The Song of Glory Episode 28 Recap
> The Song of Glory Recap
As two groups of people journeyed, Lu Yuan appeared, blocking the path and demanding an immediate autopsy of Prince Peng Cheng, whose coffin was being transported. Prince Jing Ling, Liu Yixuan, questioned Lu Yuan's undue haste and suggested his actions stemmed from a personal grudge. Before the confrontation escalated, a eunuch announced that Prince Peng Cheng, Liu Yikang, had regained consciousness.
Seizing the moment, Liu Yixuan declared that they would proceed to Prince Peng Cheng's manor, instructing Lu Yuan to present his case there for Liu Yikang to judge. Meanwhile, Chen Shaoxun quickly pulled Shen Lige's body from a carriage before it plunged over a cliff. He then instructed Kong Cheng to burn the carriage and any corpses inside to destroy all traces, aware that Lu Yuan would not rest until he saw a body.
Lu Yuan's assassins pursued them, but Chen Shaoxun and Kong Cheng fiercely resisted, ensuring Shen Lige's retrieval before the carriage was incinerated. Elsewhere, Xu Zixian, severely wounded from a pursuit, was rescued by Xu Zhan and his men. He was then brought to the Shen mansion, where he was surprised to learn that General Shen Tingzhang was alive. Liu Yikang appeared, and Xu Zixian was shocked to find him alive as well.
Xu Zixian angrily reiterated his belief that Shen Tingzhang had betrayed his brothers by refusing to open the city gates during a battle years ago, leading to their tragic deaths at the hands of the Wei Army. Liu Yikang refuted this, explaining that Shen Tingzhang had desperately protected a city full of commoners.
He pointed out Xu Zixian's narrow-mindedness, which prevented him from seeing that Shen Tingzhang, as a general, had to prioritize the city's safety, especially with rebels mixed among Xu Zixian's men. Liu Yikang stated that it was a difficult choice between loyalty to individuals and the greater good. He then showed Xu Zixian a hidden room filled with memorial tablets for fallen soldiers.
Liu Yikang explained that Shen Tingzhang had lived with immense guilt, tirelessly working to appeal their case, uncover the truth about the rebel forces, and compensate the families, all of which Xu Zixian had been oblivious to. He urged Xu Zixian to abandon his stubbornness and hatred. Liu Yikang also revealed that Xu Zixian's own apprentice had pleaded for his life, hoping he would repent.
Xu Zixian was deeply moved by the revelation, realizing the depth of his mistake and the harm he had caused. The Shen family's case had deeply affected the people, so Liu Yikang announced a public trial to ensure justice. Liu Yixuan presented Xu Zixian to testify. Xu Zixian, a former general believed to have died, shocked the court with his appearance.
He confessed to orchestrating the assassination attempt on Liu Yikang, framing Shen Lige, and even intending to cause Shen Tingzhang's death. He admitted to abducting Shen Lige years ago as an infant for revenge for the battle at Peng Cheng, blinded by hatred and forgetting his duty as a general. He presented the poison used in the assassination, stating he concocted it, and confessed to framing a loyal official, declaring his willingness to die to atone for his grave mistake.
Shen Tingzhang, although having suffered greatly, told Xu Zixian that he did not blame him, acknowledging that while he acted correctly as a general, he had wronged his brothers. Liu Yikang ultimately pardoned the Shen family and sentenced Xu Zixian to execution the following day at noon for slandering a loyal man and attempting to murder Prince Peng Cheng. Xu Zixian accepted his fate, expressing profound regret for his actions and finding peace in his impending death.
Heartbroken by his daughter's death and his wife's illness, and feeling his hopes had died, Shen Tingzhang requested to retire and return to his hometown, a request Liu Yikang granted. With Wei forces advancing and war imminent, Minister Xie Hao, seeing Shen Tingzhang's retirement as an opportunity, attempted to suggest Lu Yuan as his replacement to take control of the Suiyuan Army.
However, before he could formally propose it, Liu Yikang recounted his own military history and declared he would personally lead the northern expedition. He then ordered Lu Yuan to accompany him on the campaign, much to Lu Yuan's visible displeasure, and appointed Liu Yixuan to command the Central Army in Jiankang City.
At the same time, Grand Consort angrily confronted Lu Yuan, scolding him for his botched plan that allowed Liu Yikang to recover and the Shen family to escape with only Shen Lige's death, costing him his title and military power. Lu Yuan, however, remained defiant, declaring that Liu Yikang leading troops to battle was an opportunity. He vowed to eliminate Liu Yikang on the battlefield and swore he would not fail this time.
Later, Liu Yikang confided in Liu Yixuan about his true actions leading up to these events. He explained that he had regained consciousness while at San Jiu Hall, where Chen Shaoxun had given him acupuncture. He had kept his recovery a secret to avoid alerting his enemies. During this time, Shen Lige's senior brother, Chen Shaoxun, confessed that their master, Xu Zixian, was the one who orchestrated the assassination.
Chen Shaoxun, at Shen Lige's urging, only agreed to reveal this if Liu Yikang promised not to harm Xu Zixian, as Shen Lige would not want that. Liu Yikang then tasked Chen Shaoxun with finding Xu Zixian. However, his own injuries had worsened after attending a military ceremony, rendering him unconscious again, which Lu Yuan exploited to imprison the Shen family and frame Shen Lige. Upon regaining full consciousness, Liu Yikang learned of Shen Lige's impending execution.
He concealed his recovery from the public, sending a message to Liu Yixuan, and dispatched Huo Yun and Wang Zijin to secure the northern border. He then met with Shen Lige, who expressed her belief that she would never see him again. Liu Yikang reassured her, acknowledging her sacrifices in saving him and reaffirming his promise for a lifetime together.
Shen Lige suggested a plan to delay the execution: she would fake her death by poison, causing suspicion and forcing a retrial, giving them time to clear the Shen family's name. Despite Liu Yikang's concern for her safety, Shen Lige assured him that Chen Shaoxun's medicine would ensure her survival. Liu Yikang agreed, arranging for Wang Zijin to deliver the medicine.
He concluded his story to Liu Yixuan by confirming that Xu Zhan had eventually brought Xu Zixian to the Shen mansion, where Liu Yikang personally convinced him of the truth. Liu Yixuan praised his brother's cunning and success. Back at San Jiu Hall, Liu Yikang found Shen Lige still unresponsive, her eyes vacant.
Chen Shaoxun explained that because the antidote for the fake death medicine had been delayed due to Lu Yuan's pursuit, Shen Lige had missed the optimal treatment window. Although the poison had been cleared from her body, she had endured too much trauma since her wedding day and, on a conscious level, was unwilling to wake, rejecting the outside world under the influence of the medicine.
Liu Yikang, distraught, was assured by Chen Shaoxun that he would do his best to save her. Alone with Shen Lige, Liu Yikang gently cradled her, promising to protect her and urging her to wake up. He later told Liu Yixuan that her condition could only be resolved by her own will, not by medication, but he believed she would recover.
Meanwhile, Shen Leqing overheard servants discussing Shen Lige's death by poison and speculated why Lu Yuan would act before an execution. She suspected Shen Lige used her death to delay the case for the Shen family, wondering if she truly died. Separately, Princess Consort spoke with Liu Yikang, expressing regret that she hadn't waited for him to wake before handing Shen Lige over, believing the outcome might have been different. Liu Yikang reassured her, saying she had fulfilled her duties.
Princess Consort revealed that Shen Lige had privately confessed the truth about the assassination to her, showing great respect for Liu Yikang. She expressed deep admiration for Shen Lige's character and mourned her untimely demise, wishing her soul peace and happiness wherever it may be. Liu Yikang echoed her sentiment. Later, Shen Leqing visited Liu Yikang, offering ginseng soup and expressing sadness over the Shen family's troubles and Shen Lige's death.
She offered to help with Shen Lige's aftermath, but Liu Yikang politely declined, stating he had already made arrangements. Before his departure for battle, Liu Yikang took Shen Lige to a secluded pear blossom field he had recently discovered. He told her that this place would be their secret. He promised that upon his victorious return, they would visit the pear blossom field every year during its blooming season, and brew her favorite Bixin Wine together. He tenderly imagined her response, hearing her say that she liked the pear blossoms and the place, a sentiment he shared.
