The Glory Episode 18 Recap, Plot

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Back then, the reason Zhuang Shiyang recognized Pei Dafu as his sworn father was that his own father, Zhuang Hanliang, had a grudge against Pei Dafu. Zhuang Hanliang intended to submit a memorial to impeach Pei Dafu for corruption. Zhuang Shiyang tried to plead with Zhuang Hanliang not to expose Pei Dafu, believing he could beg Pei Dafu not to implicate the Zhuang family. He feared that offending Pei Dafu would lead to the entire Zhuang family’s destruction.

However, Zhuang Hanliang despised Zhuang Shiyang for his lack of backbone and was so enraged that he beat him with a stick. That night, while Zhuang Hanliang was writing the memorial, Zhuang Shiyang poisoned his pastries, leading to Zhuang Hanliang’s sudden death. Yet, he shifted the blame onto Zhuang Hanyan, publicly announcing that she was a reincarnation of the Barefoot Ghost and had caused Zhuang Hanliang’s death.

In front of both Zhuang Shiyang and Zhuang Hanyan, Fu Yunxi admitted that he was Pei Dafu’s sworn son. The two accused each other, and Zhuang Hanyan was heartbroken, feeling betrayed by the person she trusted the most. She had long known that Zhuang Shiyang was not a good person, and she had already learned the truth about the Barefoot Ghost from Ruan Xiwen.

She no longer saw Zhuang Shiyang as a father but was shocked to find herself once again being used by Fu Yunxi. Zhuang Shiyang then revealed that when his family was imprisoned and sentenced to be executed in a few days, he secretly summoned Fu Yunxi to the prison. His words implied a threat—he had known all along that there was another sworn son of Pei Dafu, and that person was Fu Yunxi.

He had hoped to use this secret in exchange for the safety of the Zhuang family. Because of this, Zhuang Hanyan was able to find Wu Youzhi’s body, and Fu Yunxi could do nothing but watch as she took it away, willingly accepting punishment. None of it was for Zhuang Hanyan—it was all for self-preservation. Fu Yunxi accused Zhuang Shiyang of causing Zhuang Yuqin’s death.

Zhuang Shiyang had originally planned to get rid of Fu Yunxi, but instead, he ended up poisoning his own biological daughter. Tears streamed down Zhuang Hanyan’s face as she asked Fu Yunxi whether, outside the Nanshan Medical Hall that day, he had already known she was eavesdropping and had deliberately let Mu Feng say those things.

Fu Yunxi admitted that Mu Feng had likely seen Zhuang Hanyan, but at the time, he was unaware, and the words spoken were not meant for her ears. At this moment, Zhuang Hanyan fully understood her mother’s words—why she had always urged her to leave the capital. The capital was a place that devoured people without leaving a trace, filled with sinister and deceitful figures. Zhuang Hanyan went alone to find Chai Jing.

Chai Jing understood why Zhuang Hanyan was upset—if someone she didn't care about had deceived her, she would simply beat them up. But if it was someone she cared about, it would undoubtedly bring heartbreak and tears. Zhuang Hanyan expressed her desire to forget everything here and leave with her mother, even hoping to take Chai Jing with her. However, her words were overheard by Fu Yunxi, who had just arrived. He silently turned and left.

After returning home, Fu Yunxi drank continuously. Ah Zhi came to comfort him. Fu Yunxi explained that he felt uneasy because he had deceived someone and was sure she would never forgive him. Ah Zhi advised him to apologize, saying that as long as he was sincere, he would surely be forgiven. Fu Yunxi pulled Ah Zhi into his embrace.

Zhuang Hanyan informed her mother of her plans to leave and declared her intention to retrieve the divorce letter for her mother. She then went to demand it from Zhuang Shiyang. However, he refused to write it and instead accused Zhuang Hanyan of trying to break up his marriage. At that moment, Ruan Xiwen arrived, leaning on a cane. Seeing Ruan Xiwen walk, Zhuang Shiyang was shocked.

Ruan Xiwen furiously denounced him as a hypocrite who had betrayed both her mentor and father. If this truth were revealed to the public, his true nature would be exposed. Left with no choice, Zhuang Shiyang finally wrote the divorce letter, his tears falling onto the paper. Zhou Ruyin was surprised that Ruan Xiwen had left without a word and came to speak with her, only to be met with sarcasm.

Ruan Xiwen believed that Zhou Ruyin was simply trying to attach herself to someone powerful, without realizing that the person she clung to was already a decayed tree. Fu Yunxi sought out Zhuang Hanyan, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding before she left. However, Zhuang Hanyan stated that no matter his intentions, she had indeed received kindness from him, and Chai Jing had also been saved by him. As a sign of gratitude, she bowed deeply to him.

Fu Yunxi wished for Zhuang Hanyan to finally gain her freedom—it had always been his deepest wish. He acknowledged that they might never see each other again and only hoped that she would no longer be a "cold wild goose in winter. " Zhuang Hanyan shed tears and wished that they would each take care of themselves from then on. Zhuang Hanyan helped her mother pack and escorted her onto the carriage to leave.

Ruan Xiwen turned back to look at the secluded residence—she had arrived twenty years ago, and now she was leaving, never to return. Yuwen Changan also came to take Ruan Xiwen away, hiring people to protect them along the way. Zhuang Hanyan rode in a separate carriage, heading in the opposite direction. Zhuang Shiyang chased after them but only stood there smiling as he watched them depart. On the way, Zhuang Hanyan’s carriage stopped because the horse seemed unwell.

She suddenly realized the coachman was unfamiliar, immediately sensing danger and borrowing a fast horse. Ruan Xiwen and Yuwen Changan held a simple wedding. The house was decorated with red celebratory banners. Yuwen Changan was overjoyed that his dream had come true and promised to make up for Zhuang Hanyan’s regrets, vowing to be a safe harbor for the two of them, taking them to see the world’s beauty. However, Ruan Xiwen felt uneasy.

When Yuwen Changan served her food, she suddenly noticed it was poisoned and stopped him from eating—but it was too late. They realized Zhuang Shiyang had poisoned them. However, since it was their wedding night, they did not want to ruin the moment and continued their ceremony. After bowing to each other, Yuwen Changan collapsed, coughing up blood. He expressed no fear, believing that even in the afterlife, they would still be together.

Ruan Xiwen brought the wedding wine, and they drank their final toast. She told him that her greatest regret was not waiting for him back then, for she had always loved him. Yuwen Changan had thought his love was one-sided, but hearing her confession, he died in her arms without regrets. Ruan Xiwen, leaning on her cane, shouted for Zhuang Shiyang to come out. As the door opened, Zhuang Shiyang walked in through the heavy snow.

She had expected it to be him, and her hatred deepened. Zhuang Shiyang claimed that no one had ever valued him, except Ruan Xiwen. He had once sworn to cherish her forever. He believed he had given his true heart, but no one had ever truly loved him. He knew that even though Ruan Xiwen had married him and borne him a daughter, she had always loved Yuwen Changan.

Zhuang Shiyang had deliberately poisoned the ginger vinegar fish, knowing she disliked it, but he never expected her to eat it willingly with Yuwen Changan. He offered her the antidote if she agreed to return with him, but she pulled out a dagger to kill him, only to be slain instead. Before leaving, Zhuang Shiyang overturned all the wine and set the place on fire. Covered in blood, Ruan Xiwen crawled out of the burning room, exhausted.

Zhuang Hanyan arrived on horseback, wanting to take her to a doctor, but Ruan Xiwen could no longer move. She recalled only holding Zhuang Hanyan once, while Zhuang Hanyan had carried her twice. Finding her daughter was her greatest joy, and her only regret was not watching her grow up. She died in Zhuang Hanyan’s arms, who wailed in despair. Zhuang Hanyan, clutching the dagger that killed her mother, arrived at the Zhuang residence. Zhuang Shiyang stood behind the gates as soldiers rushed to protect him.

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