The Sword and The Brocade Episode 3 Recap
> The Sword and The Brocade Recap
In Jing'an Pavilion, Yuanniang's trap was sprung. She confronted Xu Lingyi and Qiao Lianfang, accusing them of impropriety. A desperate Qiao Lianfang claimed it was a misunderstanding, explaining that her clothes had been stained by a maid and she was merely drying them. At Xu Lingyi's request, Shiyi exited the room and stood guard, skillfully preventing the curious Concubine Wen from entering to witness the drama. Soon after, the Great Madam and her niece's mother, Madam Qiao, arrived.
Madam Qiao, who had hoped to see her daughter become the next legal wife, was horrified when Yuanniang leveraged the scandal to force Qiao Lianfang into becoming a concubine. Madam Qiao pleaded with the Great Madam, but the decision was deferred to Xu Lingyi. He initially refused, offering to help arrange another marriage for Qiao Lianfang with a generous dowry. However, deeply in love with him, Qiao Lianfang declared she would willingly be his concubine.
Citing the importance of a woman's reputation, the Great Madam pressed her son, and Xu Lingyi, as a filial son, reluctantly conceded. Later, Xu Lingyi expressed his profound disappointment to Yuanniang, lamenting that their relationship, which he hoped could at least be one of mutual respect, had devolved into suspicion and schemes. While Yuanniang admitted to orchestrating the day's events, she revealed the full extent of her plan only to her mother, Madam Luo.
She had engineered the situation to secure a future for her son, Zhun, by installing her sister, Shiyi, as the next legal wife. Yuanniang reasoned that with the high-born Qiao Lianfang as a powerful concubine, Shiyi, being a mere concubine's daughter, would be restrained and forced to rely on the Luo family for support, making her easier to control. To fulfill his dying wife's wishes, Xu Lingyi agreed to her arrangements.
He also consented to betroth Zhun to the daughter of Jiang Song, who held no official position, thus avoiding political entanglements for the Xu family. Back at the Luo residence, Shiyi's mother, Concubine Lü, learned from Concubine Duan that Madam Luo was considering a marriage alliance with the son of Duke Mao, the infamous libertine Wang Yu. Shiyi instantly connected this with the events at the Xu mansion and deduced that Yuanniang's chosen successor was her.
While Concubine Lü saw the position of a marquis's wife as a great opportunity, Shiyi was appalled. She declared her desire to live an independent life like her teacher, Master Jian, and would rather remain unmarried than spend her life in conflict with other women over a husband. Determined to forge her own path, Shiyi snuck out of the mansion under the pretense of visiting her teacher.
At the wharf, she accidentally knocked over a rouge stall, leading to a dispute with the vendor. Xu Lingyi, who was investigating a case nearby, intervened. Recognizing Shiyi from a past encounter with pirates and as his sister-in-law, he offered to escort her home. Shiyi politely declined, leaving him with a cryptic remark about his loyalty to her sister. Shortly after, she met Lin Shixian, who impressed her with his knowledge of tea.
Shiyi confided her plan to rent a boat back to her hometown of Yuhang. As Lin Shixian was also traveling south, he offered her passage on his boat for half the price. They agreed to meet at Ci'an Temple on the first day of the next month. Meanwhile, Madam Luo was informed that the Jiang family was interested in a match with the demure Erniang.
However, Madam Luo decided to marry Erniang to Wang Yu instead, viewing her, a concubine's daughter, as an expendable piece to secure the alliance for Zhun. Upon hearing the devastating news from her mother, Concubine Duan, Erniang was consumed with rage. Believing Shiyi had stolen her prospective marriage, she vowed to take revenge. Erniang went to an entertainment house frequented by Wang Yu and orchestrated a "chance" encounter by stumbling in front of him.
Captivated by her beauty, Wang Yu was immediately interested. Seizing the opportunity, Erniang introduced herself as "Luo Shiyi" and claimed that "Erniang" was a frail, bedridden invalid. Unwilling to marry a sickly woman, Wang Yu was completely deceived and decided to pursue the woman he believed to be Shiyi.
