Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 14 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
Xue Rong was plagued by nightmares, seeing Yuzhan being strangled by bandits, which left him terrified. He awoke in a cold sweat. Moments later, Jinzhan rushed in, distraught after hearing from the Magistrate of Zhaozhou that Xue Rong and Yuzhan had encountered robbers. Jinzhan felt deeply remorseful, believing her unauthorized departure from the palace had put them in danger, and promised never to do so again. Yuzhan, seeing her sister's distress and neck injury, tenderly embraced her.
Later, Xue Rong, still plagued by recurring nightmares and suffering from headaches, worried for Yuzhan's safety. He stood guard outside her room, confessing he had dreamed she fell into a well. Yuzhan, seeing he hadn't slept all night, reassured him that she was fine and urged him to return to his room to rest. Xue Rong's anxiety over Yuzhan's recent injury left him with a poor appetite.
He went so far as to order all the wells in Yuzhan's residence to be filled, a decision Jinzhan found irrational, though Yuzhan understood his concern. When an attendant presented Xue Rong with West Lake Dragon Well Tea, the mention of "well" triggered a vivid flashback. He lashed out, demanding that no one ever speak of wells in his presence again.
Yuzhan brought him a bowl of chicken soup, encouraging him to drink it while it was hot and offering to stay by his side as he rested. Later, Xue Rong was startled awake from another nightmare, calling her name. Yuzhan comforted him, holding his hand. She pledged to always be there for him, facing whatever challenges lay ahead together.
She confessed that she had previously been held back by concerns for her father's feelings and the Fu family's reputation, and unsure of her own heart, but now she hoped it wasn't too late for them. Xue Rong, relieved and overjoyed, assured her that it was never too late. Cao Han reported to Xue Rong, confirming that no one had discovered the Empress's identity during her unauthorized absence.
Meanwhile, Yuzhan spoke with Jinzhan, acknowledging her sister's unhappiness within the palace walls. Yuzhan reminded Jinzhan that the fate of the entire Fu family now rested on her, and any misstep could lead to their ruin. While Jinzhan believed Yuzhan was better suited to be Empress and had even suggested to Xue Rong that he depose her and marry Yuzhan, Yuzhan expressed her wish for Jinzhan to be happy and free with the person she loves.
Yuzhan also understood the immense difficulty of such an action, admitting that both of their fates were currently beyond their control. Back in the capital, Stewardess Song expressed her concern to Xue Rong about Jinzhan's low spirits, noting her listlessness and distracted responses. Hoping to lift Jinzhan's mood, Xue Rong instructed Li Huaijin to prepare the Secluded Bamboo Garden in the eastern suburbs, clearing any idle people from the area, for an outing.
Li Huaijin, who genuinely cared for Jinzhan, attempted to entertain her with a puppet show depicting the story of Alan joining the army. Jinzhan, however, found little joy in it, lamenting that both puppets and kites, which Li Huaijin also tried, were controlled by others and lacked freedom. Despite her melancholic disposition, she brightened slightly upon noticing some bamboo shoots, recalling a happy memory with her mother.
Following their return to the capital, Xue Rong and Yuzhan exchanged heartfelt letters, expressing their deepening affection. Xue Rong later arranged a private meeting with Yuzhan in the Secluded Bamboo Garden. He presented her once more with the jade pendant given to him by his mother, meant for his true love.
Yuzhan accepted it, telling him that reflecting on all the recent events—Jinzhan's escape, the attack in Zhaozhou, and his profound affection—she finally understood what she truly desired: to face life's storms with him and remain by his side forever. As they walked hand-in-hand through the bamboo grove, Xue Rong painted a bamboo on a scroll.
When he accidentally dropped ink onto the painting, Yuzhan skillfully transformed the stain into a flying bird, impressing Xue Rong, who vowed to treasure their collaborative artwork. Jiang Shao visited his mother's grave and encountered Mr. Lin, a former neighbor who had looked after the tomb.
Mr. Lin disclosed that Ding Er, another old neighbor who had recently moved to the capital, had witnessed people forcing Jiang Shao's mother to jump into the water many years ago, suggesting his mother's death was suspicious. Jiang Shao, determined to uncover the truth, traveled to the capital. He found Ding Er being harassed by debt collectors, as he had co-signed a loan for a distant relative.
Jiang Shao intervened, paying off Ding Er's debt, which earned him Ding Er's profound gratitude. Ding Er then recounted the tragic events of fifteen years prior. He recalled seeing a group of armored guards, their armor adorned with circular bronze mirrors on the chest and back, escorting a carriage. They cornered Jiang Shao's mother at a riverside cliff.
After a brief exchange with someone inside the carriage, a guard with a sword forced her to leap into the river, carrying a child wounded by an arrow, who remarkably resembled a young Jiang Shao. Ding Er, outnumbered and terrified, had hidden, only later hearing rumors of both his mother's and his own demise. He credited his survival to his mother having sent him to Dingzhou beforehand. Seeking more information about the mysterious guards, Jiang Shao approached Li Huaijin.
He inquired about any Lingyang soldiers who wore armor with bronze mirrors on the front and back. Li Huaijin identified this as the uniform of the Zuowuwei soldiers, but informed him that due to the heavy weight of the bronze mirrors, they had switched to leather armor seven or eight years ago. Jiang Shao feigned childhood curiosity, claiming to have seen such powerful soldiers in Zhaozhou when he was five.
Li Huaijin offered to look up the military archives for precise details on armor styles and changes. Back at the Fu residence, Prince Wei, having discovered Yuzhan's secret correspondence with the Emperor, angrily confronted her. He forced her to kneel, berating her for causing a scandal by attempting to replace the Empress and engaging in a private affair with the Emperor, asserting that she was bringing disgrace upon the Fu family.
Yuzhan tried to explain that Jinzhan’s marriage to the Emperor was an accident, and that neither Jinzhan nor the Emperor desired the union. However, Prince Wei remained firm, declaring that the Empress's position was settled and ordering Yuzhan to accept her fate. Heartbroken, Yuzhan gathered the letters and the painting from Xue Rong, instructing her maid to store them securely in a cabinet, out of sight.
The following day, Yuzhan inquired about her father's whereabouts from Butler Zhou, who informed her that Prince Wei had left early but wished her to dine at Deyue Restaurant at noon. Upon arriving as instructed, Yuzhan found her father in a private room with Assistant Minister Zhang Yongyao.
To her shock, Prince Wei revealed that Yuzhan’s late mother and Zhang Yongyao’s mother, Madam Sun, had been close friends and had arranged a betrothal between Yuzhan and Zhang Yongyao years ago, with a jade pendant serving as a betrothal keepsake. Prince Wei spoke highly of Zhang Yongyao's promising career as the Assistant Minister of Justice and his potential to achieve high office. Yuzhan, though polite, showed no enthusiasm for the arrangement.
Unbeknownst to Yuzhan, Princess Shou An harbored a secret affection for Zhang Yongyao. To subtly express her feelings, she had discreetly obtained a calligraphy work by Mr. Yin Xi, which Zhang Yongyao admired, and arranged for it to appear in a bookstore where Zhang Yongyao would discover it. She also sent him homemade pastries in a plain food box, without revealing her identity, always under the guise of gratitude to avoid public scrutiny.
Zhang Yongyao, mistakenly believing these gestures of kindness were from Yuzhan (due to Prince Wei's earlier suggestion), happily consumed the pastries. Later, Zhang Yongyao invited Yuzhan to visit Chongren Store, a renowned place for fine qins, including ancient ones from the previous dynasty, knowing Yuzhan's love for music. Yuzhan sent a letter to Xue Rong before accompanying Zhang Yongyao. While at Chongren Store, Princess Shou An, also present, spotted Zhang Yongyao and Yuzhan together, her expression revealing her displeasure.
