It’s been tough trudging through these past few episodes. In Story of Minglan episode 48, we see Gu Tingye finally getting justice for his birth mother.
Because the Gu household has no choice but to beg Gu Tingye for help.
Story of Minglan Episode 48 Recap Highlights:
- After Madam Gu turns on Gu Tingyu, he makes a decision
- Gu Tingye and Gu Tingyu have a heart to heart discussion
- Yuan Ruo presents his investigations to the court
With Madam Gu losing more and more control, what will she do next? Let’s find out in Story of Minglan episode 48 recap!
Madam Gu Turns on Gu Tingyu
In the prisons, one of the Gu household sons gets beaten for riling up the guards.
At the main Gu household, the Fourth and Fifth Uncles look with distain as Gu Tingyu drinks his medicine.
Madam Gu begs Gu Tingyu to save his brothers.
Gu Tingyu’s wife comments that her husband should finish his medicine first.
While one of the uncles reports that the prison guards are mistreating their sons.
Both uncles plead with Gu Tingyu to give up this standoff between him and Gu Tingye.
Madam Gu continues to cry and lets the uncles bicker with Gu Tingyu.
Always using a borrowed hand and never taking action herself. That’s Madam Gu’s MO.
When Madam Gu chimes in, she insinuates that Gu Tingyu is worried about his marquis title going to his younger brothers as he has no heir.
Making him the bad guy.
The uncles wonder if Gu Tingyu had other motives for not bowing down to Gu Tingye.
But Gu Tingyu gets so enraged that he faints.
They call for a doctor.
That evening, the doctor reports that the wife should be prepared. Because there’s nothing else he can do.
Gu Tingyu overhears them and falls off his head in a coughing fit.
So his wife rushes in to help him. Gu Tingyu needs to change his plans now that he only has a few days left. And he asks his wife to prepare paper and ink.
Then he sees his daughter, Gu Xian in the corner and calls out to her. Advising her to support her mother when he’s gone.
Gu Tingyu also makes a trip to the ancestral hall and contemplates in thought.
Former Marquis Gu’s Will
Everyone is present. Including Gu Tingye and Minglan.
After Gu Tingyu sits down next to Madam Gu, she questions his intent.
Fearing that he will do something rash.
Gu Tingyu comments how laughable the current situation is. The ones who need help won’t beg. Instead they ask someone who’s incredibly ill to do it on their behalf.
He then adds that when one requests a favor, one must be honest and apologize for their former mistakes.
So Madam Gu chimes in to tell Gu Tingye that she will willingly apologize for the matters of the past.
But Gu Tingyu pulls out a box and unlocks it.
Inside is a tightly wound letter. And his wife helps him pass it to Gu Tingye.
Madam Gu wonders what he is doing.
Their father wrote the letter. It asks the clan elders to return Lady Bai’s dowry back to Gu Tingye after his death.
Gu Tingyu then tells his brother that the letter was meant to be read in front of the elders.
After their father’s death. But Gu Tingye doubts the letter.
And doubts if his father really meant this.
So Gu Tingyu asks if Gu Tingye can’t recognize their father’s handwriting. While also pointing out that their father wrote his arrangements by hand.
Then Gu Tingyu shares something else.
And Madam Gu shouts out in alarm.
A paper that details all of the marquis assets.
And everything else. Including allocations of property should the Gu household split up.
Madam Gu sits back down, thinking she’s lost everything. Then Gu Tingyu wants to speak to his brother privately.
The two brothers head over to the ancestral hall.
Two Brothers
Gu Tingyu asks his brother to light the candles because he has no strength. Then comments how his relationship with Minglan isn’t bad.
Because Gu Tingye keeps defending her.
But Gu Tingyu wonders if he would sacrifice his wife to save everyone he knew.
Gu Tingye avoids the question instead of answering it. So Gu Tingyu changes the topic and has his brother take a look at something.
It’s an iron plaque with words on the back. Gu Tingyu wants his brother to know that he cannot completely cut off from the Gu family.
They helped him get to this position smoothly.
Gu Tingye comments how his brother’s words were able to invoke pity from him. But questions if he honored his request from before.
Gu Tingyu then responds that he submitted a request for Lady Bai to be added to the records.
So Gu Tingye wonders what this pretense is for.
But Gu Tingyu tells him that everything will be given to Gu Tingye now. He can punish the other households however he likes.
And he also entrusts his wife and child to him as well. Because he doesn’t have many days left.
Their father made plans for them and so he’s doing the same for his daughter.
So Gu Tingye makes a promise to his brother before leaving.
T_T Sigh these brothers. How did they get to this point?
Gu Tingyu’s Last Words
When Gu Tingye and Minglan return home, Gu Tingye comments that his elder brother is meticulous with his planning.
If he wasn’t frail and sickly, Gu Tingye wouldn’t be able to win against him.
Then Gu Tingye comments how he’s grateful for Minglan’s advice back then.
Otherwise, he would have stayed as a pirate.
Minglan tells him that she would have treated her sister-in-law well even after Gu Tingyu is gone.
Because the mistakes of a man shouldn’t blamed on the wife and children.
At night, Gu Tingyu explains to his wife how he did all of this to secure his wife and daughter’s future.
But Madam Gu wants to ruin this. So they must try to stay clear of trouble.
He also warns them to be careful of Madam Gu. Because she loves attacking people by using others as knives.
Then Gu Tingyu passes away that night.
Yuan Ruo reports that he has arrested members of several noble families involved with the rebels to the Emperor.
The Emperor orders him to investigate strictly and asks if there’s anyone else with something to report.
So Gu Tingye steps up.
He brings up how the members of his family were involved with the rebels socially.
And how his family has been loyal to the country for generations.
So he asks for leniency. But Yuan Ruo steps in to argue back.
Gu Tingye counters that it’s a different case. The severity is not the same.
And continues pleading with the Emperor.
The Emperor responds that he will consider it when punishments are determined.
And leaves the court.
<<Previous Episode|Home|Next Episode>>
Comments
And Gu Tingye gets some closure with his father. But he got more than what he asked for.
When Gu Tingye read that letter, he doubted it came from his father.
Until his brother told him to check the handwriting. You can see that Gu Tingye still believes his father hated him.
But this letter shows that he did care for him. Sigh. If only father and son could talk it out.
Then Gu Tingyu, he doesn’t know he’s been used by Madam Gu all this time. But at least he was able to do something right.
Like making sure his wife and daughter would be safe with Gu Tingye.
I feel really sorry for him. T_T
What were your thoughts on Story of Minglan episode 48? Leave a comment below!
I was always more sorry for the lost relationship between Tingyu and Tingye then Tingye and his father. Because the father was the one with power and he knew what was happening in his household and the matters between the families of his wives. But he chose not to clear the air, disrespected Tingye’s mother and abused Tingye for years. On the other hand, in many ways, Tingyu was a pawn as much as Tingye was, he didn’t have all the information or he chose not to act on it, because backing up Tingye was disadvantageous for him and he… Read more »
For these brothers, the initial rift was the death of Tingyu’s mother. He blames Gu Tingye’s mother but I think there’s more to it. In Nanny Chang’s flashback, Lady Bai thought Gu Yunkai’s first wife died of natural causes before she married over. Yet, Gu Tingyu believes his mother committed suicide over the heartbreak. Or at least that’s what he grew up believing. And if it’s what I think it is, then someone has been plotting for YEARS. Super scary. But despite the broken relationship between brothers, Gu Tingyu would rather put the lives of his wife and daughter in… Read more »
Good point about the different recounts of Tingyu’s mother’s death, I admit I forgot about this, it’s hard to keep in mind all revealed bits of info :).
And Tingyu’s mother was the Madam Gu’s older sister, right? Would this woman orchestrate her own sister’s death? Hmmm, we’ll wait and see…
Yep, Gu Tingyu’s mother was Madam Gu’s older sister. Which makes Madam Gu technically Gu Tingyu’s aunt but since she married his father, she’s his “mother”.
Gah! So confusing T_T
I love to imagine what ifs and I wish there were more fanfictions for this series because there are so many missed opportunities. What if father and son had talked more? What if the brothers had a better relationship? How can one change affect the greater story as a whole? However while I love imagining what if scenarios I’m pants at writing them out.
Tingye’s making a show of himself begging the emperor for leniency. He’s once again sticking out as Minglan would say. Will it work or will this place a target over his head?
Yes! So many what-ifs and I love how this show shows the little details leading to bigger events.
Just like how life works. Little things matter as well.
And it looks like we’re going back to the politics soon with Gu Tingye begging the emperor for leniency!