The Song of Glory Episode 36 Recap
> The Song of Glory Recap
Prince Jing Ling, Liu Yixuan, condemned Protectorate Lieutenant-General Lu Yuan for failing to protect Prince Peng Cheng, threatening him with beheading as per a previous imperial order. Lu Yuan vehemently declared his innocence. Xie Hao, Director of the Central Secretariat, intervened, stating that Lu Yuan was severely injured attempting to save Prince Peng Cheng and was not to blame.
He argued that with a foreign enemy at the borders, the priority should be to bury Prince Peng Cheng promptly and respect the proper authorities, dismissing any other claims as untrue. Many ministers echoed Xie Hao's plea, urging Prince Jing Ling to reconsider and allow the burial. However, Liu Yixuan insisted that Prince Peng Cheng's death was unclear, especially with the corpse still warm, and refused to rush the funeral.
When ministers warned of a possible plague if the funeral was delayed, Liu Yixuan firmly stated that he would not hold a public funeral until he received clear answers from his investigation. Having escaped immediate punishment, Lu Yuan visited the Grand Consort, where Xie Hao was also present. Lu Yuan complained that Prince Jing Ling, Liu Yixuan, was eager to "skin him alive," and only his injury prevented it.
The Grand Consort assured him that Liu Yixuan was merely grieving and would eventually let the matter go. Lu Yuan then accused Xie Hao of trying to "burn the bridge after crossing it" because Xie Hao had written the imperial decree that put Lu Yuan in a precarious situation and had not stopped it.
Xie Hao defended himself, saying he was forced and believed Lu Yuan would find a way out, and pointed out that he had pleaded for Lu Yuan's mercy in court. Lu Yuan retorted that Xie Hao wanted him to take the lead while Xie Hao took the credit. The Grand Consort intervened, stopping their argument, stating that with Prince Peng Cheng dead, Liu Yixuan could now replace him, and both Lu Yuan and Xie Hao would be important ministers.
She stressed that their priority was to announce Prince Peng Cheng's death to the kingdom. Lu Yuan then expressed concern that Prince Jing Ling insisted on an autopsy, fearing delays. The Grand Consort asked if Lu Yuan could ensure nothing would go wrong, to which he replied that even if something was found, it would be useless as they were one step from success.
She urged Xie Hao to quickly unite the ministers to force Liu Yixuan to announce the death. Lu Yuan reassured them that everything would go according to plan. Meanwhile, Shen Leqing, passing by, overheard the conversation. Realizing the Grand Consort, Xie Hao, and Lu Yuan were colluding in a plot and that Prince Peng Cheng might still be alive, she rushed to Liu Yixuan.
She pleaded with him to send people to search for Prince Peng Cheng again, urging him not to trust Lu Yuan. She also questioned why Side Consort Li, who was always with Prince Peng Cheng, had not been heard from if he were truly dead. Liu Yixuan, though somewhat moved, stated he would consider a solution. Shen Leqing then mused that Liu Yixuan, being the Grand Consort's biological son, might not truly care about Prince Peng Cheng's fate.
Deciding she must protect herself, she later deliberately spilled water on the Grand Consort, using the distraction to steal keys while the Grand Consort changed clothes. Liu Yikang revealed his "death" was a ruse to lower Lu Yuan's guard, ensuring that his crimes of treason could be definitively proven. With the crisis at Matou resolved, he decided to return to Jiankang immediately.
He returned the Suiyuan Army's Tiger Tally to Shen Tingzhang, entrusting the North to him, and commended Shen Tingzhang, Shen Zhi, and Shen Feng for their achievements. He declared that once the northern war was fully settled, he wanted Shen Zhi to return to Jiankang to command the central troops, ensuring that the Shen family would guard Great Song's borders and Imperial City, as they were his most trusted officials.
Shen Tingzhang accepted the mission, cautioning Liu Yikang about the complicated and surging undercurrents in Jiankang. Liu Yikang acknowledged the warning, vowing to fight the battle in Jiankang well and awaiting reports of victory. Liu Yixuan, Prince Jing Ling, struggling with the news of his fourth brother's death, questioned if the false military reports meant his brother's demise was also a lie, despite his awareness of Lu Yuan's ambition.
He lamented that Prince Peng Cheng, with so many aspirations and new policies, could not have simply given up. Deciding he needed to see for himself, he ordered an autopsy. A subordinate objected, calling it improper, but Liu Yixuan insisted, demanding the coroner and officials be gathered. Suddenly, the Grand Consort appeared, vehemently protesting the autopsy, grieving loudly over "Kang'er."
She argued that since he died tragically for Great Song, an early funeral was necessary to let him rest in peace, and disturbing the soul of the dead was disrespectful. Liu Yixuan tried to console her, asking her not to be so heartbroken, but he was firm in his decision.
The Grand Consort then appealed to his sense of duty, reminding him that his fourth brother entrusted the manor and all its affairs to him, urging him to let his brother rest in peace. Liu Yixuan acknowledged her words but dismissed her, wanting to be alone with the coffin, and ordered her escorted back to her chambers.
Liu Yixuan immediately dispatched Ji Shu to the North to investigate the true situation of the Battle of Matou and ordered Danyang troops to be sent to Jiankang as a precaution against Lu Yuan's potential plots. Meanwhile, Xie Yunzhi, upon hearing the news of Prince Peng Cheng's coffin returning, was devastated and rushed towards Cheng Xiu Pavilion, where the coffin was held.
Guards blocked her path, citing orders from the Director of the Central Secretariat, but Xie Yunzhi, the Princess Consort of Prince Peng Cheng, angrily drew her sword, threatening to kill anyone who stopped her. A servant reported to the Grand Consort that Princess Consort Xie was causing a scene and had drawn her sword on the central troops. The Grand Consort then went to confront Xie Yunzhi.
Yue Fang, commanding the central troops, informed Xie Yunzhi that he was ordered to replace her guards for the palace's and family's protection after Prince Peng Cheng's death. Xie Yunzhi accused him of imprisoning her. The Grand Consort then appeared, claiming responsibility for the order. She explained that Princess Consort Xie, in her grief, might not be able to control herself and ordered her to remain in Jiao Hua Pavilion.
Xie Yunzhi tearfully begged to see Prince Peng Cheng one last time, but the Grand Consort refused, stating he was burned beyond recognition. The Grand Consort then subtly threatened Xie Yunzhi, invoking the well-being of the Xie family if anything were to happen to her. She advised Xie Yunzhi to reflect on her helplessness and then ordered the guards to keep a close eye on the Princess Consort, effectively confining her.
Chen Shaoxun arrived at San Jiu Hall, having investigated Jiankang. He reported that former Black Armored Brigade soldiers, Lu Yuan's old troops, were ambushed on all sides outside the city and within the eastern and western districts. Lu Yuan intended to control the court officials by first replacing the central troops in Prince Peng Cheng's manor and around the Imperial Palace, which were under constant surveillance.
Shen Lige, realizing the severity of the situation, knew they couldn't risk a direct assault, despite Chen Shaoxun's suggestion to attack Lu Yuan's manor immediately since Prince Peng Cheng had given her his tally and control of the central troops. She believed Lu Yuan and his forces were prepared to fight to the death.
She then learned from Zhu Rong that their main troops in the palace were now under Yue Fang's control and Princess Consort Xie Yunzhi had also been confined. Shen Lige decided their best strategy was to buy time and address each threat individually, waiting for Liu Yikang to return with his main army to launch a comprehensive encirclement and destroy Lu Yuan. On his way back to Jiankang, Liu Yikang's path was blocked by a man-made landslide.
Xu Zhan reported that while a narrow trail allowed horses to pass, the main army would be delayed for at least three days to reach Jiankang. Liu Yikang understood this was Lu Yuan's tactic, showing he was still wary despite believing Liu Yikang dead. He knew that three days was too long; Jiankang would be in chaos.
Despite Xu Zhan's assurances that Shen Lige would deliver the news and Prince Jing Ling would prepare, Liu Yikang feared that Prince Jing Ling's Danyang troops would take time to mobilize, and Shen Lige, relying only on the central troops, would be unable to withstand Lu Yuan.
Fearing for Shen Lige and Liu Yixuan's safety, he ordered Xu Zhan to immediately select an elite group of soldiers to follow him to Jiankang, while Xu Zhan and the remaining troops would follow as quickly as possible. Fearing the corpse would decompose further, Liu Yixuan secretly opened the coffin at night to perform his own autopsy. The body was badly disfigured, but he recognized the Golden Thread Soft Armor.
A memory flashed: as a child, he accidentally injured his "Fourth Brother," Liu Yikang, with a sword on his calf. He then re-examined the corpse's leg and found no scar from that old wound. Realizing this was not Liu Yikang, he concluded that Lu Yuan must be behind this deception. He then spotted Side Consort Li hiding nearby. The next day, with a palpable sense of tension gripping Jiankang, Liu Yixuan convened the court.
He publicly declared that the corpse in the coffin was not Prince Peng Cheng, detailing the absence of a distinct scar on the calf that his brother had carried since childhood. He revealed that the presence of the cherished gold-threaded soft armor on the fake corpse proved someone in their own court intended to deceive them, and he named Lu Yuan as the culprit.
He also announced receiving intelligence about former Black Armored Brigade troops gathering outside Jiankang Gate, confirming a conspiracy. As ministers expressed alarm and asked Liu Yixuan about his counter-plan, Lu Yuan, unfazed, taunted Liu Yixuan for his cunning in placing the blame on him. Liu Yixuan ordered guards to arrest Lu Yuan, but Lu Yuan retaliated, revealing his true colors and surrounding the court with his rebel army.
He boasted that Prince Peng Cheng's knowledge of the plot was irrelevant, as Jiankang would already be under his control before Liu Yikang could return with his limited troops. Liu Yixuan condemned Lu Yuan for falsifying military reports, mobilizing the central army, attempting to murder Prince Peng Cheng, and threatening Jiankang with private troops, demanding to know his ultimate goal.
Lu Yuan openly declared his ambition: to control the central army, dominate the nobles by threatening the Emperor, and install the terminally ill Emperor in Jiankang palace as a puppet ruler. When Liu Yixuan refused to surrender the Tiger Tally, Lu Yuan threatened him, then brought out the Grand Consort, revealing her involvement.
He exposed that she had secretly aided him in refining black blades, the wedding assassination attempt, switching military reports, and confusing the court, all to pave the way for Liu Yixuan's ascension. The Grand Consort desperately denied his accusations, calling them defamation and urging Liu Yixuan not to believe him. However, Lu Yuan pressed further, reminding her of her desire to eliminate Prince Peng Cheng.
He asserted that everything she did was for Liu Yixuan, but she had become a pawn in his own game, miscalculating his true ambition to seize power for himself. The Grand Consort, realizing she was being used, tried to attack Lu Yuan but was restrained. Lu Yuan then mocked her, pointing out that Liu Yixuan hated him, and supporting him (Lu Yuan) to the throne would be suicide for her. The Grand Consort continued to deny her involvement and pleaded with Liu Yixuan to believe her.
