The Sword and The Brocade Episode 28 Recap
> The Sword and The Brocade Recap
At Xianling Pavilion, Shiyi discussed her investigation into her mother's death with Master Jian and Ou Yanxing. She presented her findings: a silk handkerchief whose fabric and embroidery matched a cloth found with Xu Lingyi’s eldest son, and a record showing Concubine Wen had received that same type of fabric. Master Jian found it hard to believe the upright Marquis Yongping would kill an innocent person.
Ou Yanxing cautioned that despite the coroner and hunter's testimonies, the evidence was circumstantial and it would be rash to conclude the Marquis was the killer. Shiyi confessed that while Xu Lingyi had drunkenly admitted fault for her mother’s death, she still struggled to accept he was the murderer. Meanwhile, Concubine Wen and Concubine Qin arrived at Xianling Pavilion to look at fabrics.
On the way, Concubine Wen spoke of her deep love for her son, remarking to the childless Concubine Qin that a child is a mother's everything. Upon seeing Shiyi and Ou Yanxing in a close conversation, Concubine Wen immediately assumed Ou Yanxing was Shiyi's lover. Concubine Qin defended Shiyi, insisting she would not betray her husband. Their loud discussion was overheard by Xu Lingyi, who had just arrived with Lin Bo, prompting him to head towards the pavilion.
Xu Lingyi confronted the pair. After Lin Bo identified Ou Yanxing as the second son of the rival Ou family, an enraged Xu Lingyi drew his sword, accusing Ou Yanxing of having ulterior motives and the Ou family of shamelessness. Ou Yanxing calmly asserted that there was nothing untoward between him and Shiyi. Shiyi defended Ou Yanxing and admitted she knew his true identity.
As Xu Lingyi refused to stand down, a desperate Shiyi held a pair of scissors to her own neck, threatening her life to make him stop. Shocked that she would go to such lengths for Ou Yanxing, Xu Lingyi lowered his weapon. He then rushed to catch her as she stumbled, and in the process, she accidentally stabbed him in the chest with the scissors.
Despite his serious injury, Xu Lingyi immediately ordered everyone present to keep the incident a secret. He commanded them to spread the story that he was ambushed by assassins outside the capital, threatening to expel anyone from the Xu family who revealed the truth. Back at the mansion, the physician confirmed the wound was deep. Great Madam was distraught and wanted to report the attack to the imperial court for a full investigation.
Xu Lingyi forbade it, explaining that he was under an imperial edict to leave for Shandong in three days for disaster relief. Reporting his injury would cause a delay, which would be an act of defiance and a capital offense. He also shared his suspicion that the Ou family was embezzling relief funds and had orchestrated the attack to stop his investigation. Great Madam reluctantly yielded to his resolve.
Wracked with guilt, Shiyi realized that a man who protected her at the risk of his own life could not be a murderer. She reflected on how the evidence—the coroner, the hunter, and the arrow—had surfaced too conveniently, as if orchestrated to frame Xu Lingyi. While he was unconscious, Shiyi stayed by his side for two days without rest, vowing to accept any punishment if he recovered. When Xu Lingyi awoke, he immediately ordered preparations for the journey to Shandong.
Great Madam again pleaded with him to stay and recover, offering to report his injuries to the court. Xu Lingyi reiterated his suspicions about the Ou family and his duty to the people suffering from the disaster, insisting his personal safety was secondary. Seeing his determination, Great Madam finally agreed and asked Shiyi to take good care of him. Before leaving, Xu Lingyi gave Shiyi a divorce agreement.
He explained that if the truth about his injury was ever revealed, she could use the document to leave the Xu family safely and without blame. Devastated, Shiyi confessed everything: her investigation, her meeting with Ou Yanxing under his alias, and how the mounting evidence and his own drunken words had led her to suspect him. She begged him not to divorce her.
Deeply hurt, Xu Lingyi expressed his disappointment, lamenting that he thought they had a mutual understanding, but it had all been his own wishful thinking. He felt she had never truly trusted him and that in her eyes, he was worse than a member of the scheming Ou family. As he departed, Shiyi chased after him in tears.
Lin Bo then revealed the full truth to her: Xu Lingyi had always protected her, from saving her from pirates when they first met to rescuing her from drowning. His urgent departure for Shandong was not because he was indispensable, but to prevent an official investigation that would inevitably expose Shiyi's role in his injury. The divorce agreement was his final measure to ensure her safety, proving his unwavering commitment to protect her above all else.
Upon learning of Xu Lingyi's condition, Ou Lixing of the Ou family saw an opportunity and plotted to take further action against him. Meanwhile, Shiyi dedicated herself to managing the Xu household, ensuring Great Madam and the pregnant Danyang were well-cared for to repay the debt she felt she owed her husband. To pray for his safety, she began embroidering a portrait of Guanyin. In Shandong, Xu Lingyi threw himself into disaster relief.
His wound worsened, and the physician warned that without rest, his life would be in danger. Xu Lingyi refused, insisting the people's needs came first. Later, when a nearby inn caught fire with people trapped inside, he rushed into the blaze to save them without a second thought for his own injuries.
