Song of Youth Episode 8 Recap
> Song of Youth Recap
Lin Shaochun left a letter for Sun Yulou, claiming she was severely ill and bidding him a final farewell. Sun Yulou woke up on a boat to find her gone, then discovered her home empty and learned from Liu Sanjue at the opera troupe that Lin Shaochun had left. Heartbroken, Sun Yulou departed, unaware Lin Shaochun was watching, struggling with her emotions as Liu Sanjue reminded her that a good fate, once missed, cannot be regained.
Lin Shaochun, however, was resolute in her mission to clear her father's name and could not be entangled in romance. Lin Shaochun, accompanied by Granny Chang, then participated in the triennial imperial selection. Before the process began, a fellow showgirl advised Lin Shaochun to bribe Painter Liu. Lin Shaochun witnessed Painter Liu extort money from a showgirl and, upon her inability to pay, depicted her as a demoness.
Lin Shaochun helped the showgirl by posting her beautiful portrait across the city, which caught the attention of Eunuch Hai. Confronted, Painter Liu bribed Eunuch Hai and claimed he had written the wrong name on the portrait. When it was Lin Shaochun's turn, she made it clear she had no money but would expose him if he didn't paint her well. Painter Liu, intimidated, promised to submit an accurate portrait and asked for her patronage if she gained favor.
Meanwhile, Yao Dizhu, trying to cheer up a despondent Sun Yulou, accidentally saw Lin Shaochun in a selection sedan chair through a telescope. Jealous, she reported this to Sun Yulou, who was shocked and saddened, recalling a willow-braided bracelet, a symbol of farewell. During the selection, Lin Shaochun passed the medical examination and rigorous etiquette training.
In an endurance test where showgirls were left in an empty room with food, only Lin Shaochun remained quietly seated while others ate and slept, impressing Aunt Jiang who dismissed the others. Sun Yulou, determined to understand Lin Shaochun's actions, bribed an eunuch to put laxatives in Granny Chang's food, creating an opportunity to meet Lin Shaochun.
Disguised as an eunuch, he confronted her, but Lin Shaochun feigned ambition, claiming she sought endless wealth and status through the selection, only considering marriage to Sun Yulou if she failed. Heartbroken, Sun Yulou returned home. Yao Dizhu, seeing Sun Yulou's despair, offered to investigate Lin Shaochun's past, hiring informants. She soon discovered Lin Shaochun was the daughter of the disgraced official Lin Yuandao, leading her to believe Lin Shaochun entered the palace to clear her father's name.
Yao Dizhu relayed this to Sun Yulou. Sun Yulou and Yao Dizhu then visited Imperial Consort Sun Youzhen, Sun Yulou's elder sister. Sun Youzhen summoned Lin Shaochun, allowing Sun Yulou to pose as a painter and confront her. Although Lin Shaochun initially denied her true motive, Sun Yulou tricked her by mentioning Granny Chang, leading Lin Shaochun to confess she wanted to clear her father's name.
Despite Lin Shaochun's fear of implicating him, Sun Yulou promised to restore Lin Yuandao's innocence, assuring her of his family's influence. Sun Yulou then asked Sun Youzhen to help him re-examine the case to restore his official power. The Emperor, overhearing their conversation, was pleased and granted Sun Yulou permission to handle old cases.
