Serenade of Peaceful Joy Episode 50 Recap
> Serenade of Peaceful Joy Recap
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
Dong Qiuhe, fearing her secret commitment with Cui Bai could be used to frame and implicate Cao Danshu, bravely sought an audience with Zhao Zhen, asking him to honor a long-ago promise. Zhao Zhen granted her a private conversation, during which she truthfully recounted all details of her relationship with Cui Bai and offered to prove her innocence.
She asserted her only request was for Zhao Zhen to hear the full story, trusting his fair judgment and accepting any resulting punishment. Zhao Zhen questioned if her honesty was to protect Cui Bai or Cao Danshu. Dong Qiuhe affirmed her trust in Zhao Zhen's impartial handling, which comforted Zhao Zhen as he felt she trusted him more than Cao Danshu.
Dong Qiuhe then spoke on Cao Danshu's behalf, explaining that Cao Danshu's anxieties and "gains and losses" stemmed from her profound love for Zhao Zhen, and that Cao Danshu felt lonely. Dong Qiuhe criticized Zhao Zhen for disregarding Cao Danshu's willingness to die for him during the palace incident while showing favor to the disobedient Zhang Bihan, causing Cao Danshu to doubt his fairness.
Dong Qiuhe also stated her intention to ask Cao Danshu to let her stay in the palace, unwilling to leave and cause trouble for Cui Bai or implicate Cao Danshu. Zhao Zhen, now understanding Cao Danshu's difficulties in balancing her roles as his wife and subject, no longer blamed her doubts. He admired Dong Qiuhe's candor and loyalty, and granted her request to stay by Cao Danshu's side for life.
Zhao Zhen then tasked Dong Qiuhe with delivering a box to Zhang Maoze, along with a message acknowledging Zhang Maoze's recent efforts for Cao Danshu, which was implicitly a warning. Zhang Maoze, upon receiving the box, understood Zhao Zhen's warning.
He then confided in Dong Qiuhe the truth about Empress Guo's death, vowing to protect Cao Danshu at all costs, even if it meant his own punishment by Zhao Zhen, because he would not let her suffer the same fate as the previously deposed Empress Guo, who was buried alive. Zhang Maoze believed Zhao Zhen, as ruler, could not always prioritize Cao Danshu, but he himself was entirely devoted to her.
Zhao Zhen summoned Cao Danshu to Funing Hall to bring two jars of Peach Blossom wine and drink with him, telling her she needn't meticulously maintain proper decorum in front of him. He then questioned her composure during the palace unrest, asking if she had truly been so calm or merely feigned it. Misunderstanding his intent, Cao Danshu believed he was blaming her for her handling of Ling'er, asking if he deemed her actions improper.
She defiantly claimed she executed Ling'er solely to distance herself from the rebellion. Zhao Zhen criticized her as foolish, stating her execution of Ling'er made it seem like she was silencing a witness, and allowed malicious individuals to compare her actions to Yang Huaimin's killing of Wang Sheng. Cao Danshu immediately knelt to confess her guilt and accept punishment.
This exasperated Zhao Zhen, as she had consistently reacted this way for over a decade, making him feel he had married a "living Bodhisattva" who used ancestral laws, rules, and etiquette to argue with him. Zhao Zhen scolded her, causing her to cry. He then confessed his own numerous mistakes, reassuring her that everyone errs and she shouldn't be so hard on herself.
He helped her up, advising her not to always accept punishment when wronged and to confide in him as her husband, who would share her burdens. Wen Yanbo returned to the capital after successfully quelling the rebellion in Beizhou. While Zhao Zhen praised his achievements, Wen Yanbo reported that Xia Song had hindered his efforts during both the recent successful campaign and the previous failed one.
Chen Zhizhong echoed this, speaking of Xia Song's jealousy of talent, and joined He Tan in requesting severe punishment for Xia Song. Zhao Zhen, however, deliberately feigned dozing off and changed the subject. He mentioned seeing eloquent manuscripts on the street and proposed the reinstatement of Su Zimei as Huzhou Changshi, successfully diverting He Tan and the others from discussing Xia Song. Zhang Maoze had been discreetly monitoring Zhang Chengzhao.
When Zhang Chengzhao revealed a weakness, Zhang Maoze's men raided his room, discovering numerous illicit items including gold and silver artifacts, Five-Stone Powder, and aphrodisiac incense. To avoid alerting those behind Zhang Chengzhao, Zhang Maoze secretly handled the matter. He gave Zhang Chengzhao an opportunity to atone by confessing everything. Zhang Chengzhao, terrified, fully confessed.
Zhang Maoze documented his testimony, stored it in his box for future use, and instructed Zhang Chengzhao to act as if nothing had happened and attempt to gather information from Xu Lantiao. Zhao Zhen observed Zhao Huirou daydreaming in Yifeng Pavilion. She admitted to reading Tao Yuanming's "Ode to Idleness" (Xianqing Fu) and blushed when mentioning it.
She feigned difficulty understanding, using it as an excuse to keep Liang Huaiji to read the poem with her, all the while thinking of Cao Ping, whose influence had made her fond of the poem. Liang Huaiji reported Zhao Huirou's thoughts to Zhao Zhen. Enraged by Zhao Huirou's fascination and deeming Cao Ping frivolous and attempting to seduce her, Zhao Zhen immediately went to Kuning Palace to discuss the matter with Cao Danshu.
Upon hearing Zhao Zhen's criticism of Cao Ping, Cao Danshu knelt to apologize, but Zhao Zhen ordered her to rise, clarifying she was not to blame and he sought solutions, not accusations. Cao Danshu could only suggest confinement. Zhao Zhen, however, decided to swiftly announce Zhao Huirou's marriage to Li Wei, promote Miao Xinhe to Shuyi, and prevent anyone from pursuing Zhao Huirou, thus ending Cao Ping's intentions. His agitated state during this discussion triggered a relapse of an old illness, causing sudden chest pain.
