The Song of Glory Episode 26 Recap
> The Song of Glory Recap
In Ren Shou Pavilion, Grand Consort relentlessly interrogated Shen Lige about the assassinations at her birthday banquet and on the wedding night. Shen Lige firmly denied all accusations, stating she was in her chambers during the banquet and that the wedding night accusation made no sense. Grand Consort, unconvinced, ordered her guards to search Shen Lige, but they initially found nothing.
After some time, a dagger was produced, with Grand Consort claiming it was found under Shen Lige's dressing table in Fang Yin Pavilion. Grand Consort then threatened Shen Lige, asserting that the discovery of the dagger would be enough to doom the entire Shen family. Shen Lige remained silent. As Princess Consort Xie Yunzhi arrived, Grand Consort falsely claimed that Shen Lige had confessed to attempting to assassinate Liu Yikang.
Xie Yunzhi, deeply shocked and heartbroken, confronted Shen Lige, asking if she truly tried to assassinate Liu Yikang. Shen Lige tried to explain, saying, "Princess Consort, it's not what you think," but Grand Consort quickly interrupted, accusing Shen Lige of denying her confession now that Xie Yunzhi was present. Xie Yunzhi demanded an explanation for the dagger and Shen Lige's absence from the manor.
When Shen Lige remained silent, Xie Yunzhi, feeling betrayed by what she perceived as ingratitude, slapped Shen Lige, heartbroken by what she believed was a fabrication of affection. Grand Consort further fueled Xie Yunzhi's anger by stating that Shen Lige used the dagger to wound Liu Yikang. Overwhelmed, Xie Yunzhi decided to visit Liu Yikang immediately. At the army review ceremony, Liu Yikang, visibly struggling from his injuries, persevered through the rituals.
His efforts caused his wounds to bleed through his armor. Meanwhile, Shen Zhi entrusted an antidote to San Bao, explaining that Shen Lige had instructed him to give it to Liu Yikang. San Bao then informed Shen Zhi that Shen Lige had been taken to Ren Shou Pavilion. Soon after, a guard reported that Grand Consort had captured Shen Lige, who had confessed to assassinating Liu Yikang on the wedding night and concealing it.
The report also stated that Xie Yunzhi had handed the matter over to the Commandant of Justice. Upon hearing this, Liu Yikang coughed up blood and collapsed, to Liu Yixuan's dismay. Lu Yuan immediately seized the opportunity, declaring Shen Lige and the Shen family guilty of treason and ordering the arrest of Shen Tingzhang and Shen Zhi. Liu Yixuan tried to intervene, but the Shen father and son were taken into custody.
Back at Prince Peng Cheng's manor, Liu Yikang lay unconscious. Liu Yixuan anxiously awaited the medicine. Just as it arrived, Grand Consort and Lu Yuan entered, with Shen Lige being escorted by soldiers. Grand Consort feigned deep concern for Liu Yikang, insisting on personally feeding him the medicine. As she took the bowl, she deliberately "slipped," intending to spill it. However, Shen Lige, despite being restrained, broke free, caught the bowl, and quickly administered the medicine to Liu Yikang mouth-to-mouth.
Grand Consort, enraged by her foiled plan, ordered Shen Lige to be taken away as an assassin. Lu Yuan supported this, but Liu Yixuan stepped forward to protect Shen Lige. Lu Yuan vehemently accused the Shen family of plotting Liu Yikang's assassination, citing the dagger as evidence and Shen Tingzhang and his son's capture as proof. He questioned Liu Yixuan's attempt to protect Shen Lige, implying he was covering up for her.
Xie Yunzhi, who had observed Shen Lige's desperate act of feeding Liu Yikang the medicine, ordered everyone to leave, expressing her desire to be alone with Liu Yikang. Shen Lige was then taken away again. Captain Xue, acting on orders, proceeded to confiscate the Shen Manor, informing Madam Shen that Shen Lige was accused of plotting Liu Yikang's assassination and that all residents of the mansion would be taken to the Commandant of Justice for investigation.
Madam Shen expressed disbelief, but then bravely offered to accompany Captain Xue, drawing attention to herself and ensuring that Shen Feng, who had just returned home, was able to remain hidden and escape capture. Days passed, and Liu Yikang remained unconscious. Xie Yunzhi stayed by his bedside, distraught and confused by the rapidly unfolding events. She found herself unable to believe Shen Lige was an assassin, yet all the evidence pointed to her.
She desperately wished for Liu Yikang to wake up and guide her. Liu Yixuan, noticing Xie Yunzhi's exhaustion, gently persuaded her to return to Jiaohua Pavilion to rest. During this time, the political situation in Jiankang City worsened, and the Wei army intensified its attacks on the northern border, causing military reports to pour in. Liu Yixuan temporarily took charge, but the mounting pressure prevented him from noticing the deepening peril facing the Shen family.
Meanwhile, Xu Lin secretly visited Lu Yuan, revealing himself as the one who led them to the Falling Flowers Shop. He sought an alliance with Lu Yuan, stating that his true enemies were Shen Tingzhang and Liu Yikang, sharing Lu Yuan's goal. Xu Lin explained that he and Shen Tingzhang were once Vanguard Generals under Emperor Gaozu.
During the Battle of Peng Cheng, Shen Tingzhang had appeased his master and shamelessly survived for Liu Yikang, framing Xu Lin and his brothers as rebellious forces, which led to their deaths at the hands of the Wei Army. Xu Lin claimed an unshakable grievance against Shen Tingzhang. Lu Yuan, initially skeptical of Xu Lin's usefulness given his handicapped state and the seemingly predetermined downfall of the Shen family, changed his tune when Xu Lin produced an infant's swaddling cloth.
Xu Lin asserted that this item, along with the dagger, would ensure the Shen family's complete ruin. Chen Shaoxun, having secretly followed Xu Lin, confronted him, demanding to know why he was colluding with Lu Yuan and what he had been plotting over the years. Xu Lin dismissed him, stating that the truth would be revealed the next day, and managed to escape Chen Shaoxun's attempts to stop him.
In prison, Shen Tingzhang speculated that Lu Yuan and Xie Hao's earlier actions in court were a ploy to force Liu Yikang to the army review, expose his injuries, and frame the Shen family. Shen Zhi recounted how Liu Yikang had ordered him to prevent Shen Lige from returning to the manor, but Shen Lige insisted on returning after handing over the medicine.
He then revealed that Shen Lige was taken away by Yue Fang, under orders from Grand Consort and Princess Consort. Hearing that Shen Lige was imprisoned caused Madam Shen's old illness to flare up from distress. Shen Tingzhang calmed her and instructed Shen Zhi not to speak of Shen Lige in her presence, fearing further shock.
He also expressed deep concern for the northern border, where the Wei army was poised to attack, hoping Liu Yikang would awaken soon to control the precarious situation. At the Commandant of Justice's office, the Shen family members were brought in for interrogation. Shen Lige refused to kneel, asserting their rightful status. When asked if she was guilty of assassinating Liu Yikang, she unequivocally denied it.
The Commandant of Justice pressed her on her disappearance from the manor and the discovery of the dagger, citing the testimonies of Grand Consort and Princess Consort, and her past silence. Shen Lige countered that if she were guilty, Liu Yikang would not have held her hand at Cheng Xiu Pavilion just yesterday.
She maintained her innocence, stating that she remained silent because she genuinely did not know what had happened, and that Liu Yikang would clear her name once he regained consciousness. Lu Yuan, however, dismissed her arguments as a clever tactic to stall, accusing her of exploiting Liu Yikang's unconscious state. He then dramatically revealed that Shen Lige was not only the assassin who attempted to kill Liu Yikang but also the assassin who escaped from Grand Consort's birthday banquet.
Liu Yixuan immediately came to Shen Lige's defense, demanding proof for such grave accusations. Lu Yuan claimed he personally fought her at the banquet and that she was indeed the assassin, further implying the Shen family's involvement in treachery. Liu Yixuan argued that the case was full of suspicious points and that Shen Lige could not be clearly convicted.
He proposed that Shen Tingzhang be allowed to lead the army to the northern border, given the critical military situation, and that a final verdict on the other matters be postponed until Liu Yikang woke up. Lu Yuan vehemently opposed this, arguing that giving military power to a guilty official would endanger the northern border. At this point, Lu Yuan produced the dagger again, reminding everyone it was found in Shen Lige's room.
Shen Tingzhang recognized the dagger as a reward from Emperor Gaozu after the Battle of Peng Cheng, and also as a token of his bestowed marriage. Madam Shen then tried to explain that the dagger, along with her daughter, had been lost eighteen years ago, suggesting it might have been used deliberately by someone else without their knowledge, and reiterated that the Shen family had no intention of harming Liu Yikang.
Lu Yuan dismissed her explanation, implying Shen Tingzhang himself was the "deliberate person." Shen Lige then interjected, declaring that she could prove the Shen family was innocent because she was not their daughter. This statement shocked Shen Tingzhang, Madam Shen, and Shen Zhi. Shen Lige apologized, claiming she was an orphan and had been deceiving them all, insisting she was not their daughter.
Madam Shen, heartbroken, vehemently denied this, stating she had searched for her daughter for eighteen years and could not be mistaken. Lu Yuan scoffed at Shen Lige's declaration, calling it a trick to absolve the Shen family. He then produced the infant's swaddling cloth. Shen Lige recognized it as her childhood clothing.
Madam Shen, overcome with emotion, tearfully confirmed that it was the clothing Shen Lige wore when she was taken away eighteen years ago, and she herself had embroidered the flowers on it, proving that Shen Lige was her biological daughter. Despite Madam Shen's unwavering certainty, Shen Lige continued to deny any blood relation to the Shen family.
