The Glory Episode 3 Recap, Plot

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Zhuang Hanyan lay in the heavy rain, clutching a hairpin in shock, staring at the bodies of her uncle and aunt before her. She declared that she was the one who had killed them, but she insisted on returning to the capital, as that was her true home. She then threw the hairpin into the bottom of the well, only for it to be discovered by Fu Yunxi.

Zhuang Hanyan deliberately waited in the corridor for Daoist Master Duan—the very man who had falsely branded her with the infamous "Barefoot Ghost" stigma. At this moment, Master Zhuang was trying to conceal the Old Madam’s illness to avoid implicating Zhuang Hanyan, but she openly revealed the Old Madam’s serious condition.

As expected, after taking her pulse, Daoist Master Duan declared that the Old Madam had been afflicted by an evil force from seventeen years ago and that only he could exorcize it. He then performed a ritual in the courtyard. Meanwhile, government officials and the family’s future in-laws, who had come for the banquet, insisted on staying to witness Daoist Master Duan’s powers.

The Daoist took out a talisman and claimed that the person with a certain birth chart was the very source of the evil spirit. The crowd was astonished, refusing to believe that the "Barefoot Ghost" infamy from seventeen years ago had actually been pinned on Zhuang Yushan. At that moment, Zhuang Yushan arrived with her people, claiming that Daoist Master Duan had been manipulated by Zhuang Hanyan to frame her.

She even testified that she had personally witnessed a secret meeting between Daoist Master Duan and Zhuang Hanyan the night before, during which they exchanged a bundle. Upon hearing the commotion in the front yard, the matriarch handed the account book to a servant and instructed her to investigate. Under torture, Daoist Master Duan confessed everything.

Realizing that the "Barefoot Ghost" stigma had finally been pinned on her, Zhuang Hanyan retorted, "If he could be bribed today, then why not seventeen years ago? " However, the crowd refused to listen to her explanation. Just then, Madam Chen brought forth the chef and the Old Madam’s meal records, proving that her food had been laced with an incompatible mix of horse bean and clove cake, which had led to her illness.

The cook insisted he knew nothing of medicinal properties, while the only person in the household knowledgeable in medicine was none other than Concubine Zhou. Realizing that she had been exposed, Concubine Zhou immediately knelt and admitted to her poor judgment in trusting the wrong person. Master Zhuang, unwilling to let the family scandal spread, sought to downplay the incident and merely dismissed it as a misunderstanding, sparing Concubine Zhou from punishment.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhuang Hanyan had the Old Madam take the antidote and invited the uncles present to bear witness. To clear herself of the "Barefoot Ghost" stigma, she pointed out that criminals always had the character "thief" carved into their arms—and that the so-called Daoist Master was nothing more than a fraud.

In an attempt to distract the crowd, Daoist Master Duan began spouting doomsday prophecies, but Madam Chen, ignoring all restraints, tore open his clothing to reveal his mark of disgrace. Exposed as a thief, Daoist Master Duan, unwilling to be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review, tried to make Concubine Zhou confess instead. Zhuang Hanyan then questioned Concubine Zhou’s maid, pressing her on whether the person she encountered the night before was indeed her mistress.

The maid stammered and failed to give a clear answer. Desperate to absolve herself, Concubine Zhou chose to take her own life. In the end, Zhuang Hanyan was finally freed from the "Barefoot Ghost" accusation—it had all been a scheme by Concubine Zhou to frame her in order to seize the family inheritance. Due to the family’s tarnished reputation, a marriage engagement was annulled.

Concubine Zhou received only a light punishment—merely a few months of salary deduction and confinement—while a maid took the fall for all the crimes. Through this ordeal, Zhuang Hanyan vaguely sensed that her mother had been aiding her in secret, and she grew increasingly curious about the person who had secretly passed her a note. When the Old Madam awoke, she sought to make amends for years of neglect toward Zhuang Hanyan.

Concubine Zhou personally dressed her up, hoping that she would shine in the upcoming Plum Blossom Gathering. Zhuang Yushan, waiting in vain for Zhuang Hanyan to appear, eventually went looking for her. She caught sight of Zhuang Hanyan smiling at her reflection, admiring her jewelry. Seizing the moment, Zhuang Hanyan gifted Zhuang Yushan an expensive set of accessories under the guise of generosity.

However, Zhuang Yushan dared not wear them, and even Zhuang Yuchi could tell the jewelry was gaudy and tasteless. On the way to the gathering, Zhuang Hanyan was suddenly abandoned by her coachman, who fled in fear. Just then, she happened to encounter the Left Censor-in-Chief, Yuwen Changan, who sincerely offered her a ride. Sensing her wariness, he revealed his identity. Upon hearing his name, Zhuang Hanyan hurriedly saluted him as "Uncle Yuwen.

"During the journey, they engaged in a pleasant conversation, and Yuwen Changan even praised Zhuang Hanyan for resembling her mother in her youth. As expected, Zhuang Hanyan arrived at the Plum Blossom Gathering, much to Zhuang Yushan’s shock—her scheme had failed. Meanwhile, Fu Yunxi, having returned from Danzhou, had found Zhuang Hanyan’s hairpin and personally placed it on her hair. Only the two of them knew the true story behind it, each lost in their own thoughts. Zhuang Yushan, witnessing her beloved man’s intimate gesture toward Zhuang Hanyan, was utterly heartbroken.

Episode 2 Recap

Episode 4 Recap

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