The Song of Glory Episode 7 Recap
> The Song of Glory Recap
Shen Lige bravely ventured into Lu Yuan's manor, facing numerous guards alone. She fought her way through, moving like a phantom, until she reached the main area where Lu Yuan was waiting. Lu Yuan remarked that she had finally arrived, having prepared hot tea for her. Shen Lige noted the elaborate setup but declined the tea, knowing she was walking into a trap, and a fight ensued.
Lu Yuan acknowledged her preparedness, to which Shen Lige replied that one must always be ready when dealing with him. After more fighting, Shen Lige reached the dungeon where A'Ling was held captive, urging A'Ling to hurry as she couldn't last much longer. She then offered Lu Yuan a deal: release A'Ling, and she would help bring down the Shen family. Lu Yuan questioned her qualifications and offered to spare her life if she surrendered.
Shen Lige challenged him, asking if he was afraid. She then proposed exposing Shen's biological daughter, who would assassinate Prince Peng Cheng under the Consort Dowager's command, to be ordered by Shen Tingzhang. This, she explained, would allow Lu Yuan to avenge his humiliation and ensure the Shen family's downfall. Lu Yuan found the deal appealing but doubted her sincerity. Shen Lige then threw an explosive, creating a diversion to rescue A'Ling.
Enraged, Lu Yuan pursued them, but Shen Lige had set traps along the way. Both were injured in the ensuing struggle and fell into a river. Xue Qiu rescued Lu Yuan from the river, bringing him back to the manor for treatment. Upon hearing of Lu Yuan’s injuries, his father rallied the household guards, eager to storm the General's manor in retaliation. However, Lu Yuan, who had just regained consciousness, stopped him.
He cautioned that Shen Tingzhang was not easily defeated, controlling the entire Shuiyuan Army, and a direct confrontation would be reckless. Instead, Lu Yuan resolved to take revenge slowly and methodically. He suspected a deeper motive behind Shen Lige, a woman who appeared from nowhere to become Shen’s daughter and was now slated to marry Prince Peng Cheng. Believing Shen Tingzhang’s daughter could be his greatest weakness, Lu Yuan saw an opportunity to permanently eliminate the Shen family.
He ordered that news of his severe injuries be kept secret, acknowledging that many wished him dead, as he planned his intricate revenge. Meanwhile, Liu Yikang was on his boat, discussing with Xu Zhan the discovery of red mud unique to Qixia Mountain in Lu Yuan's stable, leading him to suspect Lu Yuan’s secret weapon casting plant was there. Just then, Shen Lige, having swum out of the river, climbed onto his boat.
Liu Yikang, recognizing her, asked if she had gone to kill Lu Yuan again. He questioned her reliance on killing, arguing it only left her scarred. Shen Lige, however, declared her unwavering resolve to take Lu Yuan's life. As she prepared to leave, Liu Yikang pulled her hairpin, claiming it as payment for the boat ride, since he had saved her.
Shen Lige, quick to learn, retaliated by snatching his jade pendant, stating it was payment for the herbal medicine she used to treat her previous wounds. Liu Yikang playfully countered that his jade was priceless, while her bandaging skills, though invaluable, used common herbs. Before she left, he noticed her injuries and offered his care, to which Shen Lige asked how she could repay him. Liu Yikang simply said, "We will meet again."
General Shen Zhi received a report that a female assassin had severely injured Protectorate General Lu. Given previous coincidences and the difficulty of obtaining information from San Jiu Hall, he grew suspicious of Shen Lige. However, upon returning to the Shen manor, he found Shen Lige cheerfully chatting with her mother and Shen Feng, even offering him osmanthus cake she had personally made.
Her natural demeanor, combined with his family’s happiness, dispelled his doubts, leading him to conclude he had been mistaken. Later, seeing the cloak and jade pendant on her table, Shen Lige found herself reminiscing about her encounters with Liu Yikang. She felt a sense of destiny, that he always appeared when she was most vulnerable, offering her warmth and concern. Shen Lige officially entered the ancestral hall, acknowledging her ancestors.
Her original name was Shen Jia'er, but her parents decided to keep her current name, Lige, to honor her master's life-saving grace, even changing the family registry. Shen Tingzhang, unaccustomed to matters of feminine crafts, sought out the renowned Hong Yun Workshop to commission wedding embroidery. He proudly presented the "A Happily Married Couple" design, believing it to be the finest.
However, Shen Lige’s mother pointed out that this particular pattern was traditionally for couples celebrating thirty years of marriage, not for a bride-to-be, much to Shen Tingzhang’s embarrassment. Shen Lige, touched by his thoughtfulness, assured him that she liked it regardless. Meanwhile, Wang Zijin’s three-year mourning period concluded, and she was preparing to return to Jiankang. Consort Dowager intended to arrange her marriage to Liu Yixuan, Prince Jing Ling.
However, Liu Yixuan was also still recovering from a past heartbreak, and Wang Zijin, who harbored feelings for Shen Zhi, explicitly told her father she would not marry, declaring she already had a good man in her heart. Her father explained that he could not refuse a royal decree. Back at the Shen manor, Shen Feng teased Shen Zhi for lurking around, knowing he was eager to see Wang Zijin.
Shen Feng declared that he only recognized Wang Zijin as his future sister-in-law, urging Shen Zhi to be more proactive. Later, Wang Zijin sought out Shen Zhi, recounting the exact duration of her mourning period. She inquired if he would leave again, stating that if she were married, she wouldn’t. Shen Zhi awkwardly suggested that Prince Jing Ling was an exemplary man, but Wang Zijin, seeing through his pretense, remarked that he was a poor liar.
Wang Zijin visited the Shen family, presenting Qingluo jade as a dowry gift for Shen Lige, on behalf of her father, Lord Wang of Langya. Shen Tingzhang reminisced about her two elder brothers who died in battle with him, expressing his appreciation for her father's current peaceful life. Shen Tingzhang then introduced Shen Lige to Wang Zijin, who praised Shen Lige’s beauty and extended her congratulations to the Shen family for finding their daughter.
Shen Lige’s mother hoped the two would consider each other sisters. After Wang Zijin departed, Shen Lige’s mother expressed her admiration for Wang Zijin, lamenting the hardships she faced as the head of her household. Shen Lige realized that Wang Zijin was the woman Shen Feng had mentioned her older brother liked. Her mother confirmed Shen Zhi's long-standing affection for Wang Zijin, but explained the difficulties due to the Wang family's esteemed status and the Consort Dowager's marriage decree.
At San Jiu Hall, A'Ling, having recovered from her injuries, announced her decision to leave the Vermilion Bird Alliance and live a free life, requesting her senior brother not to inform their master. She wanted to start anew, seeking freedom. Shen Lige watched A’Ling leave, reflecting that A'Ling had many paths, but she herself only had one.
Chen Shao Xun, her senior brother, warned Shen Lige not to continue her charade in the Shen family, fearing dire consequences if the truth was revealed. Shen Lige acknowledged his warning and left. Later, Shen Lige returned to Liu Yikang’s boat to return his cloak. She found a painting of herself on his table, along with "Wine of Each Other's Heart" and snacks.
She complained that he had painted her ugly and added a few strokes to the portrait, leaving a note for him. She then heard him approaching and hid. Liu Yikang entered, discussing with Xu Zhan the ongoing investigation into Lu Yuan's private foundry on Mount Qixia. He mentioned having obtained a badge but not yet found the entrance, planning to go there himself to find evidence of illegal weaponry manufacturing.
After Xu Zhan left, Liu Yikang noticed the changes to the painting and Shen Lige’s incomplete note. Realizing she was still on board, he called her out. Shen Lige emerged, returning the cloak and insisting on joining his investigation of Lu Yuan. Liu Yikang agreed, suggesting she change her clothes for their mission. Disguised as new stewards, Shen Lige and Liu Yikang infiltrated Lu Yuan's estate.
They passed the initial guards with a pre-arranged code and a badge Liu Yikang presented. Inside, they encountered a supervisor and claimed Lu Yuan sent them to inspect the goods for Prince Jiang Dong’s upcoming birthday. The supervisor reluctantly showed them weapons crafted with specific dragon and fish patterns, which Liu Yikang used to deduce information about Prince Jiang Dong’s "Fish Scale Sword". Liu Yikang confirmed the patterns' compliance and then demanded to be taken to the foundry.
The supervisor refused, insisting on Lu Yuan's personal badge, which Liu Yikang promptly produced. However, the supervisor became suspicious, questioning the legitimacy of the badge without a written note, and called for guards, leading to a fight. Shen Lige revealed her exceptional fighting skills, impressing Liu Yikang. As chaos erupted, a group of horse bandits suddenly stormed the estate. The bandit leader, finding a dropped token, mistakenly identified Shen Lige and Liu Yikang as Lu Yuan's people and captured them.
When confronted, a crowd of villagers rushed forward, kneeling before Shen Lige and Liu Yikang, begging for the release of their family members who had been forced to work in the foundry. Liu Yikang tried to explain that they were not from the Lu family and were also searching for the foundry. The bandit leader, disbelieving him due to the token, threatened them.
However, Liu Yikang noticed a black tattoo on the bandit leader's arm, realizing he was a former member of the Black Armor Army, and suggested that, like them, he shouldn't trust the Lu family.
