Episode 8 recap: Mu Zhuo Hua participated in the hairpin flower poetry gathering.
Song Yun and others were very happy and invited Mu Zhuo Hua to join them for a drink. One of Princess Rou Jia's maidservants approached Mu Zhuo Hua and informed him that the princess would be hosting a hairpin flower poetry gathering the next day, inviting Mu Zhuo Hua to attend as well. Mu Zhuo Hua was initially delighted, but Guo Ju Li mentioned that he wasn't skilled in poetry and literature. Upon reflection, Mu Zhuo Hua felt dejected.
At the hairpin flower poetry gathering, many people were discussing the recent examination. They mentioned that Mu Zhuo Hua had achieved the seventeenth position, which was the highest rank ever achieved by a woman. However, many people looked down upon Mu Zhuo Hua, believing that women should stay at home and focus on being wives and mothers. They thought that even if a woman became an official, it would be of no significance. Moreover, they criticized the policy proposals written by Mu Zhuo Hua, claiming that she was the only one advocating for appeasement. They believed that women were simply fearful of death and only sought personal gain.
Upon hearing these remarks, Mu Zhuo Hua didn't hesitate to fire back, mocking and ridiculing them. Princess Rou Jia arrived and expressed her support for Mu Zhuo Hua's response, stating that the ranking was determined by the chief examiners. She questioned whether those individuals believed they were more knowledgeable and influential than the examiners, allowing them to discuss rankings in such a manner. Everyone quickly disclaimed any such notion. Princess Rou Jia also criticized Shen Jing Hong, feeling that as the top-ranked examinee, he should have set an example and not allowed such gender-based criticisms of other women to take place.
The Crown Prince couldn't bear it and planned to come over to say a few words. However, to his surprise, he encountered Mu Zhuo Hua, the female scholar Liu Yan valued highly. He immediately changed his tune. The Crown Prince thought that the previous selection of the top scorer was easily influenced by popular opinion. This time, for the poetry competition, he suggested conducting an anonymous vote to focus solely on talent. The Crown Prince stated that he and Liu Yan would also participate, and Rou Jia Gong Zhu agreed to it.
Rou Jia Gong Zhu presented the rewards for the poetry competition, which included a potted flower and a lone copy of a book. As Liu Yan passed by Mu Zhuo Hua, he intentionally dropped his jade pendant. Seizing the opportunity when Mu Zhuo Hua picked it up for him, he reminded her that a tall tree attracts the wind and advised her to be cautious. Mu Zhuo Hua was particularly fond of the lone copy of the book and felt that she couldn't remain low-key this time. However, she recognized her limited poetic skills and had to think of a solution.
After all the poems were submitted, Rou Jia Gong Zhu asked Mu Zhuo Hua to recite a poem. When Mu Zhuo Hua came to her own poem, she implied that it was Liu Yan's work. When it came time for the vote, everyone gave face to Liu Yan and cast their votes in favor of the poem, making it the top scorer. Unexpectedly, it was Mu Zhuo Hua's poem, which surprised everyone. Liu Yan poured a cup of hot tea for Mu Zhuo Hua and asked her to hold it. Mu Zhuo Hua knew that Liu Yan had realized she had used him to play a deliberate trick on herself, and she dared not let go even though she was being scalded. Mu Zhuo Hua was overjoyed when she received the lone copy of the book.
Rou Jia Gong Zhu went to find Shen Jing Hong, expressing that being a woman was difficult. She mentioned saying a few words on Mu Zhuo Hua's behalf and also criticized Shen Jing Hong, asking him not to take it to heart. Shen Jing Hong stated that Mu Zhuo Hua had many clever ideas to win, and he admired her.
Zhi Jian discovered that the head of the hospital, Fu Shengru, had developed a new medicine back then, using a lot of Zhi Xian fruit. Fu Shengru failed to cure Liu Yan's mother, the Imperial Consort, and out of fear, he committed suicide, and his home was ransacked. Liu Yan went to Fu Shengru's house to investigate, finding it in a chaotic state. After Zhi Jian and the others cleaned it up, they called Zhao Yuan Shi to take a look. Liu Yan also felt emotional, realizing that these people were willing to undermine the foundation of the country just to get rid of him. Was there truly no family affection within the royal family?
The Empress Dowager also disregarded such family affection. Pei Lan investigated Mu Zhuo Hua's family background and reported that she had connections to the Mu family of Yanzhou and Huaizhou, which allowed her to pursue her studies, but she was not a descendant of the generals. The Empress Dowager couldn't understand why Liu Yan favored Mu Zhuo Hua so much. Pei Lan suggested that Mu Zhuo Hua was quite attractive, but the Empress Dowager thought that Liu Yan had succumbed to worldly desires.
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