The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Episode 6 Recap
> The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Recap
In his prison cell, Qi Ce received an ultimatum from Marquis Xindu, delivered via messenger. The message recounted that Consort Duan, Duke Cheng's mother, had been deeply moved by Qi Zhu's filial act of kowtowing at every step while praying for her own mother. As a result, Consort Duan had taken Qi Zhu into the palace as a companion, and the Emperor, praising her piety, conferred upon her the title of Princess Consort of Qingping.
The messenger made it clear that Qi Zhu's new fortune depended on Qi Ce's cooperation. Left with no other option, Qi Ce feigned madness, screaming his intention to confess before swallowing the paper message. Duke Su later received Qi Ce's confession, which stated Qi Ce was blinded by greed, allied with Drunken Spring Court, and misused his position to exploit officials and merchants.
The confession also claimed Qi Ce repeatedly tried to assassinate Duke Su out of fear after learning of his return to the capital. However, Duke Su found this illogical, questioning how Qi Ce could have known he would be appointed Lieutenant of the Imperial Guards. He demanded to interrogate Qi Ce in person, only to be informed that Qi Ce had died the previous day by striking his head against a wall.
Duke Su realized that with Qi Ce's death, the lead was cut off. He noted the intricate connections: Qi Zhu was now with Consort Duan, who was Duke Cheng's mother and the sister of Marquis Xindu's late wife. He questioned the Emperor's timing in allowing this. His aide reminded him that the Emperor's apparent support for his investigation was actually a veiled warning to be cautious.
Recalling his master General Dou Yan’s words about being surrounded by enemies in the capital, Duke Su affirmed his resolve to seek justice for the soldiers who suffered from corruption. He then dispatched his aide to locate the new Princess Consort of Qingping, Qi Zhu. Qi Zhu, feeling her newfound status was meaningless without her family, walked into a lake to end her life. Duke Su, who had been searching for her, swiftly intervened and pulled her from the water.
Fu Rong soon arrived and urged Qi Zhu not to trust Consort Duan, fearing they would exploit her. Qi Zhu, however, defiantly asserted her new status and accused Fu Rong of being afraid now that Qi Zhu had powerful allies, noting that Consort Duan was also Prince Yan's aunt and connected to the Xindu Residence. Coldly, Qi Zhu declared their friendship over, stating they should act as strangers if they ever met again.
Afterwards, Duke Su revealed to Fu Rong that at age twelve, he was sent to the frontier by his father after accidentally starting a fire at Hong Fu Temple while praying for his critically ill mother, the late empress, who passed away around that time. He admitted he preferred the desolate frontier to the capital. Noticing the chilly wind, Duke Su suggested they head back.
In a small pavilion, Lan Xiang observed Wen Xing strangely talking to the goldfish in the lake. When she discovered him, Wen Xing sternly warned her to keep it a secret. Later, Fu Rong found Wen Xing skillfully embroidering. He revealed that he had learned the skill out of necessity during his homeless childhood, sewing scraps of cloth into clothes for warmth until Mr. Ju Shui took him in.
He described his early life as difficult but added that his master, Mr. Ju Shui, had suffered even more. Later, while Fu Rong was skipping stones on a lake to lift her somber mood, Mr. Ju Shui approached and asked to be taught. After Fu Rong demonstrated, he threw a stone and inadvertently killed Wen Xing's favorite goldfish, Little Fat.
Determined not to let the fish go to waste, Fu Rong later presented Wen Xing with its bones, explaining that the kitchen had prepared an exceptionally fresh fish that she suspected was Little Fat. At Duke Su's Residence, Princess of Xihe Cui Wan arrived, confidently proclaiming she was Duke Su's childhood sweetheart.
However, Duke Su's attendants, including Xu Jia, skillfully used various excuses—from Duke Su recuperating from severe wounds to a physician's warning about a woman's "cold nature" affecting his recovery—to prevent Cui Wan from seeing him. After she reluctantly left, Xu Jia clarified to another servant that Duke Su had no childhood sweetheart from the capital, as he had spent his youth on the frontier. Meanwhile, at Feng Lai Yi, Wu Baiqi observed the thriving business.
He instructed the shopkeeper, Mr. Ji, to send the previous month's profits to his residence to cover his recent purchase of expensive horses and reminded him to also send his aunt's monthly allowance to the palace. Feng Lai Yi launched new products promoted with four exquisite paintings. Shortly after, Bi Yu, an associate, informed Wu Baiqi that Ruyi Pavilion had released new products with strikingly similar paintings. He accused Fu Xuan, known for her scholarly background, of plagiarism.
Wu Baiqi, furious, marched to Ruyi Pavilion to confront her. Fu Xuan, angered by the accusation, asserted she had drawn the paintings herself and challenged them to a debate. Feng Lai Yi's artist offered a nonsensical interpretation of his work. In contrast, Fu Xuan eloquently explained her series, "In the Zap of Youth," which depicted the progression of beauty through life, and presented her detailed drafts as proof.
Humbled, Wu Baiqi conceded defeat, announced Feng Lai Yi would withdraw their paintings, and agreed to share half their profits from the new products with Ruyi Pavilion, promising a formal apology for his rudeness. Back at Duke Su's Residence, a humiliated Wu Baiqi was drowning his sorrows in wine. As he sorted through documents, he became agitated and accidentally spilled wine on them.
Duke Su entered at that moment and noticed an unusual ink pattern bleeding through from a paper underneath the wet spot. Elsewhere, Duke Cheng was agitated, having lost his military supply funding. He had found a gold mine but couldn't acquire explosives, and the mysterious Ruyi Pavilion was unreachable. As he voiced his frustrations, a silver hairpin with a folded paper message was suddenly flung across the room, pinning itself to his tea table.
In his pavilion, Mr. Ju Shui sat before a chessboard, lamenting that his mother had promised to reappear if he broke the chess formation but had never returned. Suddenly, Queen Dowager Wen appeared. Removing his mask to reveal a tear-streaked face, Mr. Ju Shui acknowledged his loss in their game. His identity was revealed: he was Duke An, Xu Ping, the Queen Dowager's son. She softly noted his continued avoidance of bright lights stemmed from her own light sensitivity.
Mentioning the beautiful lanterns from a few days prior and the "beautiful girl" associated with them, she urged him to live a good life for himself. Overcome with emotion, he cried out for his mother. Later, Fu Rong found the despondent Mr. Ju Shui and insisted on taking him to release wish lanterns.
She wrote his wish, "Hope Mr. Ju Shui can see his mother again," on a large lantern, contrasting it with her own small wish for more pocket money. When his lantern got stuck on a rock, Fu Rong waded into the water to free it, determined that his wish should not be hindered.
As Fu Rong's month serving as his book-boy ended, Mr. Ju Shui offered her a gift: a challenge to remove his mask, something he never allowed anyone to touch. Though initially hesitant, Fu Rong's daring nature took over, and she moved to accept.
