The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Episode 17 Recap
> The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Recap
Fu Rong was apprehended by officers from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, appearing distraught and silent as tears streamed down her face. Her sister, Fu Xuan, immediately stepped forward to block the prosecutor, Ding Peng, questioning the fairness of convicting and detaining someone without any eyewitnesses or physical evidence. Just then, Xu Jin (Duke Su) and Wu Baiqi arrived.
Xu Jin affirmed Fu Xuan's point, stating that it was unlawful to detain Fu Rong in the Criminal Investigation Bureau's main jail without a conviction. Instead, she should be held in a proper detention cell for suspects. Unable to argue, Ding Peng was forced to agree. Afterward, Wu Baiqi escorted Fu Xuan home. He expressed deep admiration for her bravery in confronting the officials and citing Dayu's laws.
However, Fu Xuan's legs buckled, revealing she was terrified and had only put on a brave front for her sister. Seeing she was too shaken to walk, Wu Baiqi draped a robe, originally intended for Fu Rong, over Fu Xuan and carried her back to the Fu Residence. Meanwhile, Xu Jin returned to Ruyi Pavilion to re-investigate the crime scene.
He noted with suspicion that the original coroner, Hu Ming, had abruptly left and been replaced by a new one, Coroner Jiang. Elsewhere, at Ju Shui Pavilion, upon hearing that Fu Rong was detained, Duke An instructed his aide, Wen Xing, to continue tracking a crucial token while he himself hurried out. Ding Peng reported Liu Ruyi's death to Duke Cheng, complaining that his plan to frame Fu Rong was thwarted by Xu Jin's intervention.
Incensed, Duke Cheng ordered his subordinate to spread rumors throughout the capital, accusing Xu Jin of abusing his power to shield a murderer and tarnishing his reputation. Outside the Criminal Investigation Bureau, Xu Jin encountered Fu Xuan and her father, Fu Pinyan, who had come to visit Fu Rong. Xu Jin advised them to return home to avoid suspicion, noting that the bureau's swift arrival after the murder was highly suspect.
He assured them he would not allow Fu Rong to be wrongly accused, for which Fu Pinyan expressed his profound gratitude. News of Xu Jin defending Fu Rong reached the Emperor. When questioned, Xu Jin clarified that he would only investigate and present evidence, promising not to interfere with the trial itself. Later, he visited Fu Rong in her cell, bringing food and clothing. He found her asleep, murmuring her master's name.
Not wanting to disturb her, he stayed quietly by her side before departing, but not before confirming with Ding Peng that the joint trial was scheduled for three days later. Duke An also arrived to visit Fu Rong, pushing aside Xu Jin's provisions and replacing them with his own. He woke her, and Fu Rong, still disoriented, mistakenly believed it was he who had been comforting her.
Duke An neither confirmed nor denied this, simply urging her to endure for a few more days and promising to secure her release. He did not ask about the token, asserting that Liu Ruyi had protected Fu Rong so well that she knew nothing of Ruyi Pavilion's true affairs. Returning to Ruyi Pavilion, Xu Jin discovered that Coroner Hu Ming's initial autopsy was conducted at 5:15 PM, while Coroner Jiang's was performed later at 6:00 PM.
This 45-minute time difference was critical; he deduced that Liu Ruyi's time of death, as per the first report, could prove Fu Rong's innocence, as she was still at the Fu Residence at 5:15 PM. With Hu Ming's sudden disappearance being highly suspicious, finding him and his initial autopsy report became the key to the case. Xu Jin dispatched Xu Jia to Hu Village to locate him.
Late that night, Ding Peng presented Fu Rong with a written confession, promising her freedom if she signed it. Recognizing it as a trap, Fu Rong refused. In response, Ding Peng fabricated a charge of an attempted prison escape and had her dragged to the execution ground. As the executioner’s blade was about to fall, a white fan flew through the air, knocking it away. Xu Jin descended, declaring his intention to stop the execution.
He swiftly incapacitated Ding Peng and the surrounding guards. Ge Chuan and Xu Jia arrived on horseback, and Xu Jin escaped the capital with Fu Rong. The next day, news of the prison break enraged the Emperor. He immediately stripped Xu Jin of all his official duties and ordered the city gates sealed to capture them.
By then, Xu Jin and Fu Rong had already slipped out of the capital hidden inside an ice fruit cart, while Ge Chuan and Xu Jia escaped in disguise. Consort Shu and Duke Huai sought an audience to plead for Xu Jin, but the Emperor was unmoved. Expressing his deep disappointment, he summoned Duke An and entrusted him with command of the Imperial Guards.
Inwardly delighted by this turn of events, Duke An feigned reluctance before accepting the responsibility, seizing the opportunity created by the rift between the Emperor and Xu Jin. At the Fu Residence, a worried Fu family was interrupted by Wu Baiqi, who arrived with his men to conduct a search. He maintained a stern, official demeanor, even toward Fu Xuan.
When his subordinate, Guo Rui, accidentally struck young Guan Ge with his sword hilt, an angered Fu Xuan sent the boy inside. Just then, Ding Peng arrived to arrest the entire Fu family. Wu Baiqi, feigning impartiality, argued that since his search had yielded no trace of the fugitives, there were no grounds to arrest the family, who claimed to know nothing of the prison break.
To further maintain the pretense of avoiding bias, Wu Baiqi declared he could not personally lead the search outside the city and instead ordered Guo Rui to take charge, giving him a subtle, meaningful look.
