Episode 16 recap: Empress Dowager Cixi's death led to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty.
Seeing the Qing Dynasty on the verge of collapse, Empress Dowager Cixi was reminded of the jade pomegranate and shed tears of sadness. After wiping away her tears, she suddenly expressed a desire to listen to a play performed by a young actor. This time Yang Shang De did not refuse, but on their way to the palace, they received news of Empress Dowager Cixi's passing.
After Empress Dowager Cixi's death, Emperor Puyi ascended the throne. Four years later, the Qing Dynasty fell, and the Republic of China was established. Wu Xiu Zhen gave birth to a son and a daughter for Li Tian Shun. The siblings were playing in the street when a few soldiers noticed that the boy's hair was not cut, so they grabbed him and cut his hair.
The son returned home and complained to Li Tian Shun. The soldiers followed him and saw that Li Tian Shun's hair was also uncut. They told him about President Yuan's order and threatened to cut his hair as well. When Li Tian Shun resisted, they pulled out a pistol, and only then did Li Tian Shun obediently lower his head.
Wang Tong Ren was strolling in the street when he coincidentally encountered Wang Xiao Hua. He learned that Wang Xiao Hua had given birth to a son for him, so he gave her a gold hairpin, hoping to meet his son. However, Wang Xiao Hua refused and told Wang Tong Ren that if he became successful one day, he should not forget that he had a son. After saying this, she left.
Watching Wang Xiao Hua's figure fade away, Wang Tong Ren realized that the Wang family would continue, and he felt overjoyed. Pu Lan Ting voluntarily cut off his queue. He had been saddened by the downfall of the Qing Dynasty for a while and decided to shave his head completely. Pu Lan Ting went to Xiangfei Baozi Shop, where Huang He Xiang quietly informed him that Yang Shang De still refused to cut his hair. Pu Lan Ting decided to persuade him.
Wang Tong Ren, holding a divination board, happened to encounter the woman he had deceived before. The woman had become the third concubine of Minister Wu. She was very grateful to Wang Tong Ren for the fortune-telling he did for her in the past. Unfortunately, Minister Wu married the seventh concubine, so she was no longer favored. Wang Tong Ren felt that Minister Wu must be a high-ranking official and began to fawn over him.
While Pu Lan Ting was persuading Yang Shang De to cut his hair, a beggar suddenly approached them. Pu Lan Ting was astonished to discover that the beggar was none other than Cui Gonggong. He realized that Cui Gonggong had not died.
Cui Gonggong wanted to know where Mingyue was, and he explicitly told Pu Lan Ting that if he couldn't find Mingyue, he would hold Pu Lan Ting responsible for the jade pomegranate.
Yang Shang De bought several boxes of skincare products and wanted Huang He Xiang to close the baozi shop. However, Huang He Xiang believed that since everyone liked to eat there, it wouldn't be fair to close it. After saying this, she once again advised Yang Shang De to cut his hair to avoid trouble, but Yang Shang De adamantly refused. While Yang Shang De was asleep, Huang He Xiang secretly helped him cut his hair.
Wang Tong Ren was squatting by the roadside taking a nap when someone approached him for divination. When Wang Tong Ren opened his eyes, he discovered that it was Cui Gonggong and thought he had encountered a ghost. Cui Gonggong asked Wang Tong Ren to treat him to a bowl of wonton soup and brought up the matter of the jade pomegranate again. He reminded Wang Tong Ren that if he wanted to get rich through the jade pomegranate, he must establish relationships with high-ranking officials such as the governor-general.
After Yang Shang De woke up, he realized his queue was gone and felt he couldn't show himself in public. He was about to get angry with Huang He Xiang when she walked in with a hat. She had sewn Yang Shang De's queue onto the hat for him to wear regularly, and he could take off the hat when encountering soldiers.
Wu Xiu Zhen reminded Li Tian Shun that Cui Gonggong was not to be underestimated and he had to be careful, as anything terrible could happen. Cui Gonggong went to Juhe Zhai and asked Li Tian Shun for help in finding the jade pomegranate. When Li Tian Shun refused to assist him, Cui Gonggong uttered some harsh words and left. Watching his departing figure, Li Tian Shun suddenly had a foreboding feeling.
Minister Wu was shopping with the third concubine when Wang Tong Ren suddenly knelt in front of him. Wang Tong Ren called him "Your Lordship," and with the cooperation of the third concubine, they bewildered the minister, treating him as a divine being. The Lord bestowed a deputy officer title upon Wang Tong Ren because, during the divination, Wang Tong Ren had said that Yuan Shikai had the Emperor's mandate. Minister Wu asked Wang Tong Ren to retrieve the Imperial Seal and present it to President Yuan.
Comments(Episode 16)