Episode 24 recap: Xue Dingfei pretended to go to the capital to pay respects.
Lord You approached Zhou Yinzhi and asked him to release You Fang Yin. When Zhou Yinzhi refused, Lord You threatened to inform Xue Yuan about Zhou Yinzhi's extortion. Since Xie Wei and Jiang Xue Ning were not present, Zhou Yinzhi had no choice but to agree. Initially, You Fang Yin was happy to hear that her father would secure her release, but when she returned home, she discovered that her father had incurred debts and intended to marry her off to someone else as payment. Since You Fang Yin disagreed, her mother locked her up.
You Fang Yin was contemplating her escape when Lv Xian suddenly arrived. Lv Xian offered to help her escape, but with the condition that she transfer Jiang Xue Ning's shares in the salt well. Upon hearing You Fang Yin's firm refusal, Lv Xian came up with another idea.
Following Lv Xian's suggestion, You Fang Yin began pretending to be sick. However, she didn't expect her mother to invite a physician, who diagnosed her with a joyful pulse. Lady You became furious, but Lv Xian arrived and proposed marriage, claiming that the child in You Fang Yin's belly was his. He even presented a stack of silver bills to settle You's family debts. Lady You finally smiled upon seeing the stack of silver bills. After leaving Lady You, Lv Xian met with You Fang Yin again. You Fang Yin was still puzzled about the joyful pulse, but Lv Xian expressed his love for her. Touched by his sincere words, You Fang Yin shed tears.
Impersonating Xue Dingfei, Jiang Xue Ning was persuaded to attend the birthday banquet. Outside the gate, Jiang Xue Ning noticed it was snowing. When she heard that Xue Dingfei intended to invite Xie Wei, Jiang Xue Ning, knowing that Xie Wei was sensitive to the cold, asked Xue Dingfei not to disturb him.
The banquet prepared by Xue Dingfei was a hot pot. Zhang Zhe also came to eat hot pot and presented Jiang Xue Ning with a birthday gift—a portrait he painted, accompanied by a poem. As Jiang Xue Ning looked at Zhang Zhe, she reflected on her feelings. She couldn't help but sigh, realizing that certain things, even if given a second chance, might not change. However, Zhang Zhe believed that with effort, things could definitely change.
Xue Dingfei had intended to get Zhang Zhe drunk but ended up getting himself intoxicated instead. Hearing them laughing and joking, Xie Wei felt uncomfortable. To avoid seeing them, he instructed Jian Shu to close the door. When Xue Dingfei mentioned his plan to return to the capital, Zhang Zhe reminded Jiang Xue Ning on their way back to her room that Xue Dingfei's background was unclear, and there might be some trouble when he returned to the capital. However, Jiang Xue Ning believed that since Xue Dingfei was chosen by Xie Wei, he shouldn't be too bad.
While the two of them were walking together, Jiang Xue Ning thought of the previous life when she made Zhang Zhe save Zhou Yinzhi, which resulted in Zhang Zhe ending up in prison. Even the Ministry of Justice didn't convict him, but Zhang Zhe blamed himself. Thinking about this, she felt deeply sorry and plucked a plum blossom, placing it behind Zhang Zhe's ear.
In these past few days, Xue Yuan had been observing Fake Xue Dingfei. As he looked at Fake Xue Dingfei, he recalled the events of the past. Prince of Pingnan had pointed his sword at Xue Dingfei, threatening Xue Yuan to lay down his weapons. However, Xue Yuan firmly told Prince of Pingnan that if his son was willing to sacrifice himself for the country, it was a source of pride for their Xue family. Without waiting for Prince of Pingnan to make a move, Xue Yuan shot an arrow toward Xue Dingfei.
While Xue Yuan pondered over this matter, Xie Wei was also thinking about it. He could never forget the resolute expression on his father's face at that time. Before returning to the capital, Xie Wei wrote a letter to the emperor, explaining the situation regarding finding Xue Dingfei and mentioning his significant contributions in suppressing Feng Mingyu's rebellion.
After reading Xie Wei's letter, the emperor was delighted. However, the empress dowager reminded him that even if Xue Dingfei was still alive, he was now an adult, and the emperor should be cautious. When Xie Wei returned and brought Fake Xue Dingfei to meet the emperor, Minister Gu raised doubts. Fake Xue Dingfei followed Xie Wei's instructions and recounted the childhood experiences he had with the emperor. Just as he convinced the emperor, Minister Gu proposed a question to the emperor. Since Xue Dingfei was Xue Yuan's son, whether he was real or fake, Xue Yuan would surely know.
Upon hearing Minister Gu's suggestion, the emperor turned his gaze towards Xue Yuan. Xue Yuan looked at the scar behind Fake Xue Dingfei's ear, feeling a mix of complex emotions and uncertain about whether he should acknowledge this son or not.
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