Resumen del episodio 29 de The Love Lasts Two Minds
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Early in the morning, villagers discovered dead bodies by the lake. Princess Changle and Zhao Yan arrived to investigate and confirmed that Princess Wang Zesheng, along with three guards and maids, had been murdered inside a boat. An initial examination suggested that the four victims died between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM the previous day.
The wounds on the guards were thin and deep, indicating a narrow and sharp sword used by a highly skilled assailant, as the guards were killed before they could draw their weapons. Princess Wang Zesheng had been strangled, with clear finger marks suggesting a murderer with small palms and slim fingers, possibly a slim male or a female. Jing Ci, referred to as Duke Duan, arrived at the scene and was informed of the findings.
Princess Changle then showed an earring found at the scene, stating it didn't belong to Princess Wang Zesheng or her attendant, Shu. She believed it was left by the murderer during a struggle, further supporting the theory of a female assailant. Jing Ci revealed that Princess Wang Zesheng had left the palace the previous day to meet Yuan Qinhe.
While Jing Ci was certain Yuan Qinhe would not kill Princess Wang Zesheng, he worried that others might exploit the situation, especially since Yuan Qinhe was skilled in martial arts and wielded a thin, narrow sword, the Desecular Sword, which matched the wounds on the victims. Princess Changle added that she had never seen Yuan Qinhe wear such an earring.
Princess Changle then recalled that Yuan Qinhe had previously told her about secretly seeing Prince Ye and Qiao Li meeting, suggesting Yuan Qinhe might have offended them. She expressed concern that if Qiao Li was in charge of the case, he might attempt to frame Yuan Qinhe, which would be disastrous for her.
Zhao Yan reassured them, explaining that the case would also be reviewed by the Ministry of Penalty, and he would personally monitor Qiao Li to ensure he did not act maliciously. He also noted that Mrs. Yuan was a formidable figure, so Qiao Li would not dare to proceed without concrete evidence.
Aunt Zhixia, upon seeing Princess Wang Zesheng's body, was overcome with grief and immediately accused Yuan Qinhe of the murder, stating Princess Wang Zesheng had gone to give Yuan Qinhe memory-restoring medicine. Qiao Li noted that Yuan Qinhe and Princess Wang Zesheng had a known animosity, having even quarreled at Lanyue Lake, making it seem unlikely Princess Wang Zesheng would offer medicine.
Aunt Zhixia argued that this animosity was precisely why Yuan Qinhe would harm her, adding that only a skilled woman like Yuan Qinhe could have strangled Princess Wang Zesheng. Qiao Li vowed to apprehend the murderer to give Prince Zhao justice. A handkerchief found in Princess Wang Zesheng's sleeve was presented, but Aunt Zhixia did not recognize it as hers. Meanwhile, Zuo Yanxi learned of Princess Wang Zesheng's death and Aunt Zhixia's accusation against Yuan Qinhe.
He wondered if Tan could be involved, but then remembered her promise not to assist evil deeds again and trusted she would keep her word. Jing Ci's subordinate arrived at Zuo Yanxi's residence, sent to fetch medicine for Jing Ci who was still investigating at Xi River. Zuo Yanxi then gave Jing Ci's subordinate a specific medicine from his prescription for Jing Ci to take. The next day, Yuan Qinhe was preparing for her wedding to Mu Beiyan.
Although beautiful in her red bridal gown, her expression was somber. She learned that Mrs. Yuan and Nianqi had been summoned to the palace earlier that morning. Yuan Qinhe asked Xiao Lu to bring her Desecular Sword, insisting on taking it with her to ward off evil, despite Xiao Lu's concerns about its "evil aura" being unsuitable for a wedding. Suddenly, Qiao Li burst into the Yuan estate with his men, demanding to search the premises.
Yuan Qinhe confronted him, asking if he was there for the wedding feast. Qiao Li declared that she was required to go to the Supreme Court for a case. When Yuan Qinhe questioned why it had to be on her wedding day, Qiao Li accused her of murdering Princess Wang Zesheng and scoffed at her presumption of marrying into Prince He's household as if nothing had happened. Yuan Qinhe was shocked by the news of Princess Wang Zesheng's death.
Xiao Lu, equally surprised, exclaimed that it was impossible, as Princess Wang Zesheng had seemed perfectly fine when they left her the evening two days prior, accompanied by two strong guards. Qiao Li seized on Xiao Lu's words as confirmation that they had indeed been with Princess Wang Zesheng, then ordered both Xiao Lu and Yuan Qinhe's sword to be taken to the Supreme Court.
At the Supreme Court, Qiao Li questioned Yuan Qinhe, stating that Princess Wang Zesheng had intended to give her medicine, but then Princess Wang Zesheng and her three attendants were found dead. He asked if Yuan Qinhe was involved. Yuan Qinhe vehemently denied any connection, accusing Qiao Li of handling the case loosely.
She explained that Princess Wang Zesheng had falsely used Princess Changle's name to arrange the meeting, and upon realizing it was Princess Wang Zesheng, she had left after only a few words, hence having no motive to harm her, especially on the eve of her wedding. Princess Changle corroborated Yuan Qinhe's statement, presenting the forged letter found in Yuan Qinhe's room, which was an imitation of her handwriting, confirming Princess Wang Zesheng's deceptive tactics.
However, Qiao Li insisted on Aunt Zhixia's testimony: Princess Wang Zesheng was delivering memory-restoring medicine, and given their previous animosity in Zhaozhou, he speculated that Yuan Qinhe might have recovered her memories, causing old and new resentments to erupt, leading to a fatal struggle. Yuan Qinhe challenged him, demanding concrete evidence for such a wild theory.
Zuo Yanxi, determined to protect Yuan Qinhe, resolved to quickly find Tan to ascertain her involvement, fearing she might have harmed Princess Wang Zesheng and thus implicated Yuan Qinhe. Jing Ci arrived to see Zuo Yanxi, having learned of Yuan Qinhe's arrest. He explained that Qiao Li had obtained an imperial decree to arrest Yuan Qinhe, believing she and Mu Beiyan were targeted for investigating Jing Ci's foster father's case.
Jing Ci worried Yuan Qinhe would be tortured in court and asked Zuo Yanxi if he possessed a medicine that could mimic the symptoms of a dying person with a weak and erratic pulse. In court, Qiao Li relentlessly pursued a conviction against Yuan Qinhe, presenting multiple pieces of evidence. He highlighted that the sword wounds on Princess Wang Zesheng's guards perfectly matched Yuan Qinhe's Desecular Sword.
Next, he produced a handkerchief found in Princess Wang Zesheng's sleeve, which Yuan Qinhe's maid confirmed belonged to Yuan Qinhe, featuring a begonia flower. Finally, Qiao Li introduced an eyewitness, an old man who testified that he saw only Yuan Qinhe and Xiao Lu board and disembark the boat during the critical time frame of the murder, and no one else. He also stated that Yuan Qinhe appeared unwell and had blood on her sleeve when she left.
Xiao Lu explained that Yuan Qinhe had a quarrel with Princess Wang Zesheng and spat blood, which stained her sleeve, confirming the blood was Yuan Qinhe's. Yuan Qinhe vehemently denied taking any memory-restoring medicine, stating she threw it into the river. Zhao Yan supported her, arguing that if she hadn't taken the medicine, she couldn't have regained her memories and therefore lacked the motive Qiao Li suggested. Yuan Qinhe further stated she preferred her current self, living freely without manipulation.
Qiao Li acknowledged that her motive remained unclear but asserted that all evidence pointed to her, thus requiring her to remain at the Supreme Court for a few days until her innocence could be proven. Mrs. Yuan and Mu Beiyan arrived at the Supreme Court. Mrs. Yuan, spotting Jing Ci, asked Mu Beiyan to proceed while she spoke with Jing Ci, whom she addressed as Duke Duan.
She began recounting her past, revealing that she had once believed she would marry Prince Yong, only for him to arrange her marriage to General Yuan Hao. Prince Yong then married her friend, Concubine Zhang, but later fell for Jing's second daughter. He persuaded Concubine Zhang to relinquish her status as his legal wife, making Jing Ci's mother the new Princess Yong. Jing Ci noted that he had heard his mother and Mrs. Yuan had always been at odds.
Mrs. Yuan admitted to intentionally provoking Jing Ci's mother. She frequently visited Prince Yong when Jing Ci's mother was heavily pregnant and unable to fulfill her wifely duties. This ultimately angered Jing Ci's mother so much that she had a major argument with Prince Yong and, despite being eight or nine months pregnant, insisted on returning to Zhaozhou. Jing Ci questioned if she was blaming his mother.
Mrs. Yuan explained that she was forced to speak because Aunt Zhixia had accused her to the Emperor that morning of murdering Jing Ci's mother, and Yuan Qinhe of killing Princess Wang Zesheng. She had arrived to find the Emperor had already ordered Yuan Qinhe's arrest, with instructions to kill if she resisted.
Mrs. Yuan dismissed the "Yuan" family token found at the scene of Jing Ci's mother's murder as a crude setup, arguing that no killer would be so foolish as to carry an identifying token. She claimed there was another, true murderer. She then shared information obtained from Qin Gu, an old palace maid, whose brother, a subordinate of Concubine Zhang, had left the capital with skilled fighters around the time of Jing Ci's mother's death and returned severely injured.
After Jing Ci's mother's demise, Prince Yong never took another legal wife, entrusting Concubine Zhang with managing the harem. She later gave birth to Prince Qing and became the highly respected Consort Zhang. Mrs. Yuan declared that she, too, was framed and had evidence to back her claims, urging Jing Ci to await the Emperor's witnesses if he disbelieved her.
She then confronted Jing Ci, reminding him how his father had repeatedly sacrificed her daughter, and threatening that if any harm befell Yuan Qinhe, she would make him pay with his life. With that, she turned to enter the Supreme Court to aid Yuan Qinhe. Upon learning of Mrs. Yuan and Mu Beiyan's arrival, Qiao Li ordered Yuan Qinhe to be taken away immediately to prevent any interference.
Mu Beiyan furiously confronted Qiao Li, accusing him of using the case for personal revenge related to a past incident at the Cloth Dyeing Workshop where Mu Beiyan was injured. Qiao Li calmly stated that the wedding would be delayed and that Mu Beiyan could not visit Yuan Qinhe due to her serious charges, urging him to prioritize the stability of the state.
Realizing they couldn't see Yuan Qinhe, Mrs. Yuan instructed Mu Beiyan to return to their respective estates to manage the wedding guests and formulate their next steps. Soon after, A'heng retrieved the medicine bottle from the lake. Zhao Yan opened it, confirming it still contained medicine, which proved Yuan Qinhe had not lied about not taking it. Jing Ci reflected that it was perhaps better that Yuan Qinhe hadn't taken the medicine or regained her memories.
He realized that as Miss Yuan of the Yuan family, with no past grievances against him, he had no right to dictate her life. What he had perceived as kindness, he now understood, was a form of humiliation, as she deserved to grow up happily with her parents, not to live a humble life in Prince Zhao's palace, constantly mindful of others' opinions.
Zhao Yan advised him not to dwell on these thoughts, emphasizing that their immediate priority was to help Yuan Qinhe clear her name. In the prison cell, Xiao Lu was visibly frightened by the spiders, cockroaches, and rats. Yuan Qinhe, despite her own predicament, comforted her, reminding Xiao Lu of her vow to protect her. Yuan Qinhe then told Xiao Lu to conserve her energy in the cold, damp cell, admitting they would likely have to spend the night there.
She explained that Qiao Li harbored a personal grudge against her, and that he and his faction would likely try to manipulate the investigation while she was imprisoned, even if the Emperor intervened. Yuan Qinhe reassured Xiao Lu that she would face whatever came, instructing her to answer truthfully during questioning, or to blame Yuan Qinhe if she was unsure. Xiao Lu, in turn, passionately vowed to protect Yuan Qinhe at any cost. Shortly after, an official arrived, stating that Qiao Li had summoned Yuan Qinhe for questioning, and she was led away, leaving Xiao Lu behind.
