Melody of Golden Age 长乐曲 Episode 34

After Yan Xing and Shen Du returned home, the kitchen was warm and cozy. They were making dumplings together, laughing and talking, and the atmosphere was warm. At the same time, the Empress Dowager stared at the portrait of the late emperor alone, with mixed feelings in her heart. Time flies, and the late emperor has passed away for many years. She reflects on the past and realizes that there are no mistakes in her words and deeds, but she still feels lonely in her heart.

Xu Wan and others also finished their long journey and returned one after another. They talked about the prosperity outside, but ultimately felt it was not as warm as home. The Queen Mother understood their thoughts and knew that they missed their family, so she ordered more meals so that the family could spend the winter solstice together like ordinary people and enjoy family happiness.

On the other side, Lu Chuichui and Jiang Langxing were immersed in the joy of winter. They walked in the snow, and Jiang Langxing offered delicacies to Lu Chuichui from time to time, making her smile like a flower, and her cheeks were bulging with the food, which made her even more cute. The two of them were still children at heart, building a snowman on the roadside, and their laughter echoed in the cold wind.

However, this joy failed to infect Lai Luo Zhi. He stood aside with a gloomy face and complicated eyes. After Lu Chuichui and Jiang Langxing left, he silently and carefully moved Lu Chuichui's snowman back, but he showed no mercy to Jiang Langxing's snowman and crushed it with one foot. When he returned to his residence, he watched the hanging snowman gradually melting in the warmth, and silently thought in his heart: What belongs to him must not be allowed to be touched by others. This scene is not only the persistence of emotions, but also the persistence of one's own world.

Lai Luozhi asked to see the Empress Dowager late at night, and brought a shocking news with a solemn expression: He claimed to have obtained intelligence that Yan Xingshi was an informant placed by Prime Minister Zhang in Shen Du's home to monitor his every move. As soon as these words came out, Jin Zang couldn't hold himself back and stood up to defend his nephew Yan Xing, insisting that Yan Xing was by no means such a villain. The Empress Dowager was displeased upon hearing this, and blamed Jinzang for having served beside him for many years, but now he was making irresponsible remarks about the government, which was really disrespectful.

Changing the subject, Lai Luo Zhi mentioned a nursery rhyme circulating in the capital. Its content alluded to the Queen Mother's governance, and this song was actually written by Jin Zang. Kinzo hurriedly clarified that he had only performed the song at the Wise King's banquet and had not written any lyrics. After hearing the news, the Empress Dowager immediately summoned the wise king. The wise king was frightened and cried out for injustice, saying that he knew nothing about the matter.

In order to calm down the turmoil, the Empress Dowager ordered the wise king to be banned from the house. At the same time, he assigned Luo Zhi to thoroughly investigate the nursery rhyme incident, and temporarily detained Jin Zang in the Imperial Inspectorate pending trial. Soon, the minions of the Imperial Inspector broke into the Yan Mansion and captured Yan Xing's mother. Yan Xing was distraught when he learned that his mother had been wronged. He hurried home, only to find that his father and others were timid and had no intention of rescuing her. Yan Xing was furious and vowed to personally come forward to save his mother from danger, even if she offended Lai Luo Zhi.

Lu Chuichui and Jiang Langxing learned about the changes in Yan Xing's family and acted separately. Lu Chuichui quickly found Yan Xing and informed Shen Du that he had gone to intercede for Yan Xing's mother. Yan Xing then visited Prime Minister Zhang, who asked Yan Xing why he didn't plead directly to the Empress Dowager. Yan Xing humbly stated that he was just a minor official and did not dare to go beyond. Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiang said no more, but revealed his understanding of Yan Xing's uncle Jin Zang's intercession for him, emphasizing that Jin Zang had no arrogance and was just out of concern.

Zhang Xiang admitted that he used Yan Xing and others more than he cared about them in the past, but he had tried his best on this matter. He was well aware of the Empress Dowager's doubts about the Xian Wang, and he also understood that if he wrote a letter to plead for mercy, it would only make the Xian Wang's situation more difficult. Just as Lu Chuichui was about to leave, he was unexpectedly intercepted and taken away by Lai Luozhi who suddenly appeared. The situation took a turn for the worse.