Serendipity Episode 40 (Ending) Recap
> Serendipity Recap
Jian Mingshu refused to let Lu Chang be coerced by the Prince of Yu. The Prince of Yu threatened to kill Jian Mingshu in front of Lu Chang. Just when Lu Chang was helpless, Su Tangli entered with half of the Tiger Tally and urged Lu Chang to save Jian Mingshu quickly. The Prince of Yu released Jian Mingshu but demanded that Su Tangli bring the Tiger Tally to him in person.
Once Jian Mingshu stood behind Lu Chang, Su Tangli threw the contents of the box at the Prince of Yu. In that moment, both were safe. Su Tangli knew the Prince of Yu very well—he trusted no one but was sentimentally attached to his mother. As expected, Prince Rui would soon enter the palace with troops. Minister Lu was brought by the palace attendant to negotiate with Prince Rui.
He immediately handed the other half of the Tiger Tally to Prince Rui, begging him to enter the palace and save the Emperor—and to save Lu Chang at all costs. Su Tangli had only revenge in her heart for the Prince of Yu, never love.
Now that Prince Rui was entering the palace with troops, and Wei Zhuo was present, with half of the Tiger Tally in hand, the private soldiers raised by the Prince of Yu quickly turned against him. The Prince of Yu realized he had no way out but would rather die than become their prisoner. Su Tangli knocked the arrow from his hand with a sleeve arrow and walked forward.
She was glad he had lived this long—it gave her the chance to take revenge with her own hands. The Prince of Yu was stabbed in the chest and asked Su Tangli whether she had ever loved him. In the end, both were wounded in the abdomen and collapsed together. Minister Lu held on with his last breath until he saw Lu Chang. He took out something he had kept for Lu Chang—a sachet.
That day, Lu Chang had stubbornly refused to acknowledge him as a father, so Minister Lu had carried the sachet with him ever since. Finally, on this day, Lu Chang was willing to recognize him as his father. As the Emperor was dying, he instructed Prince Rui to bury the Prince of Yu in the imperial mausoleum after his death, to honor their bond as father and son.
He had already written the posthumous decree, believing that Prince Rui could be a good emperor and that the reforms he had always pursued could now be implemented. Prince Rui ascended the throne and planned to have Lu Chang lead the reforms. But Lu Chang insisted on going to Jianglin to serve as magistrate, saying that reforms needed to be implemented gradually. He wanted to start small in the provinces before returning to the capital.
Lu Chang also pleaded with Prince Rui to rescind the imperial marriage decree bestowed by the late Emperor to Song Qingzhao and Jian Mingshu. Prince Rui deliberately refused, saying it was not possible. When he saw the change in Lu Chang’s expression, he laughed and said the decree actually named "Lu Mingshu. " But since now only Jian Mingshu remained in this world, naturally there was no need for a marriage.
Lu Chang was returning to Jianglin, and Jian Mingshu would also go back. Everyone was reluctant to part with them. But Jian Mingshu was not leaving together with Lu Chang. Her mourning period was not yet over, and during this time, they would each focus on their own responsibilities before marrying. Yin Shujun was already pregnant, so the affairs of Hualang Pavilion were entrusted to Yuan Ying.
Minister Lu had lived by the principle of moderation all his life, but in the end, he sacrificed himself for his children and the country. Lu Chang and Aunt Zeng set up a memorial tablet for him at home, where he would always have a place. They only wished him peace in the afterlife. Song Qingzhao often wrote letters to Jian Mingshu but never sent them. He couldn't let go, so he entrusted everything to time.
Wasn’t that good in its own way? Lu Chang returned to Jianglin to implement a lending policy to help the people survive natural disasters. Hualang Pavilion was renamed under the Jian Family Gold Store brand, and branches opened in many places, dedicated to helping women in hardship. Jian Mingshu brought large amounts of silver and grain from the Jian family to the magistrate’s office to help the people of Jianglin through difficult times.
Lu Chang's achievements in governance were outstanding, and Prince Rui, greatly gratified, gave him full authority to carry out the new reforms. Today was the day the results for the new top scholar were announced. Lu Chang saw the lively scene of bride-catching under the rankings and couldn't help but think of Jian Mingshu in the old days.
Just then, a group of people arrived to seize Lu Chang, saying the lady had ordered that no matter what, he must be brought back. Upon seeing the Jian family’s banner, Lu Chang willingly followed them home and married her. Today, Jian Mingshu and Lu Chang were married. May their lives be as upright as bamboo, never part once united, forever side by side, sharing joy year after year.
