Debit Queen Episode 21 Recap
> Debit Queen Recap
Ling Se told Xu Zilu that she was going to visit Wanrong and wouldn't be joining him for dinner, causing Xu Zilu to playfully complain about always being left alone while others invited her out, joking that she had found "new lovers". Despite his teasing, they shared an affectionate moment before a worker arrived, mentioning the paint for Ling Se's new shop.
Ling Se asked for a carriage to take face powder to Wanrong and planned to go paint the shop herself. Xu Zilu initially said he wouldn't go, claiming he'd only get in the way, but changed his mind when she pressed him, agreeing to help in exchange for a reward. At the shop, they discovered someone searching the premises. Xu Zilu chased the intruder while Ling Se went to report to the authorities.
Xu Zilu confronted the person, demanding to know who sent them, but the intruder injured him with a knife before Lyu Qingfeng and his men arrived, causing the person to flee. Ling Se returned and was alarmed to find Xu Zilu bleeding, though he dismissed it as a minor injury. She scolded him for being reckless, especially after a recent close call in Lingnan, and expressed how worried she was.
Xu Zilu reassured her he was fine and promised to be more careful. Ling Se mused about the strangeness of a thief targeting her empty shop, and Xu Zilu speculated it was an inexperienced, "dishonorable" intruder. Lyu Qingfeng was investigating. Afterward, Xu Zilu, still concerned for Ling Se's safety, arranged for Butler Chen to assign four strong and capable workers to protect her.
Ling Se initially objected, finding them too fierce and potentially off-putting to customers, but Xu Zilu insisted, explaining he couldn't focus on anything else if he was constantly worrying about her. She eventually agreed to keep them for protection. Later, Yeniang and Tao Meili arrived in Furong City and visited Ling Se's newly opened "Joy Game Shop," bringing a red packet as a gift and complimenting the shop.
Xu Zilu also arrived with a large, auspicious tangerine display, calling it an upgrade and celebrating her opening the first game shop in the city, much to Ling Se's delight. Meanwhile, Ping'er was secretly reading a heartfelt note from Wang, expressing his longing for her, when Prince Xian unexpectedly arrived. She quickly hid the note.
The Prince brought her favorite stinky tofu and expressed concern about her looking thin, reaching out to touch her face, prompting Ping'er to ask him to behave himself. Prince Xian spoke about their impending marriage, decreed by the Emperor, and the public attention it would draw, emphasizing the need for her health to be perfect.
Ping'er, however, stated directly that she did not want to marry him, suggesting he could easily find a noble lady who truly loved him given his status. Prince Xian dismissed this, asserting he only desired her. He sternly warned her against attempting to escape again, stressing that defying the Emperor's decree by breaking the engagement would be a capital offense ("deceiving His Majesty"), with consequences too severe for her to bear alone.
Distressed by Prince Xian's warning, Ping'er felt she had to end things with Wang to protect him. She wrote a letter of farewell, stating their past was behind them and wishing for them to lead peaceful lives separately. She arranged for this letter to be delivered to Wang. Upon receiving the letter, Wang was heartbroken and worried about Ping'er. He rushed to the Marquis Mansion but was denied entry by the guards.
Determined to see her, he hid inside a vegetable cart entering the grounds. Seeing the heavy security, he then disguised himself as a maid ("tall maid") to move around the mansion unnoticed. He found Ping'er in her room and expressed his relief at seeing her. She had been eating very little due to her distress.
When he asked about her sudden decision to say goodbye in the letter, Ping'er urged him to focus on his upcoming Metropolitan Examination first and postpone their discussion until after it was over. Wang worried that he might not see her again after the exam. Later, Prince Xian arrived at the Marquis Mansion specifically to finalize the wedding date. He pressed for an immediate marriage, overriding Ping'er's attempts to delay by saying she wanted to stay with her grandfather longer.
Suddenly, Wang, still disguised as the tall maid, burst into the room and declared that Ping'er did not want to marry Prince Xian. The Marquis, unaware of Wang's true identity, initially scolded his "new maid" for speaking out of turn. However, Prince Xian recognized Wang and, furious, revealed his true identity. The Marquis demanded an explanation, and Ping'er confessed that she had brought Wang into the mansion because she loved him and did not want to marry Prince Xian.
She questioned if it was wrong to want to marry the person she loved. Enraged, the Marquis ordered Wang, calling him a "pervert," to be forcibly removed from the mansion. After Wang was dragged out, Prince Xian proposed that Ping'er move to his mansion to get better acquainted before the wedding.
The Marquis firmly refused, citing the impropriety of such an arrangement before the marriage ceremony and the potential damage to Ping'er's reputation, insisting that she stay at home to prepare for the wedding and not go anywhere else. Prince Xian reluctantly accepted this condition. Wang waited outside the mansion gates, hoping for a chance to see Ping'er. That night, Ping'er climbed over the wall to meet him outside in the rain.
Wang expressed concern for her safety, and Ping'er said she was desperate to see him. Wang swore he would risk his life to prevent her from marrying someone she did not love. Ping'er proposed they elope, but Wang refused, unwilling for her to suffer or be wronged. He asked her to wait until he passed the Metropolitan Examination and became the top scholar, promising to then ask his grandfather to petition the Emperor for their marriage.
Ping'er agreed to wait for him, regardless of the exam results. They then shared a kiss. Wang later prepared for the exam, resolved to succeed for Ping'er. Separately, Xu Yushan had been transporting goods for the Prince without full knowledge of their contents. During one shipment, a worker accidentally dropped a box, revealing the contents were firearms. This incident was reported to the Prince.
The Prince then met with Xu Yushan, admitting he was using his trade caravans to smuggle munitions. He outlined his plan to seize power and become Emperor with the support of Beiyun State and the military influence he would gain by marrying the Marquis Wei's granddaughter (Ping'er), who was connected to a Grand General. Xu Yushan was visibly shaken, bringing up the severe consequences of treason, which could lead to the extermination of his entire clan.
The Prince dismissed his fears, portraying it as a gamble between certain death upon failure and endless glory if successful. He reminded Xu Yushan that since he now knew the secret, he was complicit and his loyalty was required, promising him high office and wealth if their plan succeeded, even stating that Xu Zilu would not compare to him. Xu Yushan felt cornered and agreed.
Xu Zilu, having received reports from his subordinate about Xu Yushan's suspicious activities involving a Prince, grew concerned about the potential implication of the Xu family, despite Xu Yushan's removal from the family register. He felt their kinship remained. Xu Zilu decided he needed to speak with Xu Yushan and sent his subordinate to arrange a meeting. As Xu Yushan prepared to leave, possibly with more firearms, he was intercepted by the Prince.
The Prince stated he had warned Xu Yushan about the consequences of betrayal and ordered his men to eliminate him and dispose of the body, implying Xu Yushan was killed for attempting to meet Xu Zilu or for disloyalty.
