Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 5 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
Fu Yuzhan approached Zhang Yongyao, expressing her conviction that Prince Jin was not a traitor, especially considering the involvement of Pengze. She believed a re-examination of the Big Coins would expose the truth and clear Xue Rong’s name. Zhang Yongyao, agreeing that Prince Jin was unlikely to be a collaborator, consented to petition the Emperor for a re-evaluation of the coins. Meanwhile, Princess Shou An, traveling incognito, chanced upon Zhang Yongyao.
She was immediately captivated by him after he gracefully completed a poetic couplet she had written: "The Gentle Breeze Touches the Fine Willows; The Vague Moon Covers the Plum Blossoms." Zhang Yongyao suggested replacing "covers" with "loses," which Princess Shou An found insightful, further deepening her admiration. When she subsequently twisted her ankle, Zhang Yongyao meticulously adjusted it for her, strengthening her nascent affections.
Jiang Shao visited Xue Rong in prison, bringing him warm snacks and a fur coat to ward off the cold. Xue Rong confided that his imprisonment was not truly about the Big Coin case but rather a punishment from his father for defying imperial orders and failing to eliminate Fu Yuzhan. Jiang Shao then delivered a letter from Fu Yuzhan, outlining a plan for his rescue and urging him to follow her instructions.
Xue Rong was surprised and moved that Lady Yuzhan genuinely intended to save him. The Emperor received simultaneous petitions from Prince Jin and Zhang Yongyao requesting a re-examination of the Big Coins. Li Fang reported that Prince Jin was diligently studying in prison, often late into the night. He also mentioned that Jiang Shao, the youngest prince, visited Xue Rong frequently, bringing him food and clothing, and was actively working on his behalf, having even befriended the prison guards.
Impressed by Jiang Shao's loyalty and heroic spirit, the Emperor issued an edict, commanding Assistant Minister for Justice Zhang Yongyao to re-examine the Big Coins on an appointed day. As part of Fu Yuzhan's intricate plan, Fu Jinzhan publicly feigned losing her Lucky Words Coin in the street, prompting a conspicuous search by guards. This news quickly reached Cao Ying, making him anxious. He realized he could no longer use a counterfeit coin for the impending re-examination.
With secret guards already monitoring his residence, escape with his family was impossible. Princess Royal held both his and Prince Jin’s genuine coins, positioning her safely while leaving him to face the sole accusation of treason. Despite finding the news of the Fu family's "lost" coin suspiciously opportune, he concluded that seeking allegiance with the Fu family was his only viable path to protect his wife and daughter. He secretly penned a letter to them.
Fu Jinzhan approached Li Huaijin, asking to borrow his Lucky Words Coin. She "confessed" to having carelessly lost her father’s coin and needed a genuine one to create a duplicate before the re-examination. Li Huaijin, deeply enamored with Jinzhan and understanding that she was "making trouble," readily lent her his coin. Following this, Fu Yuzhan deliberately created a notch in Huaijin’s coin and returned it.
She then sent a threatening letter to Princess Royal, striking at her most vulnerable point: her son, Li Huaijin. When Princess Royal discovered the damaged coin and received Yuzhan's implicit threat, she feared that Jinzhan might not testify for her son, which would lead to his ruin. With no other option, Princess Royal immediately dispatched Prince Jin’s original Big Coin back to his mansion. The next day, Zhang Yongyao conducted the re-examination of all the Big Coins.
When Li Huaijin’s notched coin was presented, Fu Jinzhan stepped forward to publicly admit that she had accidentally damaged it while playing. Cao Ying, however, failed to present his coin. Under Zhang Yongyao's interrogation, Cao Ying implicitly admitted to conspiring with Liu Chengfu. He was promptly arrested and imprisoned. Outside the Ministry of Justice, Fu Yuzhan boldly confronted Princess Royal.
Princess Royal scornfully questioned Yuzhan's family upbringing, to which Yuzhan retorted, subtly criticizing Princess Royal's own moral character as a mother while commending Li Huaijin for his innate sense of righteousness, contrasting him with his mother. Later that night, Princess Royal, fearing Cao Ying would reveal their secrets, ordered her maid to murder him in jail to silence him. Fu Yuzhan then requested to examine all the collected Big Coins at the Ministry of Justice.
She noticed a crucial difference: the coins distributed to imperial relatives bore a small yellowbird emblem, while those given to court officials did not. Princess Royal’s submitted coin lacked the yellowbird, indicating it was Cao Ying’s coin used as a substitute. Yuzhan deduced that Princess Royal’s "true" royal coin, which should have the yellowbird, was still in the Emperor’s possession.
Yuzhan advised Zhang Yongyao to present all the collected Big Coins to the Emperor for his personal review before returning them. The Emperor, upon seeing the returned coins, expressed profound sadness over the dwindling Xue family, noting that only he and his sister remained, and only four such royal coins existed. He implied that he already understood the full truth of the conspiracy.
He then issued a decree stating that Cao Ying, for his long history of corruption and collusion with Pengze, had "committed suicide out of fear of punishment" in prison. His family was enslaved, and his assets confiscated. The Emperor privately remarked that Zhang Yongyao was an intelligent man who would prove useful to his son in the future.
Prince Jin (Xue Rong) expressed profound gratitude to Fu Yuzhan for her astute assistance, acknowledging that without her strategic mind, proving his innocence would have been an insurmountable task. Meanwhile, the Emperor reprimanded Xue Rong, acknowledging his capability but lamenting that he dared to kill Zhao An and defy imperial orders regarding "the Fu girl" for a woman. The Emperor reminded him of his solemn duty to the nation and the Xue family name.
He emphasized that despite being adopted, Xue Rong was considered his own son, entrusted with the future of Lingyang, and any personal indulgence could plunge the populace into suffering. He urged Xue Rong to reflect deeply on his immense responsibilities. Fu Yuzhan's father voiced concern that her public confrontation with Princess Royal and her recent actions would jeopardize the Fu family, especially with the "Empress Fu" rumors already causing significant unrest.
Yuzhan reassured him, explaining that the rumor was now too widespread to suppress. Instead, she had orchestrated its spread to Xuzhou, Pengze. There, Military Commissioner Fu Yantong, also surnamed Fu, mistakenly believed his daughter was the prophesied empress and had publicly declared it, even marrying her to an influential figure. This, Yuzhan explained, would divert the Emperor's attention to other Fu families, not just theirs. She added that Li Fang would discreetly remind the Emperor of Fu Yantong’s past contributions.
Yuzhan confirmed that her strategic alliance with Prince Jin was a necessary measure for survival after the Emperor's attempt on her life. With Prince Jin now reinstated, the Fu family's full support, backed by the powerful Tianxiong Army, would become their secure anchor. Fu Yuzhan later met privately with Xue Rong to solidify their alliance.
She stated that the Fu family, including the Tianxiong Army, would fully support him, expecting that if he ascended the throne, he would remember their aid. Xue Rong acknowledged this, stating his understanding of her sentiments. He then clarified that his deep gratitude was specifically for Yuzhan, not merely the Fu family as a whole. Yuzhan, in turn, stressed that "without the Fu family, there would be no Yuzhan."
The Emperor subtly warned Princess Royal against excessive interference in imperial affairs, advising her to enjoy her leisure and allow Huaijin to make his own decisions. Princess Royal, however, asserted her determination to secure the best for Huaijin, emphasizing that he was the last male descendant of the Xue imperial bloodline, a point the Emperor seemed unable to entirely counter.
The Emperor, disguised as an old gentleman, visited a treasure shop where he encountered Jiang Shao, who was searching for a suitable gift for a friend. Observing Jiang Shao's indecision, the Emperor initiated a conversation. Jiang Shao confided that he was looking for a special gift for a dear friend, a young general with whom he had forged an unbreakable bond of brotherhood on the battlefield while fighting against Pengze invaders.
He showed the Emperor an arrowhead engraved with his friend's name, a cherished token of their shared hardships. Jiang Shao also, feeling an unexpected closeness to the old man, revealed that his mother had died saving a child when he was five, leaving him an orphan. The Emperor was deeply moved by Jiang Shao's story but maintained his disguise, simply advising him to cherish such a precious token of friendship.
Later, Li Fang suggested that the Emperor formally acknowledge Jiang Shao as his only direct heir and bring him back to the palace to end his wandering life. While admitting a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity with Jiang Shao, the Emperor expressed his profound concern. He worried that Jiang Shao, having grown up outside the imperial court, might lack the capability and temperament to govern a nation that had endured much turmoil.
The Emperor explicitly stated he was unwilling to gamble the country's future on an unknown. He reaffirmed his belief that Prince Jin, whom he had meticulously trained as a crown prince since childhood, was the far more suitable choice to inherit the throne, consistently demonstrating the wisdom and character of a true ruler. The Emperor resolved that upon his death, Prince Jin would manage the state, and the secret of Jiang Shao’s royal bloodline would remain hidden forever.
