Jun Jiu Ling Episode 5 Recap
> Jun Jiu Ling Recap
The Lantern Festival arrived, and for the first time in nearly a decade, the Fang family arranged for the ailing Fang Chengyu to attend, reserving an entire street for the occasion. Accompanied by his grandmother Ms. Cao, his sisters, Liu'er, and Madame Su, Fang Chengyu, who initially worried about being mocked, relaxed and enjoyed the festivities, encouraged by Chu Jiuling, acting as Jun Zhenzhen.
In the bustling crowd, Chu Jiuling was drawn to a Go game where Ning Yunzhao was observing. As Ning Yunzhao subtly offered a suggestion to a losing player, Chu Jiuling also chimed in with a remarkably insightful move. Recognizing their shared understanding, Ning Yunzhao invited her to a blind Go match, played entirely through verbal commands. Though renowned for his exceptional skill, Ning Yunzhao found himself matched by Chu Jiuling's brilliant strategy.
He praised her for being able to think three steps ahead, admitting her skill was superior. After hundreds of moves, with the outcome clear, Chu Jiuling stopped just before making the final winning move, explaining it was unnecessary. When Ning Yunzhao introduced himself, she gifted him a lantern, wishing him a happy birthday and reflecting inwardly that this was a gift on behalf of the late Jun Zhenzhen, his former fiancée.
Meanwhile, Zhang Baotang dragged a reluctant Zhu Zan to the festival to lift his spirits. Zhu Zan was uninterested until he heard that Miss Jun of the Fang family had set up a Go game with a large prize. His demeanor changed, and he sarcastically listed the luxurious items ten taels of silver could buy, a wry acknowledgment of their financial struggles in Zezhou.
Chu Jiuling's game featured a giant, unlit lantern as a chessboard, with the prize of five thousand taels of silver for anyone who could solve the final move and make the lantern light up. Each attempt cost ten taels. Liu'er was aghast, realizing Chu Jiuling had wagered the entire annulment settlement from the Ning family, but Chu Jiuling was confident no one could solve the complex puzzle. Even Ning Yunzhao conceded he couldn't crack it.
As challengers failed one after another, their wagers filled a basket with silver. Suddenly, a humble sugar figurine seller named Chen Qi stepped forward. Mocked by the crowd, he calmly placed a piece, and the entire lantern chessboard lit up in a brilliant display. As Chen Qi gleefully collected the prize money, Liu'er was distraught over the loss, but Chu Jiuling simply smiled, unconcerned.
After the festival, Ning Yunzhao treasured the lantern from the mysterious woman, brushing off his sister Ning Yunyan's curiosity. Suspecting foul play in her Go game, Chu Jiuling questioned the lantern keeper, Lei Zhonglian, who recalled Chen Qi giving the prize money to two men. Following this clue, Chu Jiuling confronted Zhu Zan, accusing him of orchestrating the win. Unfazed, she proposed a trade: she would explain her puzzle if he revealed the business secrets of Deshengchang.
Zhu Zan deflected, now suspicious of her motives for investigating matters in Zezhou. Separately, Zhu Zan learned from Zhang Baotang that the herbs Chu Jiuling had been purchasing were for treating a severe chronic illness. Deducing she was treating Fang Chengyu, he confronted her. He revealed his theory that the Fang family's "curse" was actually a multi-generational poisoning plot, noting that one generation's misfortune is an accident, two is a coincidence, but three suggests a conspiracy.
He offered a deal: he would keep her secret if she used her identity as Fang Chengyu's fiancée to help him find the Fang family's historical freight customer lists. Meanwhile, a bitter Ning Yunyan plotted her revenge. She forged a letter in her brother's name, inviting Chu Jiuling to a private room in the Jinyun Restaurant, intending to ruin her reputation.
However, Chu Jiuling immediately saw through the trap, reasoning that the honorable Ning Yunzhao would never compromise a lady's reputation with such an invitation. In a more sinister plot, Ning Yunyan met with her cousin. He expressed concern that the marriage had not improved Fang Chengyu's health and worried that Chu Jiuling might conceive an heir. In response, Ning Yunyan suggested that if Chu Jiuling were to die, their problems would be solved. When her cousin asked if she planned to kill her, she coldly replied, "No one is going to kill her. She's just unlucky enough to have an accident."
