might be too young and attempting to bewitch him. Cao Danshu vehemently denied any issues with Dong Qiouhe's character, reiterating her youth, but struggled to explain her true reasons, leaving her silent.
Seeing Cao Danshu's dilemma and silence, Zhao Zhen decided not to press for further explanation. He agreed not to choose someone young and instead declared his decision to promote Lan Tiao to be his hair comber. After leaving Funing Hall, Dong Qiouhe immediately hurried to Kunning Palace, only to find Cao Danshu had already gone to Funing Hall for her sake. When Dong Qiouhe met Cao Danshu, she blamed herself for causing trouble.
She explained that Zhao Zhen had summoned her not for himself, but specifically to instruct her to take good care of Cao Danshu, and had even issued an imperial decree transferring Dong Qiouhe to Kunning Palace to exclusively manage Cao Danshu's attire and daily life. Dong Qiouhe felt she had caused Cao Danshu to misunderstand Zhao Zhen.
However, Cao Danshu realized her misunderstanding stemmed from her own resentment and lack of belief in Zhao Zhen's love for her, and she could not blame Dong Qiouhe, though she felt a vague sadness. Later, Shi Jie passed away. Ouyang Xiu, grieving at his grave, lamented the injustice of the world, specifically mentioning the dismissal of Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi from the capital and Xia Song's recall. He vowed to submit daily memorials to redress their grievances.
True to his word, Ouyang Xiu submitted extensive memorials, but Zhao Zhen ignored them. Unyielding, Ouyang Xiu resorted to kneeling outside Chongzheng Hall, demanding an audience to be personally reprimanded for his presumed wrongs. Zhao Zhen, attempting to discuss the plague with his chief ministers, was repeatedly disrupted by Ouyang Xiu's loud clamor for the vindication of Fan Zhongyan and others, which made him lose interest in the original discussion.
Zhao Zhen ignored Ouyang Xiu, but Ouyang Xiu persisted, growing increasingly vocal and harsh in his accusations, enraging Zhao Zhen, who was on the verge of punishing him. Han Qi intervened, kneeling to plead for Ouyang Xiu, explaining his straightforward nature and requesting Zhao Zhen to forgive his impulsiveness and spare him leniently. Zhao Zhen reluctantly summoned Ouyang Xiu into the hall to debate the matter directly.
Upon Ouyang Xiu's entry, Jia Changchao immediately confronted him, accusing him of defending Fan Zhongyan and others as a means of forming a faction for personal gain. Ouyang Xiu countered with reasoned arguments based on grand principles. He passionately argued, demanding Zhao Zhen be close to loyal officials and distance himself from traitors, recall Fan Zhongyan and Fu Bi to key positions, and clear Shi Jie's name from the false accusations.
After Ouyang Xiu's seemingly self-righteous speech, Xia Song stepped forward. He detailed Ouyang Xiu's private moral failings, specifically referencing the adultery of his niece and her servant, a case which Kaifeng Prefecture had recently re-examined. Xia Song added that Ouyang Xiu's niece had confessed to an illicit affair with Ouyang Xiu himself before her marriage, and that Ouyang Xiu had also encroached upon his niece's family property.
Xia Song used these allegations to denounce Ouyang Xiu's character, asserting he was unqualified to speak on the conduct of "gentlemen forming friendships." Facing Xia Song's evidence, Ouyang Xiu, sweating profusely, began to explain his relationship with his niece to Zhao Zhen, confessing everything, though he initially stammered and avoided direct answers, only stating he treated his niece like his own daughter and suggesting the judiciary should investigate. Zhao Zhen directly asked Ouyang Xiu if he had an immoral relationship with his niece and if he had seized her family property.
