Flourished Peony Episode 16 Recap, Plot

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When Madam Feng became a widow at eighteen, she traveled the world with a fleet of ships, encountering many people and witnessing many things. She naturally understood society's biases against women. In her eyes, Mudan’s behavior wasn’t rebellious or improper. Mudan wished for a lover who shared her feelings, someone who would descend from the heavens bathed in radiant light to save her when she was engulfed in darkness.

Based on this, Madam Feng felt her nephew, Jiang Zhangyang, was indeed not what Mudan was looking for. Later, Chuan Yu invited Mudan to Jiang’s residence, saying Jiang Zhangyang wanted to discuss how to deal with Madam Feng. Chuan Yu led Mudan into a pitch-black room and locked the door from the outside. Inside, Mudan discovered Jiang Zhangyang suspended in mid-air with his hands tied behind his back and a cloth gagging his mouth, preventing him from speaking.

Jiang Zhangyang gestured for Mudan to pull a nearby cloth strip. She complied, and Jiang Zhangyang promptly fell to the ground. It turned out Madam Feng had taken Mudan’s earlier description literally, creating a dark setting where Jiang Zhangyang would appear to descend from the heavens. She had even arranged for fireflies to create a glowing effect, making Jiang Zhangyang look utterly ridiculous.

To encourage them to learn more about each other, Madam Feng had luminous pearls hanging in the room with small notes attached, each describing Jiang Zhangyang and Mudan’s respective traits. Mudan discovered that Jiang Zhangyang was afraid of cockroaches. Seeing Jiang and Mudan interact cheerfully in the room, Madam Feng was delighted and left with a satisfied smile. The next day, she sent Chuan Yu with an apology gift, which Mudan gladly accepted.

One day, a woman came forward, claiming that a powder she had purchased from Mudan’s shop, Hua Man Zhu, caused her husband to feel weak-limbed, dizzy, and disoriented. She brought a so-called practitioner to the shop, who publicly accused Mudan of being possessed by evil spirits that drained others of their fortune and luck. Unbeknownst to Mudan, a shop assistant had been bribed and sided with the practitioner, making endless accusations against her.

The surrounding crowd quickly believed the practitioner and angrily smashed the powders they had bought from Hua Man Zhu. Madam Feng repeatedly hinted to Jiang Zhangyang that he should step in and rescue Mudan. That evening, Jiang went to the backyard to find Mudan. Earlier that day, Zhu Fu had tracked the bribed shop assistant and discovered he had accepted money from a rival shop's deputy manager.

Mudan had already anticipated how to handle the situation and needed someone as reputable as Jiang Zhangyang to boost her efforts. If their rivals could bribe a practitioner to spread slander, Mudan could do the same. Under Mudan’s arrangement, Jiang Zhangyang first went to the rival shop to buy a sachet, then staged a fainting scene at the entrance of Hua Man Zhu.

The practitioner Mudan had hired joined in, convincing the public that the shop was now free of any misfortune. Mudan emphasized that her specially crafted sachets had been blessed by monks from Kaiyuan Temple, making them full of fortune and prosperity. Jiang Zhangyang added flair to the act, increasing the practitioner’s credibility, and people began scrambling to buy the sachets.

Additionally, Mudan had Li Xing distribute some sachets to scholars ahead of time, all of whom later passed their entrance exams. This solidified the belief in the sachets’ efficacy. Consequently, Hua Man Zhu became bustling with customers, including more male patrons, while the rival shop saw its business dwindle to a desolate state. As Madam Feng prepared to depart, Mudan gave her a hair treatment.

Feeling overwhelmed by Madam Feng’s kindness, Mudan confessed that she had been acting on Jiang Zhangyang’s behalf in exchange for payment. Madam Feng didn’t mind, saying she could see through her nephew’s feelings and Mudan’s character. She added that Jiang Zhangyang clearly treated Mudan differently from others—even a precious plant, the Qiongtai Yu Lu, had not been offered to Madam Feng but remained with Mudan.

Meanwhile, Liu Shen was reassigned to Chang’an and presented with a box of land deeds, only for King Ning to gift him a dog in return. Liu Chang, standing nearby, looked visibly uneasy. Passing by Hua Man Zhu, Madam Liu spotted Mudan, whom she believed to be dead, and was shocked. She hurried back to inform Liu Shen of what she had seen. Later, while gathering flowers on the mountain, Mudan was suddenly pursued by an assassin dressed in black.

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