Debit Queen Episode 16 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Xu Zilu revealed to his uncle, Xu Yushan, that Chen Yun, Chen Bin, and Mr. Qi were all informants he had planted. Xu Yushan was shocked but dismissed the accusations, arguing that he had worked tirelessly for the Xu family business in Furong City, introduced numerous influential people, and that the family's current success was largely due to his efforts. He claimed he had only taken some goods and money, which he felt he deserved.
Xu Mother interrupted, expressing deep disappointment in her brother-in-law and asking everyone else to leave. Alone with his uncle, Xu Zilu reminded Xu Yushan of the principles he had taught him – integrity in business and not enriching oneself at the family's expense. He spoke of viewing Xu Yushan as a father figure after his own father's death and lamented how he had seemingly changed.
Xu Yushan retorted that he could anticipate anything Xu Zilu might say, acknowledged his perceived guilt towards the family, and declared that he, Xu Yushan, was no longer part of the Xu family and would have no further relationship with Xu Zilu.
After his uncle's departure, Xu Zilu looked at marks on the wall, recalling how his uncle had marked his height there each year after his father died, how he would secretly bring him food when his mother punished him, comfort him when he was upset, and teach him business principles. He felt a deep sense of loss.
Ling Se found him reflecting and comforted him, acknowledging that people can change but emphasizing that many others still cared for him, urging him to pull himself together for their sake. News reached Xu Zilu that Wu Qi was traveling across the country challenging incense makers, winning many shops and claiming that Linchun City's reputation as a center for incense making was undeserved.
A servant suggested that Wu Qi might be trying to provoke Xu Zilu into a competition and could potentially target Ling Se. Xu Zilu expressed annoyance at having to deal with him. Ling Se arrived, drawn by the pleasant scent from Xu Zilu's room.
He showed her an incense called 'Tranquillity Incense,' the first ever made by their ancestors, explaining the principles of distinguishing scents – requiring a calm heart, smelling slowly, and understanding the "emperor, minister, coordinator" composition with at least three ingredients. He gave her another incense to identify. After concentrating, she correctly identified agarwood, chrysanthemum, and camellia, surprising him with her sensitive nose. She identified this incense as 'Autumn,' leading her to suggest creating incense for all four seasons.
Xu Zilu mentioned that the early plum blossoms in the Xu mansion's estate were blooming beautifully and invited her to visit the next day. Ling Se initially declined, saying the Aromatic Tea Shop was too busy for her to leave. Seeing his slight disappointment, she quickly reconsidered, saying a worker could cover the shop, and she could take half a day or a day off.
Xu Zilu was pleased and immediately instructed Fu Ding to arrange for food, drinks, and prepare rooms at the estate, mentioning they might stay late. Fu Ding noted there was only one room available and stated he would not accompany them as he had other tasks. Meanwhile, Wang visited Ping'er, visibly nervous about his exam the following morning.
Ping'er offered him careful advice on preparing his supplies and managing his mindset, urging him to rest and eat well before the test. She gave him a charm she had specially obtained for him, asking him to keep it with him during the exam for good luck. Wang promised to do so. Later, back home, Wang was still trembling with anxiety and struggling to recall what he had memorized.
A servant suggested he make a "xiaocao" (cheat sheet) by writing notes in tiny script on a folded piece of paper to keep on his waist and refer to if he forgot something. The servant encouraged him to be prepared for both possibilities. Wang agreed and began preparing the cheat sheet while studying. The next day, as Wang was about to enter the exam hall, another student accused him of having a cheat sheet.
Wang denied it and was searched, but nothing was found. However, seeing how much Wang was trembling, the invigilator deemed him suspicious and instructed him to take the exam in isolation. Outside the exam hall, Ping'er waited anxiously. Ling Se and Liu Yeniang were there and tried to comfort Ping'er, telling her that she had done her best to help Wang prepare, and now they must leave the rest to fate.
Liu Yeniang also expressed her frustration, complaining that Wu Qi's incense challenges were ruining businesses in Linchun; she mentioned one shop owner who lost his business and fled town due to debt. As they had planned, Xu Zilu was preparing to go with Ling Se to see the plum blossoms when Fu Ding arrived with urgent news. The Laurel Garden in the south had suffered a mudslide, destroying most of the laurel plants, injuring many farmers, and leaving some missing.
Xu Zilu immediately decided he had to go south to oversee the disaster relief efforts. He found Ling Se to tell her he could not accompany her as planned. Ling Se understood the importance of the matter and told him to prioritize his business, assuring him that they could visit the plum blossoms later since they would bloom for the entire winter.
Xu Zilu gave her a branch of plum blossom and asked her to wait for his return so they could go to the plum blossom forest together. She happily agreed. Xu Zilu and Fu Ding were traveling quickly by carriage when they found a badly injured man on the road who claimed he had been attacked by bandits. They helped him into their carriage. Soon after, they realized they were being pursued.
The injured man, named Zheng, gave Xu Zilu a parcel, urging him to take it to Furong City if he did not survive, stating its contents were very important. Fu Ding suggested distracting the pursuers, but Xu Zilu worried it was too dangerous for him alone. Despite this, Fuding rode off to lead the attackers away. The carriage carrying Xu Zilu and Zheng overturned. The pursuers found the overturned carriage.
They located Zheng, checked his pulse, and found he was dead. They searched his body and the carriage for the parcel but found nothing. They then checked Xu Zilu, who was unconscious, concluding he was also dead as they found no pulse, and left without finding the parcel. On the day appointed for the incense competition, Xu Zilu had not returned.
At the Linchun Guild Hall, Wu Qi declared that since Xu Zilu was absent, he would claim one of the Xu family's shops by forfeiture, citing the local rules that abandoning the match meant losing. A Xu family servant protested that their young master had not withdrawn. Wu Qi insisted the competition must happen.
Ling Se stepped forward and announced that since Xu Zilu had entrusted her with looking after the Xu family in his absence, she would represent the family in the competition. She asked Wu Qi if she was qualified to compete against him. Wu Qi seemed skeptical of a newcomer but agreed to the terms. They set the competition to three rounds: creating incense, smelling incense, and coiling incense. The winner would be determined by the best of three rounds.
If Wu Qi won, he would take the Xu family's incense shop on Peony Street. If the Xu family won, Wu Qi would return all the shops he had previously won in Linchun. Ling Se then added a personal wager: if she lost, she would give Wu Qi a prime shop belonging to her family in Furong City; if she won, Wu Qi would give her a prime shop in Furong City. Wu Qi accepted the increased stakes.
The first round, Creating Incense, began. Wu Qi created an incense blend he described with imagery that was interpreted by onlookers as ominous for Xu Zilu's fortune. Ling Se created a blend she called "Flying among the white clouds in the sky." Wu Qi won the first round. The second round, Smelling Incense, commenced. Ling Se concentrated deeply, recalling Xu Zilu's earlier lesson on scent identification.
When it was her turn, she precisely identified the ingredients in Wu Qi's incense, including a subtle plum blossom scent that others had missed, surprising everyone. Ling Se won the second round. As the third round, Coiling Incense, was about to start (a technique Ling Se was unfamiliar with), Wu Qi unexpectedly announced his concession. He stated that his goal was to compete with the strongest opponent and, having lost the second round, he would concede.
He then publicly declared that he would return all the shops he had won to their original owners, much to the joy of the assembled merchants. Before leaving, Wu Qi urgently told Ling Se that she should go home quickly because Xu Zilu had had an accident.
