Moonlit Order Episode 14 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Xue Hexu feigned an important discussion with Feng Zuoren, then unexpectedly kissed her. Though Feng Zuoren initially resisted, she soon became lost in the embrace. Afterward, Xue Hexu urged Feng Zuoren not to act recklessly by approaching the Emperor, assuring her that he and Xue Youshou had already devised a plan to ensure everyone's safety. Feng Zuoren, trusting his words, agreed to return.
As she departed, Xue Hexu observed that Feng Zuoren was not as cold-blooded as rumored; her tenderness simply didn't belong to him. He knew that Emperor Jia was cruel and paranoid and would not spare Feng Zuoren or the Xue family, even if the former Crown Prince were handed over. He lamented that the beautiful moonlight might be the last he would see.
He had made up his mind that if he impersonated the former Crown Prince, both Feng Zuoren and his family would be safe. The next day, Feng Zuoren discovered that everyone had vanished. She suspected Gu Qianfu was responsible. However, upon investigating, she learned that Gu Qianfu had died.
The accounts of his death were wildly inconsistent and exaggerated; one person claimed he fell into a river and was "shattered," another that he was hit by a carriage after falling from a tavern, and a third suggested hailstones were involved. Feng Zuoren, knowing Gu Qianfu's timid nature, deduced that something was amiss and believed Xue Hexu must have been captured by the Jing'an Bureau.
Shortly after Feng Zuoren left the Jing'an Bureau, Xue Hexu arrived, announcing that he had found the person Grand Tutor Zhou had been searching for. Grand Tutor Zhou initially mistook this for the return of his beloved concubine who had fled six months prior. Upon seeing Xue Hexu, however, Grand Tutor Zhou grew wary, recalling Xue Hexu's past visits, which always resulted in some loss for him, whether it was seeking medicine or stealing paintings.
Xue Hexu then boldly claimed to be the former Crown Prince, who had been hiding among the people. Grand Tutor Zhou was skeptical, pointing out that Hua Biliang's bone-portrait identification had shown a different person. Xue Hexu explained that his mother had once shown kindness to Hua Biliang, prompting him to fabricate the portrait to protect him.
He then recounted his past: how his mother hid him from bandits and the Emperor's men, how Lord Dingyuan saved him and brought him to the Xue Mansion, declaring him his second son, and the suffering the Xue family endured to protect him, including his elder brother Xue Dongyang's mental regression. Xue Hexu admitted to inciting the conflict between the Jing'an Bureau and the Xue Guardians and setting the Jing'an Bureau on fire to escape danger.
Xue Hexu then pressed Grand Tutor Zhou to hand him over to the Emperor quickly to secure victory for the Jing'an Bureau. Still, Grand Tutor Zhou remained cautious, suspicious of Xue Hexu's sudden appearance after years of hiding. Xue Hexu countered that he would be exposed eventually, and if Grand Tutor Zhou wouldn't believe him, he could negotiate with the Xue Guardians instead. He offered the complete loyalty of the Xue family in exchange for their safety.
Grand Tutor Zhou acknowledged Xue Hexu's cunning mind, then ordered his guards to arrest him. As Xue Hexu was being tied up in a carriage, Grand Tutor Zhou revealed his past attempts to kill him, mentioning hiring Liu Xiaodan, the Broadsword Sect Leader, but Xue Hexu always escaped. He then disclosed that Hua Biliang's original bone-portrait had indeed identified Xue Hexu as the former Crown Prince, not Xue Youshou.
Grand Tutor Zhou had cleverly swapped the portrait with Xue Youshou's image to deceive the Xue Guardians. He also mused that Lord Dingyuan had intentionally kept Xue Hexu hidden in the mansion to protect him. Xue Hexu, feigning unconsciousness, overheard everything. He wondered why Grand Tutor Zhou intended to secretly execute him instead of publicly handing him over to the Emperor for a grand execution, suspecting a deeper plot.
Meanwhile, Feng Zuoren, who had ordered her subordinates to monitor the Jing'an Bureau, received a detailed, albeit rambling, report about their activities. She cut them short, asking for the crucial information. Her subordinate then finally reported that Grand Tutor Zhou had captured Xue Hexu and was planning his secret execution. Horrified, Feng Zuoren immediately demanded to be taken to Xue Hexu.
Xue Hexu was taken to a suburban woods for execution by a group of disorganized assassins who were more concerned with payment than their mission. He tried to scare them by claiming to be the son of Prince Gong, but it backfired. Remembering the "Lingbo Steps" he learned from Gu Qianfu, Xue Hexu deftly evaded the clumsy assassins and escaped. Feng Zuoren arrived at the execution site to find only three freshly dug mounds.
Believing Xue Hexu was dead, she was overcome with grief, flashbacks of their shared moments flashing before her eyes. Just as despair consumed her, Xue Hexu suddenly appeared. Unable to contain her emotions, Feng Zuoren ran to him and embraced him tightly. Seeing her distraught reaction, Xue Hexu asked if she was so emotional because she cared for him, wondering if he meant something to her.
