The Sword and The Brocade Episode 5 Recap
> The Sword and The Brocade Recap
During the tea ceremony, Yuanniang admonished Qiao Lianfang, warning her to be discreet and serve Xu Lingyi well, rather than letting her ambitions get the better of her. Qiao Lianfang asserted that her sincerity would eventually move Xu Lingyi, but Yuanniang retorted that while sincerity can move mountains, human hearts are sometimes harder than stone, before dismissing her. Shortly after, Concubine Wen arrived.
Yuanniang, aware of her limited time, warned Concubine Wen against being swayed by Qiao Lianfang, citing the business conflicts between the Wen and Qiao families. She advised Wen to support the future legal wife to form a "tripartite balance of forces" against Concubine Qiao, a strategy Concubine Wen understood to be in her family's best interest. Meanwhile, Xu Lingyi explained his strategy to a subordinate for capturing the fugitive pirate Liu Yong.
Having conspicuously searched the north, south, and west of the capital, they left the east untouched to funnel Liu Yong there. Xu Lingyi predicted that the eased search would lure Liu Yong into seeking help, allowing them to follow his trail and uncover his collaborators. Shiyi went to bid farewell to Master Jian, who gave her clothes and money from her embroidery work. That evening, Shiyi gave Concubine Lv a newly embroidered perfume satchel with a protection talisman.
The mother and daughter reminisced about their three happy years in Yuhang. When Concubine Lv worried about the chaos their departure might cause, Shiyi reasoned that her leaving was for the best, as it would compel Erniang to marry into the Xu family, saving her from an undesirable marriage to Wang Yu. The next day, as Shiyi and Concubine Lv prepared to leave, Madam Wang from Duke Mao's Mansion arrived to see Shiyi.
To ensure they could meet Lin Shixian on time, Shiyi sent Concubine Lv and Dongqing ahead to Ci'an Temple while she handled the visitor. Unbeknownst to them, the temple was closed for the day, exclusively hosting the Xu family for prayers. Upon reaching the temple, Concubine Lv realized she had lost the new satchel and went back to find it, telling Dongqing to wait. At the same time, Liu Yong also arrived at the temple, setting the stage for tragedy.
At the temple, Xu Lingyi was informed that Liu Yong had been located. He instructed his younger brother to escort their mother and the other women to safety within the temple grounds. Shiyi soon arrived and, upon learning from Dongqing that her mother had gone back for the satchel, rushed off to find her. She discovered Concubine Lv's lifeless body, covered in blood. As a grief-stricken Shiyi clung to her mother, Xu Lingyi arrived at the scene.
He gently persuaded her to release the body for an official examination, explaining it was the only way to find the killer before they could escape. Shiyi tearfully complied. Xu Lingyi arranged for a carriage to take Shiyi home and ordered his men to monitor the investigation, suspecting a connection to Liu Yong. Meanwhile, Lin Shixian, having waited for Shiyi as long as he could, reluctantly departed for his urgent journey south.
Back at the Luo residence, the Shuntian Prefecture Office quickly closed the case, declaring that Concubine Lv was killed by the fugitive Liu Yong after she stumbled upon him. Shiyi's father accepted this conclusion, influenced by his wife and the fact that a deeper investigation into their unauthorized trip would damage the family’s reputation and his own career prospects.
Shiyi, clutching a piece of fabric she found in her mother's hand, insisted the fugitive was not the killer and pleaded with her father to demand a reinvestigation, but he angrily refused, blaming the tragedy on their disobedience. Later, Madam Luo confronted Shiyi alone, bluntly accusing her of causing Concubine Lv's death by planning to flee her marriage.
She warned Shiyi that she was not as indulgent as her mother and to accept her fate, leaving Shiyi devastated by guilt and grief. The news reached the Xu family, where Concubine Wen and Concubine Qin speculated that Concubine Lv and Shiyi had intentionally gone to the temple to "coincidentally" meet them and curry favor, only for their plan to end in tragedy. In prison, Xu Lingyi confronted Liu Yong's accomplice, Jiang Huai, with news of Liu Yong's death.
He offered to protect Jiang Huai and vowed to work towards lifting the sea ban if Jiang would reveal his collaborators. Jiang Huai scoffed, stating the power behind them was someone Xu Lingyi could never defeat, then committed suicide, leaving Xu Lingyi to ponder which powerful official who supported the sea ban could be responsible. Amber secretly brought Master Jian to comfort Shiyi.
Master Jian urged Shiyi to be strong, reminding her that Concubine Lv had acted out of deep love, wanting a better life for her daughter. She warned that those blaming Shiyi had ulterior motives, seeking to break her spirit. Reinvigorated, Shiyi showed Master Jian the fabric from the killer. Master Jian identified the material as common "xuejuan" but noted the embroidery technique and pattern were unique and promised to investigate its origin.
Determined to find justice, Shiyi disguised herself as a servant to sneak out of the mansion, telling a worried Amber that she would not give up on finding her mother's real killer.
