Episode 19 recap: Fourth Prince, Xiang Kelin, confesses his feelings to her.
Ban Xia noticed a young man standing outside the door and called her mother over to inquire about the situation. The man introduced himself as Shen Wangyan and stated that he came to seek refuge with Mr. Zheng. Du Ruyu informed him that Mr. Zheng had already sold the house to them.
She asked Shen Wangyan why he was looking for Mr. Zheng and if he was here for an examination. Shen Wangyan explained that he was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the "jiazi" year, so he wasn't here for an examination. He had been working as a servant at the Huang family's residence in another city, but unfortunately, Mr. Huang passed away suddenly, and that's why he came to seek refuge with Mr. Zheng. Since Mr. Zheng was no longer here, he bid farewell to Du Ruyu and her daughter.
Seeing that it was raining outside, Du Ruyu decided to let Shen Wangyan take shelter from the rain and instructed Ban Xia to pour him some tea. Ban Xia thought that Shen Wangyan was a fraud because she couldn't believe that a top scholar would choose to be a servant instead of pursuing an official career. Shen Wangyan explained that he had no money or connections, which prevented him from becoming an official. Du Ruyu asked him about his next plan, and Shen Wangyan mentioned that he knew many wealthy families in Jianglin and could try to find work with them to make a living. Du Ruyu became interested and asked Shen Wangyan to keep an eye out for good matches for her four daughters. She was particularly worried about her eldest daughter, Jinrong. Shen Wangyan assured her that it wouldn't be a problem and that he knew the third son of Minister Liu's family and would speak to him.
Kel Ling had read the Fourth Prince's letter countless times and couldn't contain her happiness at the thought of his return. Yao Wen and Yao Wu knew that Kel Ling regretted not accepting the Fourth Prince's confession the last time, so they subtly suggested that she should embrace her femininity more, like her older sister Jinrong, by wearing makeup and dressing up instead of behaving like a tomboy. Inspired by their words, Kel Ling went to Jinrong's room and used her sister's makeup. However, the result was disastrous, and she accidentally scared half to death a person she bumped into. Annoyed and embarrassed, Kel Ling threatened him that he must not refuse to go along with her plans, or else she wouldn't be kind to him.
Ban Xia encountered Du Ruyu talking to Shen Wangyan on the road and interrupted them. She told her mother that Shen Wangyan was a fraud. Du Ruyu didn't believe Ban Xia's words, but Shen Wangyan stated that the Liu family was quite satisfied with Jinrong's situation, and he came to get a detailed understanding of her. However, he needed more than just one or two days, and he would need to find a place to stay. Du Ruyu immediately offered to let Shen Wangyan stay at their house. Ban Xia was furious and followed Shen Wangyan. She discovered that he went to a brothel, and Xiao Xiao confirmed that a top scholar of the "jiazi" year was not named Shen Wangyan. Shen Wangyan admitted everything Ban Xia said. Ban Xia decided to confront him when her mother returned.
When Du Ruyu returned, Ban Xia told her that Shen Wangyan was a big fraud and hadn't actually been to the Liu family's house. She warned her mother not to be deceived. However, Shen Wangyan skillfully mentioned that the third son of Minister Liu was named Liu Daiyan and was 28 years old. Unwilling to give up, Ban Xia asked him why he went to the brothel. Shen Wangyan explained that he went there to exchange information because servants often gathered information at brothels since they were a source of various kinds of information. The Fourth Prince finally returned, and upon seeing Kel Ling with a bit of makeup, she appeared even more pure and lovely. Kel Ling secretly thought that if the Fourth Prince confessed his feelings again, she would definitely accept. However, the Fourth Prince stated that he had been too abrupt last time and wouldn't make Kel Ling uncomfortable this time.
Ignoring Ban Xia's objections, Du Ruyu gave Shen Wangyan two taels of silver as a token of gratitude, and Shen Wangyan immediately left to go to Minister Liu's house as a matchmaker. Du Ruyu prepared a table full of delicious food for him, but Ban Xia believed that Shen Wangyan wouldn't come back. However, to their surprise, Shen Wangyan returned and explained that the other party found Jinrong too old, but he was confident that he could find a good match for Miss Jinrong within three months. Ban Xia questioned him, stating that a top scholar of the "jiazi" year was not named Shen Wangyan. Shen Wangyan revealed that his real name was Xu Yuanchi. His father, Xu Wangshan, was falsely accused while serving as an official, so Xu Yuanchi adopted a false identity to gather evidence to help his father seek justice. Du Ruyu felt even more sympathetic towards Shen Wangyan and offered to prepare more delicious food for him. To make the Fourth Prince confess his feelings to Kel Ling, Yao Wen and Yao Wu disguised themselves as bandits and forced the Fourth Prince. Kel Ling beat the two of them up, and the Fourth Prince understood Kel Ling's intentions and expressed his affection for her deeply. Kel Ling shyly ran away.
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