Story of Kunning Palace Episode 27 Recap, Plot

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> Story of Kunning Palace Recap

Xie Wei watched Jiang Xuening walk away, love in his heart but unable to express it. He said he never used Jiang Xuening. Back in Tongzhou, Jiang Xuening once asked him if he used everyone. Perhaps that was true for others, but not for her. When he first came to the capital, Jiang Xuening saved his life—no matter what, she was different from the rest.

But Jiang Xuening failed to grasp the deeper meaning in his words, replying that she would have saved anyone in that situation. Xie Wei then said Zhang Zhe was not right for her. For over twenty years, he had never bowed to fate, and he didn’t want Jiang Xuening to be trapped in sorrow.

Xie Wei had already spoken with her father; starting tomorrow, Jiang Xuening would come to his residence to continue learning the zither, and he could also inform her of the situation in Huangzhou in time. While listening to a storyteller in a teahouse, Xue Dingfei overheard gossip about a noble lady from the capital, claiming that Jiang Xuening had met her lover secretly in prison during the Tongzhou incident.

Jiang Xuening's parents also heard the rumor and confronted her at home. Jiang Xuening suspected it was the work of the Xue family. Madam Meng scolded her harshly without considering the circumstances, calling her reckless and bold. Jiang Xuening retorted sharply, saying that her fury was likely out of fear that this matter would ruin Jiang Xuehui’s marriage. Her father, however, could see more clearly and suspected that this misfortune might not have originated with Jiang Xuening.

Upon learning that Jiang Xuening was grounded, Jiang Xuehui grew worried and wanted to explain to Madam Meng, but was stopped by her maid—going to Madam Meng would mean exposing her secret affair with Shen Jie. Xue Dingfei rushed to Xie Wei and told him what he had heard. Jiang Xuehui received a letter from Xue Shu and went to meet her in private.

Though Xue Shu had been chosen by the Empress Dowager as Crown Princess to Prince Linzi, she knew Shen Jie, with his personality, would defy everything to marry Jiang Xuehui, disgracing both herself and the Xue family. Therefore, she wanted Jiang Xuehui to withdraw from the consort selection, preserving the Jiang family's reputation. Jiang Xuehui asked whether she was doing it for Shen Jie or the position—but for Xue Shu, that didn’t matter.

Jiang Xuening wrote a letter for someone to deliver to Shen Jie. She knew Jiang Xuehui, with her character, would definitely drop out of the consort selection, so only Shen Jie could resolve this. Zhang Zhe sat gloomily at home, remembering how his mother once asked him if he had someone else in his heart, and he couldn’t help but cry.

Gu Chunfang came by; Zhang Zhe thought he was there to persuade him to return to court, but today it was Xie Wei who wanted to see him. Xie Wei came for Jiang Xuening. With rumors swirling in the capital, Zhang Zhe was the best person to speak up. During the Tongzhou mission, Jiang Xuening had taken an arrow for Zhang Zhe—there was clearly sincerity in her heart.

That night, Shen Jie broke into the imperial study, begging the Emperor to allow him to marry as he wished. The Empress Dowager and the Xue family were forcing him to marry Xue Shu. The Emperor, enraged, drove him out. Shen Jie’s marriage wasn’t the real concern—the Empress Dowager's ambitions were. The Xue family had grown too greedy, and what the Empress Dowager cared about was unchanging power.

Jiang Xuening’s father told her he planned to retire and return to his hometown. Because of Jiang Xuehui, the Xue family had targeted Jiang Xuening. The political tide was dangerous, and he couldn’t protect her. Rather than see her suffer, he would rather resign. But Jiang Xuening pleaded with him not to. The feud between the Jiang and Xue families was already set, and the Xue family would not spare them.

But for her father, all that mattered was that his two daughters were safe—he didn’t need to remain a minister. Jiang Xuening knelt before him, realizing she had never truly understood others' difficulties. Her eyes welled with tears, and her father agreed to reconsider. The next day at court, Jiang Xuening’s father accused Duke Xue of embezzling disaster relief funds. Duke Xue denied the charges and counteraccused him of slander. At that moment, Zhang Zhe stepped forward with a memorial.

After reading it, the Emperor was furious. Jiang Xuening had been forced into the enemy camp with Zhang Zhe, while Xue Shu had abused her power to spread vile rumors throughout the city. Xie Wei also stepped in to escalate matters. The Emperor ordered Xie Wei and Zhang Zhe to investigate thoroughly. When the Empress Dowager found out, she slapped Xue Shu hard. Back at home, Duke Xue also struck her, furious that she had shamed the Xue family.

Xue Shu burned with hatred. Madam Meng blamed Jiang Xuening’s father for taking such action. At that moment, Jiang Xuehui came forward to confess. Upon learning of her affair with Shen Jie, Madam Meng slapped her too and ordered her to withdraw from the selection and avoid the mess. But Jiang Xuehui remembered what Jiang Xuening had said and, for the first time, defied Madam Meng—she would follow her heart this time.

Madam Meng, furious, tried to invoke house rules but was stopped by Jiang Xuening’s father. Upon learning of Jiang Xuehui’s resolve, Jiang Xuening praised her—perhaps this was the real Jiang Xuehui.

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