The Song of Glory Episode 2 Recap
> The Song of Glory Recap
Amidst the chaos of a meticulously planned assassination attempt, Liu Yikang found himself trapped in a raging fire after his loyal attendant, San Bao, valiantly shielded him from a deadly blow. Thinking quickly, Liu Yikang managed to break down the door and escape unharmed. Meanwhile, Prince Jing Ling, Liu Yixuan, lay severely wounded and unconscious. General Shen Zhi, believing Minister Lu Yuan to be the mastermind behind the disaster, implored Grand Consort Dowager Sun to arrest and interrogate him.
Just then, Liu Yikang arrived and immediately ordered Minister Lu's arrest. Minister Lu defended himself, stating he had offered the dancers for the Consort Dowager's birthday banquet and, though responsible for negligence, was unaware of their sinister plot. He claimed his soldiers, accustomed to battle, had killed all the assassins without mercy.
Grand Consort Dowager Sun quickly intervened, taking full responsibility for the incident, explaining that her curiosity about a specific dance led her to request the dancers from Minister Lu. She shielded him from punishment, urging Liu Yikang to blame her instead. Liu Yikang, while accepting his mother's plea, vowed to find the cunning mastermind responsible. With assassins still at large, the city was placed under lockdown.
Liu Yikang dispatched Xu Zhan to investigate the Tianxiang Dance Hall, while Minister Lu tasked Xue Qiu with leading the search and arrests. Shen Zhi, loyal to Liu Yikang, and Xue Qiu, serving Minister Lu, exchanged tense words before their forces fanned out, searching house-to-house. It was discovered that out of nine dancers, only eight bodies were found, indicating one assassin had escaped.
Liu Yikang ordered Jiankang City sealed off and instructed his men to keep a close watch on Minister Lu, noting that Minister Lu seemed more anxious than anyone to capture the missing individual. Back at the assassination site, A'Nu had bravely lured away the pursuers. Shen Lige, frantic to save her, was restrained by Chen Shaoxun, who pulled them apart and allowed A'Nu to leave, knowing she was going to sacrifice herself.
Shen Lige could only watch in agony as A'Nu tragically committed suicide in front of the pursuers to ensure her escape. Overcome with grief, Shen Lige collapsed. Chen Shaoxun carried the gravely injured Shen Lige to Benevolence Courtyard, where Nanny Song, a kind-hearted woman, provided care without asking questions. As Shen Lige recovered, she confronted Chen Shaoxun, demanding to know who ordered A'Nu to die in her place, and who sacrificed their comrades protecting her escape.
She furiously tried to seek out their Master, but Chen Shaoxun stopped her, explaining that A'Nu and their brothers and sisters had already prepared themselves for death for the sake of the mission. Shen Lige insisted they should have died for the assassination, not for her.
Chen Shaoxun urged her to be clear-headed, stressing that their sacrifices must not be in vain and that they must kill Liu Yikang to bring peace to the common people and honor their fallen comrades. Shen Lige was haunted by memories of A'Nu, who had dreamt of going to Meizhou, Chen Shaoxun's hometown, after the mission was over. Chen Shaoxun appealed to Shen Lige, reminding her that she couldn't let A'Nu's sacrifice be for nothing.
Several days later, the city remained quiet. Minister Lu, seeking to draw out the remaining assassins, publicly displayed the bodies of the dancers at an execution ground in the bustling market, intending to whip and burn them. Shen Lige, enraged by the desecration, resolved to storm the execution ground despite knowing it was a trap.
Chen Shaoxun, unable to dissuade her, pledged to go with her, as did their junior disciple, Kong Cheng, ensuring their comradeship would not be in vain. Working meticulously, they created a diversion, outsmarting Minister Lu. Shen Lige fired rockets from a distance, setting the bodies ablaze, granting her sisters a dignified end and deepening her hatred for Minister Lu. Chen Shaoxun tightly clutched the wooden comb A'Nu had given him.
Liu Yikang’s men later reported that Minister Lu had been thoroughly outmaneuvered, confirming that this group of assassins was not aligned with Minister Lu. Liu Yikang expressed curiosity about the identity of their leader. Meanwhile, Shen Madam, who had been tirelessly searching for her long-lost daughter for eighteen years, often visited Benevolence Courtyard. Nanny Song, recognizing the unique bracelet Shen Lige wore, knew it belonged to Shen Madam's daughter.
She quickly called for Shen Madam, who, upon seeing Shen Lige and the bracelet, was overcome with emotion. The bracelet, a red jade outer layer concealing a magnolia jade ring, was uniquely crafted by Shen Tingzhang, Shen Madam's husband, in hopes their daughter would be as beautiful and elegant as a magnolia. Shen Madam was now certain that Shen Lige was her biological daughter, Jia'er.
Shen Lige knew that A'Nu was the true owner of the bracelet and was reluctant to impersonate her, but with Jiankang City under curfew and swarming with Minister Lu's spies, Benevolence Courtyard was no longer a safe haven. Chen Shaoxun advised Shen Lige to impersonate Jia'er and hide in the Shen family manor to recover. He reasoned that Minister Lu, cunning as he was, would never suspect the assassin to be hiding in plain sight within a prominent family.
Chen Shaoxun also planned to reopen San Jiu Hall, a pharmacy, with Kong Cheng, using it as a discreet cover to gather intelligence on Minister Lu. He emphasized that Shen Madam, having just rediscovered her daughter, should not endure the pain of losing her again. Reluctantly, Shen Lige agreed to assume the identity of Jia'er and move into the Anbei General's mansion. Shen Madam was overjoyed to have her daughter home.
She introduced Shen Lige to her younger brother, Shen Feng, who was initially skeptical but quickly charmed by her. She also introduced Shen Leqing, her niece who had been raised in the Shen household after her parents passed away.
Shen Leqing, who was unhappy that her elder sister was stealing her adopted mother's affection, feigned welcome and eagerly probed Shen Lige about her past, her foster parents, and where she had grown up, but Shen Lige was evasive, stating she remembered nothing and that her home was "everywhere." Shen Feng playfully teased them about Shen Lige's real parents. Later, Shen Zhi, Shen Lige's elder brother and a military general, returned and confirmed her identity with his mother.
Shen Lige, noticing her many scars when Shen Leqing tried to help her with her cloak, was wary of the younger girl's inquisitive nature. Shen Leqing offered her own room for Shen Lige, but Shen Lige chose to sleep on the floor, claiming she wasn't used to high beds. Shen Leqing's persistent questions about Shen Lige's past and scars raised her suspicions about the new arrival's true identity. Meanwhile, Prince Jing Ling, Liu Yixuan, regained consciousness.
Liu Yikang visited him, but Liu Yixuan immediately urged his brother to seize the opportunity to bring Minister Lu and his father to justice. Liu Yikang feigned a cough and gently redirected him, emphasizing that his recovery was paramount. San Bao later questioned Liu Yikang, asking why he withheld the truth from Prince Jing Ling, who had pledged his life to him.
Liu Yikang explained that he didn't want to drag his pure-hearted brother into the dangerous political whirlpool, especially after losing two other brothers to court chaos and given Grand Consort Dowager Sun's familial ties to Minister Lu's family. He knew an inevitable confrontation with Minister Lu was coming, and he wished to spare Liu Yixuan from such a difficult dilemma.
