Episode 13 recap: Li Cheng Ze bribed a hired assassin to frame Fan Xian.
Fan Xian returned to the capital from Northern Qi, and Lin Wan Er had been avoiding him until Fan Xian debated with the imperial censors. Then Lin Wan Er came to see him, bringing up the poem Fan Xian wrote for Hai Tang Duo Duo, questioning his deep feelings for her. Wang Qi Nian was sweating bullets on Fan Xian's behalf.
Fan Xian took Lin Wan Er to visit Chen Ping Ping's residence, where Chen Ping Ping kept many talented singing and dancing beauties and lived a luxurious and comfortable life. Chen Ping Ping gave them precious gifts as souvenirs.
Ignoring Ye Ling Er's advice, Li Cheng Ze directly swallowed the antidote Fan Xian gave him, then worried that he would be poisoned to death, so he had Ye Ling Er escort him back home to prepare for his own funeral. Chen Ping Ping was concerned about Fan Xian's injuries and wanted to see him, so Wang Qi Nian drove a carriage to take Fan Xian and Lin Wan Er to Chen Ping Ping's residence in the suburbs - Chen Garden.
On the way, Lin Wan Er sulked and wouldn't say a word. Fan Xian desperately tried to find topics to dispel the awkwardness. When he mentioned Chen Ping Ping, Lin Wan Er finally spoke up. Fan Xian repeatedly explained that the rumors Li Cheng Ze spread about him and Hai Tang Duo Duo were completely false, and asked Wang Qi Nian to corroborate.
Lin Wan Er directly recited the poem Fan Xian wrote about the crabapple blossoms. Fan Xian explained that he had copied the poem, but Lin Wan Er didn't believe him. When Fan Xian escorted Xiao En to Northern Qi, the crabapple blossom teacher Xiu He had ordered Xiao En's death, so in a moment of desperation, Fan Xian recited that poem to save his own life.
Lin Wan Er was persistent, bringing up how Fan Xian and Hai Tang Duo Duo danced together at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. Fan Xian swore that it was just an act for the martial arts competition. Lin Wan Er asked Fan Xian to write her a poem, which put him in a difficult position, as all his previous poems were copied. He had to write a new one for Lin Wan Er, and he took the opportunity to flirt with her, which exasperated her.
Chen Ping Ping's residence, Chen Garden, was a secluded paradise. As soon as Fan Xian entered, he saw many beautiful girls playing and frolicking in the garden. Both Fan Xian and Lin Wan Er were greatly startled by the scene - it seemed to have gathered the most beautiful girls from all over.
A group of ladies in red were dancing gracefully in the garden. Chen Ping Ping was reclining on a soft couch, appreciating their elegant dance, accompanied by a young military officer. The officer had been sitting for too long and was occasionally patting his tired waist. Fan Xian learned from Lin Wan Er that the officer was Qin Heng, the son of General Qin Ye. Qin Heng nodded to Fan Xian and Lin Wan Er, and Chen Ping Ping watched them intently. Fan Xian didn't want to disturb them, so he and Lin Wan Er sat down in a nearby pavilion.
After the dance, an elderly man carrying a pipa took the stage and sang the poem Fan Xian had recited at the poetry gathering in Prince Jing's mansion. Qin Heng proactively came to greet Fan Xian. Seeing this, Chen Ping Ping quickly called Lin Wan Er to her side and had Qin Heng go to Fan Xian himself.
Fan Xian talked about Qin Ye taking a nap in front of the palace hall. Qin Heng revealed that Qin Ye could not sleep at home, so he went there to take a nap. Fan Xian thought Qin Ye was a remarkable person. After the elder finished singing a song, he got up and left. Chen Ping Ping was still reluctant to part, but he did not force the elder and let Lin Wan Er accompany him to the room for tea.
Ye Ling Er escorted Li Cheng Ze home. Li Cheng Ze took the antidote given by Fan Xian and did not die. He was conflicted, feeling both joy and trepidation towards Fan Xian. Qin Heng stated their purpose - the Qin family had dealings with Li Cheng Ze, but they never got involved in the prince's struggles. He asked Fan Xian not to implicate the Qin family, and Fan Xian assured him that as long as the Qin family was not corrupt, they would not be implicated.
Fan Xian had originally wanted to use Li Cheng Ze to thoroughly investigate the corruption of officials, but unexpectedly caused widespread unease among civil and military officials. He confided his hidden concerns to Chen Ping Ping, who asked Fan Xian to first eliminate this major corrupt official, and then gave Fan Xian a wheelchair to continue his charade of illness, as well as a priceless jewelry box for Lin Wan Er.
After days of investigation, Deng Zi Yue finally found the three people who committed the crime at the Embracing Moon Pavilion and arrested them. He then reported to Chen Ping Ping. Fan Xian swore to seek justice for the deceased Lao Jin Tou and the golden lady.
Chen Ping Ping was eager to know if Fan Xian had poisoned Li Cheng Ze. Fan Xian had originally planned to poison Li Cheng Ze, but Ye Ling Er's words reminded him. He decided to punish Li Cheng Ze according to the laws of the Qing Kingdom, to restore peace and prosperity to the people, which was the wish engraved on Ye Qingmei's stele.
In a hurry, Fan Xian rushed back, only to find that the three people unanimously claimed Fan Xian was the mastermind. Fan Xian guessed they were assassins planted by Li Cheng Ze, intentionally letting themselves be caught to frame and implicate Fan Xian. The Jingdu Prefect's Office had the three taken away, and they confessed that Fan Xian was the mastermind.
Li Cheng Ze had close ties with the Jingdu Prefect's Office, and he did not want to be implicated, so he had the three people sent to the Ministry of Justice. Lin Ruo Fu, hearing about this, was anxious for Fan Xian. He summoned Fan Xian to his home, and the little princess was overjoyed to see Fan Xian again.
Lin Ruo Fu urged Fan Xian to shift the blame to Fan Si Zhe, but Fan Xian firmly refused. He reasoned that if he were to sacrifice Fan Si Zhe to protect himself, how could he then protect the little princess in the future. Lin Ruo Fu no longer insisted, and Fan Xian had already devised a plan - he discovered that the three were murderers with a long history of bloodshed.
The officials from the Ministry of Justice took the three suspects away, but they were all silenced as soon as they left the Jingdu Prefect's Office. Only one assassin, Fan Wu Jiu, a follower of Li Cheng Ze, was caught. Hearing this, Li Cheng Ze was stunned. Ye Ling Er suspected that Li Cheng Ze had framed and killed to implicate Fan Xian.
Comments(Episode 13)