And the Winner Is Love Episode 5 Recap
> And the Winner Is Love Recap
After Shangguan Tou mentioned Wang Yinya in the context of the manual theft, Fu Yiya attempted to dismiss him and Zhong Xuezhi, but they persisted. Zhong Xuezhi pointed out Fu Yiya’s hasty demeanor and his contradictory statements about his reputation, then openly accused him of using an impostor.
Shangguan Tou added that Wang Yinya’s presence in Xiangzhou after the Hero Assembly was unusual and that Fu Yiya’s public introduction of him at a feast was suspicious, implying Fu Yiya might be involved in the manual’s theft. Cornered, Fu Yiya admitted the truth and led them to a cold cellar, where Wang Yinya’s body lay. Fu Yiya explained that he had withdrawn from the martial world and settled in Xiangzhou after Wang Yinya became the Silver Whip School master.
He had no contact with Wang Yinya until two days before his son’s full-moon feast, when Wang Yinya sent a letter announcing his attendance. Fu Yiya was wary, knowing Wang Yinya to be cunning and ambitious, always seeking to elevate Silver Whip School. He hosted Wang Yinya in his mansion, but on the eve of the feast, he discovered Wang Yinya dead in his room.
There were no external or internal injuries, but Wang Yinya’s silver whip and the sect master’s badge were missing. Fearing internal discord and needing the badge for succession, Fu Yiya decided to keep Wang Yinya’s death a secret, preserving the body in his cellar and hiring a charlatan to impersonate him until the missing items could be recovered. Back at their lodging, Zhong Xuezhi felt disheartened that the victim was dead and their only clue was lost.
Shangguan Tou comforted her, assuring her that she possessed a pure spirit like ice and should not lose hope, for even the darkest night holds light. He also reminded her of their agreement: once their mission was accomplished, she would give him the most important thing to her. Later, Shangguan Tou was with Gugu, the street urchin who had previously drawn the suspicious picture.
The boy expressed his desire to become Shangguan Tou's bookboy, learn martial arts, and be a hero who loves beauty. Zhong Xuezhi’s companions proposed taking the boy back to Chonghuo Palace, and she agreed. When Gugu's stomach audibly rumbled, Shangguan Tou playfully named him "Gugu," a name the boy happily accepted. Shangguan Tou’s elder sister, Shangguan Zheng, who was Lord Lu’s wife and resided in Xiangzhou, sent a messenger to invite him and his female companion to the mansion.
The next day, Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi arrived to find Lord Lu diligently overseeing flood relief efforts in the rain, a sight that impressed Zhong Xuezhi. Shangguan Zheng expressed her concern to Shangguan Tou about his involvement with martial artists, especially from the “controversial” Chonghuo Palace, fearing he would be embroiled in conflicts. Shangguan Tou reassured her, stating that having withdrawn from court, he would not be caught in the muddy waters of the martial world.
Noticing his affection for Zhong Xuezhi, Shangguan Zheng attempted to discuss marriage, but Shangguan Tou politely deferred, saying it was too soon. On their carriage ride back, Zhong Xuezhi inquired about Shangguan Zheng’s marriage. Shangguan Tou recalled that his sister had chosen Lord Lu, an unprivileged and not particularly astute second prince, over many influential suitors.
He worried for her safety and happiness within the treacherous royal family, where power struggles and deceit were common, contrasting it with the martial world where one could at least retreat. Zhong Xuezhi then brought up how seafood could be kept fresh, despite Xiangzhou not being by the sea.
Shangguan Tou explained it was transported with ice, which sparked a realization for him: the consistent low temperature of Fu Yiya’s cellar, much like ice used to preserve seafood, could have delayed the appearance of any wounds on Wang Yinya’s body. Armed with this new insight, they returned to Fu Yiya’s house. Shangguan Tou explained that certain martial arts could cause fatal injuries that only manifested days later, and the cold cellar would have further postponed this process.
Upon a closer examination, a lotus petal-shaped mark was discovered on Wang Yinya’s body. Fu Yiya immediately recognized it as a mark from the Nine Moves of Lotus God, accusing Chonghuo Palace of his brother's murder. When Fu Yiya moved to attack Zhong Xuezhi, Shangguan Tou intervened. Zhong Xuezhi argued that only her father had mastered the Nine Moves of Lotus God, and the presence of such a wound indicated the thief had already begun practicing it.
She questioned why they would foolishly return if they were the culprits, but Fu Yiya remained convinced of their guilt, accusing them of attempting to silence him. Shangguan Tou once again shielded Zhong Xuezhi. Later, discussing the development with her companions, Zhong Xuezhi deduced that the thief had mastered at least the third move of the Nine Moves of Lotus God. Shangguan Tou dismissed Fu Yiya as a suspect, stating his martial arts skills were insufficient.
They decided the missing silver whip and badge were their only remaining clues, theorizing they might have been stolen to frame someone. Zhong Xuezhi entrusted Gugu with the task of investigating the whereabouts of these items. Unbeknownst to them, Tan Yi from the Shangqing Sect and his father were also in Xiangzhou, observing their movements and equally determined to find the Nine Moves of Lotus God before anyone else.
Meanwhile, at Chonghuo Palace, Yuwen Muyuan, who had returned after his grandfather Yuwen Zhongsong feigned severe illness, intended to travel to Xiangzhou to bring Zhong Xuezhi back. However, Yuwen Zhongsong presented Yuwen Muyuan with an official request from the Ministry of Defense and other sects for an enormous quantity of weapons, including 500 spears for the Huashan Sect and 100,000 feather arrows for the Commandant's Mansion.
This effectively trapped Yuwen Muyuan at Chonghuo Palace, forcing him to oversee the weapon production. In Xiangzhou, Lord Lu received a letter from the Crown Prince offering assistance for the ongoing flood. Lord Lu courteously declined, mentioning he had other arrangements, and instructed Shangguan Zheng to invite Shangguan Tou and Zhong Xuezhi back to the mansion for a meeting. Before this could happen, Fu Yiya reported Zhong Xuezhi to the authorities.
Zhong Xuezhi and her companions were arrested by government officials, and to compound their troubles, Wang Yinya’s missing silver whip and sect master’s badge were "discovered" in their room, leading the magistrate to order their imprisonment. Gugu witnessed their arrest.
