Moonlit Order Episode 2 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
Feng Zuoren regained consciousness to find herself tightly bound alongside Gu Qianfu in the main hall of the Xue family mansion. Xue family members were seated on either side, their expressions grim. Xue Hexu, filled with indignation, had already summoned local officials and was publicly accusing Feng Zuoren and Gu Qianfu of conspiring to harm his father. He fervently pleaded with the official, "Your Honor! You must uphold justice for us. Look at this bride and her adulterer.
She didn't come to marry, but to wipe out our family." Despite the official's request to calm down, Xue Hexu continued, "I can't calm down, my lord. My father was supposed to be remarried. However, the bride and her adulterer tried to murder my father this morning." Feng Zuoren, adopting the persona of a wronged stepmother, countered, "My son. Why can't you accept me as your stepmother? Why would you frame me with such a heinous crime?"
Xue Hexu retorted, displaying a piece of fabric, "Frame you? This is what I found in my father's bedroom. It's the same fabric this adulterer is wearing. He is the culprit." Upon hearing himself called an adulterer, Gu Qianfu's anger surged, and with a burst of internal energy, he snapped his ropes. Eager to distance himself from Feng Zuoren, he moved quickly, unintentionally causing numerous hidden weapons to fall from his person and scatter across the floor.
An official questioned the presence of so many weapons, prompting Xue Hexu to exclaim, "He obviously means to kill us all. Please do us justice." Gu Qianfu, exasperated, turned to Feng Zuoren, demanding, "Nonsense. . . ! Feng Zuoren. Say something." Feng Zuoren internally dismissed him as an "idiot" before calmly suggesting, "At this point, Mr. Gu. Just tell them the truth," though she inwardly resolved to sacrifice him.
Gu Qianfu, left with no choice, asserted that he was acting under imperial orders but refused to disclose his true mission. When Xue Hexu pressed him for details, Gu Qianfu repeatedly stated, "No comment," drawing Xue Hexu's ridicule. Seizing the opportunity, Feng Zuoren, with a subtle smirk, revealed Gu Qianfu's identity, proclaiming, "Mr. Gu is the Chief of the Jing'an Bureau." She then fabricated a story, claiming, "His Majesty told me that the Xue family boasts military merits.
Lord Dingyuan is ill. Many schemers would try to hurt him when he's vulnerable. Thus, Grand Tutor Zhou's Jing'an Bureau sent a special guard. And that is Mr. Gu." She further spun the tale, stating, "I almost got abducted by that culprit. Mr. Gu saved me. During the struggle, I accidentally fell onto him. That's all. I don't know anything else. If you doubt Mr. Gu's credentials, ask the Grand Tutor.
All of it is arranged by the Grand Tutor," which Gu Qianfu confirmed. Xue Hexu vehemently objected, but the Xue Ancestor, a woman of simple heart, believed Feng Zuoren's story and chastised Xue Hexu, "Ms. Wang just married your father. You keep opposing her and almost spread rumors about her. Your father's remarriage upsets you so much? How can a Xue family member be so petty?" Feng Zuoren then performed an act of magnanimity, telling Xue Hexu, "My son.
I know you lost your mother young. Your grandmother and father raised you. That's why you're so guarded and always expecting the worst. But I know you meant to protect your family. My son. You've suffered." The Xue Ancestor praised Feng Zuoren, expressing that with her, the family finally saw hope. The official, convinced it was a misunderstanding, took his leave, and the Xue Ancestor declared the matter settled.
Feng Zuoren and Gu Qianfu were thus permitted to stay in the Xue family mansion. Later that night, in a secluded room, Feng Zuoren and Gu Qianfu exchanged bitter recriminations. Gu Qianfu lashed out, asking, "Why expose me? You're so vicious. How can I fulfill my task now? No one wants a vicious woman like you." Feng Zuoren retorted, "Have you forgotten? Today is my wedding day. The Jing'an Bureau is always involved in shameful dealings.
I gave you a chance to play hero. Be grateful." Gu Qianfu reminded her, "You made me lose my inner energy. Yet I should thank you? The Jingang Pill restores your inner energy. I want the antidote for the Dispersing Powder." They agreed to a deal and exchanged what they claimed were antidotes. However, both were wary. Gu Qianfu exclaimed, "I knew it. The Jingang Pill wouldn't possibly work immediately." Feng Zuoren, equally cunning, replied, "You think I don't know?
Your antidote only works temporarily, too. Liar." After confirming their mutual deception, Feng Zuoren suggested they exchange all their antidotes. Gu Qianfu scoffed, "In your dreams. It's proven that you'd kill me once you restored your inner energy." He then proposed they work together on the case since both were depleted of inner energy. Feng Zuoren dismissed the idea, stating, "A devil like you doesn't collaborate. Don't tell me you're completely clueless."
Gu Qianfu, claiming to have made more progress even without inner energy, bid her goodbye and left. Meanwhile, Xue Hexu's grandmother advised him to go to sleep, reminding him of the importance of harmony at home. Xue Hexu confided in her that he just wanted to protect his family and that Ms. Wang's arrival had brought many unsettling events, making him suspicious of her involvement. His grandmother urged him not to let his merchant's suspicion affect family affairs.
Later, by his unconscious father's bedside, Xue Hexu vowed to protect the family, assuring his father they were safe. Feng Zuoren, alone, contemplated the "Former Crown Prince" within the household, deciding to eliminate the entire family to ensure no one would be lonely on their journey to the afterlife. Shortly after, shouts of "Fire!" echoed through the mansion.
Xue Hexu, hearing the commotion, initially dismissed it as a coincidence, but then raced to Feng Zuoren's chamber, calling out to save her. Feng Zuoren feigned terror, crying out about the fire. Xue Hexu, observing her, silently concluded that she was the one who set the fire. He then tested her by stating that while he had contained other fires, the flames around them were too fierce to control, and they might meet again in the next life.
However, the fire was quickly extinguished, leading him to question how the mansion could catch fire and be put out so rapidly. He accused her, "The manor hasn't been burnt. You must be disappointed." Feng Zuoren continued her act of concern, but Xue Dongyang innocently revealed that his brother, Xue Hexu, had designed an ingenious "alarm bells" system.
He explained that cotton threads with bells were embedded in the walls; when a fire burned through the threads, the falling bells would alert everyone to the location of the fire. Feng Zuoren, though outwardly impressed, inwardly acknowledged that this family was "surprisingly hard to kill." Xue Hexu, in a thinly veiled warning, explained that the family had experienced ten fires in twenty years, implying that arsonists often tried to disguise murder as accidents.
He added that such arsonists, who think they control everything, often end up burned themselves. Xue Dongyang praised Hexu's preparedness, detailing their regular fire drills. Feng Zuoren feigned a headache and retired for the night. Undeterred, Feng Zuoren pondered how a fire could be foiled twice. While people in the Jing'an Bureau were playing Mahjong, distracted by the ongoing fires, a sudden strong east wind whipped up outside.
Feng Zuoren, noticing the shift, realized with alarm that her sky lanterns had been blown off course, heading towards the Jing'an Bureau. Soon, a fire broke out at the Jing'an Bureau, engulfing the building and affecting Grand Tutor Zhou and Gu Qianfu, who were there. Gu Qianfu, seeing the damage, accused Feng Zuoren of deliberately setting the fire to obstruct his investigation and vowed to report her misconduct to the Emperor.
The Emperor, enraged by the commotion, dispatched an eunuch to reprimand Feng Zuoren. The eunuch delivered the imperial decree, scolding Feng Zuoren for her conspicuous actions that had drawn attention and risked exposing the secret investigation into the Former Crown Prince. Feng Zuoren, in a somber tone, acknowledged her mistake. The eunuch warned her not to let her "stupidity ruin His Majesty's plans" and asked if she intended to defy the decree. Feng Zuoren humbly responded, "I heed the decree."
As the eunuch departed, he continued to insult her, calling her a "mere woman. . . truly useless," who wasted the Emperor's trust and risked her "pathetic life" if she continued to act recklessly. Once out of sight, Feng Zuoren, her face grim, turned back and ruthlessly killed the eunuch.
Returning to the Xue Mansion, Feng Zuoren was exhausted but immediately noticed a disturbing sight in her room: it was ransacked, and her collection of Cobra Pills, Man-Eating Flower Nectar, Bone-Melting Powder, and even her money were missing. She rushed outside and found Xue Hexu calmly sitting by the door, surrounded by a pile of burnt medicinal ingredients. He greeted her with a mocking smile, explaining, "I'm disposing of dry waste. If not handled properly, it can be poisonous."
Feng Zuoren maintained a composed facade, but her heart burned with hatred for Xue Hexu and a fierce desire for revenge. Just then, Xue Dongyang skipped over, wanting to play with her. He expressed concern for her worries, telling her that his grandmother had given him lots of pocket money to buy treats, which he offered to her because "only a good person would choose to stay with us. Grandmother says good deeds bring rewards."
Despite Xue Dongyang's innocent kindness, Feng Zuoren remained resolute in her plan, thinking, "None of them seems evil, but I still have to kill those who must be killed." She returned to her room, quietly re-preparing a deadly poison. She thought, "My son. It will be your death anniversary next year on this day," as she resumed her sinister preparations. Soon, Xue Dongyang arrived with a bowl of chicken soup for Xue Hexu.
Feng Zuoren's eyes narrowed, and she seized the moment when Xue Dongyang was not looking to discreetly slip the poison into the soup. She then hid, watching intently as Xue Hexu received the soup. Xue Hexu, remembering Feng Zuoren's suspicious behavior, lifted the bowl but hesitated before drinking, asking Xue Dongyang if Ms. Wang had touched the soup.
Xue Dongyang, unaware of the treachery, assured him that his sister-in-law, Jiaoqian, had made it and that he shouldn't bother Stepmother with such trivial matters. Xue Hexu, still wary, suggested he would drink it after work. However, Xue Dongyang insisted, highlighting that it was Hexu's favorite "left drumstick" and that it was best to drink it while hot. After a moment of hesitation, Xue Hexu finally relented and took a sip, immediately noticing a strange taste in the soup.
