Episode Summary
Zhou Ruyin attempts to expose Ruan Xiwen's supposed affair, but Fu Yunxi intervenes. Ruan Xiwen loses her household authority to Zhou Ruyin. Hanyan offers to help her mother regain power, revealing a dark secret to Fu Yunxi. A banquet mishap is cleverly resolved by Hanyan, further showcasing her intelligence and resourcefulness. The episode ends with Yang Ping approaching Hanyan.
Spoiler Alert
Episode 7 of "The Glory" throws us deep into the intricate power struggles and simmering tensions within the Zhuang household. Zhou Ruyin, accompanied by her servants, arrives under the guise of rescuing Ruan Xiwen, but her true intention is to catch her in an act of infidelity. Fu Yunxi, aware of Zhou Ruyin's scheme, also arrives, intending to protect Hanyan. Zhou Ruyin orders her servants to force their way into the main courtyard and begin a search. Zhuang Shiyang, alerted to the commotion, feigns concern for Ruan Xiwen but secretly hopes to confirm if the "intruder" is Yuwen Chang'an, a man of considerable status. Ruan Xiwen allows the search, but only on the condition that Zhuang Shiyang signs divorce papers. He hesitates, and at that moment, Fu Yunxi appears with the recovered official seal. Seeing the seal found, Zhuang Shiyang and Zhou Ruyin abandon their search, but not before stripping Ruan Xiwen of her household management authority and ordering Hanyan to move back to a side courtyard.
Zhuang Shiyang, however, was waiting for Yuwen Chang'an at the back gate. Old grudges and new resentments fuel their mutual hatred. Zhuang Shiyang knows that if Ruan Xiwen hadn't been patrolling outside, she wouldn't have married him, a debt he can never repay. Meanwhile, Hanyan returns to her grandmother, who is heartbroken by the hardships her frail granddaughter has endured and vows to make amends.
Ruan Xiwen is in turmoil, so distracted that she doesn't even notice Servant Chen entering with a new prescription from the imperial physician, meant to help her regain the ability to walk. However, Ruan Xiwen has lost all hope. At the family banquet the next day, Zhuang Shiyang hands over the household management to Zhou Ruyin. She feigns reluctance but is secretly delighted, eventually accepting the responsibility. Fu Yunxi, his residence now renovated, announces his departure. Hanyan seizes the opportunity to request moving into his courtyard, claiming she doesn't want to disturb her elderly grandmother. Zhuang Shiyang, appreciating her filial piety, grants her the courtyard.
After gaining control of the household, Zhou Ruyin, dressed extravagantly, visits the kitchen. She takes a liking to the head servant, promotes her to the Zhuang family's head servant, and secretly instructs her to "take special care" of Ruan Xiwen. The head servant and her entourage arrive at the main courtyard, removing valuables and account books, and treating Ruan Xiwen with open contempt and disrespect. However, Ruan Xiwen remains unfazed by these tactics.
Zhuang Yushan, riding a horse, comes to the main courtyard to gloat over the mistress's downfall, but Hanyan's sharp words send him away. Hanyan privately tells her mother that, stripped of her authority, she doesn't know what her mother's next plan is. She admits that she has always known how to survive in desperate situations, having longed for her mother's help but ultimately relying on herself. She also acknowledges her mother's struggles over the years and, recognizing their blood ties, offers her assistance, promising to be her mother's "legs" in the future. She even offers Zhou Ruyin as a "token of sincerity" to help her regain control.
During a game of chess with Fu Yunxi, Hanyan's skillful play reveals that she has something to confide. She discloses the secret conversation she overheard between Yuwen Chang'an and her mother, and confesses to the murder of her uncle and aunt in Danzhou. Fu Yunxi is shocked but doesn't apprehend her, instead hinting that the arson case was the work of a female bandit. Afterward, Hanyan orders Chai Jing to leave the capital and hide for a few days.
Zhou Ruyin, taking advantage of the imperial examinations, caters to the candidates, hoping to find a suitable husband. The next day, all the students arrive at the Zhuang family for a banquet. Zhou Ruyin believes she has arranged everything perfectly, but only six hot dishes are served. In the Yinan custom, the numbers four and six are associated with meals for prisoners before execution. Zhou Ruyin panics and privately explains to Zhuang Shiyang that there were not enough dishes. Just as the Zhuang family is at a loss, Hanyan serves a dish of plum blossoms. With "Aotou (the champion)" on the table, the dish is called "Tanhua (the third place)". The candidates praise Zhuang Shiyang's thoughtfulness. Hanyan's actions are noticed by the officials present, who admire her as a true daughter of the main lineage. It turns out that Hanyan used offering plates from the ancestral hall to cover the Zhuang family's mistake.
Hanyan, having saved the Zhuang family's face, is seated to Zhuang Shiyang's right. Zhuang Yuchi, on the other hand, is relegated to the candidates' seating area. As father and daughter converse, Yang Ping rises from his seat and approaches Hanyan.
