Episode 28 recap: The Empress Dowager Arranges a Marriage for Cui Xing Zhou
Recently, the Su family has been visiting Liu Mian Tang's maternal home frequently, expressing interest in marrying off their son to the beautiful Qing Ying. However, Liu Mian Tang did some digging and discovered that the Su family's son is quite the troublemaker—he's deep in gambling debts and is eyeing Qing Ying's dowry to settle them.
Upon learning this, Liu Mian Tang wasted no time warning the Su matriarch to abandon her plans. Faced with Liu Mian Tang's firm stance, the matriarch had no choice but to back off.
Meanwhile, Liu Mian Tang's second aunt was furious that such a promising match was ruined by Liu Mian Tang's interference. She vented her frustrations, but Liu Mian Tang remained calm and addressed her as "aunt" with such sincerity that the second aunt was left speechless and unable to retort.
As for Cui Xing Zhou, he was stuck in the Bei Zhou Wang's residence as a hostage, longing for home while being forced to write endlessly. At night, the prince's spies mocked him, but the prince dared not act rashly, knowing Cui Xing Zhou's importance; he even called for a doctor when Cui fell ill.
When the northern prince arrived in the capital, the emperor was delighted and rewarded him handsomely. Other princes, seeing this opportunity, also came to pay tribute.
Upon the prince’s return to Bei Zhou, the emperor and the empress dowager praised Cui Xing Zhou and promised him a reward. Despite this, Cui Xing Zhou couldn't shake off the worry about Liu Mian Tang's injured wrist. He heard about a rare and effective herb called Eagle Bone Flower, which was incredibly expensive and difficult to find, but he managed to track it down and had Zhao Quan turn it into a salve for Liu Mian Tang.
Cui Xing Zhou was worried that Liu Mian Tang would refuse it, so he instructed Zhao Quan not to mention his name. However, when Zhao Quan delivered the salve, Liu Mian Tang suspected they were trying to trick her and scolded him for it. Zhao Quan was left helpless, as his good intentions had backfired.
Zhao Quan, a noble from Zhen Nan, visited Liu Mian Tang's grandfather's home, and the news quickly spread. Soon after, Qing Ying had a grand wedding. When Cui Xing Zhou learned that the Liu family daughter was getting married, he panicked and rushed to catch up, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't Liu Mian Tang in the bridal sedan.
Just as he was processing everything, an imperial decree arrived: the empress dowager had arranged for him to marry a princess. With no choice but to accept, Cui Xing Zhou felt a mix of emotions.
Upon hearing the news, Liu Mian Tang felt a pang of heartache and quietly stepped away. Back home, Cui Xing Zhou wrote a letter to the emperor, requesting that Liu Mian Tang be bestowed upon him. The emperor, upon reading the letter, flew into a rage, tearing it up and instead promoting Liu Mian Tang, giving her the title "Huai Sang."
This twist only deepened the sense of helplessness and regret between Cui Xing Zhou and Liu Mian Tang.
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