The Unexpected Marriage Episode 21 Recap
> The Unexpected Marriage Recap
Assassins pursued Lv Jing, Youyong, and Youmou to the edge of a cliff. With no retreat possible, Lv Jing was injured by an assassin while trying to protect Youmou and was kicked over the cliff edge. Princess Royal Lv Guan, her face veiled, appeared and rescued Youyong and Youmou. The King summoned Liu Changsheng, who had been ordered to stay confined but had left her residence. The King questioned her disobedience.
Liu Changsheng confessed her fault but explained she had no choice, as Chu Ge had visited her the previous night to inform her that Lv Jing was being sent to his fiefdom and she feared for his safety. The King was surprised, calling it running away. Liu Changsheng defended Lv Jing, stating he was dedicated to the people and not someone who would flee, especially after risking defying a royal order to help the populace.
Princess Royal Lv Guan arrived and reported that she had received Liu Changsheng's letter and rushed to the scene with her guards. She found Prince Qin under attack by assassins, suggesting something sinister was behind it and asked the King to investigate. The King anxiously asked about Lv Jing, and Lv Guan regretfully informed him that she had arrived too late, and Lv Jing had already fallen off the cliff. Hearing this devastating news, the King was visibly shocked.
Liu Changsheng looked on in disbelief before fainting. The King ordered a search for Lv Jing beneath the cliff. However, no trace of him was found. Instead, they discovered locusts had arrived. A vast swarm of locusts swept across the land, filling the sky. The King assigned the task of managing the locust plague to the Fifth Prince, Lv Ke.
Messengers were sent to Prince Qin's Mansion to inquire if Lv Jing had left behind any strategies for dealing with the locusts. Liu Changsheng, holding notes written by Lv Jing, recalled his diligent efforts for Great Tang but also the unjust treatment he received from the King and the people. She initially thought of denying the existence of the strategy, questioning if Lv Jing's sacrifice was worthwhile given how he was treated.
However, she ultimately decided to hand over the well-considered notes to Youmou, instructing him to ensure the methods were followed precisely. She also insisted that the 40% of grain Lv Jing had prepared should not be released, stating she had specific plans for it. She ordered everyone in the mansion to obey her until Lv Jing's return, with strict punishments for disobedience. Princess Royal Lv Guan instructed the Xiuwen Hall staff to take precautions against the locusts damaging the classics.
At Prince Qin's Mansion, Liu Changsheng maintained her stance against releasing the 40% grain reserve. Lv Ke arrived to demand the grain for disaster relief, citing that Lv Jing had promised it. Liu Changsheng denied knowing of such a promise and stated her sole responsibility was to protect the household property for her husband. She directed Lv Ke to seek the grain from Lv Jing himself.
Lv Ke, frustrated, said he would leave the matter for the King to decide and left with a veiled threat about lingering locusts. After he left, Liu Changsheng found and crushed a locust, remarking on lingering danger. Later, she expressed conviction that Lv Jing was not dead and would return, hitting Lv Ke in frustration.
In his own mansion, Lv Ke complained to Chu Ge that Liu Changsheng refused to release the grain and that the King was lenient towards her out of guilt over Lv Jing. Chu Ge suggested finding a body to convince the King, plotting against Liu Changsheng. Incited by unknown forces, many citizens gathered outside Prince Qin's Mansion, blaming Liu Changsheng for the locust disaster and calling her a jinx.
As Liu Changsheng prepared to eat, she was summoned to the palace. Despite warnings from her staff about the angry crowd at the front gate, she insisted on leaving through the front, stating she and Lv Jing had done nothing wrong and would not cower. As she walked through the crowd, she was struck on the head by an object thrown by a child, drawing blood. Upon entering the palace, Liu Changsheng knelt before the King, who noticed her injury.
She downplayed it. The King mentioned Lv Ke's report about her being too busy to handle the grain. Liu Changsheng reiterated her refusal to move the 40% grain, stating she had difficulties doing so. The King was enraged by her defiance. At that moment, a palace servant reported that Lv Jing's body had been found. Liu Changsheng reacted with immediate and strong disbelief, rushing out to see.
When shown the body, she refused to accept it was Lv Jing, sensing he was still alive. The King issued a decree restoring Prince Qin's title and ordering a grand funeral befitting a Crown Prince. At Prince Qin's Mansion, despite the decree, Liu Changsheng refused to allow any funeral preparations, including ordering mourning attire. She commanded that anyone engaging in such inauspicious activities would be severely punished, maintaining her belief that Lv Jing was not dead.
In his mansion, Lv Ke discussed Liu Changsheng's refusal to hold the funeral with Chu Ge, noting her apparent devotion. Lv Ke, still resentful and seeking to remove Liu Changsheng, decided to have her sacrificed. He visited the grieving King and urged him to proceed quickly with Lv Jing's funeral for his peace in the afterlife. He then suggested that, given her strong bond with Lv Jing, she should accompany him in death, playing on the King's emotions.
The King agreed to Lv Ke's request. Meanwhile, Liu Changsheng confided in Youmou that she believed Lv Jing was alive and would return, urging him to share her conviction. At Xiuwen Hall, Lv Guan, Lingzhi, and Xiao Zilv discussed Liu Changsheng's situation and the impending wedding that was now overshadowed by tragedy. They wondered about her fate as an unmarried woman in Great Tang, with Lv Guan suggesting being sent back to Fuyu as the worst outcome.
Lingzhi then rushed in with the alarming news: Lv Ke had requested the King allow Liu Changsheng to be sacrificed, and the King had agreed. Lv Ke was reportedly on his way to Prince Qin's Mansion with the imperial decree. Lv Guan immediately ordered her carriage to go to the palace to plead with the King, while Xiao Zilv went to Prince Qin's Mansion, with Lingzhi urging him to delay Lv Ke.
At the mansion, Lv Ke confronted Liu Changsheng, who was arranging decorations, not preparing for a funeral. He chided her for not setting up a mourning hall. Liu Changsheng defiantly challenged him. Lv Ke presented the decree for her sacrifice. Liu Changsheng refused to accept it, acknowledging her past defiance but refusing this command. Lv Ke demanded she choose a method of death, but she refused, citing her status as a Fuyu Princess. Lv Ke chose white cloth for her.
Liu Changsheng's loyal followers, including Youyong and Youmou, stepped forward to protect her. Liu Changsheng urged them to leave, declaring she would face death voluntarily and wait for Yi'an (Lv Jing), ordering them not to follow her example. Lv Ke, angered by the resistance, revealed his guards had surrounded the mansion and ordered them to kill everyone if Liu Changsheng did not comply.
As Lv Ke prepared to proceed, Lv Jing suddenly appeared, stopping the guards and calling Lv Ke suicidal. Lv Jing fought Lv Ke's men, saving Liu Changsheng. Liu Changsheng expressed immense relief at seeing him, playfully chiding him for taking so long but expressing her happiness that he had finally returned. Lv Jing promised to always arrive swiftly from now on and instructed her to rest while he went to see the King.
