Episode Summary
Ming Tan reveals her pregnancy, delighting her friends and sending her husband, Jiang Xu, into a state of happy distraction. Meanwhile, Shu Jingran volunteers for a difficult, long-term post in Lingzhou, confessing to the Emperor that he hopes to earn a future worthy of Yun Yi, the woman he loves. He proposes to a hesitant Yun Yi, who is torn due to their difference in social status. With Ming Tan's encouragement and Jiang Xu's clever arrangement—assigning Yun Yi to officially escort Shu Jingran—the two are set on a path together. The episode concludes with a six-year time jump, showing Ming Tan and Jiang Xu with their two children, and hinting at a happy family for Zhang Huaiyu and Bai Minmin as well.
Spoiler Alert
Youthful Glory Episode 30 Recap: A Future Forged
The episode opens with joyous news as Ming Tan confides in Bai Minmin that she is pregnant. The excitement is infectious, with Zhang Huaiyu delighting in the fact that he’s going to be an uncle. After some playful bickering between Bai Minmin and Zhang Huaiyu, a nervous Jiang Xu ushers them out, his overprotective nature already kicking into high gear. Later, while shopping for a gift for her future nephew, Bai Minmin complains to Zhang Huaiyu about how Jiang Xu's anxiety has the entire estate on edge. Zhang Huaiyu wisely notes that Ming Tan seems to be enjoying the extra attention.
The lighthearted mood shifts when Bai Minmin spots a peach blossom charm on Zhang Huaiyu’s belt and immediately grows jealous, assuming it’s a token from a woman he met in Lingzhou. Zhang Huaiyu is baffled—he reminds her that she was the one who got it for him at Hanyan Temple. Bai Minmin suddenly recalls that she had asked for a charm to ward off petty people and gossip, realizing her well-intentioned gift has hilariously backfired.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xu is summoned by the Emperor to discuss the critical appointment of a new commander for the Yangxi Road. However, Jiang Xu is completely distracted, his mind filled with thoughts of his expectant wife. He manages to recommend General Feng for the post before requesting a leave of absence to be with Ming Tan. In a surprising turn, Shu Jingran steps forward and volunteers for the difficult post in Lingzhou, a position that would require him to be away from the capital for many years. When the Emperor questions his motives, Shu Jingran confesses that he is in love with a woman, but a vast difference in their social standing prevents them from being together. He hopes that by forging his own path and earning his own merits in Lingzhou, he can build a future worthy of her. The Emperor grants his request.
Before his departure, Shu Jingran arranges a private meeting with Yun Yi, ordering all her favorite dishes, including a special roasted chicken. He lays his heart on the line, but Yun Yi, already aware of his feelings, tries to cut him off. She insists that his family has surely already arranged his future and that she is content to simply be his friend, keeping their relationship platonic. As she tries to leave, a desperate Shu Jingran declares that he will marry no one but her. Though moved, Yun Yi points to their insurmountable class difference, telling him he deserves better. But for Shu Jingran, there is no one better. He reveals that he has accepted the post in Lingzhou precisely to escape the constraints of family and status. He is his own man now, and he asks Yun Yi if she will go with him to build a new life together.
Overwhelmed, Yun Yi seeks out Ming Tan for advice. Ming Tan reveals something Yun Yi never knew: back in Lingzhou, when she was kidnapped, Shu Jingran had furiously argued with Jiang Xu, desperate to go and save her. Ming Tan tells Yun Yi not to question why he loves her, but to look into her own heart and ask if he is special to her. Yun Yi’s mind flashes back to a night of fireworks they shared, a memory she knows she will cherish forever, and she understands her own feelings. Her only hesitation is leaving Ming Tan, but Ming Tan reassures her that while the Jinyun Guard will always be their home, they both deserve to build their own lives.
Later, Ming Tan finds Jiang Xu still at work in his study, discussing a counter-offensive against the Nanlü forces. When she enters, he quickly hides his subordinate in a secret chamber. Ming Tan playfully demands he carry her back to their room, but as they leave, a sneeze echoes from the secret room, leaving her mortified.
The next day, Jiang Xu provides the perfect solution for Yun Yi and Shu Jingran. He officially assigns Yun Yi to escort Shu Jingran to Lingzhou, with orders to remain by his side at all times. Privately, he advises her to take care of herself. Believing that Yun Yi, who has no family of her own, deserves a dignified wedding should she and Shu Jingran marry, Ming Tan prepares a generous dowry for her. Fearing that a tearful goodbye would be bad for Ming Tan’s pregnancy, Yun Yi leaves only a letter behind, expressing her gratitude for finding a family and a true friend in Ming Tan and Jiang Xu.
As the days pass, Zhang Huaiyu has a custom-made baby cot delivered, a gift from him and Bai Minmin. Jiang Xu reveals he has already chosen a name for their son: Jiang Ding. The name "Ding" is taken from his own title, "Dingbei Gui" , which signifies "To Pacify the North and Return"—a symbol of his life's greatest honor.
Six Years Later...
The scene jumps forward to a peaceful future. A young Jiang Ding is already a protective older brother to his little sister. Nearby, the child of Zhang Huaiyu and Bai Minmin is loudly demanding that they give him a baby sister too, much to the exasperated amusement of all the adults.
