Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Episode 7 Recap
> Legend of Two Sisters in the Chaos Recap
The Princess Royal and the Emperor engaged in a fierce argument regarding the succession, which greatly angered the Emperor, causing him to cough uncontrollably. The physician, Dr. Chen, informed Eunuch Li that the Emperor's condition was not optimistic. Following this, the Emperor issued an order, appointing Li Huaijin to guard Funing Palace, decreeing that no one, except Dr. Chen for pulse diagnosis, was allowed to enter or exit. Fu Yuzhan and Fu Jinzhan visited Prince Jin’s Mansion.
Yuzhan inquired if Prince Jin had seen the Emperor recently, explaining that her father, Prince Wei, had attempted to see the Emperor the previous day but was turned away by Commander Li, who cited the Emperor’s ill health. Yuzhan found this peculiar, as the Emperor, though often unwell, was known for his diligence and had never refused to meet ministers due to illness. She also mentioned her desire to thank the Emperor for the granted marriage.
Prince Jin sensed Yuzhan had another motive and asked if the Emperor had given her any specific instructions. Yuzhan explained that the Emperor had emphasized the importance of their marriage, specifically stating he would personally review Prince Jin’s betrothal gift list. However, after that audience, the Emperor immediately sent an order to Prince Wei's Mansion, expressing his wish to personally embroider characters on the sachet he had given Yuzhan as a token of imperial favor.
Yuzhan entrusted Mr. Zhu with returning the sachet to the palace, but upon its return today, it remained unembroidered. This was the true anomaly. Understanding Yuzhan's implications, Prince Jin agreed to immediately go to Funing Palace to inquire after the Emperor. Prince Jin and Fu Jinzhan, disguised as a guard, went to the palace together. Prince Jin planned to distract the guards while Jinzhan scaled the wall to enter Funing Palace.
Jinzhan successfully entered and could only vaguely see a figure on the bed through the bed curtains. She overheard a eunuch relaying a message that the Emperor wished to eat peach blossom crisp, a specialty pastry from his hometown. As Jinzhan exited Funing Palace, Li Huaijin discovered her but quickly urged her to leave, instructing her to act as if nothing had happened that day.
He let her go, knowing that Yuzhan had deliberately chosen a time when he was on duty, trusting that he wouldn't harm Jinzhan. Back at Prince Jin’s Mansion, Jinzhan recounted her observations. She felt that the Emperor still having an appetite for peach blossom crisp meant he was likely fine. However, Xue Rong countered, explaining that his father never ate peach blossom crisp because it caused his entire body to itch, a detail known only to him.
Furthermore, Jinzhan found it strange that Eunuch Li, the Emperor’s close seneschal, only watched from a distance, allowing other junior eunuchs to attend to the Emperor, without approaching the imperial bed himself. Hearing this, Fu Yuzhan proposed moving up her wedding date with Prince Jin. Her plan was to leverage the custom that a newly wedded prince must visit the Emperor the day after the wedding, thereby forcing the Emperor to appear in public.
The Princess Royal, perceiving Fu Yuzhan's clever tactic to force the Emperor's hand, decided she would not let Yuzhan succeed. She believed that if marrying a Fu daughter could lead to the highest position, then her son, Li Huaijin, should also contend for such a match. She planned to send a special wedding gift on the day of Yuzhan’s marriage to Prince Jin. Yuzhan, Jinzhan, and Jiang Shao went to Ruixiang Cloth store to collect Yuzhan's wedding dress.
Unbeknownst to them, the Princess Royal had already placed assassins there. As Yuzhan prepared to try on her wedding dress, an assassin attacked her from behind with a sword. Fortunately, Jiang Shao reacted swiftly, pulling Yuzhan out of harm’s way. A group of assassins then appeared, their target explicitly being Fu Yuzhan. During the ensuing skirmish, Jinzhan was kicked out a window and fell into the river.
Taking advantage of the assassins' desire to capture her alive, Yuzhan used her own life as a bargaining chip to demand Jiang Shao's release. She instructed Jiang Shao to tell her father to prepare her jewelry and not to miss the auspicious wedding time. After being released, Jiang Shao jumped into the river and rescued the unconscious Jinzhan, performing artificial respiration to revive her. Upon waking, Jinzhan, embarrassed, jokingly accused Jiang Shao of taking advantage of her.
Jinzhan and Jiang Shao returned to the Fu family mansion. Prince Wei calmly analyzed the situation, concluding that the assassins' original intent was to kill Yuzhan and capture Jinzhan, but with Jinzhan now safe, Yuzhan's life should not be in immediate danger as she was captured instead. Prince Wei asked Jiang Shao to suppress any rumors, especially to keep Prince Jin unaware of Yuzhan's capture, to prevent any further disruption to the wedding.
He emphasized that the true purpose of the wedding was to create an opportunity to see the Emperor and confirm his safety. Jiang Shao advised Jinzhan not to act recklessly, as any move could jeopardize Yuzhan's life. It was revealed that the assassins were sent by the Princess Royal. She feared Yuzhan knew about her involvement in her sister's death and might accuse her of sabotaging the imperial marriage. Therefore, she ordered the assassins to kill Yuzhan.
However, Yuzhan had managed to turn Yueying, the Princess Royal’s close maid, who then informed Li Huaijin to rescue Yuzhan. Following Yuzhan's dropped jewelry as a trail, Jiang Shao and Jinzhan located the Princess Royal’s Mansion. Li Huaijin, who had hidden Yuzhan in a separate compound, was overjoyed to see Jinzhan alive. Inside the mansion, Jinzhan secretly entered a heavily guarded room, only to find a jade craftsman, not her sister.
She took a piece of broken jade from him before escaping. Learning that both Fu sisters were still alive, the Princess Royal was furious, especially after her guards reported a missing jade piece from the workshop. She lamented that her brother's actions regarding the "Fu empress prophecy" meant he believed it, just wanting the benefits for Xue Rong. The wedding day arrived as scheduled, and Fu Yuzhan and Fu Jinzhan made their preparations.
As Yuzhan was being sent off in her sedan chair, Yueying, who had placed Duanmengxiang, a type of potent Jianghu knockout drops, inside the sedan, drugged her. This would keep Yuzhan unconscious for at least twelve hours. To ensure the wedding proceeded and force the Emperor's appearance, Jinzhan decided to impersonate Yuzhan, while Jiang Shao would attempt to swap them in the bridal chamber.
During the ceremony, the Princess Royal, feigning goodwill, offered a Phoenix hairpin as a wedding gift and personally lifted the bride's veil, exposing Fu Jinzhan. Caught in the act, Prince Jin, with quick wit, declared that the imperial decree only specified a Fu daughter, not specifically Yuzhan, and that he was truly in love with and intended to marry Fu Jinzhan, the second daughter of the Fu family.
After the wedding, Prince Jin and Fu Jinzhan went to the palace to pay their respects to the Emperor. Unexpectedly, a eunuch rushed in with the shocking news: the Emperor had passed away. In the ensuing court session, ministers intensely debated the succession. The Princess Royal nominated Li Huaijin, arguing that since the late Emperor had no biological son, succession should be determined by bloodline, and Li Huaijin, possessing the Xue family bloodline, was more suitable than Prince Jin.
However, Eunuch Li, who had served the late Emperor for many years and was believed to know his true intentions, publicly declared that the Emperor had always intended to name Prince Jin as his successor, believing he would ensure the Xue dynasty's lasting prosperity. The Princess Royal confronted Eunuch Li at his residence, accusing him of openly defying her in court. Eunuch Li calmly asserted his loyalty to the Xue family's enduring legacy, not to any individual.
The Princess Royal, believing no one but her son Li Huaijin was worthy, scornfully dismissed Prince Jin as merely an adopted 'wild seed'. Eunuch Li then explained that his decision to help the Princess Royal conceal the Emperor's death for three days was purely a self-serving act to ensure his own survival for a few more days, implying he anticipated his fate once the truth was revealed.
