The Unexpected Marriage Episode 1 Recap
> The Unexpected Marriage Recap
In Fuyu city, at the Hongluan Pavilion, the storyteller Sheng Tiangang recounted tales, particularly focusing on Princess Changsheng, the daughter of Prince Changle. The story goes that upon receiving a visit request letter from Princess Changsheng for their eldest young master, the entire household of the Sun's Mansion was so terrified that they immediately began packing their belongings to flee the city that very night. It was said that anyone who admired Princess Changsheng met a terrible end.
The storyteller cited examples like the tragic death of a blind tuner by Kang'an Lake and a widower by the East River who didn't believe in blood tears. He claimed that behind every sad story of love in Fuyu City lay the inescapable web woven by the Princess. On New Year's Day, as the city celebrated, Princess Changsheng, dressed in men's clothing to avoid attention, was recognized by Sheng Tiangang.
The surrounding crowd, upon hearing her name, scattered and ran away as if she were a plague. Princess Changsheng approached Sheng Tiangang, presenting him with her birth time details, and declared that if she didn't get married this year, she would marry him instead. Startled, Sheng Tiangang widened his eyes in fear and quickly mentioned that the Marriage Pearl would be available at the Hongluan Pavilion in half a month. He claimed the pearl was rumored to accelerate marriage.
Princess Changsheng, determined to secure her marriage, vowed to obtain the Marriage Pearl at any cost, stating she would spare no expense even if there were ten such pearls. Despite her fearsome reputation, it was clear she was quite serious about her own fate regarding marriage. Meanwhile, in the Longevity Hall of Great Tang, Prince Qin, Lv Jing, returned after pacifying Yu. He entered the hall bearing a sword, an act of disrespect, but was not punished.
Instead, he presented the sword, which had belonged to the King of Yu, as a birthday gift to his father, the King of Great Tang. A messenger from Fuyu arrived, proposing a marriage alliance. Among the King of Great Tang's sons, only Lv Jing remained unmarried. The King decided to send Lv Jing to Fuyu under the guise of a marriage envoy to gather information about the country. Lv Jing accepted the command and prepared to depart immediately.
Half a month later, the Marriage Pearl was unveiled and auctioned at the Hongluan Pavilion. During the bidding, Xiao Zilv, the third young master of the Xiao family, deliberately drove up the price. Princess Changsheng ultimately purchased the pearl for a high sum of three hundred taels. Just as Prince Qin's entourage arrived near the Hongluan Pavilion, they encountered an assassination attempt. During the ensuing fight, Princess Changsheng's newly acquired Marriage Pearl fell to the ground and shattered.
She also sustained a cut on her hand. Fortunately, Prince Qin was highly skilled in martial arts and saved her life. Princess Changsheng was furious about the damaged pearl and her injury. However, Sheng Tiangang later told her that the scar on her hand might symbolize a glimmer of hope for her marriage. Prince Qin took the captured assassins back to the posthouse for interrogation.
He didn't reveal his identity, but one of the assassins inadvertently called him "Prince Qin," leading Lv Jing to realize the attackers were sent from Great Tang. With just a few clever questions, Lv Jing discovered the assassins' vulnerability and they confessed. It became clear that someone intended to cause trouble during his trip to Fuyu. The immediate priority was to enter Fuyu City quickly and gather intelligence.
The Emperor of Fuyu, Liu Yu, aware of Princess Changsheng's age and difficulty in finding a husband, decided to arrange for Prince Qin to stay at Prince Changle's Mansion. His intention was to facilitate a potential match between Princess Changsheng and Prince Qin. This way, the Princess's marriage could be settled, and if Fuyu and Great Tang were to eventually fight, Princess Changsheng could potentially assist. Prince Changle, though reluctant, could not defy the Emperor's arrangement.
As Princess Changsheng pondered how to welcome her potential marriage, her father returned and informed her of the Emperor's command to host Prince Qin and the possibility of a peace-making marriage. Upon hearing that this Prince Qin was supposedly unpleasant, Princess Changsheng decided to deliberately arrange an unwelcoming reception. She instructed her staff to use old, wrinkled silk for decoration, replace the flowers with green plants, and serve Lu'an Melon Seed tea prepared with lukewarm water.
Surprisingly, Prince Qin not only didn't seem offended by the unconventional arrangements but even expressed approval for them. Princess Changsheng could tell he was being dishonest. Disturbed, she went to visit her friend, the sixth young lady of the Xiao family, Xiao Jin, to vent her frustration. Xiao Zilv was also there and, as usual, teased her. However, his words about her needing to get married gave her an idea.
Back at home, Princess Changsheng reflected that perhaps getting married before the peace treaty was announced was a viable strategy to avoid the potential union with Prince Qin. Later, as Princess Changsheng was preparing for a bath, her attendants left the room. Suddenly, Lv Jing's duck, Xiaoke, flew in. Seeing Lv Jing about to enter the room looking for his duck, Princess Changsheng screamed in alarm.
