Moonlit Order Episode 10 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Feng Zuoren reflected that without her Emperor uncle, she would not know if she would be alive or dead, and a sense of gratitude lingered in her heart. However, Xue Hexu challenged her, questioning if His Majesty truly meant to cultivate her or if he merely made her ruthless and devoid of emotion. Feng Zuoren insisted that she would have died without the Emperor.
Realizing their differing views, Feng Zuoren turned to leave, but Xue Hexu quickly caught up, admitting his error and stating he was grateful that the Emperor's actions led him to meet her. He pledged to cherish her, be her family, and keep her company. Despite the growing affection between them, Feng Zuoren maintained her distance, reminding him, "I'm your stepmother." Xue Hexu refuted this, asserting that neither she nor his father intended to marry, and he would arrange a divorce.
He declared his intention to stop calling her stepmother and asked for her name. Feng Zuoren hesitantly whispered, "Feng. . . F-Feng Zuo. . ." but Xue Hexu misheard her, affectionately calling her "Wang Feng." Feng Zuoren then expressed her urgency to return, as she had things to do, but Xue Hexu urged her to prioritize medical treatment.
She revealed her true objective: to capture Gu Qianfu, uncover who commissioned him, and determine if it was related to the former Crown Prince. Meanwhile, Gu Qianfu, believing he had successfully killed Xue Hexu and Feng Zuoren, sought his bounty. To his shock, he was informed that Xue Hexu was alive and had publicly lamented his stepmother's death, implying Feng Zuoren had died protecting him. Undeterred, Xue Hexu and Feng Zuoren made their way back to the Xue Mansion.
From a distance, Xue Nuannuan observed them, delighting in what she perceived as their forbidden romance. Mistaking their closeness for a profound breakthrough of taboos, she decided to wholeheartedly support their love, even instructing a servant to cordon off the area so she could "admire the moon," effectively providing them with privacy. Under the cover of night, Gu Qianfu infiltrated the Xue Mansion, intending to finish the job. However, Xue Hexu and Feng Zuoren were already prepared for him.
A fierce fight erupted between the three. Hearing the commotion from outside, Xue Nuannuan, still under her romantic delusion, misinterpreted the sounds, believing it was just Xue Hexu and Feng Zuoren alone in the room. As the struggle wore on, Feng Zuoren demanded answers from Gu Qianfu, asking if Grand Tutor Zhou was behind the assassination attempt on Xue Hexu. Gu Qianfu scoffed, claiming Grand Tutor Zhou wouldn't even spare Xue Hexu a glance.
He confessed he was merely fulfilling a mission, paid to eliminate someone described as "utterly wicked." When Feng Zuoren pressed for the bounty amount, Gu Qianfu revealed it was a mere two liang of silver, prompting Feng Zuoren to burst into laughter. Seizing the opportunity, Xue Hexu offered Gu Qianfu ten liang of silver to lead them to his employer, a deal Gu Qianfu promptly accepted. Their investigation led them down a chain of intermediaries.
Gu Qianfu's contact claimed his superior ordered the hit and offered to lead them to Ms. Li from the village. Ms. Li, in turn, disavowed any knowledge of Xue Hexu, claiming she simply distributed missions for commission due to financial hardship and a lack of progress on the former Crown Prince case. She eventually named her contact, Mr. Wang, who then pointed them to Liu Xiaodan, a disciple of the Broadsword Sect.
Gu Qianfu confidently declared Liu Xiaodan as the mission originator. However, their search ended abruptly at a tombstone: "Tomb of Liu Xiaodan, Disciple of Broadsword Sect." Gu Qianfu, exasperated, claimed he had no way of knowing Liu Xiaodan would die on another mission. With this lead dead, Xue Hexu suggested they could at least rest easy, having paid Gu Qianfu to spare his life.
Feng Zuoren sharply retorted, calling him a fool and insisting they needed a new approach for the pressing matter. She then produced a portrait of the former Crown Prince, proposing that finding and handing him over would fulfill their mission. Xue Hexu’s reaction to the portrait—his internal exclamations of disbelief and his denial of knowing the man—immediately aroused Feng Zuoren's suspicion, making her believe he was hiding something.
Later, alone in his room, Xue Hexu recalled events from two years prior. He had noticed his father, Xue Fugui, consistently sending goods southward every first month, totaling 500 taels—an amount sufficient to support a commoner for two decades. When Xue Hexu questioned this, Xue Fugui claimed it was for the pensions of former subordinates who fought for the nation. However, his mother had accused Xue Fugui of spending money and effort on an "illegitimate child" while neglecting his own.
Xue Fugui had merely stated they had no choice in the past and must see it through. Driven by suspicion, Xue Hexu discreetly followed the trail of his father's generosity. He discovered that the recipient, a man named Xue Youshou, was not a struggling soldier but a charlatan, masquerading as a Daoist "Master" in Nanwu Town.
Xue Hexu witnessed Xue Youshou cunningly swindling people by performing fake exorcisms, demanding 100 liang of gold to be buried under a tree for his "celestial tower," promising golden pills in return, all while being behind on his own rent. Xue Hexu later found Xue Youshou enjoying lavish entertainment at a place called "Nanwu Beauties," demonstrating a lifestyle far removed from that of a needy former subordinate, yet still struggling to pay meager rent.
Xue Hexu confronted Xue Youshou, asking if Lord Dingyuan Xue Fugui was his father and if he was born to a concubine. Xue Youshou's evasive responses hinted at a painful past. Xue Hexu then revealed he was Xue Fugui's second son, born with his twin sister Xue Nuannuan on the fifth of the fifth month. To his astonishment, Xue Youshou confessed that the fifth of the fifth month was also his birthday, revealing they were born on the same day.
Xue Hexu angrily concluded that his father had orchestrated concurrent births. Xue Hexu questioned why Xue Fugui had never sought him out, to which Xue Youshou replied he hadn't. When Xue Hexu mentioned his father sent 500 liang yearly, Xue Youshou explained that he was exiled at the age of seven and began roaming the streets at eight, implying the money sent to a "former subordinate" was never passed on to him.
Xue Hexu, seeing Xue Youshou's plight, offered to retrieve his money. Xue Youshou, however, declined, believing it was heaven's punishment for him and stating he didn't want to burden the Xue family. Xue Hexu then noticed a jade pendant on Xue Youshou, engraved with "Qinghe." He instinctively asked if there was a matching piece marked "Zhengming." Xue Youshou sadly confirmed there was, but it had been shattered, the only memento his mother had left him. Despite its broken state, the "Zhengming" inscription was still visible. Xue Hexu expressed regret over its damage, but found it beautiful nonetheless.
