Lost Track of Time Episode 9 Recap
> Lost Track of Time Recap
Prince Qing arrived at Gao Chengxian's military camp, where he witnessed Gao Chengxian publicly chastising a subordinate for the loss of relief grain to river bandits. Prince Qing implied that Gao Chengxian's performance was not convincing enough, prompting Gao Chengxian to brutally beat the subordinate to death to demonstrate his sincerity. Afterward, Prince Qing instructed Gao Chengxian to accompany him into Danzhou city.
At Chen's Rice Shop, Prince Qing observed the exorbitant price of rice, which was five times higher than the royal grain in Hanjing City, and noted the many impoverished citizens begging in the streets. He openly accused the rice shop of exploiting the people. Seeing Gao Chengxian's feigned compassion for a hungry child, Prince Qing proposed they perform a good deed together.
He then announced to the crowd that Chen's Rice Shop would be distributing free rice, much to the dismay of Gao Chengxian, who was forced to comply. Meanwhile, Shen Changqing successfully apprehended Chai Guang, a traitor in the Qinghe Gang who was attempting to send a message to Gao Chengxian. Shen Changqing came to thank Lu Anran for her insightful warning.
Lu Anran, in turn, apologized for her earlier blunt remarks and offered Shen Changqing a "sister" as compensation, referring to Holly, her maid. Shen Changqing initially misunderstood her intention, but Lu Anran already knew, from a butterfly birthmark she observed when she first met Holly, that Holly was Shen Changqing's long-lost sister. She asked Shen Changqing if he had spent years searching for his sister and if she had a red butterfly mark on her arm.
Shen Changqing, astonished by her knowledge, confirmed it. Lu Anran then encouraged Holly to embrace a free life with her family, and the siblings were tearfully reunited. Later, Mu Chuan, intrigued by Lu Anran's foresight regarding the Danzhou rice crisis and Holly's identity, jokingly suggested she was more capable than a fortune teller. Lu Anran attributed her knowledge to careful observation and effort, though she inwardly acknowledged her past life experiences.
Mu Chuan, noticing her mature demeanor, teased her about acting like an elder, to which she humorously offered to tell his fortune. He then proposed a future where, if Prince Qing were to marry Lu Xinran, Lu Anran could pursue her own desires, free from Hanjing affairs. He envisioned them collaborating to manage the Danzhou floods, leveraging her expertise from Su City, and then traveling the world to build granaries.
However, Lu Anran firmly stated her intention to return to Hanjing. She explained that she could not entrust the Lu family to someone like Lu Xinran and felt a profound responsibility to protect her family. She concluded by telling Mu Chuan that only true confidants could maintain a lasting relationship, indicating her desire to keep their current bond. Soon after, Lu Anran and Mu Chuan discovered smoke emanating from the Lu family's granary and rushed to investigate.
They were ambushed by Gao Chengxian and his soldiers, who intended to kill them. Mu Chuan bravely shielded Lu Anran, narrowly escaping death thanks to the timely arrival of Prince Qing. Gao Chengxian accused the Lu family of colluding with bandits to hoard relief grain. Lu Anran vehemently denied the accusation, claiming they were framed. Yet, the rice in the warehouse was indeed identified as Hanjing relief grain, leaving Lu Anran unable to refute the evidence.
Prince Qing ordered her arrest, despite Mu Chuan's protests. Prince Qing then revealed to Mu Chuan that Lu Anran had sent him messages from Su City and Danzhou, implicitly guiding him to investigate the rice relief, making it seem as if she had everything orchestrated. He expressed his perplexity at her hidden motives and warned Mu Chuan not to underestimate Gao Chengxian, implying a deeper complexity to the situation.
He also hinted that Chai Guang was no longer with the Qinghe Gang. In the prison, Gao Chengxian interrogated Lu Anran, inflicting severe torture as revenge for their previous encounter in Su City. Lu Anran defiantly warned him that if she bore any visible marks of torture, she would accuse him to Prince Qing of attempting to use her to implicate the royal family. She threatened to ensure his death before hers.
Later that night, Prince Qing visited Lu Anran in her cell, observing her weakened state. He questioned her motives, knowing she was no ordinary woman to be easily entangled in family disputes. He asserted that her actions must be a calculated demonstration of loyalty to him and expressed his anticipation for her next move. Lu Anran, admitting her strategies could not compare to his, still insisted that she was not defeated and would rise again.
Prince Qing, intrigued, declared he looked forward to that day. The following day, during the public trial, Gao Chengxian sensationalized the discovery of imperial relief grain in the Lu family's warehouse and publicly revealed the Lu family's marriage alliance with Prince Qing, inciting the angered populace to demand justice from Prince Qing and severe punishment for the Lu family. Prince Qing leaned in and whispered to Lu Anran, reminding her that to gain his trust, she needed to prove herself.
To everyone's astonishment, Lu Anran pleaded guilty. Prince Qing then sentenced her to be escorted back to the capital the next day at noon. Gao Chengxian personally escorted Prince Qing's entourage out of Danzhou. Once he believed they were gone, he returned to the city to celebrate with his subordinates, confident that he had successfully diverted Prince Qing's scrutiny.
As they prepared to divide their ill-gotten gains from the relief fund, they discovered that all the silver had mysteriously been replaced with stones. At that moment, Prince Qing and his men reappeared. Prince Qing confronted Gao Chengxian, exposing his conspiracy with Chai Guang of the Qinghe Gang to hijack the relief grain and frame the Lu family, presenting irrefutable evidence and witnesses.
Gao Chengxian, realizing too late that Prince Qing and Lu Anran had orchestrated an elaborate deception, accused them of setting a trap and replacing the money. Prince Qing confirmed their scheme, explaining that they had intercepted his messenger pigeon and replaced the real money with fakes, merely waiting for Gao Chengxian to fall into their snare.
Prince Qing later confided to Lu Anran that her "narrow escape from death" ploy, though successful in exposing Gao Chengxian, was not enough to secure his full trust. Lu Anran then learned the full extent of Prince Qing's foresight: he had captured Chai Guang ten days prior, even before her own supposed capture, and had orchestrated Gao Chengxian's framing of the Lu family and her subsequent arrest. She realized her schemes were utterly outmatched by Prince Qing's deeper manipulations.
Prince Qing cautioned her against overestimating her own cleverness, stating he disliked women who were too aggressive or who tried to dictate his path. He declared that her "token of loyalty" was only halfway complete, with the rest to be arranged upon their return to the capital. Lu Anran looked at him, feeling a profound sense of unfamiliarity.
Prince Qing, observing her expression, wondered why she looked at him as if he were "someone she used to know," despite their relationship being merely a political alliance. Lu Anran, heartbroken, reflected that a true ruler must forsake love, realizing that all their past interactions and shared moments were merely part of his cold, calculated strategies.
She felt a deep sadness, not of love lost, but of indignation and bitterness for the ten years of genuine feelings she had poured into their past. Later, Mu Chuan found Lu Anran visibly distraught. Noticing her low spirits and physical weakness from the prison ordeal, he offered his coat as it was raining, though she declined.
He tried to defend Prince Qing, explaining that while Prince Qing was cautious and sometimes used unconventional methods due to court intrigues, he was not a man who disregarded justice. Lu Anran, however, questioned if Mu Chuan truly understood Prince Qing. Mu Chuan admitted that he didn't fully comprehend either her or Prince Qing, acknowledging that both seemed to harbor secrets and unspoken burdens.
He simply wished for both of them to find happiness, especially knowing Prince Qing's life was not without its struggles. Mu Chuan also reminded Lu Anran of her actions in the warehouse, where she instinctively protected him, noting that while words could deceive, actions revealed true intentions. He expressed that he felt he was slowly beginning to understand her, and with a long journey ahead, they had plenty of time.
