Flourished Peony Episode 8 Recap, Plot

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Mudan pawned the jade necklace her mother left her to Shopkeeper Yun in exchange for ten guan. She used the money to pay Wang Qing, who then wrote a divorce agreement. Just as Wang Qing was basking in his triumph, Jiang Zhangyang made his move. At Jiang Zhangyang's prompting, Shopkeeper Yun demanded compensation from Wang Qing for the flowers he had destroyed during his earlier rampage in the shop.

Wang Qing, unable to provide payment, was forced to repay the debt in a rather unconventional way—Jiang Zhangyang ordered Chuan Yu to punch Wang Qing once for every guan owed. The abusive Wang Qing, who had beaten his wife, finally received the punishment he deserved. Afterward, Mudan brought Five Niang back to her dilapidated residence. Five Niang was taken aback, surprised that Mudan could still live well in such a rundown place. This filled her with hope for the future.

To celebrate her new beginning, Mudan gave Five Niang a new name: Qin Shengyi. For two women trying to establish themselves in Chang’an, life was anything but easy. After several days of job hunting, they either encountered scoundrels like Wang Qing or faced constant rejections. Mudan decided it was more reliable to start her own business.

Given her skill in growing flowers and her observations from exploring the flower market, she learned that there were dwarf peonies on Qingliang Mountain outside the capital and that there were no competitors in the market. Mudan planned to collect the dwarf peonies, nurture them, and sell them. However, with their livelihood already strained, they had no funds for fertilizer or flower supplies.

Mudan came up with a bold plan: she would seek help from the “God of Wealth,” who, in her eyes, was none other than Jiang Zhangyang. At first, Jiang Zhangyang dismissed Mudan’s talk of a business opportunity. However, Mudan, with her eloquence and determination, managed to convince him, even going so far as to climb the mountain herself to gather flowers. Qingliang Mountain was steep and treacherous, but Mudan’s perseverance paid off as she climbed step by step.

Unfortunately, she accidentally entered the royal hunting grounds. That day, Jiang Zhangyang happened to be accompanying King Ning on a hunting trip and cleverly rescued her. Meanwhile, Princess Jia of Ji’an, having heard that Jiang Zhangyang was hunting with King Ning, suspected they were discussing Jiang Zhangyang’s potential marriage to her. She immediately rode to Qingliang Mountain to intervene. Jiang Zhangyang had no intention of marrying Princess Jia as his primary wife, but he also didn’t want to offend King Ning.

Instead, he leaned into his reputation as a playboy, hoping to discourage King Ning from pursuing the match. He even shifted the conversation to support King Ning’s interest in promoting Chen Zhang to a position in Luoyang as a warehouse officer. In the camp, Mudan woke up and overheard Jiang Zhangyang’s conversation with King Ning. She regretted having sympathized with a man who indulged in corrupt practices like buying and selling official positions.

A servant reported that Princess Jia was on her way. Knowing better than to linger, Jiang Zhangyang left. King Ning lamented Jiang Zhangyang’s cleverness and transparency while sighing over his daughter’s lack of ambition. As Jiang Zhangyang approached the camp, Mudan quickly lay back down and pretended to be unconscious, but Jiang Zhangyang had already seen through her act.

After the servant placed the leopard, which King Ning had gifted Jiang Zhangyang, behind the camp and left, Jiang Zhangyang exposed Mudan’s ruse. Mudan didn’t hold back, accusing Jiang Zhangyang of scheming. She mocked him, saying that if she hadn’t made it up the mountain, he would have conveniently used it as an excuse to cancel their business deal.

If she had made it but trespassed into the hunting grounds, he could use her as an excuse to get out of a tricky situation. Mudan sarcastically remarked that Jiang Zhangyang’s schemes were so well-known that even merchants in Luoyang could see through them. Facing Jiang Zhangyang, Mudan showed no fear.

Her words were laced with sarcasm, comparing him to Tao Qian, who refused to bow for five dou of rice, saying that Jiang Zhangyang, as the Flower and Bird Envoy, had now sworn loyalty for the sake of a leopard. She quipped that it seemed the Flower and Bird Envoy enjoyed not only admiring flowers but also taming beasts. Jiang Zhangyang didn’t argue further. Instead, he opened a box and accused Mudan of being superficial. When Mudan saw the contents of the box, her expression shifted to one of surprise and shock.

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