Serenade of Peaceful Joy Episode 6 Recap
> Serenade of Peaceful Joy Recap
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During a vigil, Zhao Yuan-yan publicly questioned the identity of Zhao Zhen's birth mother, Li Lan-hui, accusing Empress Dowager Liu E of poisoning her, and implicating Yan Shu for concealing the truth. Yan Shu quickly reminded Zhao Zhen to maintain royal decorum in the mourning hall and suggested Zhao Zhen investigate the claims.
Enraged, Zhao Yuan-yan attempted to strike Yan Shu, but Zhao Zhen intervened, attributing Zhao Yuan-yan's behavior to an "illness" or "condition acting up" and ordered Zhang Maoze to have him escorted away and guarded. Following the incident, Yan Shu confessed to Zhao Zhen that Zhao Yuan-yan's claims about Zhao Zhen's birth mother were true, admitting he had concealed the truth due to fear of Liu E.
Yan Shu accepted his impending dismissal, encouraging Zhao Zhen not to dwell on his inability to show filial piety to his birth mother, and advised Zhao Zhen to dismiss him for the sake of his reputation. Reluctantly, Zhao Zhen followed Yan Shu's advice, dismissing him and promoting Fan Zhong-yan, whom Yan Shu regarded as a loyal and straightforward minister. Yan Shu even went to the dock to greet Fan Zhong-yan.
Before meeting Fan Zhong-yan, Zhao Zhen received a memorial from him that defended Liu E's past actions and acknowledged her merits. Zhao Zhen was surprised because Fan Zhong-yan had previously been an outspoken critic of Liu E's regency, making him question if Fan Zhong-yan was truly as straightforward as Yan Shu claimed. Troubled by the widespread rumors concerning his parentage, Zhao Zhen sought solace in a walk outside the palace with Han Qi.
He overheard a storyteller narrating a tale about an emperor's birth mother, which he found unbearable, leading to an early return to the palace. Han Qi advised Zhao Zhen that the late emperor himself had designated Liu E as Zhao Zhen's mother and regent. Therefore, discrediting Liu E would implicitly question the late emperor's wisdom.
Han Qi also warned that many officials were now seeking to impeach Liu E's past decrees, but overturning these established policies would lead to significant instability, especially as Zhao Zhen had only recently taken full control of the government. Zhao Yuan-yan persisted in pressuring Zhao Zhen regarding Liu E's alleged poisoning of Li Lan-hui.
Initially, Zhao Zhen was hesitant, but realizing the necessity of clarifying the rumors and protecting the reputations of both Liu E and Li Lan-hui, he agreed to a thorough investigation. He ordered Zhang Maoze to surround Liu E's residence, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. At court, Zhao Zhen announced his decision to order an imperial physician to exhume Li Lan-hui's coffin and examine her remains for signs of poisoning.
Zhao Zhen, Zhao Yuan-yan, and Li Lan-hui's brother, Li Yong-he, were present during the examination. Afterward, Li Yong-he reported to the officials that Li Lan-hui had been buried in empress dowager attire and her body preserved with mercury, proving she had received a proper and dignified burial, not a perfunctory one. The imperial physicians confirmed that Li Lan-hui had not been poisoned. With the truth revealed, Zhao Yuan-yan was left speechless.
Zhao Zhen then sternly warned his officials against making false accusations based on personal bias and demanded an end to all speculation, implicitly rebuking Zhao Yuan-yan. As a result, Li Lan-hui received her rightful posthumous title, leading to the concept of "two empresses standing side by side," and the public expressed great trust in Zhao Zhen's actions.
Zhao Zhen subsequently visited the ancestral temple to express his gratitude to Liu E for raising him and ensuring Li Lan-hui's lavish burial, and apologized for the near-tarnishing of Liu E's reputation. He then issued a public edict clarifying Liu E's historical record, a move that deeply moved Yan Shu, who also acknowledged Fan Zhong-yan's contributions in influencing Zhao Zhen's actions.
Later, Empress Guo discovered Consorts Shang and Yang receiving benefits from outside officials and colluding with Lü Yi-jian via the eunuch Yan Wen-ying. She confronted them in the garden. Upon seeing Zhao Zhen approach, Shang and Yang feigned submission, further provoking Empress Guo, who, in a fit of rage, physically assaulted them. Zhao Zhen intervened, but was accidentally scratched on the neck by Empress Guo's ring during the altercation.
Despite Zhao Zhen's desire to keep the injury quiet, Lü Yi-jian soon learned of it. Lü Yi-jian used Empress Guo's "immoral conduct" and "lack of virtue" as grounds for impeachment, arguing she was unfit to lead the inner palace and citing her nine years without bearing a child. Persuaded by Lü Yi-jian, Zhao Zhen decided to depose Empress Guo and send her to a temple for spiritual cultivation.
Fan Zhong-yan, Kong Dao-fu, and other officials strongly objected, arguing that Empress Guo had committed no major fault and that no empress had been deposed in the seventy years of the Song Dynasty. Though recognizing Lü Yi-jian's selfish motives and ambition for greater power, Zhao Zhen agreed that Empress Guo was indeed unsuitable to manage the inner palace. Lü Yi-jian continued to press for the punishment of Fan Zhong-yan's faction.
To curb Lü Yi-jian's influence and prevent further complications, Zhao Zhen asserted his authority by ordering Consorts Shang and Yang to be expelled from the palace for their collusion with outside officials and disrespect towards the empress, implicitly demonstrating his awareness of Lü Yi-jian's machinations. At morning court, intense debate ensued over the empress's dismissal. While Lü Yi-jian's faction continued to criticize Fan Zhong-yan's group, Fu Bi defended them, emphasizing the importance of open communication and tolerance. Ultimately, Zhao Zhen ended the debate on the righteousness of the dismissal and instructed his officials to recommend a suitable candidate for the new empress.
