Moonlit Order Episode 13 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Feng Zuoren and Xue Hexu were on their way to find Xue Youshou when Feng Zuoren paused, gazing at kites. Seizing the moment, Xue Hexu feigned a sudden stomachache and asked to use the toilet. Left alone, Feng Zuoren noticed Gu Qianfu, who was secretly following her, hoping to locate the former Crown Prince before she did.
Gu Qianfu, short on funds, was even contemplating taking a beggar's discarded pancake, though he tried to maintain the dignity of an imperial official. Finding the Jing'an Bureau agent undignified, Feng Zuoren ordered her subordinates to distract him. They loudly haggled over a duster, then pretended to pursue a "traitor" in Gu Qianfu’s direction, effectively drawing him away. Shortly after, one of Feng Zuoren's subordinates reported that Jia Xun's hideout had been located.
Meanwhile, Feng Zuoren grew concerned by Xue Hexu’s prolonged absence, fearing he had fled, and went to search for him. She found him being persistently flirted with by a woman near a kite stall. Xue Hexu politely, but firmly, tried to dismiss the woman, refusing to give his name or destination. When Feng Zuoren arrived, he quickly claimed her as his wife to make the woman leave.
Feng Zuoren was visibly annoyed, challenging his remark and questioning whether her anger stemmed from his guilt. She called him a hypocrite for expressing admiration while failing to help her complete her mission. Xue Hexu, observing Feng Zuoren’s reluctance to harm innocents, urged her to abandon her imperial task. He revealed they were near the border of Hua and Liang, and Liang, only a seven-day journey away, offered a safe refuge at the Xue family's estates.
He explained that his father had prepared this remote haven specifically for such a contingency, pleading with her to escape with him. However, Feng Zuoren remained resolute, stating that she must complete her mission to dispel the Emperor's doubts and truly secure the Xue family. She added that her life had found its worth simply by having met him.
Following the coordinates he had received through an escort agency, Xue Hexu found Xue Youshou, disguised as a Taoist priest, compassionately helping the local populace with money for medicine and food. Xue Hexu confronted him, bewildered as to why Xue Youshou had not fled to Liang as instructed. Xue Youshou replied that his years of constant flight needed to end.
He expressed skepticism about Xue Hexu’s visit, recalling Lord Dingyuan's past instruction that he would make contact personally in critical times, not send his son. Xue Hexu then admitted that his father had revealed Xue Youshou's true identity to him. Xue Hexu voiced his outrage that a prince, the former Crown Prince, was forced to live in hiding, while Xue Youshou, feeling he deserved his fate, insisted his identity made him a condemned man.
Xue Hexu denounced the Emperor for inhumanly targeting a defenseless man despite his secure throne, but Xue Youshou calmly accepted his fate, acknowledging that those in power could act as they pleased, and he could only strive to survive. Although Xue Hexu tried to claim his father knew of his visit, Xue Youshou, sensing his nervousness, correctly deduced that he had come secretly, against Lord Dingyuan’s orders. He then asked if his father was abandoning him.
Xue Hexu confirmed that the family was facing difficulties, but vowed they could withstand them, then reiterated his plea for Xue Youshou to accompany him to Liang, prioritizing his survival. Xue Youshou, remembering that Lord Dingyuan had saved his life at the age of seven, expressed that he could not fault his benefactor's decision.
Xue Youshou, wanting to alleviate the burden on the Xue family, proposed to Xue Hexu that he be turned in to the authorities, so Xue Hexu could gain merit and repay the Xue family’s long-standing kindness. Xue Hexu vehemently rejected this, arguing that such a sacrifice would not save anyone and would lead to a catastrophic end for all, given the Emperor's merciless nature. At that moment, Feng Zuoren appeared, sword in hand, ready to carry out her imperial order.
However, upon seeing a jade pendant that Xue Youshou held, she recognized him as the "Young Master" from her childhood, her cherished savior. Xue Youshou, in turn, recognized her as "Feng," the girl he had once protected. They reminisced about their shared past: how Xue Youshou and his mother, the late Empress, had taken in a young, homeless Feng Zuoren.
Xue Youshou then explained how Lord Dingyuan had saved him from the Emperor's assassins after his mother’s death, forcing him into a life of hiding. Feng Zuoren revealed that after being separated from Xue Youshou by bandits, she was rescued by the Emperor and trained to become a Xue Guardian. Xue Hexu then unveiled the Emperor's cruel scheme: aware of Feng Zuoren’s deep connection to Xue Youshou, the Emperor deliberately ordered her to kill her own benefactor.
The true intention was for Feng Zuoren to commit suicide from guilt after learning the truth, thus eliminating both the former Crown Prince and the Xue Guardian commander. He even suggested that the bandits who separated Feng Zuoren and Xue Youshou years ago were likely agents of the Emperor. Overwhelmed with anguish and regret for almost killing the man who saved her, Feng Zuoren grappled with her twisted fate.
Seeing her distress, Xue Youshou once again offered to sacrifice himself, believing his death would resolve their troubles. He vowed that even if they were parted by death, he would refuse Meng Po’s soup at Naihe Bridge, promising to never forget Feng Zuoren. Feng Zuoren, however, adamantly refused to let him die, pledging to protect him at all costs.
Xue Hexu interjected, asserting that if Xue Youshou died, he would become Feng Zuoren's eternal "white moonlight," a position Xue Hexu could never hope to fill. As the three argued over who should make the ultimate sacrifice, Xue Hexu jokingly offered himself. He then suggested that they rest, with Feng Zuoren now tasked with protecting Xue Youshou. When the single bedroom in Xue Youshou's cottage created a dilemma for sleeping arrangements, they could not reach an agreement.
After rejecting various proposals, an exasperated Feng Zuoren walked out for a stroll. Later, Feng Zuoren, resolving to protect Xue Youshou, decided to confront the Emperor directly and plead for his life, mounting her horse to depart. But Xue Hexu intercepted her, reminding her that their shared objective was to ensure Xue Youshou’s survival. He observed that while his numerous past efforts to sway her had failed, Xue Youshou's mere presence instantly altered her resolve.
He challenged her, asking who would protect Xue Youshou if she died, and if she could truly trust anyone else with that sacred duty. Xue Hexu urged her to choose life for herself, painting a vivid picture of a beautiful future she could share with Xue Youshou, filled with all the seasons of life, unspoken love, starry nights, and growing old together.
He then questioned if her current dilemma was, in any small part, also because of him, before playfully hinting at a "protective charm" he possessed and inviting her to come closer to see it.
