The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Episode 1 Recap
> The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Recap
Fu Guan, the young son of the Hengjing County Magistrate, was inconsolable, crying for his fish-shaped kite which had become stuck on a tree branch. His older sister, Fu Rong, playfully reminded him of Mencius's teachings about overcoming obstacles. Despite her offer to buy him a new kite, Fu Guan insisted on keeping his own, prompting Fu Rong to declare him "loyal" and attempt to retrieve it herself.
While climbing, she lost her footing and fell, injuring her wrist and breaking her bracelet, causing blood to stain her sleeve. Her father, Fu Pin Yan, and the maidservants rushed to her aid. Fu Rong finally awoke after being unconscious for a full day and night, much to the relief of her mother, Qiao Su Niang, and her siblings, Fu Xuan and Fu Guan.
Despite the doctor's assessment of it being only a minor scratch, Qiao Su Niang had been greatly distressed. She immediately sent her maid, Bao Zhu, to inform Fu Pin Yan that Fu Rong was well and he needn't take leave. Another maid, Lan Xiang, was dispatched to fetch a second doctor for a thorough examination.
That evening, while dining, Fu Rong learned the chicken soup was for her father, who was working tirelessly, even overnight, due to the upcoming Yuedan Commentary hosted by Mr. Ju Shui. The event was known to draw massive crowds, causing Ju Shui Pavilion to be overcrowded, a fact that made Qiao Su Niang pray for peace. Fu Rong, still feeling an unexplained unease since waking, fixated on the distant Star Tower.
Her mother then presented her with a pair of beautifully embroidered shoes, affectionately calling her "Nong Nong." Fu Rong gently chided her mother for using her pet name, but Qiao Su Niang insisted Fu Rong would always be her child. The shoes featured lotus patterns, a playful nod to the phonetic similarity with "Fu Rong." Suddenly, a violent lightning bolt struck the Star Tower. Fu Pin Yan rushed to the magistrate's office, followed by Qiao Su Niang.
Inside, as Fu Xuan dressed Fu Rong's injured wrist, Fu Rong recalled her recent visit to the tower and wondered at the uncanny timing of its destruction. Fu Xuan dismissed it as a mere coincidence and comforted her sister to sleep. Waking from another nightmare, Fu Rong was troubled by a strong premonition. She recalled a past tragedy: during the previous year's Lantern Festival in Wu City, overcrowding led to numerous deaths and the county magistrate's imprisonment.
She feared a similar disaster might befall the Yuedan Commentary. Concerned, she asked Fu Xuan if she could acquire an invitation, but Fu Xuan revealed how coveted and difficult they were to obtain, noting Fu Rong's usual disinterest in such scholars. Meanwhile, at Duke Su's residence, Xu Jin, Duke Su, was discussing his remarkable recovery from a severe injury with his apothecary, Mr. Ge, and his personal guard, Xu Jia.
Despite Xu Jia's advice to let him investigate the Yuedan Commentary due to Xu Jin's incomplete recovery, Duke Su stated his intention to attend, asserting he couldn't hide forever. Determined to attend the event, Fu Rong first attempted to sneak in disguised as a painting delivery person from Shanhe Art Studio, but Wen Xing, Mr. Ju Shui's personal guard, easily saw through her ruse and sent her away.
Undeterred, Fu Rong then adopted a new disguise, donning a Taoist priest's robe and a fake mustache, and positioned herself outside Ju Shui Pavilion. While Fu Rong, in her Taoist disguise, waited outside Ju Shui Pavilion, Duke Su, still recovering from his injuries, approached her in plain clothes. He requested a fortune reading, specifically asking when he would die, citing a dream of an accidental death. Fu Rong quickly read his palm, declaring he would live a long, prosperous life.
As Wen Xing emerged from the pavilion, Fu Rong, eager to follow him, rapidly dismissed Duke Su and then confronted Wen Xing, introducing herself as a "Miraculous Fortune Teller." She warned him of impending "bloody disaster" for his master's upcoming event and offered to perform a ritual. When Wen Xing became hostile and attempted to draw his sword, mysterious stones thrown by an unseen person attacked him, causing him to mistakenly believe Fu Rong was responsible and initiating a chase.
The stones continued to impede Wen Xing at crucial moments, but Fu Rong was eventually cornered by his guards. In a desperate move, she threw a sachet of fragrant powder, inadvertently blinding herself. Suddenly, a figure with exceptional lightness skill swooped in, carrying her away to a lakeside outside the city. Fu Rong thanked her unknown benefactor, who turned out to be Duke Su, and pleaded to be taken to a nearby stream to wash her eyes.
Unwittingly, she pulled off his black veiled hat. Immediately, the man pressed a hidden blade from a fan handle against her neck, ordering her not to look back. Terrified, Fu Rong kept her eyes tightly shut, promising not to turn, all the while attempting to warn him to stay away from Ju Shui Pavilion, claiming to have sensed a coming disaster with her basic fortune-telling knowledge. Unbeknownst to her, the mysterious Duke Su had already departed.
At Duke Su's residence, Xu Jia reported finding clear signs that Ju Shui Pavilion had been tampered with. Given that Duke Su was on the guest list, he openly wondered if he was the target of a conspiracy. Defiantly, Duke Su declared he would not only attend the Yuedan Commentary but would make a grand appearance.
Meanwhile, Fu Rong sought out Liu Ru Yi, her master and owner of Ruyi Pavilion, hoping for assistance in gaining entry to the highly exclusive event. Liu Ru Yi agreed, but only on the condition that Fu Rong attend with her reliable older sister, Fu Xuan. Upon arriving at the bustling Ju Shui Pavilion, where a long line of ladies eagerly awaited entry, they encountered Qi Ce, the prosecutor of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Noticing Qi Ce's clear interest in Fu Xuan, Fu Rong discreetly stepped aside, allowing her sister and Qi Ce to converse and enter together. Once inside, Fu Rong wandered off alone. Her keen eye, however, spotted an anomaly: while the high ceilings were mostly covered in cobwebs, one particular wooden beam appeared conspicuously clean, suggesting recent activity. When she discreetly inquired, a maid explained that the ceiling was too high for daily cleaning and was only tackled annually with ladders.
As Wen Xing approached, Fu Rong quickly ducked into a corner to avoid detection. The crowd at Ju Shui Pavilion murmured as a distinguished man, Duke Su, made his entrance, his imposing aura drawing many admiring glances. Soon after, Mr. Ju Shui, wearing a mask, appeared to begin the commentary. A scholar named Shen Chen presented his poem, "A Tour in Gan Quan Temple," which Mr. Ju Shui praised for its impeccable imagery but ultimately rated as "second grade."
When guests questioned the low ranking, Mr. Ju Shui explained that while the poem had technical skill, it lacked "passion," unlike Duke Su's renowned work, "Crusade in the North." He elaborated on how Duke Su's poem, despite his military background, powerfully conveyed the plight of fallen soldiers, transporting the reader to the desert battlefield while invoking the scent of incense.
Suddenly, during the discussions, a servant severed a thin rope above, causing a large wooden beam to plummet directly towards Duke Su. Without hesitation, Fu Rong, who had been observing the clean beam, lunged forward and pushed Duke Su out of harm's way, sending them both tumbling to the ground. In the ensuing chaos, Duke Su instinctively held Fu Rong close, realizing his rescuer was the "little Taoist" from earlier.
Fu Rong, in turn, recognized him as the intimidating man she had encountered. As Duke Su was asked if he was alright, he muttered to himself about Fu Rong being a "jinx," while an assassin was apprehended. To make a quick exit from the chaotic scene, Fu Rong attempted to scale a wall. Mr. Ju Shui followed her and called out to her as she was perched precariously.
His voice triggered a childhood memory for Fu Rong of her father catching her in a similar act and calling her by her pet name, "Nong Nong." Startled by the sudden flashback, she lost her balance and fell. Mr. Ju Shui rushed forward to break her fall, becoming a human cushion in a moment that eerily mirrored her childhood memory. As he helped her up, he seemed to recognize her, quietly wondering if she was "Nong Nong."
He then discreetly directed her to a hidden path through a bamboo grove. Immediately after, Mr. Ju Shui sternly instructed Wen Xing to conduct a thorough investigation into the beam incident. He stressed that Ju Shui Pavilion maintained strict neutrality and would not tolerate any individuals with ulterior motives. He also specifically asked Wen Xing to discreetly gather information about the girl who had just left. Back home, Fu Rong immediately fell asleep, plunging into a vivid nightmare.
She saw herself in a red wedding dress, wearing the lotus-embroidered shoes her mother had made, with ominous red marks on her wrist. In the dream, someone lifted her veil, while voices around her branded her a "jinx," blaming her for her father's execution, her elder sister's difficult childbirth, and her younger brother's premature death. She awoke with a start. Her maid informed her that her father had returned.
At dinner, Fu Pin Yan recounted the incident at Ju Shui Pavilion, expressing relief that there were no casualties, though he noted the case was more complex than it appeared, as the fallen beam had nearly struck Duke Su. Fu Xuan added that it was clearly an assassination attempt. Fu Rong mused on the uncanny timing of the beam's fall, connecting it to her earlier premonitions.
She questioned why Duke Su, newly returned from years of campaigning, would be targeted so soon. Her father, however, dismissed it as a "royal affair" beyond their speculation. Fu Xuan observed Fu Rong's continued somber mood, prompting Fu Rong to ask if Fu Xuan had ever experienced events manifesting simply because she feared them. Despite Fu Xuan's assertion that such events were mere coincidences, Fu Rong insisted on being cautious.
She then hesitantly mentioned that the case was handed to the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and since Qi Ce was a prosecutor there, perhaps they could seek his help. Fu Xuan immediately cut her off, firmly stating that the case was none of their business.
