The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Episode 13 Recap
> The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Recap
Wu Baiqi was honored with the title of Corporal. Amidst applause and congratulations, he briefly glimpsed Fu Xuan, but she vanished before he could approach him. Meanwhile, Fu Rong's mother came to help her with her morning toilette, carefully selecting a bright hairpin. She informed Fu Rong that Lord Yao, a colleague who had assisted their father greatly in Xuan City, was arriving in the capital to assume his new post.
Her father was hosting a banquet for Lord Yao and his family, which was clearly a blind date for Fu Rong. Unwilling, Fu Rong immediately devised a mischievous plan. At the banquet, Fu Pin Yan toasted Lord Yao, expressing his gratitude for the assistance he received in Xuan City. Lady Yao praised Fu Rong's beauty, though Fu Pin Yan cautioned that his daughter was quite mischievous despite her outward appearance.
Lady Yao commented that Fu Rong was quite different from her own son, Yao Jun, who was shy around strangers. During the meal, Fu Rong discreetly used a small gadget to make a peculiar noise, creating an awkward silence. Seizing the moment, she claimed a sudden stomach ache and excused herself to leave the residence to buy some dates. Outside, Fu Rong spotted Duke Su in plain clothes, about to depart in a carriage.
Dong Fang Li had instructed Duke Su to meet him at Mount Meng. To avoid her family, Fu Rong boldly asked to hitch a ride in Duke Su's carriage. When Duke Su questioned if she feared punishment for running off, Fu Rong confidently declared she would simply blame him for abducting her. Duke Su remarked on her growing skill in falsely accusing others.
Fu Rong insisted he could not abandon her in the desolate wilderness, warning that it would be an even greater offense. They journeyed to Mount Meng, where Fu Rong noted the entrance was exceptionally well-concealed and lacked any visible wheel tracks. As they ventured into One-Line Sky, rocks suddenly cascaded down from above. Duke Su swiftly shielded Fu Rong, protecting her as they ran to a secluded cave. Inside, Fu Rong noticed Duke Su was bleeding from a scratch.
As she tended to his wound, she recalled having seen his physique in the Imperial Guards’ barracks. Duke Su asked if she had gotten a good look back then, and Fu Rong admitted the fog had obscured her view. He then asked if she could see clearly now, to which Fu Rong retorted that she did not want to look. Once they were inside the mountain, the loud banging from the rockfall ceased, which Fu Rong found strange.
She wondered aloud if perhaps the culprits had run out of explosives. As they sought an exit, a bright glint caught their eye. Duke Su identified it as a gold mine, noting that what they saw was merely the surface and there must be more within Mount Meng. Fu Rong questioned why such a discovery was not openly excavated, given that it was a national asset.
Duke Su explained that the mine belonged to the country and could not be privately exploited. He believed his uncle, Dong Fang Li, was not a greedy man and must have had an underlying reason for his actions. He then refocused on finding a way out of their predicament. Back at the Fu Residence, Fu Pin Yan anxiously demanded to know Fu Rong's whereabouts, nearly reducing the maid Lan Xiang to tears.
Fu Xuan quickly offered to check Ruyi Pavilion, a place Fu Rong often went when troubled. Though Liu Ru Yi, the proprietress of Ruyi Pavilion, did not know Fu Rong's exact location, she discreetly assured Fu Xuan that she would handle the situation. A Ruyi Pavilion staff member soon reported that Fu Rong had boarded a carriage with a plainly dressed young man and left the city. Liu Ru Yi speculated that the young man could be Duke An.
She then advised Fu Xuan to return home and tell her parents that Fu Rong was staying with her to prevent further worry, promising to notify the Fu Residence immediately with any news. Meanwhile, Princess of Xihe arrived at Duke Su's Residence, loudly demanding to see Duke Su. When informed he was out, she suspected he was being misled by some woman.
A guard then informed her that Duke Su had gone missing, prompting Princess of Xihe to express her alarm and accuse the guards of misplacing him. Her commotion quickly spread the news of Duke Su's disappearance. Later, Xu Jia, Duke Su's aide, returned and reported that Duke Su had left a message: if he hadn't returned by sunset, Xu Jia was to search his study desk near the candle holder for a map revealing his location.
Trapped in the mountain, Duke Su reflected on his life, believing himself to be a jinx. He recounted being adopted by the late empress at the age of three, after which she fell gravely ill. The Imperial Astronomer declared him to have a jinxed fate, leading his father to send him to a temple to copy sutras and pray for the empress. However, he accidentally knocked over a candle holder, causing a fire and ruining the prayers.
His father then sent him to the frontier, believing his jinx could be used to repel enemies. Duke Su concluded that he should not touch anyone, as misfortune seemed to follow those close to him. Fu Rong strongly disagreed, asserting that she was a lucky star: her father was promoted shortly after her birth, her mother soon had her younger brother Guan'er, everyone around her remained healthy, and she even gained Liu Ru Yi as a master.
She offered to share her good fortune with Duke Su, intertwining her hand with his. As night fell, they shared Duke Su's outer coat by a bonfire, with Fu Rong resting her head on his shoulder. The next morning, Duke Su emerged from the mountain, followed by Fu Rong. Princess of Xihe, who had arrived with a search party, initially rejoiced at Duke Su's sight but her expression instantly soured upon seeing Fu Rong.
Liu Ru Yi and Fu Xuan also arrived by carriage. Princess of Xihe immediately began to verbally attack Fu Rong, questioning her character and the Fu family's upbringing for spending a night alone with Duke Su. Before Fu Xuan could respond, Wu Baiqi stepped forward, sharply rebuking Princess of Xihe for her harsh and unwarranted accusations. He argued that defending someone did not imply an untoward relationship, frustrating Princess of Xihe, who demanded Duke Su intervene.
Duke Su, however, merely ordered his guards to escort Princess of Xihe back to her residence, leaving her to complain as she was led away. Fu Rong thanked Duke Su and apologized to Liu Ru Yi for causing her worry. On the carriage ride back, Fu Xuan asked Fu Rong how she ended up with Duke Su in such a strange place. Fu Rong maintained it was a sheer coincidence.
She then subtly questioned Liu Ru Yi, asking if sometimes even the closest people could not be trusted. Liu Ru Yi dismissed her concerns, attributing them to the fright Fu Rong must have endured and advised them to rest. At Duke Cheng's residence, a bruised Dong Fang Li was brought before Duke Cheng.
A subordinate reported that he had initiated the explosion at One-Line Sky as instructed, but Dong Fang Li had attacked him from behind, preventing the complete ignition of the explosives that would have ensured Duke Su's death. Duke Cheng confronted Dong Fang Li, vowing that he would pay for his actions. Duke Cheng then threatened Dong Fang Li by asking how long it had been since he last saw his son.
Duke Su later learned that Dong Fang Li and his young son, Wen'er, were nowhere to be found in their residence, having reportedly been sent to a country villa for recuperation. Suspecting that Dong Wen was being used to coerce Dong Fang Li, Duke Su immediately dispatched Xu Jia to verify Wen'er's safety at the villa.
In a subsequent scene at the villa, Dong Fang Li is seen tenderly playing with Wen'er, comforting his son who missed home and promising they would return once he was better. The following morning at the imperial court, the Emperor inquired about the Mount Meng incident. Duke Su reported that his investigation into the smuggling of sulfur and nitre had led him to the discovery of the gold mine, and his accidental triggering of explosives had trapped him.
Duke Cheng then reported his own findings, stating he had discovered men buying slaves and sending them to Mount Meng, which led him to uncover the gold mine. When the Emperor demanded to know who was responsible for the illegal mining and smuggling, Dong Fang Li stepped forward, admitting his guilt and asking for punishment. Duke Su advocated for leniency, citing Dong Fang Li's long record as an upright official. However, Duke Cheng insisted on severe punishment.
Overwhelmed, Dong Fang Li declared his immense guilt and fatally struck his head against a pillar. Duke Su rushed to his side, calling for imperial doctors. Later, Duke Cheng's son, Hao'er, angrily complained to his mother that Duke Su had framed Dong Fang Li for personal gain.
Meanwhile, Duke Su instructed a guard to deliver a calming medicine to his mother and to ask for her approval to let Wen'er's paternal uncle, a righteous man with no children, take Wen'er in. Later, Liu Ru Yi met with Duke An. She informed him that with the Mount Meng gold mine exposed, Duke Cheng had entrusted all the explosives to Ruyi Pavilion to distance himself from the scandal, and she was ready to hand them over to Duke An.
However, Liu Ru Yi expressed her confusion and suspicion regarding Dong Fang Li's sudden death, stating her resolve to find whoever was truly behind it. Duke An dismissed her concerns, reminding her that Ruyi Pavilion typically stuck to business. Separately, a subordinate advised Duke An that Ruyi Pavilion's operations were all controlled by a single token, currently held by Liu Ru Yi. He suggested that if Duke An could acquire this token, he could easily take control of Ruyi Pavilion.
