The Princess Royal Episode 29 Recap, Plot

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Cui Yulang specifically reminded Concubine Rou that she relied on the emperor and did not need to depend on aristocratic families, but her ultimate destination was still a humble household. Concubine Rou believed Cui Yulang's advice and immediately sent for Princess Hua Le. Despite her extreme aversion to Li Rong, she still put on a friendly facade to interact with her.

Concubine Rou first exchanged pleasantries, then quickly got to the point, falsely claiming that a relative had come to the capital to file a complaint and had been introduced to the Inspectorate by her. Li Rong pretended to be flustered but tried to maintain her composure, which made Concubine Rou firmly believe Cui Yulang's words, feeling quite smug. She then advised Li Rong to have less frequent contact with her former consort.

Back at the princess's residence, Li Rong instructed her confidant to send a message to Pei Wenxuan, asking him to pause their meetings for a few days and rearrange the household guards to facilitate Cui Yulang's visits. The next day in court, Wang Houwen accused Li Rong of deliberately concealing a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations and coercing and killing the complainants. With solid evidence against her, Li Rong was speechless.

After the court session, the emperor angrily scolded Li Rong in the imperial study, disappointed in her. Li Rong confessed that she did not dare to investigate the case thoroughly. The emperor ordered her to write her resignation and assigned the Inspectorate to someone else. Crown Prince Li Chuan wrote a letter to the northwest, making Qin Zhenzhen think of him and discuss life after the war with her brothers.

Seeing the Inspectorate about to fall into their hands, Su Wang felt uneasy, believing it to be a double-edged sword. However, Concubine Rou thought that the value of this sword depended on how it was used. For the Xiao family, the Inspectorate was a crucial step in consolidating power. At this moment, Cui Yulang reported the progress to Li Rong. After this incident, Concubine Rou must have gained trust in him.

Pei Wenxuan, hearing that the Inspectorate had changed hands, sneaked into the princess's residence at night and unexpectedly encountered Cui Yulang on the wall, angrily punching him. At that moment, Li Rong was bathing, and even though she heard sounds behind her, she knew who it was. Confirming that Li Rong had not encountered any other troubles, Pei Wenxuan breathed a sigh of relief, and the two spent an intimate night in the bathroom.

The next day, Li Rong proactively submitted her resignation in court and recommended Su Wang to take over the Inspectorate. Shangguan Xu tried to intervene but failed, and the emperor decided to let Concubine Rou assist Su Wang. Just then, a palace servant reported that a group of scholars was blocking the palace gates, demanding a thorough investigation into the stolen examination slots.

All the civil and military officials remained silent, knowing that the stolen slots represented a complete chain of corruption, whether in local or the capital city. Investigating thoroughly would offend many people, and a poor investigation would result in the emperor's punishment. Seeing no one dared to take the complaint, Su Rongqing suggested letting Crown Prince Li Chuan handle it. Li Rong was shocked and was about to speak when Pei Wenxuan volunteered to seek justice for the scholars.

However, in the next moment, Concubine Rou entered from outside the hall, suggesting that Su Wang handle the case. The emperor readily agreed, and Su Rongqing inwardly cursed Concubine Rou for her foolishness. Then, Concubine Rou and Su Wang went to the palace gate, putting on a righteous stance, claiming they would seek justice for the scholars.

Leading the scholars, Wen Ping risked his life to advise, stating that the court was now controlled by aristocratic families, filled with corruption, and in a precarious situation. If Concubine Rou and Su Wang truly wanted to seek justice for the scholars, they had to agree to three demands: First, thoroughly investigate the case of the stolen slots; second, add a palace examination this year, with the emperor personally supervising to prevent abuse of power and cheating; third, make the imperial examination the only selection method for officials, abolishing the aristocratic recommendation system for fairness.

This statement caused an uproar, and Concubine Rou's face turned pale, realizing she had taken on a hot potato and it was too late to regret it. Concubine Rou used her humble origins to calm everyone, promising to handle each matter properly. However, in reality, Su Wang went back and angrily scolded Cui Yulang. Cui Yulang, undeterred, reminded Concubine Rou that today's situation was what the emperor had longed for over the years, aligning with his desire to eliminate aristocratic corruption. As long as Concubine Rou and Su Wang handled it well, they would gain the emperor's support to overthrow the crown prince.

In the following days, Concubine Rou and Su Wang took charge of the Inspectorate, listening to the complaints of many humble scholars. Their expressions were conflicted, no longer as composed as before. As the vice director of the Inspectorate, Shangguan Ya observed Concubine Rou closely, finding it amusing and thinking that Pei Wenxuan indeed had the upper hand.

Now, Lin Feibai was serving in the military at the border, having achieved numerous military merits and was soon to return to the capital. Shangguan Ya shared this with Su Ronghua, thinking that if Lin Feibai joined the Xie family, it would be a miraculous change of fate. However, Su Ronghua was not optimistic, pointing out that Xie Chunhe, the legitimate son of the Xie family, appeared harmless but was actually ruthless and often plotted behind Xie Lanqing's back. He believed that Xie Chunhe would surely seek revenge on Li Rong in the future.

That night, Li Rong climbed over the wall to Pei Wenxuan's house. Knowing it was about the morning court matter, Pei Wenxuan immediately knelt and apologized. Although Li Rong understood that Pei Wenxuan was shielding the crown prince from disaster, she warned him not to repeat it because he was not only the consort but also the future father of her children. They reconciled, and Pei Wenxuan helped Li Rong back over the wall, learning that she had already bought the neighboring house to facilitate their frequent meetings.

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