Episode 17 recap: After the death of the Prince Consort Su Rong Qing, he sought to marry the Princess.
Since Pei Wen Xuan had plummeted into a deep ravine, there had been no news of him. The Empress had Li Rong summoned to the palace and told her the news of Pei Wen Xuan's death. Li Rong found it hard to believe and for several days, shut herself in a temple, writing sutras and praying. Upon hearing this, Su Rong Qing repeatedly sent flowers to her, and ultimately went to see her in person, expressing his desire to marry Li Rong as his wife, not wanting to miss her again like in their previous life.
Meanwhile, the Qin family's case still lacked crucial evidence to prove their innocence, and the Emperor, having no other choice, ordered their conviction for treason and collusion with the enemy. On the day of the beheadings, all the implicated members of the Qin family were escorted to the execution ground, where Xun Chuan lay in ambush, waiting for the chance to stage a rescue. At the critical moment, the injured Pei Wen Xuan returned to the capital, and personally entered the palace to present evidence.
The North Yan Tower was the highest structure in the imperial palace, built specifically by the Emperor as an observatory. Over time, the Emperor and Empress rarely visited, and it gradually fell into disrepair, becoming a common place of banishment within the palace. Li Rong instructed Jing Mei to retrieve something, and as they climbed the stairs, they saw the Emperor sitting inside, sipping tea.
Li Rong paused for a moment, surprised, and reverently knelt before the Emperor. The Emperor, unusually setting aside his strength and majesty, recounted past events with Li Rong, reminiscing about the construction of the tower. The Emperor hoped Li Rong would understand his dilemma, and was well aware that among all his children, Li Rong was the most exceptional, and would have made an outstanding ruler if she were male.
That night, Xun Chuan went to find Shang Guan Ya to pass on the list on Li Rong's behalf. The quick-witted Shang Guan Ya, realizing the difficulty of toppling the powerful individuals on the list, decided to start with the army accountant Tian Zhong instead, a man known for his lascivious nature and frequenting of brothels. Xun Chuan was instructed to frame him for murder, obtaining a confession that could be used to their advantage in the future.
In the past few days, Li Rong had been restless, concerned about Pei Wen Xuan's safety. At this moment, the Empress came to see Li Rong and directly told her the news of Pei Wen Xuan's death by falling off a cliff. However, Li Rong confirmed that Pei Wen Xuan's body had not been found, leaving hope that he might still be alive.
After everyone had left, Li Rong sat alone at her desk for a long time, repeatedly writing Pei Wen Xuan's name all over the paper. Since the news of Pei Wen Xuan's death had spread in the capital, Li Rong had been wearing plain white clothes, staying in her room all day.
Everyone was taken aback by Li Rong's reaction, so Li Chuan came to comfort her specifically, but was blocked from entering by her people. During this time, aside from receiving messages from Shang Guan Ya and Xun Chuan, Li Rong paid no attention to anything else, silently copying scriptures, which ended up becoming letters to Pei Wen Xuan.
On the other hand, when Su Rong Qing learned of this, he sent people to investigate Pei Wen Xuan's whereabouts. Su Rong Hua felt that this was a great opportunity for his brother, so he pretended to defect to Rou Fei to be used by the Emperor, and if he sought the hand of the Princess of Pingle, he would surely succeed. Hearing his brother's words, Su Rong Qing was deeply inspired, and immediately sent a basket of flowers to the North Yan Tower.
Amidst the turbulent situation in the capital, the various noble families harbored ulterior motives, and even the Pei family wanted to distribute the inheritance. Yet, Su Rong Qing persisted in sending flowers to Li Rong, even though they were returned every time. Rou Fei helped Su Rong Qing speak favorably of him in front of the Emperor, intending to make him the next son-in-law.
Now, with only one day left before the Qin family's execution, Li Rong still had no news of Pei Wen Xuan, feeling disheartened and hopeless, yet still clinging to a glimmer of hope. She thus ordered Xun Chuan, under the guise of guarding, to quickly bring Qin Lin and his group to the Princess's residence. The Empress, concerned about her daughter's fate, urgently discussed strategies with her brother, and Shang Guan Xu stated that he would observe the situation calmly.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Su Rong Qing suddenly came to the North Yan Tower to seek an audience with Li Rong. The two engaged in a game of chess, each move decisive. Su Rong Qing told Li Rong that the evidence he had gathered could not be presented, or else he would not be able to leave the capital alive, and even if he tried, he would need the help of the Ministry of Justice, or else he would offend the entire noble family.
Li Rong listened without much concern, her brows and eyes full of mockery, which saddened Su Rong Qing. Mustering his courage, he expressed his intention to marry Li Rong, not wishing to miss the opportunity again. Upon hearing this, Li Rong first paused, then let out a bitter laugh, recalling the deathbed words of her previous life and the words of Pei Wen Xuan in this life, her heart torn in conflict.
At the same time, all the accused from the Qin family were being escorted to the execution grounds, and Xun Chuan was lying in wait among the crowd, ready to stage a rescue. The various ministers and officials urgently petitioned the Emperor, urging him to make a decision quickly. Just as the Emperor was about to issue a decree, Pei Wen Xuan's voice rang out from outside the palace, and everyone turned to see him, dressed in black, seemingly injured, striding into the hall and explaining how he had feigned death to uncover the evidence of the Qin family's innocence.
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