Introduction
In Youthful Glory: Drama Info and Recap Episodes 1 to 10, our couple, Jiang Xu and Ming Tan, get married and start their life journey together. They not only have to adjust to each other in daily life, but also adjust themselves in the bigger picture as well. When a power struggle is brewing in the palace, everyone’s life will eventually be affected.
The featured image is taken from Episode 11. I won’t detail what it’s about, you better watch it!
Recap Episodes 11 to 20
Episode 11
Luckily… there’s a man who comes to the rescue for Ming Tan, Min Min, and Ji Rou. No, he’s not Jiang Xu again, but Zhang Huai Yu! Min Min suddenly sees him in a different light! She decides to be nice to Zhang Huai Yu by tending his wound and even makes a (too salty) soup for him.
At home, Jiang Xu teases his wife about the ‘impotency’ matter that makes Ming Tan feel all hot!
Normally, when someone is found guilty of treason, the whole family is either beheaded or exiled. Since Marquis of Cheng’en was found guilty of fund embezzlement, although he’s dead, his family has to be punished. Ji Rou helped Jiang Xu with the case, so he pleads with His Majesty to release her and her mother from punishment. When Marquis of Cheng’en’s case is over, Ji Rou leaves the Capital with her mother.
Godfather, Chancellor Su, suggests that Marquis Jing’an bring the fund and supplies into the disaster area in Lizhou, and Jiang Xu is suspicious of his suggestion. Ming Tan’s father departs asap, she doesn’t have time to say goodbye to her father, since she’s busy organizing the fundraising for the refugees.
Episode 12
Ok… Ming Tan lies. She’s afraid of parting, so she doesn’t want to send her father off. Jiang Xu warns Marquis Jing’an about the dangerous area he’s going to go to, and that Chancellor Su suggested Marquis Jing’an for the mission to the Emperor.
Awww, Ming Tan apparently is allergic to fish, but she doesn’t want to tell her husband since he deboned the fish for her. She has a break-out when he’s gone. Luckily, her maid Su Xin tells Jiang Xu about the allergy, so he asks the maid to tell the kitchen about the mistress’s dietary requirement. At night, when Ming Tan is asleep, Jiang Xu secretly applies the medicine to her rashes.
To increase fundraising money to help the refugees, our girls ask Shu Jing Ran for help by posing to be painted, and his painting is sold to the fangirls. This Shu Jing Ran is the most eligible bachelor in the Capital at this moment, since he’s so handsome and sweet, he’s like a celebrity and has a lot of fangirls. Jiang Xu can’t help but be jealous seeing his wife arranging Shu Jing Ran to pose for the painter.
Don’t let your man apply makeup on you!
Episode 13
Min Min is forced by her mom to attend a blind date with someone, but she doesn’t like it. People around her know who is compatible with her, tho. Ming Tan asks her husband to relay a message to Zhang Huai Yu that Min Min will have a blind date at the park. So Huai Yu comes to rescue her from boredom during the date. They end up talking business and agree to be business partners. Min Min is good at writing stories for plays, so he offers to buy her stories.
Oh my God, that Zhai Nian Ci is so evil! She let a greasy man kidnap Ming Tan and will molest her. Fortunately, she’s able to scream, so Jiang Xu checks the nearby building. He rescues Ming Tan before she’s assaulted. Min Min is suspicious of Zhai Nian Ci. Without fear of the Empress Dowager, she drags that evil girl and locks her together with that guy. Since Zhai Nian Ci is supposedly has a blind date with that man, Min Min spreads the word to the park visitors that Zhai Nian Ci and that man are together in a room.
He’ll be known as the weenie slayer in the Capital
Jiang Xu cutting a sleazy nobleman’s weenie creates a stir in the court, so he has to be punished because he’s too impulsive. The Emperor suggests 60 strokes with the imperial cane, but he also promises that he’ll investigate the case. After the kidnapping, Jiang Xu hires Yun Yi, a female secret guard for Ming Tan. However, he doesn’t want to disclose Yun Yi’s identification. Instead, Yun Yi becomes his fake concubine (by paper/name only). This is also to stop the Empress Dowager from bringing in her chosen concubine, aka spy, into the mansion. But Jiang Xu doesn’t tell anyone, including his wife. Of course, everyone is unhappy and disagrees, including Shu Jing Ran, who is visiting Jiang Xu while he’s recuperating from the beating.
Episode 14
While leaving Prince of Dingbei Mansion, Shu Jing Ran sees a girl sitting on the rooftop eating a chicken leg. That’s our girl Yun Yi! He’s smitten with such an unusual sighting that he falls for her at first sight. After being noticed by him, Yun Yi quickly disappears.
Ming Tan is angry at Jiang Xu taking a concubine, so she goes out with Su Xin, and of course, Jiang Xu orders the concubine to accompany her. While strolling, a man approaches her. His name is Liu Mo, Vice Minister of Revenue. Although she doesn’t know or remember who he is, she gifted him a used guqin back then. At that time, Liu Mo was a poor scholar and hadn’t taken the imperial exam. He brought his old guqin to the guqin store to be fixed, but it was far beyond repair, and he couldn’t afford to buy a new one. Ming Tan, who was also at the store, asked him to play her guqin. After hearing he played well, she gifted her old guqin and bought a new one. He would never forget her kindness.
Liu Mo, right there and then, expressed his admiration to her, but she rejects him and tells him she’s the Princess of Dingbei, wife of the Prince of Dingbei. While staring at Liu Mo, Ming Tan suddenly feels she has seen those eyes before. Those eyes belonged to her kidnapper on the wedding night, and also when she and her friend Ji Rou were being attacked!
Before Ming Tan can say anything, Jiang Xu appears and takes his wife away. Okay, I have a complaint about the script. Why, oh why, Jiang Xu always shows up and rescues Ming Tan? It’s like she’s a complete damsel in distress who has to be rescued all the time. In this matter, she’s capable enough to reject Liu Mo with her words, or the maid and Yun Yi show up. Instead, they just stand aside and let their lady be alone with a man at night.
At home, they’re angry with each other. Ming Tan explains that she met Liu Mo briefly five years ago. Jiang Xu finally reveals that Yun Yi is actually Ming Tan’s secret guard he hired. They are just about to make up with a hot bed scene, but it’s time for Jiang Xu to change his dressing!
At least, their misunderstanding about Yun Yi is cleared. After this, Ming Tan, Min Min, and the maids are very nice to Yun Yi. Yun Yi is an orphan saved by Jiang Xu in the past, so she pledged her life to him. Since entering the Mansion, Jiang Xu is no longer her master, but Ming Tan is. Ming Tan tells Yun Yi that Yun Yi is the master of her own. If in the future she wants to have another life, she’ll be free to go. Same with her two maids. Yun Yi says she’ll follow Ming Tan.
Shu Jing Ran meets Yun Yi again at the refugee camp. He calls her “drumstick girl”, lol.
Episode 15
Dad is framed with his mission to uplift the situation in Lizhou. The refugee situation doesn’t get better but worse, and the refugees flood the Capital. A lot of ministers and officials demand that the Emperor take action and bring Dad back for punishment. The Emperor is suspicious of Lizhou’s case and asks Jiang Xu’s opinion. Jiang Xu thinks that it must be a conspiracy and guesses that his father-in-law might be killed. Sure enough, someone pretends to be a Prince of Dingbei’s guard and persuades Dad to run away. Dad is suspicious because his son-in-law is not someone who disobeys the law. The man wants to kill Dad! Dad fights the man and others come to help. The man is really a Dingbei soldier, and he commits suicide. The army is infiltrated by spies!
The imperial guards, led by Lu Ting, confiscate all items from Marquis Jing’an Mansion and take them to the Department of Review. Ming Tan goes to her former home and asks Lu Ting to calm down the servants. Jiang Xu interrogates the leaders who instigated the riot in the refugee camp and finds out they are members of the Haiyou Sect, who attacked him for the first time we saw in the drama. But they don’t know who the organizer was. The reviews come back unfavorable to Marquis Jing’an, and Chancellor Su demands that he be executed. Chancellor Shu, Shu Jing Ran’s father, asks for mercy because of what Marquis Jing’an has done to the country. Dad is stripped of his job and status, his property is confiscated, and the servants are dismissed. Ming Tan gives them a 2-month salary, and their labor contracts are returned. Marquis Jing’an is brought to the Capital and imprisoned. The Capital Prefecture, with its guards, came to Prince of Dingbei Mansion for a thorough search, because of Ming Tan’s relationship with Marquis Jing’an. The Imperial Guards find incriminating items in Marquis Jing’an Mansion, so he’s guilty. Jiang Xu says he will see the Emperor first and forbids the Capital Prefecture from doing any action.
At night, Ming Tan asks Jiang Xu about the connection between Lizhou’s case and her godfather. Her husband says there is no evidence, his men are still investigating the case. She also tells Jiang Xu her suspicion about Liu Mo. She says he smells the same as the man who attacked Ji Rou, and his eyes are also the same as the eyes of the man who kidnapped her.
The next day, Jiang Xu goes to see the Emperor. The Emperor says there is evidence at Marquis Jing’an Mansion. Ming Tan goes to ask a favor from her godfather, but he, too, says he can’t help her father.
Episode 16
Ming Tan realizes that her godfather only uses her, so she cuts ties with him and returns the jade bracelet he once gave her as a symbol of their relationship. Chancellor Su breaks the bracelet afterwards.
Jiang Xu still tries to find evidence that can free his father-in-law. He calls in the Deputy Commander of the prefecture, where Dad has been the commander for several years. This guy, Mr Guo, is bribed by Chancellor Su, so he gives some false testimonies. The Emperor issues a decree that Marquis Jing’an will be executed in 3 days. However, because of his past merits, his family will not be implicated. Ming Tan begs to see her father for the last time. Jiang Xu doesn’t let her and goes on his own behalf instead. Dad knows this is all his frenemy Chancellor Su doing. However, to overturn the case in just three days is impossible.
While meeting the Emperor, Jiang Xu believes that they have to pull the root of Su’s Family’s power in Lingzhou. The Emperor goes to meet his brother-in-law, who’s none other than Zhang Huai Yu at Bieyou House. After testing his accounting prowess with the suspicious maritime ledgers from Lingzhou, His Majesty sincerely requests that Zhang Huai Yu go to Lingzhou to investigate the tax evasion. It’s a secret mission, since his sister, Her Majesty, doesn’t even know!
The next day, Zhang Huai Yu meets Min Min to give some instructions about Bieyou House, if this is his last day in life. They are business partners now. It turns out that every honest official who went to Lingzhou to investigate the tax issues either died or became sick. Min Min goes to find Ming Tan. She’s shocked to hear that her uncle, Ming Tan’s father, will be executed. Ming Tan is a mess. Moreover, she starts believing her godfather that Jiang Xu is involved in investigating her father. Jiang Xu cannot be reached, so Ming Tan asks her uncle, Min Min’s father, to see her father for the last time. Meanwhile, Marquis Jing’an asks to see Chancellor Su for the last time.
Episode 17
While eating, Marquis Jing’an and Chancellor Su start talking about the past and how everything became like now. Suddenly, Marquis Jing’an starts coughing and breathing hard. He tries to fight Chancellor Su, then falls to the ground and dies! Meanwhile, , Ming Tan, Min Min, and Min Min’s father come to the prison but are denied by Jiang Xu. Suddenly, Jiang Xu gets news that Marquis Jing’an is dead. Everyone rushes to the prison cell. After examination, the cause of death is poisoning. Since Chancellor Su is the last person there, he’s a suspect and is taken to jail.
Min Min is at Prince of Dingbei’s Mansion just be with Ming Tan while she’s mourning. Suddenly, she remembers that she promised Zhang Huai Yu to see him off. Since it’s too late, she asks Yun Yi’s favor to see Zhang Huai Yu off on behalf of her. Zhang Huai Yu is with Shu Jing Ran, waiting for Min Min. Yun Yi rides the horse fast, then mimics the harsh Min Min when delivering the message. Yun Yi then rides back fast, leaving Shu Jing Ran, who wants to go back with her.
Yun Yi, who usually stoic, mimicking Min Min to pass her message to Zhang Huai Yu
Ming Tan is completely devastated. She rips the marriage contract between her and Jiang Xu because it is not applicable anymore. After all, there is no longer Lady Ming Tan (her father’s noble status is stripped off). Because Ming Tan cannot set up a memorial tablet at home, she does it at the temple. Ming Tan doesn’t want to talk to Jiang Xu (because of her suspicion that he’s involved with her father’s investigation), but he comforts her through Yun Yi. Relaying what her father told him before he went to Lizhou. Dad said that he took his concubine and her daughter to the border because he didn’t want to make his daughter’s life miserable. The borderland is dangerous and rough. If he takes Ming Tan with his concubine and her daughter to the borderland, Ming Tan will be miserable, too, being mistreated by his concubine and Ming Chu.
Episode 18
Aha… Dad is not dead? Is it Jiang Xu’s scheme to trick Chancellor Su by pretending that Dad is dead? The Chancellor sends spies to keep an eye on the Prince of Dingbei Mansion. With Jiang Xu tricking Chancellor Su, Ming Tan also suffers because she doesn’t know that Dad is not dead. Jiang Xu suffers, too, seeing that his wife is completely devastated, but he cannot tell her the truth, yet. His scheme towards Chancellor Su seems to be working, because the spies don’t report anything unusual. Chancellor Su doesn’t understand what trap Jiang Xu set up.
Shu Jing Ran sees Yun Yi walking through the food sellers but doesn’t buy anything. He’s curious and follows her. Yun Yi feels someone is following her, so she strikes him using a self-defense technique. Jing Ran almost falls off the bridge if she doesn’t hold him. Yun Yi asks why he’s following her. Jing Ran pretends that they know each other, because he wants to talk to her. Yun Yi is confused because she doesn’t feel that they’re acquaintances. Yun Yi tells him that she wants to buy food for Ming Tan that can heal her broken heart. Jing Ran suggests some food using elaborate words. Yun Yi is amazed by his flowery language, and she calls him Mr. Flowery. Lol, Miss Drumstick and Mr. Flowery. Jing Ran is happy to show her some good food, so she buys a variety of them because she doesn’t know what Ming Tan likes.
Min Min and Yun Yi comfort Ming Tan. Yun Yi tells the story of her hard life. Ming Tan finally feels at ease and decides to move on. Jiang Xu cannot comfort her himself, so he gives money to Min Min to treat Ming Tan with whatever food she wants to eat and whatever items she wants to buy.
Jing Ran sees Yun Yi buy roasted chicken, so he follows her and stands in line. Unfortunately, it sold out. Jing Ran says that he doesn’t have “fate with roasted chicken”. She gives him a chicken leg and urges him to eat it right away while it’s hot. It’s really good, but Yun Yi says the roasted chicken made by Jiang Xu is better. Upon hearing this, Jing Ran asks who she is. Yun Yi introduces herself as Jiang Xu’s concubine. Awww, the sad look on Jiang Xu’s face!
Ming Tan and Min Min buy some exquisite pieces of jewelry. Ming Tan notices that the jewelry is different than the ones usually sold in the market, and concludes that those items must be illegal. She doesn’t want to tell her husband about it, so she tells Lu Ting. Lu Ting interrogates the jewelry seller and finds out that the illegal goods come from Lingzhou.
Back in the office, two of Marquis Jing’an’s subordinates come and testify to Jiang Xu on what actually happened during Marquiz’s expedition. However, Mr Guo is now the head of the prefecture. He was the one whom Chancellor Su bribed to give false testimony, so these men ran away and sought refuge with the Ding Army.
Jiang Xu has an urgent call from the palace. The Empress finds out that her brother Zhang Huai Yu has been sent to Lingzhou and has been missing for two weeks without any message. Now, there is a secret message informing that Huai Yu has been attacked. The Empress is so angry at her husband. Jiang Xu takes responsibility because he was the one who suggested Huai Yu to the Emperor last time. He will go to Lingzhou to investigate.
Episode 19
Ming Tan decides to go with him. Mainly, because she wants to investigate the jewelry smuggling in Lingzhou. Jiang Xu is considerate and prepares a lot of carriages for her. He knows that when she went to the temple before, she brought five carriages! However, Ming Tan is even more considerate. She reduces the carriage to two, one for him and one for her. Even her maids don’t go with her, only Yun Yi. Jing Ran, who accompanies Jiang Xu, is curious about the relationship between Jiang Xu-Ming Tan-Yun Yi. He notices that Ming Tan and Yun Yi seem close. Luckily, his intellect doesn’t let him have a heartbreak, since he asks a lot of questions to Jiang Xu and Yun Yi. When he finds out that Yun Yi guards Ming Tan and doesn’t need to take care of Jiang Xu, since he has his own guard. Jing Ran guesses right away that she’s a member of the Jingyu Guard. He’s so happy hearing that Yun Yi is not a real concubine.
Jiang Xu arranges that one carriage carries him and Ming Tan, and the other carriage carries their belongings. Yun Yi and Jing Ran ride horses. Jiang Xu asks Ming Tan if she still blames him for the death of her father. She doesn’t blame him, but she has a lot of questions. Jiang Xu cannot answer some of the questions, but he doesn’t want her to misunderstand him either. Finally, he can’t hold it anymore and takes her for a horse ride. He’s also aware that there are spies following them, but the spies lose the couple. Jiang Xu takes her to a humble house. It turns out that Ming Tan’s father is alive! Father and daughter reunited. Although the misunderstanding is cleared and Ming Tan is happy again, she’s still a bit angry to her husband because he doesn’t want to share weals and woes with her. Jiang Xu makes it up by washing her hair, lol.
While camping for the night, Yun Yi is grilling fish, and Jing Ran wants to be close to her with the excuse of asking a lot of questions about Ming Tan. Yun Yi becomes suspicious that Jing Ran likes Ming Tan, so she gives the fish to her fellow guards instead of Jing Ran. The next day, they stop at a villager’s house, and the owner sells chicken, but they have to catch the chicken by themselves. Jing Ran offers to catch the chicken. He’s really bad at catching chicken, but not at roasting it, tho. He especially learned about it at home, with the excuse that since Yun Yi seems to be the only one who enjoys what she’s eating, he’s curious and wants to learn how to roast chicken. Later, after eating, Jing Ran takes her to see fireflies. Lol, this guy might be nerdy, but he sure knows how to be romantic!
Episode 20
Oh no, there is news that Zhang Huai Yu has been killed! Min Min is shocked hearing the news. Especially the night before, she watched a play in the Beiyou House, and it was about her story with him! Through the play, Huai Yu hinted at his feelings to her. She is touched and realizes that she, too, likes him! I hope this is fake news, to trick Chancellor Su, and Huai Yu is still alive and well!
Chancellor Su hears that the convoy is split into two, but he doesn’t know that Jiang Xu and Ming Tan met the Marquis of Jing’an. Although he doesn’t know what Jiang Xu’s plan is, he orders both parties to be attacked. In one party, Marquis helps them secretly, but Jiang Xu is wounded. On the other party, Yun Yi is caught.
After Jing Ran reunites with Jiang Xu and Ming Tan, they finally arrive at Lingzhou. Ming Tan suggests that they separate. The Su Family has never seen her before, so she will disguise herself as a merchant, because there are many female merchants in this area. Ming Tan wants to investigate the smuggling operation. Meanwhile, Jiang Xu and Jing Ran enter the Su Family. They will tell the Su Family that Princess of Dingbei returns to the Capital because she’s feeling unwell.
Ming Tan disguises herself as a wealthy merchant’s daughter. That hat is so funny!
Conclusion
How will the political struggle in the palace be resolved? Will Jiang Xu, Ming Tan, Zhang Huai Yu, Shu Jing Ran, and Yun Yi make it alive of the enemy’s lair? Let’s continue the story of Youthful Glory ( 韶华若锦 ) in the final part of the recap article series: Youthful Glory: Drama Recap Episodes 21 to 30 (Final)!
