The Story of Minglan Episode 19 Recap

Story of Minglan episode 19! It seems like the issues within the Gu household have been simmering for a while now.

When it explodes who gets hurt? And how did things get to this point anyways?

Story of Minglan Episode 19 Recap Highlights:

• Father and son continue to be at odds with each other until it’s too late
• Gu Tingye realizes that there was a hidden enemy all along
• Gu Tingye can finally leave the Gu household but not in the manner he wanted

This episode is going to be tough to watch, hope you are all prepared! Let’s jump into the Story of Minglan episode 19 recap!

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Madam Yu’s Ultimatum

At Gu Tingye’s side residence, a servant asks Nanny Chang if they should have tofu today while taking the kids out to buy groceries.

Nanny Chang agrees while reminding the servant to carefully watch over the children.

They head out for the day while Nanny Chang stays to watch over Manniang.

She wonders how Manniang will sneak out now.

Oh Nanny Chang if you only knew… she already bribed the servant

The servant sees one of the servants from the Yu household browsing in a nearby silk fabric store. So she tells the children to stop by a booth while she enters the fabric store.

The servant greets Sister Zhao and introduces herself as Xiaocui. She wonders if she will give her some face and grab some tea with her. Since they will become a family soon.

Sister Zhao asks for clarification and Xiaocui shares that she serves the mistress of Gu Tingye.

Since Gu Tingye plans on marrying Yanhong, they will eventually become under one household. So she hopes for future collaboration.

Sister Zhao then decides to head out with Xiaocui for tea and then sees the children she brought along.

She’s surprised that Gu Tingye already had children with Manniang. And there’s TWO of them.

At the Gu household, Madam Yu (Yanran’s step mother) pays a visit to Gu Tingye’s parents.

While she was aware that Gu Tingye had a mistress, she didn’t plan on him keeping her while getting married to Yanhong.

So she’s here to settle this matter.

Madam Yu wants Gu Tingye to get rid of his mistress and his children before he marries Yanhong.

And she wants Gu Tingye to verbally promise her instead of having Marquis Gu’s promise.

She knows Gu Tingye has a reputation of doing whatever he wants.

Gu Tingye Values Manniang

Meanwhile, Gu Tingye and Shitou are sorting out Lady Bai’s (Gu Tingye’s mother) dowry.

Shitou comments that there’s a lot of good stuff except for a pair of knee guards. Gu Tingye holds it in his hands and remembers Minglan in the past who gifted it to him.

Aww, so he kept it all this time? How cute!

He tells Shitou that this won’t be used for the bride price so it should be put aside separately.

Gu Tingye gets called to the main hall where they receive guests.

When he arrives, he greets everyone and his father orders him to get rid of his mistress and kids.

Gu Tingye remarks that Madam Yu already knew about Manniang. But Madam Yu tells Gu Tingye that when children are involved, it’s a different matter.

So he asks her to speak privately but she wants his father and his mother to serve as witnesses.

Yep, suuure. We all know how weak Manniang was based on the last episode.

Gu Tingye is willing to add more to the dowry, including three salt farms. Which bring in a lot of revenue each year. (Because salt was very valuable back then.)

But this gesture makes it worse. Because now it seems like Gu Tingye values Manniang a lot more than a main wife.

And Madam Yu is worried that Gu Tingye will favor the concubine and neglect the wife.

So Madam Yu then abruptly leaves with Madam Gu chasing after her.

Bringing up the Past

Marquis Gu orders his son to kneel.

He thought that his son changed because he asked him to help arrange a marriage with the Yu household. Who have raised scholars for generations.

But who would have thought that he has become muddled because of a woman?

Marquis Gu takes a spear and uses the rod end to flog him from the back.

Gu Tingye asks his father if he is worse than him. Because he tricked a woman into marriage for money.

Was he really that unfilial or did he never get the chance to properly show respect for his deceased mother?

The father drops the spear and wonders how his son got to this point. His household has always been noble and now it’s gotten to the point where no one is willing to marry their daughters to his legitimate son.

Marquis Gu asks if Gu Tingye can raise his head high. Because their noble title was what convinced his grandfather to marry his daughter here.

Oh boy, they can finally talk about the splinter that’s in their hearts.

At the mention of his mother, Gu Tingye turns around. He asks if each piece of the furniture here exists because of his mother.

The house, the chairs, etc.

Marquis Gu tells him that when he assumes his position he will realize that sometimes there are trade-offs.

But his mother’s life wasn’t hard?

He stresses how his mother was carried outside of this house when she died.

And Marquis Gu responds that when he dies, the same will happen to him too.

T_T These two can’t understand each other at ALL. It’s so painful to watch.

Gu Tingye shuffles closer to his father. Telling him that there’s been something he wanted to ask.

A Thorn in the Heart

But was always afraid to. He kneels and tugs his father’s sleeves.

Because he must hear this answer.

Gu Tingye wants to hear that everything has been false. He wants to know if his father ever missed his unborn sibling.

Or his deceased mother.

And tears fall down his face as he hugs his father’s legs. It looks like Marquis Gu is about to return the hug too but he spits out blood.

Then Gu Tingye realizes his father isn’t doing too well.

Meanwhile, Madam Gu is outside trying to convince Madam Yu.

Gu Tingye rushes outside and tells his mother that his father coughed up a lot of blood.

Madam Yu bails and says that this had nothing to do with her. While Madam Gu asks Gu Tingye to get the imperial physician.

Madam Gu stumbles back inside, murmuring that something big is going to happen tonight.

A Different Perspective

Gu Tingye rushes with Shitou to get the physicians to save his father.

Shitou heads back first while Gu Tingye finds another.

At the same time, Gu Tingwei gets a message about his father and rushes home.

As soon as Shitou arrives with the physician, he faces opposition outside of the Gu household.

And cannot get in.

Gu Tingye arrives a little bit later and forces his way in but there are too many servants blocking his way.

And then when Gu Tingyu hears about the disturbance, he arrives. Just as soon as the physicians leave from behind.

Gu Tingye’s emotions are running high and he shoves Gu Tingyu to the ground who doesn’t believe that he brought physicians.

Because there’s already one in the household.

Madam Gu told him to get a doctor though… oh snap!

Gu Tingye sits inside while waiting for news but no one calls for him.

Shitou tells him that no one has called for him yet. So that may be a good thing.

Meanwhile, Nanny Chang overhears another person talking about the Gu household.

And asks Xiaocui to ask around.

She finds out that Marquis Gu has passed away.

That night, Nanny Chang asks the kids if they would be okay not eating from a restaurant anymore.

And Manniang overhears her, wondering if she’s just scaring the kids. But Nanny Chang explains that pretty soon Gu Tingye will be left with just his name.

Nothing else.

Hidden Enemy

Gu Tingye waited all night and thought it was strange that no one called for him.

He heads outside and finds the servants wearing white sashes on their waists.

And rushes to the main hall. Where everyone else is mourning.

Gu Tingye pushes into the crowd then stumbles before getting up. And sees that his father has passed away.

Then he murmurs that none of the doctors were any use. To which Gu Tingyu counters as if Gu Tingye was any use.

Madam Gu gets up from where she is and slaps Gu Tingye in the face. She threatens him to kill her as well. Right in front of his father.

Shock and disbelief flash on Gu Tingye’s face.

As he kneels down in front of Madam Gu.

Who tells everyone that his father could never control him and that she could never control him.

She tells him to leave and to marry whomever he wishes. Subtly hinting that Gu Tingye was the reason why Marquis Gu died.

Gu Tingye can’t believe his mother is doing this to him.

His aunt then chimes in, noticing all the blood on his back. Asking him why he never came while his father was calling for him.

Gu Tingye explains that he was getting the imperial physician initially before waiting at the side hall.

Waiting to be called.

Then Madam Gu puts the final nail to Gu Tingye’s coffin. His mother turns around and tells everyone that she NEVER asked for him to call the physicians.

Gu Tingye realizes what’s happening now.

His mother set him up.

In front of EVERYONE.

Madam Gu’s Ploy

Madam Gu puts on an amazing act as she yells at Gu Tingye for being a beast. And laments how being a step mother is hard.

So she doted him and cared for him like a son.

Madam Gu then cries out that it was her benevolence that killed her husband.

And continues to grieve.

Gu Tingye finally understands now. She purposely nurtured him in a way that he would walk on the wrong path.

He struggles to get up and Gu Tingwei tries to help him. He asks if his younger brother was a part of this. The younger brother doesn’t understand.

So it’s just her.

Gu Tingye gets up and bows to his father’s body before leaving. Since all of the individuals here have been acting the whole time.

He then glares at Madam Gu, stressing how they disgust him.

After he leaves, he stumbles around on the streets until Changbai calls out to him.

Using his courtesy name.

Gu Tingye cries in his best friend’s embrace.

Later, the two of them are sitting at a campfire. Changbai tells Gu Tingye that he should return home because it’s late.

But the latter tells him there’s no place for him to go. And recites a poem that hints how he landed in a great big trap.

Gu Tingye blames himself for killing his father.

And Changbai argues that it wasn’t his fault.

Gu Tingye says he doesn’t have his parents anymore. He no longer has a home. He has nothing.

But Changbai then he reminds that he still has a home.

In a side residence called Tianshui Alley.

And Gu Tingye smiles faintly while he thinks of his two children.

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Comments

Story of Minglan episode 19 was an intense rollercoaster of emotions. From the heated arguments between father and son, to the desperation and finally to the realization of the trap.（>﹏<）

Marquis Gu hasn’t been in the greatest health. Every episode leading up to this point that highlighted him, subtly hinted that.

We don’t know if it’s because of stress or something else. But Gu Tingye angering his father each time they meet deteriorates it further.

All the relatives believe that Gu Tingye killed his father by angering him to death. Anger was definitely a part of it but was that the sole reason?

None of the physicians that Gu Tingye brought were able to examine his father. And Madam Gu was at his father’s side all along. With another physician, who could be on her side.

But man, she’s a real piece of work. Everyone sees her benevolent side but Gu Tingye knows that she was in the dark this whole time.

A hidden enemy. Once all pieces fell into place, she took action.

Ughhh but that father and son moment was just so heart wrenching! Gu Tingye wanted to believe his father. That his mother wasn’t tricked into marrying the family. And that his father cares for him.

But the two of them just can’t communicate! We see how desperate Gu Tingye seeks his father’s affection.

And it stabs him in the heart when Gu Tingyu tells everyone that his father adored him all along.

He just didn’t see it. And it’s too late for regrets.

Have to say Changbai is a great friend. He came as soon as he can to lend his shoulder to Gu Tingye who so desperately needs someone right now.

What were your thoughts on Story of Minglan episode 19? Chime in below!