Melody of Golden Age Episode 5 Recap, Plot

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Shen Du thanked Xu Wan, but Xu Wan revealed that there was another expert assisting with the matter. She gently reminded Shen Du that the Empress Dowager was well aware of the difficulties and had instructed him to act with utmost caution. After Shen Du returned from the palace, Jing Lin had an epiphany—he realized that Yan Xing had cleverly used him.

He was even more surprised to find that Yan Xing's handwriting was astonishingly similar to his own, and he couldn't help but admire Yan Xing a bit more. Xiao Zhong received the Empress Dowager's decree and immediately set out for Fengxiang Manor to investigate. After hastily making some arrangements, he embarked on his journey. Yan Xing, concerned for Shen Du's safety, was worried when an unfamiliar maid brought a bowl of lotus seed soup.

The maid's behavior aroused Yan Xing's suspicion. Upon lifting the lid, hidden characters were revealed—an invitation code. At the meeting place, Yan Xing unexpectedly met Zhang Xingwei. Zhang Xingwei got straight to the point, asking about the Yan family's stance and hinting that the Empress Dowager suspected Xiao Zhong of being behind the folk tales and wanted to punish him. Zhang Xingwei's words were interspersed with political intrigue, testing Yan Xing's attitude.

Yan Xing, being a woman, modestly avoided discussing political matters. However, Zhang Xingwei already knew about Shen Du's carrier pigeons and forced Yan Xing to delve deeper to uncover the mystery behind the secret messenger pigeons. When Yan Xing returned home, Shen Du stopped her and mentioned the issue of forged documents with great concern, fearing that she might inadvertently bring trouble upon herself.

Yan Xing explained with a苦笑 that she had resorted to such measures only to save lives in a desperate situation. In the dead of night, a person in black quietly dropped off a document. A poor scholar received it and was outraged, believing that the imperial examination was merely a path laid out for the wealthy. This outcry quickly reached the Empress Dowager's ears, causing a huge stir.

Furious, the Empress Dowager was presented with a proposal by Princess Yong'an, advocating for a new approach where commoners and children of officials would compete together and be selected based on merit. This suggestion sparked heated debate in the court, with some officials openly opposing it, creating a tense atmosphere. Shen Du took the opportunity to report on the progress of the self-immolation case. Although there was some progress, the truth remained shrouded in mystery.

To calm the public, the Empress Dowager decided to open educational institutions, giving commoner children the chance to receive education. Yan Xing, concerned about Chen Shusheng’s family, frequently visited his grandmother, reading the grandson's works to her as a comfort. Shen Du, who occasionally witnessed this, was deeply moved by Yan Xing's commitment to fairness and justice. After returning home, Shen Du informed Yan Xing about the admission of commoner students, and she was overjoyed, praising Shen Du profusely.

Late at night, Yan Xing insisted on running to help her sleep. Seeing this, Shen Du thoughtfully instructed the butler to reduce the indoor lighting so as not to disturb her rest. Jing Lin reported on the case's progress, mentioning that the deceased were all performers, and the hairpins were exceptionally luxurious. Yan Xing grew suspicious and, along with Shen Du, investigated the source of the hairpins. They discovered that they were prohibitively expensive and not affordable for ordinary people.

Further investigation led to connections with Princess Yong'an's people, and Shen Du anticipated that Princess Yong'an would soon approach Yan Xing. Indeed, Jing Lin urgently reported that Princess Yong'an had extended a warm invitation to Yan Xing for a flower viewing event, setting the stage for an undercurrent-filled meeting. At the flower viewing banquet, Yan Xing was surrounded by the whispers of women. An accident occurred when a maid spilled tea, staining her dress.

Madam Tang timely extended her help, leading Yan Xing to her private chamber to change clothes and preparing a medicinal bath for her. While changing, Yan Xing keenly noticed that Madam Tang was also enveloped in the familiar scent from outside the temple and glimpsed an unusual pattern on the back of her neck, raising further doubts in her mind. During casual conversation, Madam Tang mentioned trivial matters about the Liang family, noting discord between the main couple.

Yan Xing seized the opportunity to hint that no matter how deep the secret was hidden, the truth would eventually come to light. At the flower viewing banquet, Yan Xing waited for Princess Yong'an until she finally appeared two hours later. The princess's words seemed to carry deeper meaning, warning Yan Xing not to overstep boundaries and fixating her gaze on the hairpin Shen Du had given, revealing undeniable hostility.

Shen Du arrived at the right moment to rescue Yan Xing from the awkward situation. Seeing Yan Xing kneeling for a long time, her legs trembling, he was deeply pained. He requested to leave on the pretext of family matters, ignoring Princess Yong'an's presence, and gently carried Yan Xing away. On the way, Yan Xing wanted to thank Shen Du, but he gently deflected with kind words, and their unspoken understanding was evident.

Shen Du had long anticipated that entering the palace would be challenging for Yan Xing, but he remained quietly protective, dedicated to ensuring her safety.

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