Fated Hearts Episode 3 Recap
> Fated Hearts Recap
Confronting Prime Minister Zhuang Shen, Feng Suige asked if Zhuang He deserved to die. Zhuang Shen implicitly admitted his adopted son, Zhuang He, was the spy, stating that he "deserves to be executed for attempted assassination of the First Prince." He disavowed Zhuang He, calling him merely an "outer disciple of the Zhuang family" and claiming he only adopted him "so that I wouldn't die alone in old age."
Zhuang Shen dramatically declared he "deserved to die" for failing to teach his son. Feng Suige then remarked that since Zhuang Shen had admitted it, he hadn't "killed the innocent." He added that it was a good day, marking both his Second Brother's coming-of-age and his success in catching a spy from the Battle of Pingling, thereby bringing closure to the Emperor. Feng Chengyang, the Second Prince, paid his respects to his mother, Empress Zhuang Jingyuan, after his coming-of-age ceremony.
He explained that Feng Suige had returned early due to urgent matters with the Emperor, promising to compensate him later. Zhuang Jingyuan expressed her displeasure at Feng Suige disrupting the ceremony and presented Feng Chengyang with a book detailing civil and military ministers, urging him to assist the Emperor and build political connections.
However, Feng Chengyang showed no interest in state affairs, stating he only wished to practice swordsmanship and become "a brave hero" like Feng Suige, proudly displaying a sword Feng Suige had given him. Empress Zhuang Jingyuan, frustrated, warned her son against getting too close to Feng Suige, reminding him they were not full-blooded brothers and that Feng Suige was "a deep thinker" whom he should "be careful" of, especially "the better he treats you."
Despite his mother's repeated warnings, Feng Chengyang remained resolute in his admiration for Feng Suige and quickly excused himself to practice swordsmanship. Emperor Feng Pingcheng initially intended to reprimand Feng Suige for "spilling blood" at the coming-of-age ceremony, questioning his intentions. Feng Suige countered by questioning Empress Zhuang Jingyuan's choice of date for the ceremony. He passionately defended his actions, stating, "The treacherous minister wants to harm me, but yet you are not enraged.
I as a prince killed a treacherous minister, but Father wants to blame me," even challenging the Emperor to kill him. Feng Pingcheng, seeing Feng Suige was injured, decided to "let it slide for now." He urged Feng Suige to attend the evening banquet for Feng Chengyang, but Feng Suige refused, explaining he had to "go back to see my Mother" as it was her memorial day. A flashback revealed the tragic events of Feng Suige's youth.
His mother, the Empress, was falsely accused of colluding with Jinxiu by a captured spy and her own maid. Despite her furious denials, she was killed. Emperor Feng Pingcheng, distraught, later entrusted his young children, Feng Suige and Feng Xiyang, to Consort Yuan (now Empress Zhuang Jingyuan). A young Feng Suige vehemently rejected this, crying, "Xiyang and I only have one Mother. I don't want her to raise me." But Feng Pingcheng insisted, "From now on, she is your Mother."
This traumatic event deeply shaped Feng Suige, allowing hatred to fester and mold his current resolute and severe character. Fu Yixiao, with her left hand severely injured and her memory lost, acknowledged Feng Suige's assertion that her predicament was no accident and that "Someone in Jinxiu wants you dead." She mused that resisting was futile, and only by staying alive could she find the truth, even considering using Feng Suige.
Meanwhile, Lu Ke reported to Feng Suige that Jinxiu was extensively searching for Fu Yixiao, spreading news of her "fall off the cliff, her survival still a question." Prince of Zhennan, Xia Jingshi, had issued multiple orders, determined to find her. Feng Suige ordered Lu Ke to keep Fu Yixiao's identity a secret. Despite Lu Ke's strong desire to kill Fu Yixiao, Feng Suige issued a military order: "From now on, she is no longer an enemy.
Not only can you not hurt her, but you also have to treat her politely." He explained that the Battle of Pingling was more complex than it seemed, and they needed Fu Yixiao to unravel the mystery, which would be revealed once she agreed to cooperate. Zhuang He's death deeply affected Zhuang Shen.
While Zhuang Shen had not openly confronted Feng Suige in court, his nephew questioned why he allowed Feng Suige to "brutally behead Brother He on the streets without a shred of evidence." In the privacy of his home, Zhuang Shen admitted his fault in Zhuang He's death and seethed, declaring, "This blood debt will be repaid." He told his nephew that his actions weren't merely about the throne, as he already wielded significant power.
Instead, he sought revenge to demonstrate that "fate never misses" and "what goes around, comes around." Feng Suige encountered his sister, Feng Xiyang, who had secretly slipped out of the palace. She playfully teased him about his "injury" from the battle, to which he humorously replied it was an excuse to avoid punishment for a lost battle. Feng Xiyang, despite appearing carefree, expressed her deep unhappiness and the heavy burdens of being a princess.
She lamented the strict palace rules and the lack of genuine concern for her feelings, stating, "As a princess, other than my life, everything else belongs to the royal family, to Susha. But I just want to live for myself once. Even if it's just once." Feng Suige comforted her, promising to protect her and assuring her he would remember her words.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Zhuang Shen spoke with his daughter, Empress Zhuang Jingyuan, noting Feng Suige's growing power and cunning. The Empress criticized her father for arranging Feng Chengyang's coming-of-age ceremony on that specific day, implying it provoked Feng Suige. Zhuang Shen revealed his long-term plan, explaining that while Feng Suige was the eldest son with military achievements, making him a prime candidate for a title and eventually the throne, they could not rush to eliminate him without raising suspicion.
He then instructed the Empress to prepare Feng Xiyang for marriage, revealing that Jinxiu's marriage proposal would soon arrive. Fu Yixiao, having regained her strength, threw an inkstone at Feng Suige when he returned. Feng Suige calmly noted her recovery, reiterating that he spared her life because he had conditions: "From this day on, serve me, body and soul. Serve me, and you live. Refuse, and you die."
He knew she hadn't sought death despite opportunities, inferring that she had "thought it through" and recognized cooperation with him was her "only chance to uncover the truth." Fu Yixiao, playing along, demanded "good wine and food" as a show of sincerity for cooperation. She then confronted him about his motives, accusing him of wanting to "use me to kill for you," to which Feng Suige clarified it as "mutual benefit," highlighting her helplessness without his resources.
He proposed that if she cooperated, their "past grievances are erased." After they clinked cups, Fu Yixiao deliberately shattered her wine glass and used a shard to hold Feng Suige hostage, compelling him to drive their carriage away from the First Prince's mansion. Feng Suige, observing Fu Yixiao's significant glances at certain individuals on the streets, immediately understood that her actions served a deeper purpose. He commented, "Miss Yixiao, your true intentions lie elsewhere."
In Zhengnian Villa, Ling Xueying encountered three impoverished children searching for a "woman, dressed in red, skilled in martial arts." Upon learning they were Fu Yixiao's apprentices from Jinxiu, Ling Xueying informed them that Fu Yixiao had been taken to Yujing. Noticing their destitute state, Ling Xueying asked her attendant, Eleven, to prepare steamed buns for their journey.
Although the children initially took only one, insisting that taking more would be "greedy," Ling Xueying urged them to take more, concerned they wouldn't make the long journey to Yujing with so little food. Fu Yixiao bound Feng Suige and suspended him, preparing to whip him. She explicitly stated her intent to repay the "47 lashes" she had received from him previously. Feng Suige endured the whipping until she declared they were "even" after the 47th lash.
Fu Yixiao then revealed her true motive for kidnapping him, admitting that it wasn't solely for revenge, but to "lure someone out." Feng Suige confirmed her suspicion, revealing he knew they were being followed from Zhengnian Villa to Susha. He also knew that because Susha was rife with his spies, her pursuers would not act rashly. Despite this, Feng Suige offered to help capture them. Fu Yixiao, however, refused his help and decided to proceed with their alliance.
She presented her conditions: she would never harm Jinxiu, would personally interrogate the mastermind if uncovered, and could leave whenever she wished. Feng Suige agreed to all terms, also promising to ensure her injured hand was treated to restore her self-defense capabilities. Just as they shook on the "deal," Fu Yixiao swiftly bit him on the neck, declaring, "There's still one more debt to settle."
Feng Suige, after a moment, reciprocated by biting her back and stating that now they were "truly even." He then teased her for smiling, which she denied, though he insisted he saw it. Reflecting on the Battle of Pingling, Feng Suige addressed his subordinates, challenging their assumption that his being shot by Fu Yixiao was the sole reason for their defeat.
He revealed a deeper truth: "Why Jinxiu was able to immediately mobilize their troops and launch a massive counterattack," encircling Susha's forces from three sides and knowing their retreat routes perfectly. He asserted that Jinxiu had "already planted ambushes" at three strategic passes even before the battle began, indicating their pre-emptive knowledge.
Feng Suige concluded that if Susha's army had successfully captured Zhennan Pass and entered the city, Jinxiu would have simply closed the city gates, trapping and "slaughtering" their entire army with no escape, revealing a planned entrapment.
