Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 18 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
Jiang Shao visited Fu Jinzhan, expressing concern for her injured hand and bringing medicine. Jinzhan, recalling her sister's advice to think twice before acting, decided to give Jiang Shao a chance to explain his behavior at the soup kitchen. She asked if his actions were for her or for the Empress. Jiang Shao apologized, clarifying that he had recently experienced a series of misfortunes and deliberately spoke unkind words to distance her, fearing she would be implicated.
Jinzhan, feeling both affection and resentment, embraced him tightly. She made him promise to always be good to her, never ignore her, never deceive her in any matter, and never leave her. Jiang Shao readily agreed to all her demands. Xue Rong vehemently condemned Wu Yang, the Magistrate of Xingzhou, for his unforgivable crimes of concealing the disaster and abandoning the populace.
He ordered Wu Yang's immediate arrest and imprisonment, dispatching a summons for Zhang Yongyao, the Assistant Minister for Justice, to come to Xingzhou to oversee the trial. Xue Rong expressed his profound relief at having personally arrived in Xingzhou, lamenting that he would otherwise have remained ignorant of his people's suffering. He then instructed Li Huaijin to lead the Imperial Guards in distributing porridge throughout the city, ensuring that every citizen received clean food.
Observing the deep dissatisfaction of the Xingzhou people with the government, and with the Mid-Autumn Festival at hand, Xue Rong decided to appear with the Empress to personally console them. He also assigned Jiang Shao the task of delivering gifts to Chai Zhenzhen.
Jiang Shao presented Chai Zhenzhen with gifts from Xue Rong, but Zhenzhen, grieving her parents, showed no interest in the valuables, longing instead for her family and expressing her unhappiness with the lack of freedom in the capital. She confided in Jiang Shao about her shock at only recently discovering her true identity as the Emperor's sister.
Jiang Shao empathized with her, sharing his own story of being an orphan who never knew his father, highlighting that at least she had known her parents and now had a brother. He offered her a candy, suggesting that even a little sweetness could alleviate bitterness, a principle he lived by. To lift her spirits, he proposed they release sky lanterns together, where Zhenzhen wrote a message to her deceased parents promising to live well.
As they watched the lanterns ascend, Zhenzhen's spirits brightened, and she asked if she could call him "Brother Jiang" and if they would meet again. Jiang Shao warmly accepted her as his sister, assuring her he would always be there if she needed him. Li Huaijin reported to Xue Rong a sudden and rapidly spreading epidemic in Xingzhou, with nearly a hundred victims suffering from persistent high fevers, causing widespread panic.
An isolation zone had been established at the East Gate, where Jiang Shao was overseeing the arrangement of victims and all city doctors had been dispatched. Xue Rong ordered the immediate distribution of all herbal medicines brought from the capital to contain the spread and ensure effective treatment for the afflicted. Later, while helping to settle victims, Jiang Shao became weak with a fever, overwhelmed by fatigue.
Chai Zhenzhen, who had insisted on accompanying him despite the dangers of the plague, quickly summoned a doctor. The doctor assured them that Jiang Shao's condition was merely a minor fever and exhaustion, easily curable with a few days of rest and medicine. Zhenzhen then tenderly fed Jiang Shao the medicine and wiped his mouth. Jiang Shao remarked that it was the first time since his mother's death that someone had cared for him in such a way.
He expressed a wish for a sister, to which Zhenzhen humorously retorted she didn't want to be his sister. He then told her that now she had two brothers—Xue Rong and himself—and could always turn to him if Xue Rong was unavailable. Unseen by them, Fu Jinzhan witnessed this intimate moment and silently departed.
Xue Rong delved into the documents concerning the Yellow River dam, discovering that three years prior, Magistrate Wu Yang had informed the previous emperor about damage to the dam and requested 600,000 "qian" in funds for its repair. The previous emperor had approved the project, which Wu Yang, in cooperation with the Ministry of Works and other artisans, completed before the flood season. Annually thereafter, substantial funds were allocated for the dam's upkeep.
Despite this, the dam, which Wu Yang had vowed to maintain, collapsed before the current flood season, leaving tens of thousands of Xingzhou residents homeless and displaced. Enraged, Xue Rong suspected Wu Yang's subsequent concealment of the disaster was an attempt to cover up this dam failure. Refusing to believe a minor magistrate could single-handedly embezzle such a vast sum, he ordered Zhang Yongyao to conduct a thorough investigation, expose all corrupt officials involved, and ensure no one was spared.
It was revealed that Magistrate Wu Yang was under the influence of the Princess Royal, who had dispatched Yan Chong to manage him in Xingzhou. The Princess Royal sought to leverage Wu Yang's downfall, knowing he was Prince Wei's esteemed student, to incriminate Prince Wei. Indeed, in the dungeon, Yan Chong coerced Wu Yang into falsely accusing Prince Wei of embezzlement by threatening the lives of Wu Yang's wife and son.
Meanwhile, Fu Yuzhan, steadfast in her belief of her father's innocence, pleaded with Xue Rong for five days to clear the Fu family's name. Xue Rong granted her the time, cautioning that failure would result in Prince Wei facing legal repercussions. Xue Rong also privately reflected that Yuzhan needed to handle this herself, as he couldn't be seen favoring the Fu family given the capital's scrutiny and Yuzhan's own doubts about their relationship.
Yuzhan visited Wu Yang in jail but quickly recognized he was under duress and would not confess freely. With the assistance of Zhang Yongyao, she meticulously reviewed the case files. She noted that the only direct evidence implicating Prince Wei was Wu Yang's confession and four incriminating letters. Drawing on her personal knowledge of the annual gift exchanges between Wu Yang and her father, which she managed, Yuzhan found crucial discrepancies in the letters.
For instance, one letter mentioned a thank-you for a pair of jade paperweights received at the Dragon Boat Festival, while Yuzhan distinctly remembered sending calligraphy posts that year. Convinced the letters were forgeries and that her family was being framed, Yuzhan pressed Zhang Yongyao for information on master forgers.
He disclosed that only four such masters existed, three of whom were in the capital, and one, Wang Daqian, a notoriously greedy individual, had left the capital half a month ago and was now in Xingzhou. Yuzhan devised a plan to lure Wang Daqian by offering an exorbitant price for calligraphy imitations.
Additionally, she arranged for supplies of grain and medicine to be sent to Xingzhou under the Fu family's name, to be distributed by the Empress to the disaster victims. Zhang Yongyao, while upholding his duty, also reassured Yuzhan that their engagement still held, regardless of the case's outcome. Following Yuzhan’s instructions, Fu Jinzhan, in her capacity as Empress, proceeded to Wu Yang’s mansion accompanied by Jiang Shao.
Yuzhan specifically requested Jiang Shao's presence, believing his meticulous nature might uncover overlooked clues. En route, Jinzhan teased Jiang Shao about the beautiful girl who had visited him while he was ill and fed him medicine. He clarified that the woman tending to him was Xue Rong's sister, Chai Zhenzhen, whose delicate identity needed to be kept confidential. Despite a moment of jealousy, Jinzhan accepted his explanation. Together, they interrogated Mrs. Wu, who initially feigned ignorance regarding her husband's embezzlement.
However, under pressure, Mrs. Wu revealed that Wu Yang maintained close ties with Zhao Yuan, the Executive of Construction, and Military Administrator Wang Ke, both of whom reside in Kangping Store. Jinzhan noted that 100,000 "qian" had been found in Wu Yang's mansion. Her young son, Ming Er, then innocently chanted, "Kangping Store, three three, six six."
Recognizing this as a coded reference to embezzled funds, Jiang Shao used candy to coax Ming Er into reciting more of the rhyme, which detailed specific amounts associated with other locations like Yanqing Store, Rongchang Store, and Kaiping Lane. Yuzhan and Zhang Yongyao located Wang Daqian by following a young boy who delivered a calligraphy imitation, leading them to a secluded house.
Zhang Yongyao skillfully diverted the guards, allowing them to scale a wall and confront Wang Daqian, who attempted to flee but was swiftly apprehended. During interrogation, Wang Daqian initially denied forging the letters. Yuzhan, however, used a clever tactic, feigning to let him go while speculating aloud that the true mastermind behind the forged letters would undoubtedly silence the forger with cruel methods to prevent exposure.
Terrified, Wang Daqian confessed to forging the letters, admitting he was captured and tortured, forcing him to comply with the instructions. Zhang Yongyao immediately pressed him to reveal the identity of the person who had coerced him.
