Episode 16 recap: Li Cheng Ze recommended Fan Xian to preside over the spring imperial examination.
Li Cheng Ze framed and implicated Fan Xian using assassins. He was placed under house arrest by Emperor Qing. Ye Ling Er came to visit Li Cheng Ze, and Li Cheng Ze asked her to submit a memorial to Emperor Qing, recommending Fan Xian to preside over the spring imperial examination, hoping to implicate Fan Xian again.
Emperor Qing felt that the power of the Censor's Office was too great, and he could not control it. Lin Wan Er embroidered a mandarin duck playing in the water, which Fan Xian thought looked like a wild duck. Third Prince Li Cheng Ping and his cousin Fan Si Zhe jointly opened the Baoyue Tower, where many young scions of noble families in the capital went to seek pleasure.
After the incident of a death at the Baoyue Tower, Fan Xian angrily shut down the establishment. After thorough investigation, the imperial censor Lai Ming Cheng confirmed that Li Cheng Ze was the mastermind behind the incident. Emperor Qing punished Li Cheng Ze with six months of house arrest, and Li Cheng Ze deliberately left the mess of the Baoyue Tower to Fan Xian.
After taking over the Baoyue Tower, Fan Xian carried out a comprehensive overhaul, burning all the contracts that bound the girls, allowing them to only sell their talents and not their bodies. The girls' personal rights and interests were protected, and they were willing to stay at the Baoyue Tower. The young scions surrounded and harassed Fan Xian, forcing him to return the Baoyue Tower to Li Cheng Ping, and even insulted Fan Xian, leading to a brawl. Wang Qi Nian advised Fan Xian not to provoke these people, as their parents were distinguished officials in the Kingdom of Qing.
Fan Xian guessed that these young scions were instigated by Li Cheng Ze, who wanted to stir up a conflict between Fan Xian and Li Cheng Ping. Fan Xian easily defeated these spoiled young scions, and Deng Zi Yue rushed over and had them all arrested.
Hearing about this, Li Cheng Ze wanted to stir up more trouble to push Fan Xian into an irreversible crisis, but since he was under house arrest, he summoned Ye Ling Er through Xie Bi'an. Li Cheng Ze revealed all his secrets to Ye Ling Er, explaining that he did not originally want to be an enemy of Fan Xian, but it was Emperor Qing who had pushed him to this point, using him as a whetstone for the Crown Prince Li Cheng Qian. Ye Ling Er was shocked by this revelation.
Li Cheng Ze asked Ye Ling Er to submit a memorial to Emperor Qing, recommending Fan Xian to serve as an examiner for the upcoming spring imperial examination. During the spring examination, high-ranking officials would go to great lengths to ensure their favorite students succeeded. Li Cheng Ze wanted to use this opportunity to frame Fan Xian for corruption and malpractice.
Fearing that the parents of the young scions would complain to Emperor Qing, Fan Xian took the initiative to seek help from Yi Gui Pin. Upon learning that Li Cheng Ping had secretly opened a brothel, Yi Gui Pin soundly beat him. Fan Xian stepped in to plead for Li Cheng Ping and also told Yi Gui Pin about Li Cheng Ze's schemes, making her realize that Li Cheng Ze had used the Baoyue Tower to implicate Fan Si Zhe and Li Cheng Ping. She asked Fan Xian to take good care of Li Cheng Ping.
Chen Ping Ping, worried that the parents of the beaten young scions would file a complaint with the Censor's Office, fled to the imperial palace to inform Emperor Qing about Li Cheng Ping's beating. Emperor Qing was furious, realizing that Chen Ping Ping had learned of the palace's affairs before him, and he grew wary of the Censor's Office. Chen Ping Ping smiled and laughed his way through the situation.
The Ye family and Li Cheng Ze jointly recommended Fan Xian to serve as an examiner for the Imperial Examination. Emperor Qing received their memorial and first sought the opinion of Chen Ping Ping. Chen Ping Ping, aware of the importance of the Imperial Examination, pretended to be ignorant.
During an experiment with explosives, Emperor Qing accidentally blew up his own face, leaving Chen Ping Ping trying to suppress his laughter. Ever since Ye Qingmei's death, Emperor Qing had begun developing impenetrable armor and devastating explosives. He had witnessed Ye Qingmei use a sniper rifle to kill two princes, which had allowed him to ascend to the throne.
Just as Fan Xian was about to leave the palace, Eunuch Hou summoned him and Emperor Qing appointed him as a Fourth Rank Zhonglang, granting him full authority over the upcoming Imperial Examination. Fan Ruoruo followed Fan Xian and diligently studied medicine, quickly mastering anatomy and suturing techniques.
Fan Xian hurried to visit Lin Waner, who advised him not to take the attacks by the young masters personally, and even offered to apologize on his behalf. Lin Waner knew these young masters were arranged by Li Cheng Ze, making Fan Xian believe this was the extent of Li's retaliation, when in fact the Imperial Examination was Li's true scheme to get back at Fan Xian.
The Imperial Examination was a grand event for all the scholars in the land, who had toiled through the night to achieve their dreams. Lin Waner warned Fan Xian to be cautious and not fall into Li Cheng Ze's trap. She said she would accompany Fan Xian anywhere if he lost, deeply touching him. She had already made full preparations, just waiting for Li Cheng Ze to make his move.
When Lin Waner wanted to get married, she gave Fan Xian a handkerchief she had embroidered herself. Though her embroidery skills were poor, making the mandarin ducks look like water fowl, Fan Xian was moved by her sincerity and promised to take her to see all the beautiful sights in the world after their marriage, which she eagerly looked forward to.
As the Imperial Examination approached, students from all over gathered in the capital, overcrowding the inns. Examination candidate Shi Chanli, after much difficulty, found a room to share with four others, but had spent all his money. The inn keeper, after verifying his identity, told him to find the examiners through backdoor channels. He Zongwei, hoping to pass the examination, personally went to ask Fan Xian to be his mentor, reminding him that he had once helped Guo Baokun in a lawsuit, and begged Fan Xian to take him in, causing Fan Xian to hastily flee.
Wang Qinian informed Fan Xian of an important news - that Shi Chanli was the sole survivor of the Shi Family Village. Shi Family Village was a key smuggling route for Li Yunrui and Li Cheng Ze to the Northern Qi. Li Chengqian had the village burned to the ground and framed Li Cheng Ze, hoping to deepen the hatred between Li Cheng Ze and Fan Xian, though Fan Xian was unaware of this and thought Li Cheng Ze had ordered the village's destruction.
Xie Bian heard that Shi Chanli was the only witness left and wanted to kill him to silence him. Li Cheng Ze firmly refused, as he had not burned down the Shi Family Village and also wanted to know who was responsible.
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