The Promise of Chang'an Episode 30 Recap, Plot

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> The Promise of Chang'an Recap

Xiao Qihan arrived at Yong Ning Hall to visit his youngest royal brother, who was a month old. He presented a longevity lock, crafted by the capital's finest, as a gift for the Sixth Prince Xiao Qiyuan. After offering his gift, Xiao Qihan revealed his true intention: to propose marriage to Ling Zhen'er. Ling Zhen'er was immediately flustered by his words, but Xiao Qihan reminded her of a prior promise to marry him after Consort Xian gave birth.

Mingyu intervened, explaining that marriage was a serious matter requiring proper rituals and parental consent. Undeterred, Xiao Qihan declared he would ask his Royal Mother, Lan Zhaoyi, to persuade the Emperor to confer Ling Zhen'er as his side consort, and then quickly departed. Ling Zhen'er, upset, tried to stop him. Mingyu comforted Ling Zhen'er, assuring her she would never wish for her to become entangled in the affairs of the palace harem, only desiring her to find her own happiness.

Mingyu also predicted that Lan Zhaoyi would never agree to such a match. Ling Zhen'er, however, maintained that her greatest happiness was simply to remain by Mingyu’s side. As Mingyu predicted, Lan Zhaoyi was furious upon hearing Xiao Qihan’s proposal. She belittled Ling Zhen'er, calling her a low-ranking palace servant akin to someone from the Cold Palace.

Lan Zhaoyi explicitly stated that marrying someone from Yong Ning Hall meant opposing Noble Consort Helan Wanyin and, by extension, the Crown Prince and future Emperor. Xiao Qihan angrily retorted that the Crown Prince was merely a baby, and his future as Emperor was far from certain. Consort Hui, arriving unannounced at that moment, overheard Xiao Qihan's insolent remarks. After Xiao Qihan left, Lan Zhaoyi complained to Consort Hui about her son’s impulsive behavior.

She continued to embroider a cape, grumbling about the task but admitting she was doing it to curry favor with the Noble Consort and the Crown Prince, not for Mingyu. When she stepped away to fetch more yarn, her palace maid accidentally spilled something on the half-finished cape. Consort Hui remained silent and did not react. Later, Lan Zhaoyi delivered the embroidered cape to Guan Ju Hall, proud of her handiwork and imagining the Crown Prince wearing it.

Shortly after, Consort Xian Helan Mingyu also arrived, bringing small, handmade toys for her nephew. Helan Wanyin coldly rejected them, suspicious of Mingyu's intentions and fearing the toys might contain "dirty things." Though Mingyu offered to take them back, Helan Wanyin allowed them to remain, likely to avoid any complaints to the Emperor. After Mingyu departed, Helan Wanyin immediately ordered all the toys to be thrown out.

Ling Zhen'er questioned why they endured such treatment, to which Mingyu sighed, lamenting the deep rift between her and her sister, hoping that time might eventually heal their relationship. That night, Lan Zhaoyi summoned Ling Zhen'er. She insulted Zhen'er's appearance and status, accusing her of seducing a prince and harboring dreams of becoming a phoenix through social climbing.

Ling Zhen'er, offended, shot back that if she were to engage in such ambition, she would seek a "true dragon" to attach herself to, and reminded Lan Zhaoyi of her own respected background as the daughter of the Prime Minister of Muqing Zhou. Enraged by Ling Zhen'er’s defiance, Lan Zhaoyi ordered her maid to discipline her. During the struggle, Ling Zhen'er accidentally knocked over items on a table, revealing a cloth tiger.

Zhen'er immediately recognized the fabric as the same material from the voodoo doll found outside Yong Ning Hall in the past. Realizing she was exposed, Lan Zhaoyi grew flustered and quickly hid the doll. Just as this confrontation concluded, news arrived that the Crown Prince had a sudden medical emergency, suffering from severe wheezing. Mingyu rushed to Guan Ju Hall, but it was too late. The imperial physicians reported their inability to save the prince, who died shortly after.

Helan Wanyin was inconsolable, collapsing in agonizing grief. Emperor Xiao Chengrui, furious and grief-stricken, berated the imperial physicians for their incompetence despite his strict instructions regarding the prince's diet and care. He immediately ordered a thorough investigation of all the Crown Prince's personal belongings. In Yan Palace, Prince of Yan Xiao Chengxu received news of the Crown Prince's death. Finding the circumstances suspicious, he feared unrest within the palace.

He instructed his subordinate Yan Hai to keep a close watch on Mingyu and immediately report anything that might implicate her. Overcome with sorrow, Xiao Chengrui began writing an elegy for his deceased son. Helan Yunqi attempted to comfort him, but Xiao Chengrui tearfully blamed himself for the tragedy. Meanwhile, Helan Wanyin continued to be plagued by nightmares, haunted by the loss of her child.

Mingyu visited her sister, offering silent support by holding her hand, while Helan Wanyin, in her anguish, repeatedly questioned, "Who killed my child?" The next morning, while Helan Wanyin was still deep in mourning, a palace maid discovered an overlooked item at the foot of the Crown Prince's bed – a whistle. Helan Wanyin instantly recognized it as Mingyu’s, noting a fine powder on its surface.

The maid confirmed that the Crown Prince had played with it shortly before his death. Convinced of Mingyu's culpability, Helan Wanyin rushed to Yong Ning Hall. Mingyu and Helan Yunqi were there when Helan Wanyin burst in, distraught and silent. Helan Wanyin demanded to see the Sixth Prince Xiao Qiyuan. She then took Xiao Qiyuan into an inner room, dismissing Ling Zhen'er's blessing charm for him.

Clutching Xiao Qiyuan, Helan Wanyin, in a fit of madness, began to choke him, asking Mingyu if she wanted to experience the pain of losing a child. She accused Mingyu of killing her own son. Mingyu and Helan Yunqi were horrified and tried to intervene. Helan Wanyin warned them not to come closer, retreating with Xiao Qiyuan and declaring that Mingyu was responsible for her son's death. At that critical moment, Emperor Xiao Chengrui arrived.

Helan Wanyin accused Mingyu of murdering their child, presenting the whistle and claiming Mingyu had hidden powder inside it, knowing the Crown Prince suffered from asthma. Mingyu denied any knowledge of the powder, asserting that all gifts she gave were thoroughly inspected. Helan Wanyin, however, insisted that Mingyu had killed her child to slander her, and demanded that Xiao Qiyuan "pay the price" for her son's death.

Xiao Chengrui reminded Mingyu of a previous "voodoo doll" incident, questioning her "cruel methods." He declared that Mingyu would remain in Yong Ning Hall, and he would take the Sixth Prince Xiao Qiyuan with him. If the allegations proved true, Mingyu would never see her child again. In desperation, Mingyu pulled out her hairpin, threatening herself, begging for her innocent child to be spared, and offering herself for punishment instead. Just then, Ling Zhen'er arrived and quickly stepped forward.

She vehemently defended Mingyu, stating that Consort Xian would never harm the Crown Prince. Ling Zhen'er then suggested that if they believed the cause was related to "voodoo magic," they should investigate Jiguang Hall, Lan Zhaoyi's residence. She revealed that she had noticed a year prior that Lan Zhaoyi's unique embroidery matched the "voodoo doll" found outside Yong Ning Hall. Xiao Chengrui immediately ordered a thorough search of Jiguang Hall.

Guards subsequently discovered a partially burned voodoo doll hidden under Lan Zhaoyi’s bed. The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed the embroidery belonged to Lan Zhaoyi. Her maidservant, Jian'er, confessed that Lan Zhaoyi had ordered her to hide the doll, and Jian'er, in fear, had thrown it outside Yong Ning Hall. Lan Zhaoyi tried to dismiss the doll as a harmless item made "for fun," denying any intent to harm.

However, the imperial physician then presented his findings regarding the whistle and the cape. He reported that the powder on Mingyu's whistle was merely pine pollen, which was used for the Crown Prince's post-bath sores and posed no harm. A maid corroborated this, recalling that pine pollen was being applied while the Prince played with the whistle. The physician then revealed the true cause of the Crown Prince’s wheezing and death: hazelnut powder.

This allergen had been carefully hidden within the embroidered cloak that Lan Zhaoyi had delivered to the Crown Prince. With her crimes exposed, Lan Zhaoyi maintained her innocence, insisting she was framed and had not placed hazelnut powder in the cape. Xiao Chengrui denounced her as a "devious woman" for attempting to kill the Crown Prince twice.

He ordered her to be dragged out and thoroughly interrogated, specifically instructing an investigation into "the Prince of Su's manor and the Prince of Su himself," implying Xiao Qihan. To protect her son, Lan Zhaoyi immediately confessed, repeatedly shouting that she acted alone and that Xiao Qihan had no involvement. She was taken to Dali Temple, continuing to cry out her hatred for Helan Wanyin and Guan Ju Hall, all while vehemently insisting on Xiao Qihan’s innocence.

Later, as Mingyu held Xiao Qiyuan, shaken by the day’s events, she expressed her weariness with the palace. Her only wish was for Helan Wanyin to overcome her grief and anger so that they might reconcile. Ling Zhen'er, meanwhile, worried about the harsh punishments Lan Zhaoyi might face in the Ministry of Justice, recalling Xiao Chengrui's earlier threat, and also expressed concern for Xiao Qihan.

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