Legend of Yun Xi Episode 2 Recap
> Legend of Yun Xi Recap
Following his tense standoff at the end of the previous day, Long Feiye and his vice general, Chu Xifeng, remained outside the mysterious Herb-Ghost Valley, which was protected by a poisonous barrier. Long Feiye demanded entry, but the valley's owner, Gu Qishao, refused, stating that no one could enter without his permission. When Long Feiye threatened to set the valley ablaze, Gu Qishao appeared unfazed, believing Long Feiye wouldn't dare as the very thing he sought was inside.
The stalemate broke when Gu Qishao's maid, Zhuyu, impulsively charged at Long Feiye. Chu Xifeng swiftly subdued her, giving Long Feiye crucial leverage. Seeing this, coupled with Long Feiye's offer of a rare Liusha Iris—a flower that takes sixty years to blossom—and knowing the "Poison Girl" (Han Yunxi) had already left, Gu Qishao finally relented. However, after a thorough search, Long Feiye's men found neither the herbs nor the person they were looking for.
Back in the imperial palace, the Empress Dowager praised Long Feiye for his military success and offered him Fenglu Tea, a rare gift from the late emperor. Long Feiye drank the tea quickly and excused himself, eager to see his mother, Consort Dowager Yi. After his departure, the Empress Dowager ordered her maid to smash the teacup.
The maid then reminded the Empress Dowager that Prince Qin had suffered a severe allergic reaction to Fenglu Tea as a child, yet he showed no symptoms this time. This, along with the fact that he was the sole survivor of a great fire years ago, sparked deep suspicions in the Empress Dowager about Long Feiye's true identity.
As she was secretly the one who started that fire, she decided to investigate discreetly by planting a spy in his mansion, and then had her sedan taken to Qinzheng Hall. In Prince Qin's Mansion, Consort Dowager Yi celebrated her son's victory. She then raised the subject of his marriage, revealing she had already chosen Miss Baili, the gentle daughter of General Baili, one of Long Feiye's key allies.
Meanwhile, in Qinzheng Hall, the Empress Dowager discussed the same matter with Emperor Tianhui. Recalling a promise made years ago to Lady Tianxin after she saved her life, the Empress Dowager proposed a marriage between her son, Long Feiye, and Lady Tianxin's daughter, Han Yunxi. Despite Han Yunxi being known throughout the capital for her disfigured face, the Empress Dowager insisted that her word as the nation's mother must be honored.
Seeing it as a way to control the powerful Prince Qin by marrying him into a family with no political influence, Emperor Tianhui agreed and decreed that the wedding would take place by the end of the month. At the Han Mansion, Han Yunxi was disheartened to find that the rare Shenyou Grass she had found was ineffective against the carbuncles on her face. Her dejection was interrupted by the arrival of the imperial edict.
When it was announced that the "ugly" Han Yunxi was to marry Prince Qin, her stepsister, Han Ruoxue, blurted out her disbelief. Her father, Han Cong'an, quickly apologized and asked for time for Yunxi to prepare before meeting the Empress Dowager. Later, he tried to persuade Yunxi to decline the marriage, suggesting she was unworthy.
However, tired of the constant disdain she faced at home, Han Yunxi refused, seeing the marriage as her only escape and a validation of her worth. Elsewhere, in the Grand Marshal's Mansion, Crown Prince Long Tianmo frantically reported to the Grand Marshal that their Gu-poison test subject and a scripture he had secretly kept had been stolen from a mountain villa.
The Crown Prince confessed he had hidden the scripture from both the Emperor and the Grand Marshal to secure his position. They learned the attackers used swordsmanship characteristic of the Beili royalty, which the Grand Marshal suspected was a deliberate misdirection. Having already eliminated all witnesses at the villa, they resolved to follow this lead to uncover the culprits.
When Long Feiye arrived at the palace in full armor, he was stopped by guards insisting he disarm, a clear slight orchestrated by the Emperor. His vice general, Chu Xifeng, protested, citing the Emperor's own decree allowing Long Feiye this honor. Understanding the political maneuver, Long Feiye strategically declared he would remove his armor to plead guilt, and if still denied an audience, would kneel at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
This forced the Emperor's hand, and he was finally allowed to enter. Meanwhile, Han Yunxi was brought before the Empress Dowager, who ordered her to remove her veil. The Empress Dowager then revealed her condition for helping Yunxi find her long-lost mother: she must marry Long Feiye and act as a spy to find a specific birthmark of the Wind Tribe on his body. In the throne hall, Long Feiye boldly accused officials of wartime corruption.
He specifically called out Vice Minister of Revenue, An Zhonggu, who was dragged away for execution, his desperate cries implicating the Crown Prince and the Grand Marshal. Afterwards, the Empress Dowager gave Han Yunxi a bracelet belonging to her mother to seal their deal. As Han Yunxi was leaving, she passed Long Feiye in a corridor. For a fleeting moment their paths crossed, but he glanced past her, seemingly without notice.
