Episode 30 recap: Shen Du Refuses the Marriage Proposal
In Episode 30, Lai Luo Fu returns and confesses to Lai Luo Zhi that he failed to handle a situation properly. Lai Luo Zhi asks if everyone from the Huo'e Men in the Gan Nan Dao region is gone, to which Lai Luo Fu confirms. She also inquires whether the issue with the Half-Face Ghosts has been resolved, and Lai Luo Fu mentions that he has already poisoned them.
Lai Luo Zhi questions Lai Luo Fu about the items left for Shen Du by Mo Qian Zhi. Lai Luo Fu shows him the items, and when Lai Luo Zhi inspects them, he discovers they are poetry collections. Furious, he accuses Lai Luo Fu of being deceived by Shen Du. It turns out Shen Du had indeed seen the box but had switched its contents.
As Shen Du and Yan Xing are heading back, they encounter assassins on the road. Shen Du immediately engages them in combat. Afterward, he pulls Yan Xing back, and they ride together into the capital.
Upon their arrival at the palace, they run into Princess Yong An and the County Lord of Jia An, who are leaving. The princess remarks that Shen Du must be exhausted after returning and needing to enter the palace right away.
After Princess Yong An exits, Yan Xing and Shen Du report their findings to the Empress Dowager. She asks Shen Du what he desires, while Zhang Bao Huan points out that Shen Du is already the head of the officials and has received all the rewards possible. The Empress Dowager suggests that if Zhang Bao Huan speaks this way, Shen Du might think she is wary of him, using Zhang Bao Huan to pressure him.
Shen Du asserts that he does not need rewards and insists that Yan Xing, who played a crucial role in this incident, deserves recognition. The Empress Dowager acknowledges that the bond between Yan Xing and Shen Du has strengthened, and she promotes Yan Xing to a sixth-rank official.
As they leave, Shen Du expresses his desire to take Yan Xing somewhere. He leads her to a place filled with the ancestral tablets of the Shen family, sharing that his mother urged him to survive so that he could seek justice for the Shen family's grievances, which he believes only he remembers now.
Yan Xing reassures him that he is not alone. When she learned of the Shen family's troubles, she resolved to become a female official and join the Ministry of Justice, hoping one day to vindicate them. Touched by her words, Shen Du embraces Yan Xing as they head back, much to the delight of the steward.
Shen Du then suggests that it’s getting late and they should rest.
Yan Xing wanted to leave, but Shen Du pulled her back, and they shared a deep kiss. The next day, Zhang Bao Huan arrived with gifts from the Empress Dowager, including gold and silk for Yan Xing. The Empress Dowager also issued a decree stating that Shen Du should marry the County Lord of Jia An.
Yan Xing was taken aback by this news, and Shen Du insisted that he was already married and did not wish to marry the County Lord. Zhang Bao Huan questioned what the Empress Dowager meant by this, and while Yan Xing was confused, Shen Du clearly understood. Yan Xing urged Zhang Bao Huan to clarify. Zhang Bao Huan explained that Shen Du had no allies in court, and the Empress Dowager's proposal for him to marry the County Lord was meant to ensure Shen Du received the support of Princess Yong An, rather than remaining with just a sixth-rank official as his wife.
Yan Xing recalled her mother’s words about Shen Du’s connections, noting that his only ally was Mo Qian Zhi, who was now dead, leaving Shen Du truly alone. Shen Du approached the Empress Dowager to decline the marriage proposal and requested her to retract the decree, which made her very angry. Xu Wan then arrived with news that something had happened at the Ming Tang, where there were discrepancies in the accounts.
The Empress Dowager was furious to discover that over twenty million taels of silver had been embezzled. Xu Wan spoke on Shen Du's behalf, suggesting that it would be more appropriate for him to handle the situation. The Empress Dowager ordered Xu Wan to issue commands to both the Imperial Examination Office and the Inner Guards. She also stated that Zhang Bao Huan was responsible for the Ming Tang, and even if he hadn’t directly committed these acts, he was still derelict in his duties, so he should be sent to a villa to recuperate.
Shen Du discussed the matter with Yan Xing, expressing his surprise at how easily it had been resolved.
Comments(Episode 30)