Episode 25 recap: Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan had a confrontation.
Su Rong Qing's move was too harsh, pulling the rug out from under Pei Wen Xuan and completely undermining his foundations. The Emperor gave Li Rong a note, which greatly disheartened her. She returned to the princess's residence and told Pei Wen Xuan that based on the Emperor's temperament, he would likely test Pei Wen Xuan again, and that they may need to divorce to demonstrate Pei Wen Xuan's loyalty to the Emperor.
However, Pei Wen Xuan strongly opposed this, angrily accusing Li Rong of always unhesitatingly choosing power over considering his feelings. Li Rong was equally unyielding, booking an entire flower boat and bringing several men as companions, warning Pei Wen Xuan that if he was displeased, he could go to the Spring Wind Pavilion or write a divorce letter.
Pei Wen Xuan went to find Li Rong that night, and in his anger, forcefully kissed her. Li Rong had originally planned to use the hermit Hongde to delay the Crown Prince's wedding, but before she could act, Su Rong Qing had already used that tactic, as if he knew everything. Li Rong and Pei Wen Xuan speculated that Su Rong Qing might also be a reincarnated person, and this time he was definitely going to change the Su family's fate.
But Pei Wen Xuan suddenly felt a bit panicked. He could deal with the current Su Rong Qing, but if he faced the Su Rong Qing who used to be by Li Rong's side, he felt he would have no chance of winning. Sensing Pei Wen Xuan's unease, Li Rong comforted him, saying that Su Rong Qing was just an old friend to her now, and her heart belonged to Pei Wen Xuan.
The next morning, upon hearing that Li Rong had gone to the palace, Su Rong Qing instructed someone to send a message to Rou Fei, telling her to act according to the plan. Li Rong knew Hongde's true nature from her previous life, so this time she went to the palace to gather evidence and witness accounts to expose Hongde.
The Emperor summoned Hongde for a confrontation, and Hongde produced a talisman paper, claiming it was the astrological chart of the princess and her consort. Although Li Rong did not know about this, she recognized Pei Wen Xuan's handwriting and said it was just something the consort had casually requested.
Li Rong exposed Hongde's true identity, revealing that he was actually Wang Caitian, a con man who had committed a capital offense and subsequently infiltrated the Qingfeng Monastery. Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately had Hongde arrested. Rou Fei quickly distanced herself from Hongde, but Li Rong still wanted to continue interrogating him, so she had him taken back to the Superintendent's Office.
Rou Fei took the talisman paper to the Emperor, claiming it was a talisman of their three-life marriage, proving the consort's deep love for the princess. The Emperor felt that since Pei Wen Xuan came from a humble background, he was initially intended to balance the power of the influential families. If he were to be controlled by Li Rong, it would not be good, so he planned to relieve Pei Wen Xuan of his official position and let him focus solely on being the consort.
Li Rong felt there were not many people who could be trusted around the emperor, and she did not want to give up on Pei Wen Xuan just yet. She thought that if Pei Wen Xuan could demonstrate his loyalty to the emperor, there might still be a chance. So she decided that if necessary, she would temporarily dissolve her marriage with Pei Wen Xuan, but this would only be a temporary measure.
When Pei Wen Xuan heard this plan, he became furious. He said he would rather not hold an official position than separate from Li Rong, and he accused Li Rong of only caring about power and status. Hearing this, Li Rong also got angry and went out to rent a flower boat and invited some performers to come drink with her.
When Pei Wen Xuan found out, he became extremely upset and went to find Li Rong with a sword. On the flower boat, he saw a letter that Li Rong had written to him, and he realized that she did care for him. He then went to find Li Rong with the sword, and on the boat, they had an open conversation, eventually embracing each other.
Meanwhile, Rou Fei had prepared a calming herbal tea for the emperor, and the eunuch had inspected it and found no issues.
On the flower boat, the performers began their show, and suddenly Cui Yu Lang emerged from a box, saying he wanted to seek justice for his friend Chen Hou Zhao, who had been framed by the local magistrate Xiao Pingzhang and lost the chance to participate in the imperial examination. Cui Yu Lang wanted to ask Li Rong for help in investigating the case, but before Li Rong could respond, Pei Wen Xuan rushed over and drove Cui Yu Lang away.
Pei Wen Xuan then pulled Li Rong onto another boat, and they had an open conversation. But during their talk, Pei Wen Xuan suddenly kissed Li Rong and pushed her down onto the boat deck. Li Rong pushed him away, and there were two bloody marks on her neck.
She scolded Pei Wen Xuan, but Pei Wen Xuan hugged her and said how much he cared for her. Hearing this, Li Rong's heart softened, and they embraced each other.
Comments(Episode 25)