Resumen del episodio 12 de The Love Lasts Two Minds
> Resúmenes de The Love Lasts Two Minds
Zuo Yanxi followed Tan to a secret mountain cave. He overheard Tan reporting to her masked master about her failed mission. She explained that she had lured Yuan Qinhe to Hanqiu Slope, intending to eliminate her and then draw Marquis Duan to the scene for a combined strike. However, Marquis Duan arrived unexpectedly early, displayed impressive martial arts, and was aided by unknown masters, thwarting their plan.
Tan confessed their failure, noting that Fen Lou was also killed by Marquis Duan. The masked master, furious at her incompetence, smashed a wine cup and exclaimed, "You can't even accomplish such a task!" Tan immediately apologized, "I am incapable. Please punish me." A sound echoed as Zuo Yanxi's sword scraped against the stone wall. The masked master demanded to know who was there and ordered his followers to pursue. Tan quickly rose and gave chase.
Catching a glimpse of the fleeing figure, she recognized him as her senior fellow apprentice. She stopped her companion, warning him not to fall for an enemy diversion. She instructed him to remain and protect their master, while she continued the pursuit alone. As he escaped, Zuo Yanxi muttered to himself, "Luckily no suspicion is aroused. Hope you will no longer come for me." After a futile chase, Tan realized she had lost him.
She inflicted a cut on her arm before returning to her master. She reported, "He is too strong. My injury from last night gave him the chance to escape." When asked if she saw his appearance, Tan shook her head, stating that she hadn't, but sensed he was not someone from official government circles. Her master, acknowledging Qinhe was full of hidden martial masters, admitted his carelessness.
He told Tan to rest and heal, cautioning her to be extra careful in future encounters and avoid further mistakes. He decided to put off further attempts on Marquis Duan for now, noting Marquis Duan would surely be on guard. Instead, he ordered Tan to gather more forces in Qinhe and monitor all main routes leading to Prince He's residence annex.
Yuan Qinhe returned to the government office feeling much better after some rest, though frustrated that their efforts the previous night yielded no clues. She also mused that they were once close to the truth and wondered if they had overlooked something. She told Xiao Lu that as a captor, her duty was to protect the region and ensure the killer was brought to justice. As they passed the kitchen, a delightful aroma of pheasant soup caught Yuan's attention.
She felt a strong sense of déjà vu, convinced she had smelled this familiar scent many times before. Entering the kitchen, she found Jing Ci stewing the soup. The sight of him by the pot, holding a ladle, stirred a powerful but unidentifiable sense of familiarity. Jing Ci explained that he had heard Xiao Lu say Yuan wanted pheasant soup, and since he also craved it, he made extra.
Yuan initially denied expressing a desire for the soup, but quickly confirmed, "Yes, I do! I want to drink it!" Xiao Lu then quickly chimed in, admitting, "Yes, yes, I said it. My master (Yuan) wanted pheasant soup, and I also wanted pheasant soup." Jing Ci then added that he wanted the soup too, which is why he made a bit more. Jing Ci served Yuan a bowl. After one sip, the familiar taste brought tears to her eyes.
Noticing her red eyes, Xiao Lu asked what was wrong. Yuan replied that the soup was so delicious it made her want to cry. Internally, Yuan wondered why soup made by Jing Zhiwan (Jing Ci) evoked such strong emotions, making her want to cry. She mused that Xiao Lu insisted she didn't know him before, but perhaps she did, and Xiao Lu was simply unaware. She pondered what exactly she had forgotten.
Lord Zhao mused about the unexpected liveliness in Qinhe, where several hidden forces were secretly vying for power. His servant expressed concern about Jing Ci, who had faced multiple assassination attempts since arriving and was currently battling an illness. Lord Zhao, however, dismissed these worries, confident in Jing Ci's intelligence and ability to handle any chaotic situation, even to control it. His true concern was "the one who can disturb him most," who was currently in Qinhe.
Upon learning her name was Yuan, a captor, Lord Zhao wondered if she was Yuan Qingli or Feng Mianwan. Regardless of her identity, he declared that she must not be allowed to influence Jing Ci. Knowing Zhixia's ongoing concern for Jing Ci, he instructed his servant to inform her that Jing Ci's foot ailment had recurred and to send her and A'heng to Qinhe to care for him. Jing Ci found Yuan Qinhe lost in thought at a stone table.
He asked why she seemed so absent-minded, noting her lack of appetite earlier, and wondered if her poison injury was bothering her. Yuan clarified that she was preoccupied, trying to recall what she had forgotten. Jing Ci advised her against struggling to remember the past, emphasizing that bygones were bygones and not as important as choosing her current path and future direction. Yuan asserted that her immediate goal was to uncover the murderers of Fu Manqing and Xiaoyu.
She believed that finding the killer would also reveal the truth behind Zhige's murder of the Elder Princess and the secret of Xiaoyu and others having their little fingers severed. Jing Ci warned her that the secrets involved might be more than a mere captor could handle. Yuan remained resolute, stating her duty to bring peace to Qinhe and ensure no innocent person died in vain.
She vowed to pursue the cases, arrest the masterminds, and bring peace to the deceased and the world. Jing Ci simply replied, "Good. I mean who you are is good," leaving Yuan pleased and a little flattered. As Jing Ci smiled and turned to leave, a hurrying Xiao Lu bumped into him, causing his pouch to fall. Xiao Lu quickly apologized for rushing to call Yuan for dinner.
Yuan picked up the pouch, remarking on Jing Ci's good taste and complimenting the "little yellow duck" embroidered on it. Jing Ci gently corrected her, clarifying, "It’s mandarin duck." Yuan, amused, responded, "If Brother Zhiwan says it’s a mandarin duck, then surely it is." Xiao Lu disparaged the pouch's embroidery, bragging that her master, a skilled embroiderer, could produce something hundreds of times better.
Jing Ci then remarked that Yuan Qinhe also knew how to embroider mandarin duck pouches and was quite good at it. Later, Xiao Lu excitedly informed Yuan that Jing Ci was subtly asking her for a mandarin duck pouch, emphasizing its significance as a token of love. Yuan was thrilled but, having lost her memories, questioned if she truly knew how to embroider. Despite her doubts, she decided to make one for Jing Ci.
That night, a masked individual covertly set fire to Prince of Bo's camp. The guards quickly discovered the blaze and rushed to extinguish it. Prince of Bo ordered some men to monitor the river dike, where crucial construction materials were stored, stressing that nothing should go wrong there. Soon after, a guard reported that the camp by the river was fiercely burning, spreading quickly with the strong wind, and the fire was now threatening the dam.
Prince of Bo, bewildered by the fire given the damp conditions, immediately commanded everyone in the battalion, regardless of rank, to fight the fires, threatening severe punishment if the dam was breached. Alone in his tent, Prince of Bo paced anxiously. Suddenly, a sword tore through the fabric, wounding him. He engaged in combat with the masked assassin, who declared, "It’s just as Marquis expected." Prince of Bo cried for help, but his guards were preoccupied with the widespread fires.
At that critical moment, Fu Xiaohan, who had been secretly observing, intervened, rescuing Prince of Bo from the assassin. Fu Xiaohan returned to Jing Ci, reporting that Prince of Bo had been attacked during the fires. When asked if she intervened, she admitted to helping, stating that the assassin's fighting style felt familiar, resembling the Dragon and Tiger Army's techniques.
Jing Ci found this puzzling, as the Dragon and Tiger Army served the King and had no reason to target Prince of Bo. Meanwhile, Prince of Bo hurried to Lord He, his mentor, to confess his predicament. He explained that a fire, fueled by oil, had destroyed the dam construction he was supervising, and he had been attacked.
He feared the King's wrath for this grave failure, especially since he suspected the assassin wanted him not only dead but also disgraced. Lord He advised him not to report the incident immediately but to secretly cover it up, offering to send men to help. He warned Prince of Bo that without established power in Qinhe, rivals would naturally exploit his weaknesses. Lord He's main concern was the King's potential punishment, suggesting a "plain and simple" solution: find a scapegoat.
Prince of Bo agreed with the idea of a scapegoat. Lord He proposed that Prince of Bo claim he discovered shoddy work and inferior materials upon arriving in Qinhe. Out of concern for the public and the potential for a severe flood, he could say he burnt the dam in a fit of grief as a warning, knowing the King's love for his people would likely lead to leniency.
Prince of Bo thought this was a good plan and identified the official doctor sent by the government to supervise the dam construction as the perfect scapegoat. He decided to carefully consider how to execute the plan and cover up the incident. Yuan Qinhe dressed in women's attire, and her stunning beauty attracted much attention as she and Xiao Lu walked down the street.
Yuan questioned the necessity of such an elaborate change of clothes just to buy satin and needlework, worrying about being recognized as a female captor. Xiao Lu countered that this was for a precious "token of love"—a pouch for Jing Ci—and it would be inappropriate for Xiao Lu to choose it or for Yuan to buy women's needlework while dressed as a man.
Yuan conceded, acknowledging that after drinking his soup, presenting him with a handmade pouch would truly convey her heartfelt sentiments. Despite her memory loss, Xiao Lu reassured her of her renowned embroidery skills, including a landscape tapestry once praised by the King, promising that the talent would resurface once she began. Zuo Yanxi arrived at a restaurant across from the Floral House, asking for the proprietress. Upon learning she was out, he decided to wait.
Yuan Qinhe and Xiao Lu happened to pass by and spotted him. Yuan remarked on Jing Ci's trust in Zuo Yanxi, but confessed her persistent feeling that he was involved in Fu Manqing's case. Xiao Lu speculated that Zuo Yanxi’s pale face indicated guilt, especially since he was dining across from the Floral House.
This comment struck a chord with Yuan, who recalled Fu Manqing pointing towards the window before her death, a gesture Yuan now interpreted as possibly implicating the restaurant or someone within it. She also remembered meeting the merchant who led them to Hanqiu Slope in the very same eatery, an encounter she now found too coincidental for a spontaneous visit. Convinced there was a trap, Yuan decided to question Zuo Yanxi or anyone in the restaurant.
She brushed off Xiao Lu's concern about her wearing women's clothes, prioritizing the investigation and reasoning that Zuo Yanxi, being Jing Ci's close friend, likely already knew her true gender. Fu Xiaohan, overhearing Yuan's suspicions, quickly entered the restaurant to warn Zuo Yanxi that the captor, now in women's attire, was scrutinizing him.
Zuo Yanxi immediately instructed the veiled Fu Xiaohan to lead Yuan away, stating that he had no time to waste with her accusations as he was pursuing a clue. Yuan, entering the restaurant just as Zuo Yanxi and the veiled woman exited through the back, concluded the woman was an accomplice, possibly the killer, and gave chase. She pursued them to the Shuxin Clinic entrance, where they vanished.
She entered the clinic, believing that Zuo Yanxi, like a monk, could run, but his "temple" (the clinic) could not. Inside, she tried to convince a healer that she was a friend of the doctor and didn't need an appointment, but was told Zuo Yanxi was not currently there. The healer offered for Yuan to wait in a side hall, which she accepted.
Later, Xiao Lu informed Jing Ci about Yuan's renewed suspicions regarding Zuo Yanxi and her pursuit of him and the veiled woman. Jing Ci, realizing the veiled woman's description — a martial expert with a whip — matched Fu Xiaohan, was puzzled as to why Yuan would suspect both her and Zuo Yanxi. Meanwhile, Zuo Yanxi had found the restaurant proprietress, who was revealed to be his junior fellow apprentice, Tan.
He confronted her, reminding her that their involvement in the deaths of the Elder Princess, Xiaoyu, and Fu Manqing was not flawless. He urged her to leave the city immediately, stating that he did not wish to harm her, nor did he want Marquis Duan to. He told her he would wait for her by the riverside outside the west town. Tan then instructed Wu to pack their things and leave.
