The Unexpected Marriage Episode 18 Recap
> The Unexpected Marriage Recap
Lv Jing went to Good Match Pavilion seeking a way to reconcile with Changsheng. He offered a generous amount of money. The pavilion owner quickly understood his situation, saying that he had made his wife angry and she had left. The owner guessed that Changsheng had run away, even though they were not yet married, only having exchanged betrothal gifts. Lv Jing seemed to grasp the situation and left.
Soon after Lv Jing and his guards departed, the pavilion owner was captured and taken away by men in black, who had been following Lv Jing under the orders of Lv Ke. Lv Ke and his aide, Ge'er, learned that Lv Jing had visited Good Match Pavilion, correctly inferring that he had quarreled with Changsheng. When they heard the pavilion owner's guess that Changsheng had run away, it aligned with Lv Ke's plans.
Lv Jing began releasing kites across the city with a poem written on them expressing his feelings. Seeing this, Lv Ke instructed his men to mix in fake kites bearing signatures, implying that Liu Changsheng was willful and immoral for leaving home and causing such a public spectacle. Changsheng received some of these kites brought by her maids, Jinyan and Shenxing.
She noticed that some kites had signatures while others did not, realizing that someone was manipulating the situation to portray her negatively and damage her reputation, causing her considerable distress. Princess Royal later came to see Changsheng, reassuring her that men's actions in pursuing women should not cause women to bear blame. She also revealed that the previous night, Lv Jing had entered the palace to request the cancellation of the plan to attack Fuyu.
Xiao Zilv arrived at Xiuwen Hall to find Changsheng and took her to the city square. Lv Jing was on the city wall preparing to release more kites. Changsheng approached him and asked if she could trust him. Lv Jing declared that the aggressive "Prince Qin" was gone, and in Great Tang, there was only "Yi'an," who was devoted solely to Changsheng. He admitted that someone had used the kites to cause trouble, placing the Prince Qin Mansion in danger.
He then invited Changsheng to join him in flying a kite to pray for Great Tang's prosperity. They reconciled and flew the kite together from the city wall. In the crowd below, Xiao Zilv saw Princess Royal. She tried to leave upon seeing him, but he called out to her. Xiao Zilv told her that he had completely moved past his feelings for Changsheng and Lv Jing, expressing his gratitude to Princess Royal.
Meanwhile, a minister reported to the Emperor about a severe locust plague in Dongpei. The Emperor asked Lv Jing for his opinion on how Great Tang should respond. Lv Jing advised helping Dongpei with disaster relief to resolve their long-standing border conflicts, stating it would benefit Great Tang in many ways. The Emperor approved Lv Jing's proposal and entrusted him with both organizing the disaster relief efforts and implementing measures to prevent the locust plague from spreading into Great Tang.
Upon hearing this, Lv Ke was enraged that his scheme had not only failed to harm Lv Jing but had also resulted in Lv Jing being given an important task by the Emperor. Ge'er suggested that Lv Jing might not be skilled in managing a disaster like a locust plague.
However, Lv Ke revealed that Lv Jing had already invited Mr. Huaishan, the esteemed former prime minister and Lv Jing's master who had helped bring prosperity to Great Tang, to return and assist. Lv Ke explained that Mr. Huaishan had been traveling for many years with his granddaughter, Ru Jing, who had grown up with Lv Jing and was deeply in love with him, refusing to marry anyone else.
Mr. Huaishan took Ru Jing traveling because he feared she would suffer the same fate as her mother, whose husband, Marshal Lin, was assassinated after reclaiming their homeland, leading to her death soon after. Ru Jing wrote a letter to Lv Jing from each place they visited, which enabled him to contact Mr. Huaishan quickly.
Ge'er saw an opportunity to use Ru Jing, noting that Fuyu customs differed from Great Tang's and suggesting that Changsheng might not tolerate sharing her husband with another woman. Lv Jing informed his maids that Mr. Huaishan would be returning to the capital soon and preparations should be made to welcome him. He also mentioned that Ru Jing would be accompanying him.
As Lv Jing was about to tell Changsheng about Mr. Huaishan and Ru Jing's return, he was interrupted by the arrival of Xiao Zilv. Xiao Zilv sought Lv Jing's help because Princess Royal had been avoiding him. He explained that the last time they were together at Xiuwen Hall, he had seen her laugh loudly while reading a book, and she had been avoiding him ever since.
He revealed that Princess Royal had developed a loud, unusual laugh when startled after being frightened while watching a play as a child, and she was very self-conscious about it, always maintaining a serious demeanor in public. Xiao Zilv admitted that he cared about her, which was why he was seeking Lv Jing's assistance. Lv Jing agreed to help Xiao Zilv meet with Princess Royal. Lv Jing arranged the meeting.
Xiao Zilv took Princess Royal to watch a play, specifically changing it to a non-comedic one to avoid startling her. However, during the outing, Xiao Zilv accidentally tripped and fell in an embarrassing manner, which caused Princess Royal to burst into laughter. Her loud laughter drew the attention and amusement of others around them, leaving her mortified. Embarrassed, Princess Royal rushed away.
Xiao Zilv followed her, explaining that he cared about her and what she cared about, attempting to convey his sincerity. Back at Prince Qin's Mansion, Lv Jing instructed Changsheng to prepare to welcome Mr. Huaishan with the etiquette of a mistress of the house. Jinyan and Shenxing helped Changsheng dress in traditional mistress attire and styled her hair. Changsheng felt a bit unsure, as she was not yet officially married to Lv Jing.
Lv Jing arrived, complimented her appearance, and offered to personally teach her the proper etiquette for a mistress in Great Tang, emphasizing its importance. As he was showing her something he had wanted her to see, Lingzhi rushed in with alarming news about Princess Royal. Concerned, Changsheng hurried to Princess Royal's mansion. Upon arriving, Changsheng discovered it was a false alarm; Princess Royal was safe.
It turned out Princess Royal was upset about the incident with Xiao Zilv and had locked herself in her room, refusing to eat for several days. Hearing Changsheng, Princess Royal emerged from her room by climbing out the window. She noticed Changsheng's mistress dress was outdated and had Lingzhi bring a newer, pink version for Changsheng to wear.
Princess Royal then offered to teach Changsheng the current etiquette of a Great Tang mistress, noting that the information gathered by Jinyan and Shenxing was old-fashioned. Princess Royal taught Changsheng how to walk steadily while wearing a 'buyo' (a type of hairpin designed to sway), explaining that the purpose of the accessory was to ensure a steady, unswaying gait, not to make it shake with each step.
She also instructed Changsheng on proper postures for standing, kneeling, and rising, and explained the concept of "half tea, full wine," emphasizing that a mistress's careful handling of drinks, without spilling, demonstrates sincerity.
