The Unexpected Marriage Episode 16 Recap
> The Unexpected Marriage Recap
After pushing Lv Jing out and closing her door, Changsheng felt a mix of shyness and surprise. Outside, Lv Jing smiled to himself as he thought back on the kiss. When Youyong and Youmou appeared and began to tease him about his red mouth, Lv Jing quickly sent them off to the training ground, initially for thirty laps, then increasing it to sixty after Youmou's suggestive remark.
The next day, Lv Jing went to Xiuwen Hall under the guise of conducting official business, though his true intention was to see Changsheng. His aunt, Princess Royal Lv Guan, engaged him in conversation about the library's operations, trying to get him involved in the tedious work of checking the collection. When Lv Jing tried to decline, citing other duties, Lv Guan hinted that his actual business was in the back compiling room.
Lv Jing went there and found Changsheng asleep at a table with a scroll before her. He quietly added something to the scroll. Changsheng stirred, briefly opening her eyes to peek at him before falling back asleep. When she awoke later, Lv Jing was gone, but he had left a dictionary explaining rare words on the table for her. Upon finishing her work for the day, Changsheng saw that Xiao Zilv was still there.
She invited him to have a meal as a thank you for his previous help. Xiao Zilv accepted, and as they left Xiuwen Hall together, they were met by Lv Jing standing right outside the entrance. Changsheng was visibly awkward, explaining the dinner invitation to Lv Jing. Lv Jing immediately insisted she come to dinner with him instead, claiming he had already planned to take his "wife" out.
Neither man would back down, leading to a tense stand-off where Lv Jing essentially challenged Changsheng to choose between them. Changsheng felt helpless as the two men exchanged pointed remarks, with Lv Jing highlighting Xiao Zilv's long-standing friendship without marriage, and Xiao Zilv accusing Lv Jing of interfering. Changsheng finally declared she would make the decision, resulting in all three sharing an uncomfortably crowded carriage ride to the restaurant.
At the restaurant, the rivalry between Lv Jing and Xiao Zilv continued throughout the meal. Lv Jing, showing off his knowledge of Changsheng's preferences, subtly critiqued Xiao Zilv. Xiao Zilv retaliated, even feigning a hand injury to have Changsheng feed him, leading to another argument over a piece of meat. Overwhelmed by their squabbling, Changsheng excused herself from the table to go to the washroom.
As she walked past a private room, she overheard people discussing her, labeling her "Princess Five Very" due to her perceived bad character and unmarried status, and commenting on Prince Qin's interest in her. Their conversation then turned to Princess Royal Lv Guan, praising her virtues but criticizing her dedication to books and unmarried state, suggesting she was too cold and uninteresting to attract a husband.
Infuriated by their disrespectful remarks about her aunt, Changsheng kicked open the door and confronted the men, scolding them for their vulgarity and defending Princess Royal's noble work. Unaware of her identity, the men arrogantly dismissed her, predicting she would also struggle to find a husband. Unknown to them, Princess Royal Lv Guan was dining in the room next door and had overheard the entire exchange.
As the confrontation escalated, Xiao Zilv came to Changsheng's aid, defending both princesses against the rude men. However, the men remained defiant until Lv Jing arrived. Recognizing Prince Qin, they immediately became fearful and knelt, apologizing profusely. Lv Jing left it to Changsheng to decide their fate, and she chose to let them go. The men quickly departed. Princess Royal Lv Guan then emerged from the adjacent room.
Lv Jing, observing his aunt's attention towards Xiao Zilv, suspected she had developed feelings for him. Noticing Xiao Zilv's earlier mention of a leg injury, Lv Jing suggested that Lv Guan offer him a ride back in her carriage, while he and Changsheng would leave separately.
Left alone with Xiao Zilv, Lv Guan referred to the compliments he had paid her earlier, asking if his description of her as "lofty and sublime like mountain pines" and caring for the people truly reflected his view of her. Xiao Zilv confirmed his words were sincere observations. Lv Guan then directly asked if his earlier remark about marrying her was serious.
Xiao Zilv became flustered, stating it was a hasty remark made in a moment of urgency and apologizing for causing a misunderstanding, implying he could not reciprocate her feelings. Lv Guan asked if he was suggesting she was a joke to him. He reiterated that she deserved a better match. Though clearly disappointed, Lv Guan stated she understood and respected his decision.
Xiao Zilv thanked her for her understanding before taking his leave, offering to assist with transporting scriptures from Xiuwen Hall the following day. Later, Changsheng learned from Lv Guan that she had confessed her feelings to Xiao Zilv and he had dismissed it as a joke. Changsheng felt Xiao Zilv might have simply been startled and not necessarily uninterested, pointing to his past actions in defending Lv Guan as evidence he cared.
She offered to help facilitate their relationship, and Lv Guan accepted. Meanwhile, Xiao Zilv wrestled with how to respond to Princess Royal's feelings. He received an invitation from Lv Guan, delivered by messenger, inviting him to a tavern and mentioning she had prepared his favorite roasted pigeon. He agreed to attend. At the tavern, Changsheng was anxiously awaiting Xiao Zilv's arrival, her attendants teasing her about her nervousness.
When Lv Jing unexpectedly arrived at the same tavern, Changsheng panicked, fearing he would spoil her matchmaking plan. She quickly instructed her attendants, Jinyan and Shenxing, to intercept Youyong and Youmou, while she dealt with Lv Jing. She guided Lv Jing to a private room, claiming she was there on official business he needed to assist with. However, a waiter mistakenly led Xiao Zilv to the same room.
Seeing Xiao Zilv approaching, Changsheng quickly pulled Lv Jing into a large cabinet to hide. While concealed in the cabinet, Lv Jing kissed Changsheng. Xiao Zilv entered the room, heard a noise from the cabinet, and approached it. Just as he reached for the handle, Lingzhi appeared and redirected him to the correct room where Princess Royal Lv Guan was waiting, explaining the mix-up.
Xiao Zilv followed Lingzhi to Lv Guan's room, while Lv Jing and Changsheng emerged from the cabinet, with Lv Jing looking rather pleased. In her room, Lv Guan welcomed Xiao Zilv. He wasted no time in getting to the point, explaining that after careful thought, he needed to be clear.
He reiterated that his purpose in Great Tang was primarily to serve as Changsheng's escort and to study, and that while he held deep respect for Lv Guan, he did not have romantic feelings for her. He apologized for any misunderstanding caused by his earlier words, confirming he had no plans to remain in Great Tang permanently. Lv Guan calmly accepted his explanation, stating she understood and respected his choice.
Xiao Zilv thanked her for her graciousness and wished her well, acknowledging he was not the right person for her. He then offered to help with a task at Xiuwen Hall the next day before departing. Recalling the intimate moment with Lv Jing in the cabinet, Changsheng felt her face grow warm.
