Maiden Holmes Episode 14 Recap
> Maiden Holmes Recap
During his treatment, Pei Yanzhi was plagued by nightmares, reliving harrowing scenes from the battlefield and crying out to protect his comrades. He even coughed up blood, but Dong Rushuang confirmed this was a sign the poison was being successfully expelled from his body. Although still weak, he was no longer in mortal danger. Upon removing the bandages from his eyes, Pei Yanzhi's vision returned, and he joyfully recognized everyone present.
Overjoyed, he embraced Su Ci, relieved that the perilous "fighting poison with poison" method had succeeded. To celebrate, the group gathered at a lakeside pavilion. Su Ci, who usually disguised herself as a man, revealed her true female identity and wore beautiful women's attire. This came as a complete shock to Xie Beiming, who had been kept in the dark and failed to recognize her at first.
He confessed his past misunderstanding, admitting he had believed Pei Yanzhi and Su Ci were in a homosexual relationship and expressed immense relief upon learning the truth. Fei Yuan playfully teased Xie Beiming for his slow realization, calling him a blockhead for not seeing through Su Ci's disguise. Not to be outdone, Xie Beiming retorted, leading to a lighthearted spar.
Su Ci then humbly apologized to everyone for her deception and toasted them, also promising Dong Rushuang her unwavering support, solidifying their bond as "good sisters." As night fell, Dong Rushuang tactfully excused herself and Fei Yuan, leaving Su Ci and Pei Yanzhi alone. Pei Yanzhi presented Su Ci with a small wooden box containing a beautiful hairpin.
He revealed that he had ground down his personal luminous pearl and embedded it into the hairpin, explaining it could be a constant source of light, just as Su Ci once described Prince Qi. He then asked if she would allow this "light" to accompany her always, a heartfelt proposal for them to be together.
Touched but anxious, Su Ci admitted she was accustomed to a solitary life and worried about her "weird temper," lack of social grace, and poor domestic skills. Pei Yanzhi gently reassured her, reminding her that she was no longer alone and playfully added that as Prince Qi, he wouldn't expect her to do embroidery or cooking. He then carefully placed the hairpin in her hair, and they both pledged to guide each other.
Under the moonlight, Pei Yanzhi leaned in and passionately kissed Su Ci. From a distance, Xie Beiming witnessed the kiss and, misinterpreting the situation, believed that drunkenness was the key to romance. He eagerly sought out Dong Rushuang to drink with her, hoping for a similar outcome. However, Dong Rushuang proved to have an impressive alcohol tolerance, and Xie Beiming quickly passed out after just a few drinks, his plan a comical failure.
Concerned for Su Ci's future, Pei Yanzhi tasked his subordinate, Xiwen, with investigating historical records of women who disguised themselves as men to attend school or join the army, as well as how such cases were handled. He later instructed Xiwen to commission the best storytellers in the capital to write and perform folk tales celebrating women who joined the military, aiming to shift public perception and pave the way for women to hold official positions.
Meanwhile, in the Mingjing Office, the Lead Officer announced that there was only one promotion slot available in the upcoming examination. Su Ci was determined to win it, knowing it was her only way to access confidential files from the late emperor's reign, which she believed held clues to clearing her Bai Liang clan's name. While she excelled in the civil portion of the exam, her martial arts skills were no match for her main competitor, Young Officer Luo.
Driven by her goal, Su Ci began training tirelessly, pushing herself to the point of spraining her foot. Upon learning of her injury, a concerned Pei Yanzhi personally applied medicine to her foot. Xie Beiming volunteered to be her sparring partner to build her strength, while Pei Yanzhi provided her with books and a specially crafted "Xin Ci Rod," personally demonstrating its hidden mechanisms. Under their combined tutelage, Su Ci's fighting abilities showed marked improvement.
During archery practice, Su Ci struggled with her shots until Prince Qi publicly stepped forward to offer close, hands-on guidance. This intimate instruction fueled widespread gossip among their colleagues and throughout the city, with rumors spreading that Prince Qi was homosexual and favored the "pretty-faced young man" from the Mingjing Office. Disturbed by the talk, Su Ci suggested to Pei Yanzhi that they maintain a distance.
However, he dismissed the rumors, reminding her that as a royal, he was destined to face public scrutiny. He emphasized that what mattered was their feelings for each other and urged her to cherish their time together, affirming that when they were alone, he was simply Pei Zhao. On the day of the examination, Su Ci's friends offered their heartfelt good wishes. During the civil test, Su Ci was the first to submit her paper.
In the martial arts portion, Young Officer Luo displayed impressive archery, but Su Ci, not to be outdone, also shot a remarkable arrow. As the next stage of the competition was about to begin, a subordinate asked Prince Qi if he would attend, reminding him of the ongoing rumors. Prince Qi dismissed the concern, declaring he would ignore the gossip and watch the examination.
