Tigers Sniff the Rose episode 29 recap: The ledgers of Lingnan

In short

Yan Shang uses his secret title of imperial inspector to open Lingnan's books and finds the Crown Prince's money trail. The princess saves him by letting the officials think he is the Crown Prince's man, then talks him into dropping the case and coming home with her.

What happens in episode 29

Princess Consort Jin barges in while Chunhua is soothing her baby, takes the child and walks off. When Chunhua runs after them, she is locked in a room, where she cries and screams with no one coming.

In Lingnan, Jiang Heng, the region's military governor, won't receive a mere collator and sends word that he is too busy. Yan Shang goes to Zheng Chengqing, magistrate of Santu County, instead. He tells him that his friend Zhang Renjing died by Yan Shang's own hand, then shows his commission as an imperial inspector. Zheng drops to his knees and promises to do whatever he is told.

The magistrate's ledgers show that most of the taxes, relief money included, went into officials' pockets, and Yan Shang sets his sights on Wei Feng, an aide on the prefect's staff. Jiang Heng panics and orders Liu Lan to shut Yan Shang up by any means. Liu Lan throws him a banquet with axemen waiting outside for a signal. Over the wine Yan Shang says the Emperor is clearing out Yu Cheng'an's leftovers, starting in the provinces, and that if they want him to cover for them they had better show him the books. Just as the room goes tense, an aide whispers to Liu Lan that Yan Shang is the Crown Prince's man. Liu Lan drinks, smiles and hands over the ledgers.

Yan Shang reads all night in front of them, tearing out the incriminating pages and burning them, and the officials relax. At dawn he hears a familiar voice from a carriage belonging to the governor: the princess. With the governor's driver listening, they get out on the pretext of a stroll. Back in the capital, Chancellor Liu asks the Emperor why he sent the princess as well as Yan Shang. The Emperor says a talent like that should be sharpened on both the Crown Prince's blade and the princess's.

She tells Yan Shang he nearly died last night, and he realizes she was the one who told the governor he belonged to the Crown Prince. He says most of the taxes from Lingnan's twenty-four prefectures and ninety-three counties, and this year's relief money, have gone to the Crown Prince while people starve. She begs him to stop: she has spent years building ties with these frontier generals and doesn't want it all wrecked, and she will end it her own way. He agrees, says goodbye to his family and sets off for the capital with her.

Why it matters

Episode 29 shows the Crown Prince is bleeding Lingnan dry, and forces Yan Shang to choose between his conscience and the princess's plans.

Based on the episode synopsis, summarized in our own words: TVmao (电视猫) episode synopses