Blossom Episode 31 Recap
> Blossom Recap
On a snowy night, Qixia searched everywhere for a place to hide the letter. She eventually pasted the letter on a painting. Suddenly recalling this, Qixia tore down the painting and handed it to Song Mo. With this, Qixia recovered her memory. The letter she had given to Jiang Huisun at that time was actually a painting by Jiang Huisun herself, with invisible words written beside it that could only be revealed with water.
Jiang Huisun had discovered corruption in Liaodong and planned to report it to the emperor. Qixia had pasted the painting on the scroll in the corridor but overheard a conversation between Song Han and Song Yichun upon her return. Song Yichun had harmed Jiang Huisun, and when confronted by Song Han, he self-righteously claimed it was all for the sake of not wronging Shu Yao.
Song Mo retrieved the letter from the Duke of Dingguo, which listed the names of corrupt officials, including Dou Shiying. Dou Zhao was puzzled. While it was clear that Dou Shishu was allied with King Qing, it made no sense for Dou Shiying’s name to appear. She speculated that someone might be trying to drag Dou Shiying down. Dou Zhao and Song Mo visited Dou Zhao’s father, Dou Shiying, who had bought some properties for Dou Zhao.
Concerned that he might have been tricked, Dou Zhao questioned him. Dou Shiying explained that he had engaged in business because both Grand Secretary Mu and Dou Shishu had embezzled funds and couldn’t compensate for the losses. Song Mo analyzed the current political situation and the forces behind these individuals. However, Dou Shiying believed that politics and business should not mix. Song Mo reminded him that King Qing’s bid for the throne had already tied him to their cause.
Only then did Dou Shiying realize the severity of the situation and wanted to quickly disengage from these dealings. Dou Zhao volunteered to handle it on his behalf. Dou Shiying even considered resigning from his position to avoid disaster, but Song Mo pointed out that their familial ties would still implicate him, as Dou Zhao was Song Mo’s wife, making Dou Shiying his father-in-law. Dou Zhao went to the shop where she encountered Wei Tingzhen, the owner of the silver shop.
Dou Zhao offered double the money to buy back her father’s contract, but Wei Tingzhen blamed Dou Zhao for Wei Tingyu’s death and refused to yield. Dou Zhao warned her that this was her only chance to resolve things amicably, but Wei Tingzhen, unafraid, remained defiant, claiming Dou Zhao’s future was uncertain. Ji Yong, acting on behalf of King Qing, approached Chen Jia to win him over through gambling.
When this failed, Ji Yong promised him a high-ranking position, but Chen Jia remained unmoved. Ji Yong then resorted to threats involving Zhao Zhangru, causing Chen Jia to turn pale. Meanwhile, Dou Shishu invited Song Mo to a tea gathering at the silver shop. Upon entering, Song Mo discovered that King Qing was also there. Already aware of Dou Shishu’s allegiance to King Qing, Song Mo was unsurprised.
Having been avoided by Song Mo recently, King Qing had orchestrated this meeting. King Qing offered to detoxify Song Mo, but Song Mo dismissed it, saying the poison could be removed, but hatred would remain. King Qing speculated that Song Mo’s grudge stemmed from Jiang Huisun’s death and suggested offering Song Han’s head as compensation. Song Mo remained silent.
King Qing likened their situation to that of Zhao Gou and Yue Fei, arguing that the true blame lay with the emperor, not Qin Hui. Song Mo retorted that both Zhao Gou and Qin Hui should kneel before Yue Fei’s statue. Seeing he couldn’t persuade Song Mo, King Qing ordered his men to attack. Song Mo seized a weapon and captured King Qing as leverage, forcing his attackers to stand down.
Song Mo had already planned the situation with Dou Zhao, knowing the contracts were hidden in the room's walls. He ordered the walls demolished and retrieved the contracts. King Qing accused Song Mo of attempting to assassinate a royal prince and ordered his execution. Song Mo suddenly succumbed to the poison, vomiting blood. At that moment, Dou Zhao arrived with Eunuch Wang and the Imperial Guards to rescue Song Mo and brought him before the emperor.
Dou Zhao knelt at the palace gate, refusing to leave. The empress tried to persuade her, pointing out the difference between Song Mo and King Qing. Regardless of King Qing’s transgressions, he was the emperor’s son, while Song Mo, despite his merits, was merely a court official. Dou Zhao declared her resolve to wait for Song Mo’s release. The empress hinted that the only way for Song Mo to be spared was to shift the blame onto Dou Shiying.
Despite the evidence presented to the emperor, court officials accused Song Mo of shielding King Qing. The emperor, in frustration, declared the contracts illegible due to bloodstains, leaving Song Mo disheartened. When the emperor subtly suggested pinning the blame on Dou Shiying, Song Mo openly confessed his guilt. The emperor ordered Eunuch Wang to preserve the contracts and scolded King Qing, remarking on the favor his uncles had shown him, a testament to the empress’s upbringing.
To protect the court’s stability, the emperor intended to sacrifice Dou Shiying. However, Song Mo knelt and refused to implicate others. When royal uncles accused Song Mo of defiance, he drew his sword in despair. The emperor, deeply moved, realized Song Mo’s enduring resentment towards him and suddenly saw the young Jiang Huisun in Song Mo’s expression. Overwhelmed, the emperor coughed up blood and collapsed.
The emperor, recognizing Song Mo’s contributions, decreed that the destruction of the silver shop would not result in Song Mo’s execution but stripped him of his titles and sent him to Zhaoyu Prison. As Song Mo was escorted out, Dou Zhao, who had been waiting, fainted upon seeing him. In a panic, Song Mo broke free and carried her, calling for an imperial physician.
Ji Yong took Dou Zhao away, but even in her delirium, Dou Zhao insisted on returning to save Song Mo. Eunuch Wang secretly delivered something to a temple for safekeeping but returned to the palace to find that Wang Ge had replaced him in overseeing the inner court. Song Han, anxious, led a search party to Ji Yong’s residence to find Dou Zhao, but Ji Yong remained calm, sipping tea and confronting Song Han with indifference.
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