Fight For Love Episode 23 Recap
> Fight For Love Recap
At the Tugu Temple, Wei Yun and Chu Yu managed to hang their plaque first. When Chu Yu asked Wei Yun what he wished for, he kept it a secret but promised that if her wishes didn't come true, he would make them happen, ensuring she could "do whatever you want and always be safe" with him around. Chu Yu then jokingly appointed him as her "personal bodyguard," which he happily accepted, calling it an honor.
Meanwhile, Song Wenchang had anticipated Chu Jin would come to hang the first plaque and had even prepared a special golden plaque for her. He tried to clear a path through the crowded temple entrance for her, but Chu Jin's attendant suggested they return another day due to the immense crowd. Chu Jin refused, insisting she must hang the first plaque. Song Wenchang then appeared, having forgone his own mission to help her, and presented the golden plaque.
Chu Jin politely declined, stating that her matters didn't require his concern. They pushed their way to the front, only to discover that the first plaque had already been hung. Song Wenchang was dismayed, believing someone had cheated. He still urged Chu Jin to hang his valuable golden plaque, but she declined, saying her wishes were simple and didn't require such an expensive item. She quietly hung her own plaque, then left.
Undeterred, Song Wenchang muttered to himself that he would find a way to make both their wishes come true. Later, on their way back to the mansion, Wei Yun and Chu Yu were caught in a sudden downpour and took shelter under an awning. Wei Yun used the opportunity to confess his feelings. He reminisced about seeing her dance in red at Spring Breeze House, acknowledging her beauty and his evolving feelings for her.
Chu Yu also reflected on seeing him return victorious, initially viewing him as a spoiled young man, but later recognizing his strength and resilience in supporting his family after their misfortune, becoming a true young general and Marquis. She thanked him for helping her and for never blaming her for her eccentricities, even risking his life for her. He had helped her trust people again. She believed that meeting him was her good fortune after suffering much loss and betrayal.
Wei Yun then held out the divorce paper, asking if she would be with him, and if so, to take the paper, signifying her freedom and acceptance. Chu Yu took the paper, affirming her acceptance of him and expressing her fondness for a man who knew, respected, and loved her. Thrilled, Wei Yun promised to publicly declare their relationship once they uncovered Yao Yong's mastermind and resolved the situation. As they drew closer, their lips gently touched.
While discussing the search for Shen You, who was found hiding in an inn next to Spring Breeze House, they agreed to lay a trap, knowing Shen You would eventually have to meet his superior in the capital. They were later seen by Jiang Chun and a pregnant Wang Lan, who quickly dismissed their closeness as normal for Chu Yu, being from a military family and not punctilious.
That night, Wei Yun secretly entered Chu Yu's room, expressing his reluctance to ever leave her side. Chu Yu, teasing him for his boldness, urged him to leave before they were discovered, but he insisted that soon they would be a proper couple, and he looked forward to the day they would become husband and wife. Meanwhile, Song Wenchang devised a plan to help his sister, Song Qingping.
She set up a free medical clinic on the street, using her diagnostic skills to impress the public by accurately identifying a man's overindulgence and kidney deficiency, much to his wife's anger. After gaining their trust, Qingping asked her patients to deliver letters to Chu Mansion as a small favor. Chu Shan collected a large pile of these letters for Chu Linyang, who immediately recognized Qingping's poetic attempts to discern his feelings.
Realizing he needed to be clear with her, Chu Linyang went to meet her, telling Chu Shan not to follow. Qingping, having anticipated his arrival, declared herself "lovesick" and called Chu Linyang her "cure." Chu Linyang, however, saw through her brother's scheme. He plainly told her that he only regarded her as a sister and had no romantic feelings for her.
Qingping questioned if his past acts of kindness, like testing her medicine or saving Chu Yu at the banquet, were merely to humor a sister. Chu Linyang clarified that saving Chu Yu was an act of repaying a favor. He explained that he had to be honest to avoid delaying her marriage and disappointing her father.
Despite Qingping's tearful protest, insisting he did like her and that this wasn't his true reason for rejection, Chu Linyang expressed his regret for disappointing her and wished her well in finding a good husband. He then tore up the letter and left her weeping. Back at the Chu Mansion, Wei Yun presented Chu Yu with the improved octagonal crossbow blueprints, knowing her concern for the matter. As they discussed it, their emotions stirred again.
Wei Yun, after a tender kiss on her forehead, leaned in for another, but Wanyue interrupted, announcing that the Second Madam had called them for dinner. At the Princess's residence, Changming invited Zhao Yue, whom she knew as Xue Hanmei, for a drink. She noted the absence of her servant, Xiang'er, who had supposedly gone home due to illness. Changming toasted Zhao Yue for risking his life for her, reminiscing about naming him Hanmei for his unwavering loyalty.
She then questioned him, revealing a plum blossom-patterned letter Chu Yu had given her, and a fragment of a bottle with an identical pattern found in his herb fields. Zhao Yue dismissed the evidence, claiming the bottle was an old medicine bottle of hers he couldn't bear to discard. Changming then confronted him, calling him by his true name, Zhao Yue.
With his identity exposed, Zhao Yue confessed his true objective: to eliminate the loyal but inflexible Great Sui officials and those who threatened him. He admitted to using Changming and even orchestrating the assassination attempt to gain her trust, explaining he wanted more than to be a mere follower and didn't want to fight for her affection.
He insisted his true feelings for her were real, but his ambition to annex Great Sui was paramount, and he would never harm her, only those who stood in his way. Enraged by his deception, Changming revealed she had poisoned his wine. Zhao Yue collapsed. She drew a dagger to kill him but hesitated, swayed by momentary kindness. Zhao Yue then unexpectedly awoke, revealing that she had only drugged him, not poisoned him to death.
He mocked her for missing her chance and reiterated that annexing Great Sui was his lifelong ambition. Changming, now resolved, declared she would kill him for his betrayal and for using her to harm Great Sui. She then smashed a porcelain bottle, signaling her guards to enter. They apprehended both Zhao Yue and a complicit Xiang'er. Changming was deeply saddened and wept over the betrayal.
She quickly composed herself, acknowledging that since the truth had come out, she needed to "answer for her brother." However, when she opened the door, Zhao Yue, who had supposedly been restrained, stood unexpectedly before her.
