Tigers Sniff the Rose episode 34 recap: Rain over Lanyang

In short

Mu Wanyao stays beside the blind Yan Shang without revealing her identity, sees how much Lanyang's people trust him and cares for him after he collapses when rain finally breaks the drought.

What happens in episode 34

At the county office, Yan Shang pours water for his visitors by touch. Watching him, the princess realizes he knew the poisoned arrow might cost him his sight when he insisted on giving the Emperor the ledgers. She starts to cry. Yang Si blames the dust, then tells Dong Lang that the woman with him is a servant who cannot speak. Yan Shang does not recognize her, and she asks Yang Si to find a way for them to stay. Yan Shang agrees to host them, but warns that drought relief leaves him little time for guests.

That night Yan Shang struggles to write straight, even with a paperweight to guide his hand. Wind scatters the sheets. The princess comes in with a lamp, gathers them and grinds ink for him. Believing she is the silent servant, he tells her to rest, but she stays. Out in town the next day, she hears people praise him and sees how much his work has meant to them.

A fight over water brings an injured old man to the county office. The man begs Yan Shang, a tanhua scholar whom the people see as blessed, to pray for rain. Yang Si thinks the request absurd. Yan Shang agrees anyway: the court and county have done what they can, and although a ceremony cannot decide the weather, it can give people comfort. With Dong Lang guiding him, he leads the prayers and a procession around Lanyang. When the man carrying the straw dragon faints from thirst, Yang Si takes his place.

In the palace, Liu Wenji brings Prince Jin, Chunhua and their little son to see the Emperor. The boy delights his grandfather. Liu Wenji signals Chunhua to speak outside, but she still cannot forgive him for causing Princess Consort Jin's death. She knows he acted for her and the child, yet believes the consort did not deserve to die.

During the ceremony, wind rises and rain begins to fall. The townspeople kneel with Yan Shang in relief and gratitude. With the strain of the drought finally lifting, he grows dizzy and collapses. The princess catches him and tends him back at his lodgings. Still unconscious, he holds her hand and begs her not to leave. She lies down beside him and holds him close.

Why it matters

Episode 34 shows the princess the life Yan Shang has built in Lanyang and brings them close again, while Chunhua's anger exposes the cost of Liu Wenji's protection.

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