The Sword and The Brocade Episode 31 Recap
> The Sword and The Brocade Recap
Xu Lingyi expressed his resolve to uncover the truth about the Ou family's long-standing plots and their collusion with pirates. He acknowledged that while their hidden schemes could harm the Xu family, they also presented an opportunity. Shiyi, equally determined, stated her goal was to find evidence linking the Ou family to the pirates who killed her mother and to bring the culprits to justice. Despite their shared goal, the emotional distance between Xu Lingyi and Shiyi lingered.
Xu Lingyi instructed Zhaoying to move his belongings back to Half-moon Chamber, citing a heavy load of official duties. Shiyi, though disappointed, understood that her concealment and lack of trust had deeply wounded him, more so than any physical injury. She asked Amber to help with the packing. Later, Xu Lingyi confessed to Lin Bo that he struggled to face Shiyi because she had never fully trusted him, making him question his place in her heart.
Meanwhile, Lin Shixian, for the first time in years, took an interest in his father's affairs, returning home for Marquis Jingyuan's birthday. He presented a rare South Sea coral and a unique "Early Spring Painting," which deeply pleased his father. Lin Shixian then declared his intention to move back into the Ou family estate, assuring his father he was returning out of filial piety, much to Marquis Jingyuan's delight. However, his true motive was to investigate Concubine Lv's death.
He suspected that Lin Shan, Ou Lixing's personal guard, was the leader of the black-clad assailants at the farm, identifiable by a distinct scar on his hand. Lin Shixian believed Concubine Lv might have been murdered after uncovering secrets about the Ou family's activities. He also deduced that Ou Lixing had manipulated Shiyi by facilitating the search for the coroner and by buying off the assistant steward to steal the embroidered cloth. Lin Shixian's return stirred unease in Ou Lixing.
Madam Ou advised her son that his past failures had eroded Marquis Jingyuan's trust and that he needed to regain his father's favor. Shiyi visited Danyang, having learned about Xu Lingkuan and the maid, Xiaolan. Danyang revealed she had anticipated such occurrences when marrying into a noble family. Expressing a pragmatic acceptance, she explained her decision to elevate Xiaolan to a concubine was a strategic move to earn Xu Lingkuan’s gratitude and avoid a reputation for jealousy.
Shiyi encouraged Danyang to communicate more openly with her husband. Later, Xu Lingkuan arrived with Danyang's favorite Ma's fish jerky, apologizing for causing her distress and vowing that Danyang and their unborn child were the only ones in his heart. Shiyi made continuous efforts to mend her relationship with Xu Lingyi by preparing his meals, but he refused to eat them.
Wuniang visited, joyful about her own pregnancy, and advised Shiyi that having a child would solidify her bond with Xu Lingyi. Concerned by the Marquis's coldness, Dongqing learned from a guard that Xu Lingyi's wound had never properly healed after being aggravated during disaster relief and torn again while saving Shiyi. He was feigning wellness to avoid alarming Great Madam. This led to a heated exchange with Lin Bo, during which Dongqing fiercely defended Shiyi’s sincerity.
Later, Shiyi went to Xu Lingyi's chamber, insisting on changing his dressing herself. Despite his protests, she firmly tended to his wound, vowing to do so daily. A shocking event soon unfolded when Wang Yu, instigated by hecklers in a tavern, drunkenly stormed to Duke Wei's mansion. He scuffled with the steward, and when Duke Wei (Ren Kun) appeared, Wang Yu panicked, screamed that Duke Wei was a murderer, and fled.
The following morning, Wang Yu's body was discovered near the Ren residence. The news devastated the Wang family, particularly Erniang. Meanwhile, the Xu family's garden flourished under Concubine Qin's meticulous care, leading Great Madam to decide on hosting a grand flower-admiring feast. As the head of the household, Shiyi took charge of the preparations. During this time, she discovered a collection of zither scores belonging to Xu Lingyi.
Zhaoying explained that the Marquis was once a renowned zither master, even praised by the Emperor. However, after the deaths of his father and second brother, Xu Lingyi blamed himself for being absorbed in music instead of sharing their burdens. In his grief, he smashed his beloved zither and vowed never to play again until he had avenged them. The news of Wang Yu's death and Erniang's subsequent miscarriage reached Shiyi.
Hesitant to bother him, she was surprised when Xu Lingyi came to her courtyard. He informed her he had already looked into the matter out of concern for her. He explained that while a guard from Duke Wei's household was implicated, Duke Mao believed Duke Wei himself had orchestrated the murder. However, lacking evidence, the Censorate had stalled the investigation. Xu Lingyi found the incident suspicious, noting Wang Yu had been too afraid to provoke Duke Wei again.
He assured Shiyi he had asked his contact in the Censorate, Censor Li, to investigate thoroughly and advised her to console Erniang. Madam Ou visited the grieving Wang family. She slyly suggested that the Censorate was biased and urged them to seek help from Xu Lingyi, leveraging his influence. The Wangs decided that if Erniang could persuade Xu Lingyi to intervene, they would adopt an heir under Wang Yu’s name, securing Erniang’s position.
If she failed, the heir would be adopted by Wang Yu's father, leaving Erniang a childless widow with no standing. Madam Ou then manipulated the desperate Erniang, insisting that Shiyi, being so close to her husband, could easily persuade him. She inflamed Erniang's resentment by implying Shiyi's good fortune came at her expense and hinted that Xu Lingyi might be reluctant to offend Duke Wei for political reasons. Shiyi visited Erniang to offer condolences.
Erniang, accusing Shiyi of owing her for her misfortunes, demanded that she persuade Xu Lingyi to appeal directly to the Emperor for an investigation. Shiyi refused, explaining that Xu Lingyi could not rashly intervene without evidence, though he was already helping through proper channels. Enraged, Erniang accused Shiyi of protecting the Xu family's interests by ignoring Duke Wei's guilt. Shiyi rebuked her for the baseless accusation, and Erniang vowed that Shiyi would regret her refusal.
As Shiyi departed, she encountered Lin Shixian, who confirmed that Wang Yu's death was suspicious. He reassured Shiyi that despite returning to his family, he would not interfere in the conflict between the Ou and Xu families.
