EPISODE 16 RECAP
The Boy Trio decides that this trip will be crucial in their plan to gain the emperor’s favor. Once the emperor likes Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi enough, he might grant them pardons for any wrongdoing they have committed.
But first, they need to help Xiaoyanzi memorize that poem or she doesn’t get to go. The boys choreograph a sword dance that helps Xiaoyanzi learn the words faster. This almost results in Xiaoyanzi poking the emperor with a stick by accident when reciting the poem to him. Despite Ziwei’s hints and Yongqi practically dancing on the side to help her, Xiaoyanzi still does pretty badly.
In the end, Ziwei has to bail her out by offering to recite a different poem to the emperor. He agrees, and guess what Ziwei recites? One of HIS poems. This pleases the emperor to no end and Xiaoyanzi gets a pass. Now let’s get ready for the trip!
That night, Jinsuo begs Ziwei to let her come along because there might be dangers on the road and she wants to be there to take care of Ziwei. Girl, there are more dangers in the palace. Nothing out there can be more dangerous than Nanny Rong.
The trip starts out wonderfully. The emperor brings along a trusted advisor, a guard, and a physician too. One of them is Er’kang’s dad.
Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi sing in the carriage, the boys have a great time on horseback. They stop for a picnic along the way. The kids work on the food. Wait, they bring kitchenware along?
They make a lot of dishes. Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi bring out a couple of chickens cooked in clay (Beggar’s Chicken), while Ziwei has elegantly-named veggies. The emperor likes them all the same.
At night, they watch the emperor and Ziwei play chess, which, I guess, is the equivalence of Netflix at this time.
The next day, they get to a town. It’s especially crowded here today because a noble lady is choosing a husband. In ancient time, some women did this by throwing an embroidered ball down at a gathered crowd, whoever caught the ball would be the groom. Yes, matchmaking also worked but I guess some people liked to live dangerously. What’s the fun in marrying a well-educated and financially stable guy when you can take the chance of letting a homeless beggar be your husband?
Xiaoyanzi is excited to watch this. When the lady comes out on the balcony, Ziwei comments on her beauty. But the boys disagree:
ER’KANG: Not as beautiful as someone I know.
YONGQI: Not as beautiful as someone I know.
ER’TAI: Not as beautiful as someone I know.
Ziwei blushes; Xiaoyanzi is clueless; the emperor is confused but happy that his kids are happy; Er’kang’s dad is like, shut up, shut up now, you lovesick idiots.
The lady throws down her embroidered ball. But the crowd seems to want to tease her or something because they keep hitting the ball back and forth. And you can bet that Xiaoyanzi joins in the fun. She hits the ball to Yongqi, not once, but multiple times. Uh-oh, Yongqi is pissed. This is a big deal because Yongqi is never angry with Xiaoyanzi about anything.
In the end, the ball lands on the lap of a homeless beggar. See? What did I say?
The father of the lady understandably doesn’t want a beggar for his daughter. But since this tradition is sacred and because both the father and the lady did make a promise before the crowd, a quarrel breaks out. Xiaoyanzi insists that the lady marry this beggar. Listen, Xiaoyanzi, we love you, but stay out of this, you can be ruining a woman’s life without knowing it.