The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Episode 8 Recap
> The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Recap
Fu Rong, guided by Mr. Ju Shui, found a beautiful flower field, which brought a look of joy to her face. Suddenly, a snake lunged from a tree, and Mr. Ju Shui was bitten while shielding her, falling unconscious. While unresponsive, he dreamt of his mother, Queen Dowager Wen, and the pain of their separation.
He recalled her promise that solving a chess puzzle would reunite them, but upon completing it, he was cruelly met with the news of her death. Waking from the nightmare, still shaken, Mr. Ju Shui gradually recovered, allowing a relieved Fu Rong to depart. Returning to Ruyi Pavilion, Fu Rong immersed herself in her work. After she burned her hand with melted gold, an unknown person left cooling cream outside her door.
Later, when heavy rain prevented her from leaving, an umbrella was placed by the door, evidence that someone was silently watching over her. Consort Shu’s Guang Yang Palace received several visitors. Xu Jin arrived first, followed by Dong Fang Li, and finally Fu Rong, who presented a newly crafted dangling ornament. The piece, named "Sunny Bright," captured the essence of spring with a subtle floral fragrance sealed within the silver.
Delighted, Consort Shu offered a reward, which Fu Rong declined, revealing her true purpose: to plead for her master, Liu Ru Yi. Consort Shu was surprised, admitting she knew nothing of Liu Ru Yi’s imprisonment. It was her handmaiden, Zhi Hui, who, fearing the peony motif would displease Consort Shu, had rejected Ruyi Pavilion’s previous headwear on her own accord. Recognizing it as a misunderstanding, Consort Shu instructed her brother, Dong Fang Li, to release Liu Ru Yi.
Xu Jin, who had been observing from behind a curtain, smiled subtly at the outcome. Fu Rong then shared her vision for Ruyi Pavilion: to create jewelry that could bring joy to both nobility and commoners alike. Meanwhile, Wen Xing purchased the stone bearing the inscription "Farmer Ju Shui" for Duke An. Duke An explained that the character for "farmer" was a homophone for "Nong Nong," revealing his desire to cherish and protect Fu Rong.
Outside the imperial treasury, Fu Rong and Fu Xuan eagerly awaited Liu Ru Yi’s release. After helping her step over a brazier to ward off bad luck, they spotted Wu Baiqi nearby. Realizing he was not involved in her master's imprisonment, Fu Xuan stayed behind to apologize for her previous misunderstanding. Wu Baiqi, in turn, presented her with a set of exquisite stationery as his own apology for having wrongly accused her of plagiarism.
Admiring the gift, Fu Xuan resolved to journey to Mount Yunluo for a period of meditation. Duke An exchanged two of Huang Ze's Twelve Folding Fans of Shu for secrets from Ruyi Pavilion, seeking to uncover the truth behind the Hong Fu Temple fire. The information he received suggested the Emperor knew Xu Jin had caused the fire and had sent him to the border as a cover-up. Duke An realized he now needed to find witnesses from that time.
He also discovered that when the secret letter was immersed in water, the distinctive Ruyi Pavilion pattern bled through the paper. Later, while playing chess with the Emperor, Duke An brought up Queen Dowager Wen. He recalled Eunuch Wang's absence from the palace years ago, which Eunuch Wang confirmed was to oversee the Queen Dowager's funeral arrangements on the Emperor's orders.
Duke An probed whether the Emperor also believed his mother's different colored eyes were an ill omen, but the Emperor dismissed the topic, claiming his affection for Duke An stemmed from the Queen Dowager's past kindness to him. Inwardly, Duke An questioned the Emperor's sincerity, wondering if he too would be discarded like Xu Jin, who was labeled an "ominous star," if it served to cover up a mistake. Fu Rong received an invitation to Qi Zhu’s conferment banquet.
Delighted, she began creating new jewelry and gathered "Ruyi Dates," reminiscing about their childhood and hoping to restore their former closeness. Disguised in black, Liu Ru Yi visited Dong Fang Li, presenting him with the complete set of the Twelve Folding Fans of Shu. She revealed the fans' link to a 25-year-old treachery case in Yizhou, implicating him in the tragedy.
Identifying herself as the master of Ruyi Pavilion, she offered a deal: if he helped her, the past would be buried. If he refused, his reputation and his frail young son's future would be in jeopardy. Shortly after, Dong Fang Li learned that Wu You, a profiteer who once owned ten of the fans, had died suddenly, foaming at the mouth, demonstrating Ruyi Pavilion's ruthless efficiency.
Marquis Xindu and Duke Cheng discussed Ruyi Pavilion's power, impressed that they could even obtain a signed document from the upright Dong Fang Li. Duke Cheng explained Ruyi Pavilion’s cautious methods, requiring clients to leave written requests at a designated location. Their latest demand was for information on the Huxiao Camp and half a gold mine. Duke Cheng agreed to the high price, seeing the connection itself as invaluable and a means to eventually gain influence over them.
Soon after, a large shipment of sulphur, authorized by Dong Fang Li's letter, was transported for an unknown purpose, speculated to be for the Emperor's birthday fireworks. Under Xu Jin’s leadership, the imperial guards had become disciplined. To maintain this standard in his absence, Xu Jin announced a selection for a temporary commander. Wu Baiqi was keen to participate but was disqualified due to a poor attendance record.
Feeling that Xu Jin was deliberately making things difficult, he angrily refused to make up the time and announced he needed to be away for a while. After designing gifts for Qi Zhu, Fu Rong fell asleep and had a disturbing dream. She was serving tea to a demanding princess, who complained it was too cold, then too hot, deliberately spilling it on Fu Rong's hand.
When Xu Jin arrived, the princess tearfully accused Fu Rong of trying to harm her. Xu Jin declared that Fu Rong would no longer have to serve tea, a gesture the princess interpreted as care for herself. She then spitefully warned Fu Rong that a commoner could never become royalty.
