Bloody Romance Episode 12 Recap
> Bloody Romance Recap
Wan Mei and Chang An arrived at Zhai Xing Tower, posing as a married couple, to carry out their mission. Wan Mei, acting as a fiery noblewoman, loudly demanded bird's nest soup for breakfast, claiming she was pained from being angry at her husband all night. The innkeeper, trying to ascertain their identities, subtly questioned her origins, noting her fair skin and asking if she was from the South.
Wan Mei confidently stated they were from Chang Le and heading to the Capital, boasting of her prowess as one of Chang Le's best swordswomen. She even offered to demonstrate the skills that won her husband in a "Race For The Marriage." When a chair was thrown from an upper floor, Chang An shielded Wan Mei. She then used the incident to feign outrage, demanding to confront whoever threw the chair.
The innkeeper intervened, revealing the culprit was Tang Rou, the formidable Miss of the Tang Family from Shu Zhong, whom they could not afford to offend. Wan Mei, placated, allowed Chang An to be taken back to their room, ostensibly to treat his injury with patches provided by the innkeeper. Meanwhile, Chang An observed the tower's heightened security, noting many disguised martial arts experts, including a leader with powerful internal force, strategically placed on each floor.
He realized that a spy in Gui Hua City must have informed Madam Ryan about an impending assassination, leading her to reinforce her defenses. Unbeknownst to them, Yue Ying had intercepted a letter from Cha Luo to Yue Qing Ya, which detailed Wan Mei's characteristics as the assassin. Yue Ying altered the letter, informing Yue Qing Ya only that an assassin from Gui Hua City intended to kill Madam Ryan, without revealing the assassin's identity.
She then reported this to her Master, who praised her foresight. The Master, holding a powerful witchcraft from Xuan Ji Palace, expressed confidence that if Wan Mei could retrieve the branch map of the Blood Lotus Cult, he could finally destroy the entire cult.
He acknowledged that Madam Ryan, though a valuable helper to Yue Qing Ya, was ultimately just a tool, and that all of Yue Qing Ya's secrets, including potentially the map, would be kept safe within Zhai Xing Tower, more important than Madam Ryan herself. Wan Mei and Chang An analyzed the situation, concluding they couldn't directly confront Madam Ryan or search the heavily guarded tower. Chang An suggested creating a crisis that would force Madam Ryan to expose her secrets.
He proposed spreading a rumor that Yue Qing Ya was in danger, specifically under house arrest in the Imperial Preceptor Residence by the Emperor. He reasoned that if Yue Qing Ya, who relied on the government, was perceived to be in trouble, Madam Ryan would either destroy or transfer crucial information to protect herself.
Recognizing that a direct rumor would quickly be debunked due to the Capital's proximity, they decided to use Zhai Xing Tower's own information network at He Ming Tea House to disseminate the false news. At He Ming Tea House, Wan Mei and Chang An feigned interest in purchasing the "best tea of Bei Yuan."
While the tea house owner and his workers were distracted, they were drugged and taken outside the town, hidden on a boat, to be released in three days. Wan Mei then used pig blood to create a gruesome scene in the tea house, making it appear as if a violent incident had occurred. Chang An took the opportunity to prepare the false message.
He explained that a thin pen, commonly used for transcribing sutras, could be used to write on a leaf, then cleverly inserted into a compressed tea cake, a method used by the tea house for discreet communication. He confirmed he could imitate the tea house owner's handwriting for the message. He then sent Wan Mei to create fake traces at the back of the house, staying behind to finalize the setup.
Shortly after Wan Mei left, Zhai Xing Tower guards, who had become suspicious of Wan Mei's internal force earlier, tracked them to the tea house. They apprehended Chang An, who was alone. Despite enduring severe torture, Chang An remained steadfast, refusing to reveal any real information. Instead, he maintained the fabricated story that Yue Qing Ya was in grave danger and wanted Madam Ryan eliminated, further solidifying the false narrative in the guards' minds.
Upon receiving the "urgent" message from He Ming Tea House, which stated "Imperial Preceptor is under house arrest. Leave as soon as possible," Madam Ryan was initially disbelieving. She noted the message wasn't in Yue Qing Ya's handwriting and found it hard to believe such a major event could occur without her knowledge. However, her subordinate suggested that "knowing nothing is the worst information," fueling her unease.
Feeling uncertain, she decided to send a letter to Yue Qing Ya to verify his well-being. Meanwhile, Wan Mei secretly infiltrated Zhai Xing Tower, attempting to rescue Chang An. She managed to speak with him briefly. Chang An confirmed he hadn't confessed and urged her to find weaknesses in Zhai Xing Tower to advance their plan. Just as Madam Ryan was preparing to send her letter to Yue Qing Ya, Chang An demanded to see her.
Madam Ryan went to his cell, where she remained hidden behind a screen. Chang An, feigning doubt about her identity, revealed that the tea house owner and workers were not dead but merely hidden, to be released in three days. He then added that someone had placed a high bounty on Madam Ryan's life, implying it was due to the many secrets she possessed, and that "they want to stop her before Qian Niu Wei."
Chang An then pressed her, demanding to know her true identity, calling out to her. However, Madam Ryan did not reveal herself. In the Imperial Preceptor Residence, Yue Qing Ya received Madam Ryan's letter. Already suspicious that his current situation—being held by the Ministry of Works to recheck old cases—was a setup, her letter solidified his fears. He decided to personally travel to Zhai Xing Tower, less than 100 li away.
Meanwhile, his reply assuring her that all was well was intercepted by Yue Ying. Back at Zhai Xing Tower, with no reply from Yue Qing Ya, Madam Ryan's anxiety grew. Believing him to be in trouble, she began to burn critical documents, including a map of the Blood Lotus Cult's branch department. At this crucial moment, Wan Mei broke in, intent on assassinating Madam Ryan.
A fierce struggle ensued, and Wan Mei, proving her superior combat skills, gained the upper hand and managed to snatch the half-burnt branch map. Simultaneously, Chang An, having escaped his confinement, fought his way to the ninth floor, intent on seeing Madam Ryan's true face. Bursting into her room during the fight, he was stunned to recognize her: she was Xie Ying, the eldest daughter of the Xie family.
As Wan Mei prepared to throw Xie Ying onto a broken sword, Chang An, in a desperate act to save Xie Ying, slashed the rope connecting Wan Mei to the outside, sending Wan Mei plummeting from the high tower into the dark waters of Yong Yue Lake below. Madam Ryan (Xie Ying) quickly hid Chang An in her room, overcome with emotion at the unexpected reunion.
She confided that after the massacre of their Xie family years ago, only she and Xie Huan, her horsekeeper, had survived, each embarking on a path of revenge. Their reunion brought a flood of memories and relief. She then ordered the ninth floor sealed, ensuring Chang An's safety from the arriving Imperial Preceptor. Meanwhile, Wan Mei, having survived the fall, swam to the shore of Yong Yue Lake, her heart filled with disbelief and bitterness at Chang An's betrayal.
She was then captured by Yue Qing Ya, who had just arrived. Madam Ryan quickly informed Yue Qing Ya that Wan Mei had taken the Blood Lotus Cult's branch map. Despite not finding the complete map on Wan Mei, Yue Qing Ya insisted on taking her with him for interrogation, asserting that this matter was intertwined with the larger governmental issues he was investigating. News of Wan Mei's failure reached her Master.
While outwardly ordering a seven-day vigil in the Junior Killers' House as a mark of pity, he instructed that the news be kept secret from the Prince, who held Wan Mei in high regard and would be saddened by her fate. Yue Qing Ya, in turn, sent a message to Wan Mei's Master, inviting him to witness the interrogation, a subtle power play regarding the captured assassin and the acquired map.
As Yue Qing Ya prepared to question Wan Mei, he remarked on his unusual practice of bathing before interrogating criminals, highlighting the rarity and importance of this particular prisoner. He also noted Wan Mei's current state, stating that the martial artist who had struck her ensured she wouldn't be able to stand for hours. Despite this, Wan Mei remained defiant.
