Lost Track of Time Episode 13 Recap
> Lost Track of Time Recap
The Mansion of Hanjing's Mayor caught fire, trapping many scholars inside. Despite the danger, Xu Qingce refused to save himself. He declared that if the Imperial Examination became unfair, his decade-long efforts would be meaningless. He felt that cheaters used their power to bully poor scholars like ants. Determined to uphold justice, Xu Qingce proclaimed he would shed his blood for the Imperial Examination, hoping his death would prompt a purge to restore fairness and justice to students nationwide.
He chose to be a broken straight sword rather than a compromised crook. While Lu Yun and Mu Chuan desperately tried to stop him, Lu Anran watched in horror as Xu Qingce fatally wounded himself, causing her to collapse from the shock and grief. A doctor later diagnosed Lu Anran with increased blood pressure due to prolonged preoccupation and pent-up emotions, assuring her she would recover. Meanwhile, Mu Ze learned that the examination hall was also on fire.
His aide, Cai Wangjin, expressed concern that the Emperor would find out and that Mu Ze's order to burn the hall would draw attention. Mu Ze confirmed his intention was to destroy evidence if the truth could not be concealed, to prevent further investigation into his affairs. Cai Wangjin then asked about dealing with the Chief of the Imperial Academy, but Mu Ze dismissed it, believing that Xu Qingce's public declaration already made the story known throughout Hanjing.
Soon after, Mu Chuan confronted Mu Ze, asking if he was responsible for Xu Qingce's paper being switched and the examination hall fire. Mu Ze admitted his actions were "for myself," leading Mu Chuan to express his growing disappointment and difficulty in understanding his second brother. Privately, Mu Ze instructed Cai Wangjin to halt Mu Chuan's investigation but strictly warned him not to harm Mu Chuan, threatening him with severe consequences otherwise.
Lu Anran woke from a nightmare, haunted by Xu Qingce's accusations. Distraught, she confessed to Holly that she was responsible for Xu Qingce's death, believing that if not for her intervention, Mu Ze would not have chosen him, and he might have become a revered champion. She lamented having taken away his decade of hard work and his life, despite believing at the time that her actions were to protect him.
Mu Chuan, having overheard her self-recriminations, entered the room and questioned if she was threatened or deceived. He even offered scenarios where his second brother forced her or used her maid Lingxi as leverage. However, Lu Anran denied being forced, candidly admitting that she was the one who introduced Xu Qingce to Prince Qing, driven by her ambition for merit. She explained that Xu Qingce, despite his erudition, had no background, making him the ideal candidate for the paper swap.
Mu Chuan was outraged, reminding her that it was a human life, not a chess piece to be discarded. He pointed out the stark contrast between her past actions, like saving Holly desperately and sacrificing herself to catch Gao Chengxian, and her current involvement in exam fraud that led to Xu Qingce's death. Deeply confused and disillusioned, Mu Chuan accused her of valuing lives by money and angrily left, expressing his inability to see her clearly anymore.
Unbeknownst to them, Lu Xinran, who had overheard this entire conversation, reveled in Lu Anran's anguish, hoping she would die in anger. The next day, Lu Anran sought out the Chief of the Imperial Academy, hoping he would testify about Xu Qingce's swapped paper. The Chief, however, was reluctant to oppose Minister Yan, the father of the favored scholar.
Lu Anran knelt, pleading with him to help Xu Qingce, arguing that such an innocent scholar should not die with his reputation tarnished and the truth obscured. Meanwhile, Lu Yun found Mu Chuan and revealed he had accompanied Xu Qingce to the Chief's home after the exam, where Xu Qingce rewrote his essay. This essay, Lu Yun explained, could prove Xu Qingce was the true champion, and it was still at the Chief's residence.
Cai Wangjin, informed that Mu Chuan and Lu Yun were headed to the Chief's house, saw them as a threat to Mu Ze's imperial ambitions. Believing the path to becoming emperor was paved with countless lives, he decided that both the Chief and Prince Qi (Mu Chuan) must be eliminated. Lu Xinran, who overheard Cai Wangjin's orders, saw an opportunity to use this plot against Lu Anran.
She approached Lu Yun, fabricating a story that Prince Qing (Mu Ze) had ordered the Chief's assassination. She subtly manipulated Lu Yun into notifying Lu Anran, knowing Lu Anran would not believe her directly, intending for Lu Anran to walk into the trap and be killed by the assassins. Mu Chuan arrived at the Chief's house to find him under attack. He quickly moved to protect the Chief and the essay.
As Lu Anran rushed to the scene, they found themselves overwhelmed by the assassins. Fortunately, Shen Changqing, leader of the Qinghe Gang and Mu Chuan's "Brother Shen," arrived just in time, saving them from certain death. From the Chief, Mu Chuan learned that Lu Anran had personally visited him to plead for Xu Qingce's name to be cleared and that, but for the assassins, he would have already petitioned the Emperor.
Mu Chuan, now realizing his misunderstanding of Lu Anran's true intentions, decided to accompany the Chief to the palace the following day to formally present the truth about Xu Qingce. Later, as Lu Anran tended to Mu Chuan's injuries, he subtly expressed regret for their last argument, confessing that during his near-death experience, he thought about their heated parting.
He then gently pressed her to confide any difficulties or secrets she was unwilling to share, sensing a deeper purpose behind her actions. He reflected on his prior belief that she allied with Mu Ze to protect the Lu family, but her current efforts for Xu Qingce, even risking Mu Ze's wrath, contradicted that. Mu Chuan asked directly what she truly desired.
Seeing her hesitation, he didn't force her further but asked her to promise that she would seek his help in the future, regardless of the problem. The next morning, the Emperor, upon seeing Xu Qingce's authentic champion essay and hearing the Chief's and other examiners' testimonies, became enraged by the paper swap and the burning of the examination hall, calling the perpetrators "lawless."
Mu Chuan passionately argued for justice, stating that Xu Qingce's sacrifice was meant to restore fairness to students nationwide. The Emperor, moved by Xu Qingce's aspiration and Mu Chuan's plea, ordered Mu Chuan to investigate the Spring Imperial Exam thoroughly and at all costs. Mu Ze, furious, confronted Cai Wangjin after discovering his secret guards had been sent to kill the Chief and Mu Chuan.
Cai Wangjin, without remorse, justified his actions by asserting that Mu Chuan was a hidden danger to Mu Ze's path to emperorship, not an ally. He declared his willingness to be a stepping stone for Mu Ze, even if it meant his own death. In a chilling warning, Mu Ze severed Cai Wangjin's topknot with his sword, threatening him with death if he ever harmed Mu Chuan again.
Acknowledging that the Xu Qingce issue had now reached the Emperor's ears, Mu Ze quickly devised a new plan: assassinate Minister Yan and frame Prince Yi for the entire conspiracy. Subsequently, rumors spread that Minister Yan had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, leaving a letter that implicated Prince Yi in a scheme to control him through the Imperial Examination. Holly commented on Prince Qing's (Mu Ze's) decisive move to eliminate his ally to protect himself.
Lu Anran, understanding Mu Ze's ruthless strategy, prepared to retrieve Xu Qingce's body from the Mansion of Hanjing's Mayor to give him a proper burial in Su City. However, Holly soon informed her that Lu Xinran had already claimed Xu Qingce's body. Lu Anran immediately went to Prince Qing's mansion to confront Lu Xinran. Lu Anran directly questioned Lu Xinran's motives for taking the body.
Lu Xinran tried to assert her newfound status as Princess Qing, but Lu Anran dismissed her, reminding her that all she possessed was by Lu Anran's doing. Lu Anran then demonstrated her intimate knowledge of every detail within Lu Xinran's chambers, from a hidden hole in the wall to the specific design of a folding screen, implying she could access the room at will and unsettling Lu Xinran. She warned Lu Xinran not to meddle with her in a place that once belonged to her, demanding to know why she wanted Xu Qingce's body.
