The Road to Splendor Episode 26

Bliss before woe

The new concubine came in prepped with all accoutrements to get JingXiu’s attention. TingYun’s handkerchief was the prize that won him over. She spent the night regaling him with TingYun stories. YaKe complains to Ms Yu and is reminded of accepting the alliance for networking with empress dowager. This can consolidate women’s voices in the palace and influence the court via their husbands or male relatives. Ya Ke retaliates by going to JingXiu’s study and destroying his flower art. He blamed her directly for not getting him to love her.😝🙄She failed to understand that he valued academic things and had she shown the least bit of appreciation for her father’s craft, she would have easily won him over. Once she revealed how little value they had in her eyes…he was lost to her forever. He found nothing redeemable about her and accused her of being ordinary along with Ms Wu. She did not see that her daffodils and her father’s legacy were what could have made her special to him. She thought those items too ordinary. Quite the irony. He is very like his mother when he told her they must accept the repercussions of their choices. For a very brief time Zhao Ling and TingYun get to just be. They can finally consummate their marriage. She is very cute taking so long to tie his cape because she really doesn’t want him to leave. At court, Yu has already figured out how to stick it to Zhao Ling. He uses the drought condition to push for salt reform knowing the swap from grain to silver will weaken the border and strengthen the wealthy with salt permits. His care for the victims is boundless.😝🙄Zhao Ling tries to urge balance between the swap of grain to cash and warns of the fallout on the border if the food supplies crash as a result. General Mo tries to urge patience with this and gets 30 lashes for rebutting the emperor. For this court session the emperor had his mindset immediately and he did not choose to get counsel to weigh in on the repercussions. He wanted to lash out at Zhao Ling for not recalling the pain of refugees, the hypocrite. He knows better than anybody Zhao Ling’s past and principles in the matter. Yu ate it up that his rival was chastised so publicly.😝Zhao Ling comes home very defeated. He is comforted some by his beautiful wife and soon the military wives head to MO’s house with ointment for his lashes. His wife is far from gentle applying it. 🤣😂 Ms Wu is happily seeing how much food she can handle. She is very shrewd and knows her place and how to manipulate circumstances within that parameter. She arranges a meeting with TingYun and trades info how the Yu’s plotted with dowager about moving her gma to respect her wishes. TingYun does not accept the trad and wants no connection to JingXiu but Ms Wang wants assurances about the sesame flatbread. Whether she is talking about the bread or any interaction with JingXiu, she should be well aware of TingYun’s thoughts on the matter. 😝If she wasn’t before she has clarity now. There is a brief chat between father and son and Mr Yu is not pleased that his son candidly admits he might not be up to the job. But JingXiu smirked at Zhao Ling’s troubles in court and thinks that will make TingYun think less of him. He really has no clue about standing with a partner. Preview suggests he’s going to hammer hard on Zhao Ling with punishments for not being able to do an impossible task. The Yu’s are loving every moment and continue to plot. 😝🤬

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Wedding night and losing Emperor's favour

The wedding night was so beautiful! And I loved how wholesome, trusting, and supportive they are again. I missed them like that! 🤗🥰 If only there weren't all these problems caused by the Yu family and Madam Wu. But I know our beloved and strong couple will get through it and find the best solution... 🫣And Tingyun actually already has found out what the issue with the Emperor's favour decreasing is — about where the Empress Dowager's place of eternal rest will be. But knowing the reason is already halfway to finding the solution, right? 👆Also, another problem of finding a way to balance support for both the drought victims and the northwest border. 😔Well, Yake and Jingxiu's relationship seems completely shattered now. I can only hope she will learn from everything Jingxiu said to her, yet I kind of doubt it. She really is turning into a version of Madam Zuo, only Madam Zuo was more skillful with her schemes, I think. 😒Watching how Miss Wu kept eating and eating, probably not being allowed even one-tenth of what she had on the table... That really made me tear up. 😢 I hope she will be able to find happiness and her place in the world, as long as she abides by one condition — not at Zhao Ling and Tingyun's expense! 🤨🫵P.S. Could those little fish in a bowl be an Easter egg for Moonlight? 🫣😏

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