Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 13 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
Jiang Shao sat alone on the rooftop, lost in thought. Jinzhan joined him, having deduced he lacked the funds for a second room. She expressed a desire to experience sleeping under the open sky, where the stars seemed "reachable with hands." They lay down together, admiring the beautiful moon. Jiang Shao noted how quickly Jinzhan had fallen asleep. Meanwhile, Xue Rong took Yuzhan to the forest, urging her to move forward in their relationship.
He spoke metaphorically about life's paths, emphasizing the need to walk hand-in-hand to avoid becoming strangers. Yuzhan countered that some paths were too narrow for two. Xue Rong, frustrated by her hesitation, vowed to clear any obstacles, declaring he would fell trees, destroy walls, excavate hills, and break rocks to widen their path. He insisted that his mistaken marriage to Jinzhan was not an irreversible fate, asking why Yuzhan wouldn't take a step forward.
Yuzhan confessed her "reluctance to accept the situation," recalling her past love for him and the dream of becoming empress. However, upon waking from her coma and learning of the wrong marriage, she felt only sadness and disappointment, not overwhelming grief. She saw this as an "enlightenment from destiny," desiring the freedom to choose a pure love, untainted by interest, kinship, or duty, and unwilling to abandon her chance at true happiness.
Xue Rong promised her a bright future and offered her a jade pendant, a gift from his mother intended for his true love. When Yuzhan refused to accept it, Xue Rong angrily threw it away. Yuzhan frantically searched for the discarded jade pendant. Xue Rong, who had been feigning blindness since a previous incident where he was poisoned and pretended to still be sightless to prolong Yuzhan's devoted care, came up behind her and embraced her.
He questioned why she cared for the pendant if she didn’t love him. Yuzhan, startled, realized his eyesight had recovered and accused him of deception. Xue Rong apologized, admitting he wanted to prolong her loving care for him. Yuzhan confessed her deep worry for him, acknowledging that what he always called "heaven's will" was truly about human intentions. She agreed to wait for him and asked him to wait for her.
Xue Rong reaffirmed his promise to eventually depose Jinzhan, grant her freedom, and formally marry Yuzhan. At the same time, Jiang Shao ventured out late at night, hoping to earn some money by delivering goods. Jinzhan, having followed him, insisted on accompanying him, declaring they must "share weal and woe." They were stopped by curfew patrol soldiers who identified the box Jiang Shao carried as a luminous pearl stolen from Fan’s Mansion in the east.
They were both arrested and taken to the magistrate's office. Jiang Shao explained that he was merely a delivery person, unaware of the pearl's stolen origin, and offered to lead them to the person who entrusted him with it. However, the magistrate dismissed his plea, calling it nonsense, and ordered him to kneel. Suddenly, Cao Han, the Emperor's close guard, appeared. After a private word with the magistrate, he approached Jinzhan.
Jinzhan initially hoped to escape with Jiang Shao and even contemplated kidnapping Cao Han. However, in their private conversation, Cao Han sternly reminded Jinzhan of her duties as Empress and the severe consequences her elopement would bring upon the entire Fu family, including Prince Wei, Lady Yuzhan, and potentially even the Emperor's throne, which he warned was still unstable. He emphasized that her actions could destabilize the realm and lead to the Tianxiong Army falling into the wrong hands.
He then explicitly threatened Jiang Shao’s life. Faced with such dire warnings, Jinzhan agreed to return and to distance herself from Jiang Shao, but asked to see Jiang Shao one last time. Cao Han then ordered Jiang Shao's release. Jiang Shao, believing Jinzhan had persuaded Cao Han, happily tried to leave with her. But Jinzhan stopped, declaring her decision to return for her family and to reclaim her royal position, ending their relationship.
Jiang Shao, convinced Cao Han had intimidated her, insisted on taking her with him. Cao Han’s guards intervened, and as a sword was held to Jiang Shao's neck, Jinzhan desperately cried out for them to stop, reaffirming her commitment to return with Cao Han to spare Jiang Shao. After Cao Han informed Xue Rong of Jinzhan’s location in Zhaozhou, Xue Rong and Yuzhan immediately set out in a carriage.
Meanwhile, Jinzhan had tearfully bid farewell to Jiang Shao, ending their relationship and agreeing to return with Cao Han. She had accepted her duties as Empress, realizing that true freedom was an illusion, and her return was necessary to save her family and Jiang Shao from dire consequences. En route, Xue Rong and Yuzhan were ambushed by bandits and taken to their hideout.
To buy time, they identified themselves as relatives of Madam Jin of Zhaozhou, a prominent figure, and promised a substantial ransom if the bandits would allow them to write a letter. The bandits, after confirming the Jin family’s status, agreed. Xue Rong secretly wrote a message, hoping Madam Jin would alert the Magistrate. While waiting, Yuzhan expressed guilt for Xue Rong's predicament, but he reassured her. Using a broken tile, Xue Rong skillfully cut their bonds.
They attempted an escape, with Xue Rong creating misleading footprints to divert the bandits. However, Yuzhan sprained her ankle. Despite Xue Rong's protests, she insisted he leave to get help while she hid in the woodshed, not wanting to slow him down. Xue Rong reluctantly departed, promising to return swiftly. He soon encountered the Magistrate of Zhaozhou, who had already been alerted by Madam Jin and was rushing to their aid.
When Xue Rong returned with the Magistrate and his troops, the bandits had already discovered their escape and taken Yuzhan hostage. The bandit leader threatened to kill Yuzhan if the soldiers didn't retreat. Xue Rong, prioritizing Yuzhan's safety, ordered his men to fall back and confronted the bandit leader alone, promising safe passage for the bandits if Yuzhan was released. The bandit leader, after sending his men away, demanded Xue Rong jump into a nearby well to prove his sincerity.
Without hesitation, Xue Rong plunged into the well. True to his word, the bandit released Yuzhan, but then cruelly strangled her with a rope and lowered her into the well to drown her. In the well, Xue Rong desperately struggled to stay afloat, instructing Yuzhan to stand on his head. The Magistrate's forces finally arrived, rescuing both of them.
A doctor examined Yuzhan, finding her unharmed except for a strained throat and fright, while Xue Rong was consumed by guilt for having left her behind. He ordered the Magistrate to ensure all captured bandits were imprisoned in Zhaozhou jail. Separately, worried when she didn't hear back from the Magistrate after alerting him about Xue Rong, Madam Jin rushed out on horseback to his rescue but fell and dislocated her foot. Jiang Shao, passing by, caught her.
As he skillfully set her bone, he recited the "Jinshen Magic Code," prompting Madam Jin to recognize him as the son of her dear friend, Shunying. Overjoyed, she recalled how Shunying, then pregnant, left without a word after helping her with a similar injury years ago. Jiang Shao revealed his mother died when he was five, leading to shared grief. He then presented a jade carving, asking if it was from the Jin family.
Madam Jin confirmed it was a 20-year-old piece with their mark. Jiang Shao then showed another unmarked jade, a gift from his unknown father. He speculated his father's jade might also be from the Jin family and asked if she knew its owner or who Shunying was close to back then. Madam Jin, after some thought, claimed the time was too long ago to remember, and unmarked jades weren't recorded. However, privately, she confirmed her suspicion that Jiang Shao was indeed Xue Wei's son. Jiang Shao politely declined her offer to stay and departed.
