Moonlit Order Episode 1 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Under the cover of a moonless night, a swift horse galloped along the official road, its hooves shattering the silence. Feng Zuoren, the Commander of the Xue Guardians, emerged from the shadows with lightning speed, striking down the rider. After completing her mission, she immediately returned to the Imperial Palace to report. Inside the Hua Dynasty palace, candlelight flickered across the Emperor's solemn face.
He remained deeply troubled by Jia Xun, the former Crown Prince who had lived in exile for twenty years. The Emperor commanded Feng Zuoren, stating, "I command you to marry into the Xue family of Lord Dingyuan. Jia Xun is definitely hiding there. You must find him before others do and bring me his head." Feng Zuoren, driven by her duty to protect the Hua Dynasty, accepted without hesitation, vowing to locate and eradicate the remnants of the former dynasty.
A flashback revealed the Emperor's ailing health, the young age of his son, and the precarious state of the nation. It was suggested that Jia Xun, now twenty, should be found and reinstated to stabilize the court, but the Emperor feared Jia Xun's return would lead to a power struggle. Feng Zuoren, adopting the identity of Ms. Wang, rented a shop near Xue Street to establish a textile business as part of her plan to infiltrate the Xue family.
Soon after she arrived, a man named Zhang Er'gou harassed her. He made suggestive remarks, but before Feng Zuoren could retaliate, Xue Hexu, the second son of the Xue family, appeared. Xue Hexu quickly intervened, admonishing Zhang Er'gou and reminding him that his mother rented their butcher stall from the Xue family, which was their sole livelihood. Zhang Er'gou fled. Feng Zuoren thanked Xue Hexu, then promptly paid six months' rent with newly minted currency.
Xue Hexu, noting the new currency and Ms. Wang's clear lethality despite her demure front, grew suspicious. He gathered the other tenants on Xue Street, promising them a ten percent rent reduction if they protected Ms. Wang and reported any suspicious activity around her shop. He secretly intended for them to spy on her. Feng Zuoren, observing this, internally resolved that Xue Hexu would be the first person she would eliminate once she was officially part of the Xue household.
Not long after, the Emperor decreed Feng Zuoren's marriage to Xue Fugui, Lord Dingyuan. Xue Hexu was perplexed by the sudden imperial marriage. Xue Fugui explained that the Emperor, increasingly paranoid, believed the Xue family was harboring the former Crown Prince Jia Xun, and that the new bride was sent to investigate and spy on them.
Xue Fugui, fearing for his family, warned Xue Hexu not to reveal the truth to the grandmother and vowed to kill the new bride if she made any suspicious moves. Meanwhile, in the Grand Tutor's mansion, Grand Tutor Zhou learned that certain individuals were exploiting the Emperor's illness by bringing up the former Crown Prince to force the Emperor's abdication. He dispatched Gu Qianfu, Chief of the Jing'an Bureau, to Lord Dingyuan's mansion to find Jia Xun.
Grand Tutor Zhou initially ordered Jia Xun's execution but quickly changed his mind, demanding he be brought back alive to be executed by him as a warning. Gu Qianfu, eager to prove the Jing'an Bureau's superiority over the Xue Guardians, accepted the mission, secretly harboring ambitions to claim the empire for himself once the true former Crown Prince was identified. The Xue family mansion was adorned with red silks, creating a festive atmosphere for the wedding.
Xue Hexu stood at the entrance with Liu Jiaoqian, Xue Dongyang's wife, who expressed concerns about her status should the new bride bear children. Xue Hexu tried to reassure her, suggesting the wedding might bring good fortune to his ailing father. When the wedding palanquin arrived, Xue Hexu was stunned to see Ms. Wang emerge. She maintained her cover, explaining that her father had given her the textile shop to experience commoners' lives and humbly asked Xue Hexu for guidance.
Xue Nuannuan quickly clarified that Ms. Wang, as their new stepmother, should be the one guiding them. Before the ceremony could proceed, a servant rushed in with news that Lord Dingyuan was in critical condition. Xue Fugui lay pale and weak, clearly close to death. Xue Dongyang, Lord Dingyuan's eldest son, was paralyzed with fear on the floor. Feng Zuoren subtly noticed someone escaping through a window and internally chastised the family for alerting the target.
Xue Dongyang, still frightened, recounted seeing his father "wrestling someone for fun," which led him to make a commotion, scaring the assassin away. Feng Zuoren, analyzing the situation, identified Xue Hexu, Xue Dongyang (who she suspected was feigning foolishness), and Xue Nuannuan (who she thought might be a man in disguise) as potential targets for the former Crown Prince. She decided to eliminate all of them to prevent Jia Xun from escaping.
Xue Hexu, sensing Feng Zuoren's true nature, suggested she return to her family, fearing she would be implicated in the Xue family's troubles. Feng Zuoren, however, insisted on staying, claiming her deep devotion to Lord Dingyuan. Xue Hexu then sarcastically suggested offering her as a sacrifice to the river god to ensure his father's safety.
Both Xue Dongyang and Xue Nuannuan objected to this, with Xue Nuannuan even accusing Xue Hexu of being petty and fearing Ms. Wang might bear children and usurp his inheritance. Feng Zuoren, observing the family's simple minds, reaffirmed her resolve to exterminate them all for the Emperor's sake. During the tea ceremony, Feng Zuoren prepared to poison the tea for the entire family. However, Xue Hexu, with keen eyes, saw through her ploy.
He intercepted the cup meant for the grandmother and, after being admonished for his disrespect, offered it back to Feng Zuoren, urging her to drink it as an apology. As Feng Zuoren held the teacup, a dart suddenly flew in, knocking it from her hand. Recognizing it as a Jing'an Bureau dart, Feng Zuoren immediately suspected Grand Tutor Zhou of treachery.
She quickly moved to the courtyard, where she confronted Gu Qianfu, the Chief of the Jing'an Bureau, and discreetly poisoned him. Just then, Xue Hexu appeared behind her, attempting a sneak attack. Feng Zuoren dodged and turned to kill him, but this gave the poisoned Gu Qianfu an opening to attack her. Feng Zuoren fell into his trap; Gu Qianfu revealed he had applied "Dispersing Powder" to his chest, which drained her inner energy upon contact.
Feng Zuoren, now powerless, called him shameless. Gu Qianfu suggested they work together to find the former Crown Prince, but Feng Zuoren scoffed, seeing it as merely a ploy for the Jing'an Bureau to steal credit from the Xue Guardians. As the two severely weakened combatants continued to fight, Xue Hexu, observing their struggle, seized the opportunity to throw another dose of poison at both of them.
