I Will Never Let You Go Episode 11 Recap
> I Will Never Let You Go Recap
Chen Yu returned Hua Buqi’s pottery bowl, instructing her to stay confined to the Prince Manor and not cause trouble, as few people there liked her. Hua Buqi feigned compliance, assuring him she would behave like a proper lady and not venture out. Chen Yu was surprised by her docility, to which Hua Buqi responded that she understood the disapproval in people’s eyes and saw no need to provoke him further, hoping he might eventually allow her some freedom.
Privately, Hua Buqi was delighted to have her bowl back so easily and planned to use the upcoming Lantern Festival, with its large crowds, as an opportunity to slip away and find Mr. Zhu. Meanwhile, the arrival of Mingyue Villa’s members in the capital city, which Chen Yu believed signaled impending unrest. Mo Ruofei also learned this when his attendant, Jiansheng, reported that the people who had assassinated them at Tianmen Pass were from Mingyue Villa.
Jiansheng recognized one of the assassins whose mask had been torn that day and noted that a woman had been in command. Mo Ruofei dismissed the idea that it was Liu Mingyue herself, instead suspecting Mingyue Villa’s First Miss, Liu Qingwu, who was known to be capable in both military and scholarly arts from a young age.
Lacking sufficient evidence beyond their witness accounts, Mo Ruofei decided against immediately reporting it to officials, choosing instead to discreetly find and interrogate the individual to gather more clues before acting. As the Lantern Festival approached, Chen Yu, who had been appointed Commander of the Patrol Battalion for the event, visited the Mingyue Villa’s Flower Pavilion. He told his attendant, Yuan Chong, that he intended to leverage the situation to gain some benefits from the wealthy villa.
Upon meeting Liu Mingyue, Chen Yu acknowledged her remarkable success in establishing Mingyue Villa as an imperial merchant. He then warned her about the recent unrest in the capital, citing the attacks on Mo Ruofei at Tianmen Pass and during New Year’s Eve. Chen Yu explained his role in ensuring safety during the festival, subtly implying that accidental “mishaps” could occur due to the crowds.
Liu Mingyue, understanding his insinuation, offered him a box of silver, which Chen Yu accepted with a promise to keep a close watch over Mingyue Villa, ensuring its security. He then expressed a desire to preview her ingenious Lantern Festival arrangements, and Liu Mingyue granted his request. On the day of the Lantern Festival, the Seventh Prince attended with Hua Buqi.
She expressed a desire to visit Mo Manor’s Flower Pavilion to see her Eldest Brother, Mo Ruofei, and her Godmother. Since the Seventh Prince was obligated to judge the lantern competition alongside the Emperor, he granted Hua Buqi permission to go alone, instructing her to return quickly. Hua Buqi eagerly rushed to Mo Manor, where she found Mo Ruofei and Jiansheng. She asked Mo Ruofei about his confidence in winning the competition, noting the favorable betting odds for Mo Manor.
When Mo Ruofei cautioned her against losing her silver, Hua Buqi, suspecting his lack of confidence, declared she would go scout Mingyue Villa’s arrangements first. As she hurried towards Mingyue Villa’s pavilion, she mentally plotted to use the gambling house’s crowds and multiple exits to evade surveillance and search for Mr. Zhu at Xingyuan Pawnshop. However, upon reaching Mingyue Villa’s pavilion, she was spotted by Chen Yu.
He angrily questioned her presence, demanding to know why she wasn’t with her Royal Father. Fearing for her safety and asserting his authority by threatening to confiscate her pottery bowl, Chen Yu ordered his guards to forcibly escort her back to the main ceremony viewing stand after Hua Buqi retorted that she had the right to be there.
After his visit, Chen Yu informed his attendant, Little Six, that he had spotted Hua Buqi’s Tianmen Pass assassin inside Mingyue Villa’s Flower Pavilion. He instructed Little Six to arrange a street brawl as soon as the assassin exited, allowing Chen Yu to arrest the individual under the pretext of public fighting.
Unbeknownst to Chen Yu, Mo Ruofei was simultaneously executing his own plan to lure the assassin out, having sent a fake letter attributed to the elusive Lotus Robe Knight, suggesting a meeting regarding the Tianmen Pass incident. Mo Ruofei reasoned that anyone who responded would reveal their connection to the assassination. Inside Mingyue Villa, Liu Qingwu received this very letter.
Suspicious of its origins, she dispatched two of her men to the designated alley to investigate if it was indeed the Lotus Robe Knight behind the message. As these two men from Mingyue Villa emerged from the Flower Pavilion, Little Six’s arranged troublemakers immediately accosted them, creating the intended street brawl. Chen Yu then stepped in to make the arrests. The street commotion quickly drew Liu Mingyue’s attention.
She appeared and attempted to intercede with Chen Yu, apologizing for her men’s “boorish” behavior and asking for leniency, claiming they had not committed a grave offense. Chen Yu, however, refused to show favoritism, stating he would uphold the law and that her men would face three days of imprisonment for brawling. He advised Liu Mingyue to retrieve them from the government office.
Realizing she couldn’t publicly protect them, Liu Mingyue, while outwardly reprimanding her men for their “misconduct,” subtly rotated a ring on her finger, administering a fatal poison that would kill them within twelve hours. After they were taken away, Liu Mingyue later chastised Liu Qingwu for falling for the trap, pointing out that responding to the fake letter only confirmed their involvement in the Tianmen Pass assassination.
Liu Qingwu admitted her mistake and offered to salvage the situation, but Liu Mingyue dismissed her, revealing that she had already poisoned the captured men, rendering any further action unnecessary. She then instructed Liu Qingwu to focus on preparing for the Lantern Festival. During a banquet with various merchants, the Emperor expressed his appreciation for their role in the empire’s prosperity and announced a new tradition of holding a Yuanxiao Festival banquet annually.
The Feiyun Fortress master then approached the Emperor, reporting a sudden horse plague that had reduced their warhorse supply. He requested a one-year extension to deliver the full quota of ten thousand warhorses, currently only able to provide eight thousand. The Emperor reacted with anger, stating his trusted aides had never mentioned a plague and accused the master of attempting to make illegal profits. Mo Ruofei corroborated the plague, suggesting an investigation would confirm it, but the Emperor remained unconvinced.
Liu Mingyue seized the opportunity to fan the flames, questioning if the Emperor believed “gossip” and highlighting the critical need for warhorses for the northern border, implying the plague was a flimsy excuse to renege on a signed contract. Enraged, the Emperor declared he would not pursue the truth of the plague but commanded the Feiyun Fortress master to deliver all ten thousand warhorses after the first month, or face execution.
The Feiyun Fortress master and Mo Ruofei were deeply troubled. The master speculated the plague was not natural but man-made, especially since the Emperor’s intelligence network was unaware of it. Mo Ruofei linked Liu Mingyue’s provocative remarks to the incident, suspecting Mingyue Villa was behind it all, likely to weaken Mo Manor and secure the upcoming imperial silver circulation rights.
As Feiyun Fortress now had to use all its resources to acquire horses at high prices, Mo Ruofei acknowledged they could offer no financial assistance to Mo Manor for tomorrow’s bidding, urging the master to focus solely on gathering the warhorses and to ensure Mo Manor defeated Mingyue Villa in the lantern competition.
As the lantern evening began, the Emperor, Seventh Prince, and Chen Yu wagered on Mingyue Villa to win, with Chen Yu confidently stating Mingyue Villa’s superior craftsmanship and creativity. Hua Buqi, however, proudly declared her support for her Eldest Brother, Mo Ruofei, believing his meticulous nature would secure a victory for Mo Manor. The Emperor lightheartedly noted Hua Buqi’s apparent lack of unity with the Seventh Prince.
Mo Manor’s lantern boat made a beautiful debut, drawing admiration from the Emperor and Seventh Prince. But Liu Mingyue, observing this, commented that her competition was not just about lanterns but “people’s hearts.” Soon after, Mingyue Villa’s float appeared, featuring masked women dancing gracefully. The central dancer, Liu Qingwu, captivated the crowd with her mesmerizing performance. The Seventh Prince, deeply moved, recognized the dance as one choreographed by Xue Fei, expressing his surprise that Mingyue Villa’s dancer knew it.
Determined not to see her Eldest Brother lose, Hua Buqi, covering her face with a veil, joined Mingyue Villa’s dancing troupe, intending to disrupt their performance. While on the boat, she closely observed Liu Qingwu and realized she strongly resembled the assassin from Tianmen Pass. As Hua Buqi reached out to unmask Liu Qingwu, Liu Qingwu swiftly pushed her into the lake. Fortunately, Chen Yu, who had been observing, immediately dived in and rescued her.
He sternly rebuked Hua Buqi for her reckless stunt, reminding her of the grave consequences if her actions angered the Emperor, and stated that merely being pushed into the lake was a light punishment for disrupting Mingyue Villa’s show. Hua Buqi, realizing her error, apologized. Just then, Mo Ruofei arrived, and Chen Yu entrusted Hua Buqi to his care, then returned to his duties protecting the Emperor.
After being rescued, Hua Buqi immediately informed Mo Ruofei that the masked dancer, Liu Qingwu, bore a striking resemblance to the person who had commanded the assassination at Tianmen Pass. Although not entirely certain, Hua Buqi was convinced of the similarity. Mo Ruofei consulted Jiansheng, who also noted that Liu Qingwu’s build was similar to Qing’er, a servant in their manor.
To further investigate this potential connection, Mo Ruofei decided to transfer Qing’er from the kitchen to his personal courtyard upon their return. As the festivities resumed, the Emperor remarked to Chen Yu that he didn’t seem to harbor the animosity towards Hua Buqi that others claimed. Chen Yu quickly deflected, explaining he was merely worried she would get wet and embarrassed, and that his Royal Father would blame him if he didn’t intervene, though inwardly, his heart stirred.
With the competition concluded, the Emperor declared Mingyue Villa the winner. The Seventh Prince later visited Mingyue Villa to formally present the winning plaque. Liu Mingyue apologized for Liu Qingwu’s actions, offering to have her executed, but the Seventh Prince dismissed it, acknowledging Hua Buqi’s initial disrespect and expressing relief that no one was seriously harmed.
After accepting her congratulations, Liu Mingyue extended an invitation for the Seventh Prince to stay at her manor and enjoy a private performance by Liu Qingwu. However, the Seventh Prince politely declined, citing his poor health and fatigue, and promptly departed. Later that night, Chen Yu went to Mingyue Villa to see Liu Qingwu. Upon being informed of his presence, Liu Qingwu, still behind a screen, asked the purpose of his late-night visit.
Chen Yu began by complimenting her, stating that her dance and evident talent lived up to her reputation as Mingyue Villa’s capable First Miss. Liu Qingwu humbly dismissed his praise, attributing her skills to mere musical and dance knowledge. Adopting a somewhat playboy-like demeanor, Chen Yu then expressed his desire to see her face, noting she had been masked on stage and was now hidden behind a screen, making him “anxious.”
Liu Qingwu emerged, apologizing for her casual attire, explaining she was preparing for bed. Chen Yu reiterated his admiration for her stunning dance, which had surpassed Mo Manor’s performance, but then inquired if the dance held a deeper meaning. Liu Qingwu, after asking if he had come solely for the dance, explained that she choreographed the “lonesome dance” to cheer her ailing mother and express her longing for her deceased father. Chen Yu mused on the universality of lovesickness and how her words reminded him of his own father, who, despite not admitting it, harbored thoughts of someone special.
