The Glory of Tang Dynasty Episode 21 Recap
> The Glory of Tang Dynasty Recap
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Li Chu called He Lingyi to the study to ask about the Xuan paper. He Lingyi insisted that the Xuan paper incident had nothing to do with her and even threatened to die to prove her innocence. Li Chu spared her, partly because he had no conclusive evidence, and partly because He Lingyi had followed him for many years; if he punished her without solid proof, he worried that his other loyal followers would be disheartened.
However, Li Chu inferred from He Lingyi's reaction that she was suspicious, so Li Chu instructed Feng Shengyi to be extra careful with future matters and not to let He Lingyi know about important decisions. At Wenjin Pavilion, Shen Zhenzhu told Murong Linzhi her deductions. In fact, both her miscarriage and Cui Caiping's miscarriage were He Lingyi's doing. He Lingyi secretly switched Shen Zhenzhu's and Cui Caiping's medicine, causing Cui Caiping to mistakenly drink the abortion medicine containing pokeweed.
Similarly, He Lingyi did not spare Shen Zhenzhu; after Li Chu left the capital, Shen Zhenzhu began handling ledgers, and all the Xuan paper she used was soaked in ox-knee herb. Murong Linzhi stated that given the length of time Shen Zhenzhu was exposed to the Xuan paper, the amount of ox-knee herb was sufficient to cause her miscarriage.
After hearing Shen Zhenzhu's speculation, Murong Linzhi repeatedly lamented He Lingyi's strange motives but didn't understand why He Lingyi would do such a thing. Shen Zhenzhu said that He Lingyi did this for only one reason: she loved Li Chu, and thus could not tolerate any other woman by his side. Shen Zhenzhu lay in bed, her heart filled with sorrow, for her child and for the massacre of the Shen family.
Li Chu walked in, wanting to feed Shen Zhenzhu medicine, but Shen Zhenzhu turned her head away as soon as she saw him enter, and the two parted unhappily. Cui Caiping had lost her child, and Li Chu had not come to visit her, making her depressed and distraught. Cui Caiping's mental state was already somewhat abnormal; she even thought of threatening suicide to make Li Chu visit her.
At this time, Lady Han was still performing a "bitter stratagem" before the Emperor. With Yang Guifei also persuading, the Emperor punished Lady Han and, at Yang Guifei's request, agreed to grant Cui Caiping the position of imperial consort. However, the Emperor also admired the intelligent and brave Shen Zhenzhu, issuing an edict that Shen Zhenzhu should also enjoy the treatment of a principal consort. The eunuch arrived at the Guangping Prince's residence to read out the Emperor's imperial decree.
Cui Caiping was displeased that Shen Zhenzhu also enjoyed the treatment of an imperial consort. After the eunuch left, Cui Caiping arrogantly demanded that Shen Zhenzhu pay her respects. Just as Shen Zhenzhu was about to bow, Li Chu returned to the residence. He stated that Shen Zhenzhu did not need to bow to Cui Caiping and immediately instructed that the affairs of the residence would still be managed by Shen Zhenzhu from then on.
Li Chu opposed appointing Cui Caiping as the principal consort, but the Emperor brushed him off. In the residence, a eunuch from the imperial palace personally read out the Emperor's imperial decree: Cui Caiping was appointed as the principal consort, and Shen Zhenzhu would enjoy the courtesy of a principal consort. Cui Caiping, having become the consort, gloated at Shen Zhenzhu. As Shen Zhenzhu, distracted, was about to pay her respects to Cui Caiping, Li Chu returned to the residence.
He forbade Shen Zhenzhu from bowing to Cui Caiping and instructed the servants that the residence's affairs would still be handled by Shen Zhenzhu. Actually, Li Chu wanted to explain the consort matter to Shen Zhenzhu, but Shen Zhenzhu coolly bowed in gratitude for the imperial favor and turned to return to her room, the rift between them growing wider. Cui Caiping was throwing a tantrum in Liuli Pavilion.
Li Chu walked in and admonished Cui Caiping, telling her that she had already gotten what she wanted and should be more docile from now on. Cui Caiping tearfully complained to Li Chu about her pitiful situation, but Li Chu was completely unmoved, finding her to be pretentious. He told Cui Caiping that she would never gain his true affection in this lifetime.
Afterwards, Li Chu went to Wenjin Pavilion, wanting to ask Shen Zhenzhu to go to the palace with him to visit his father, the king. Shen Zhenzhu, wanting to enter the palace to seek the truth, agreed to Li Chu's request.
