Moonlit Order Episode 5 Recap
> Moonlit Order Recap
The Princess stared at her disfigured face in the mirror, her eyes ablaze with fury. Losing all control, she drew her sword and attacked the Han family. Chaos erupted in the room. Seeing the escalating violence, Feng Zuoren immediately pretended to be terrified, trembling before collapsing to the ground, feigning unconsciousness. Xue Hexu seized this moment, approaching the seemingly unconscious Feng Zuoren to subtly act out his previous grievances. He repeatedly shook her, calling out "Stepmother, wake up!"
while she threatened him with a brutal death if he didn't stop. After this brief, vengeful display, he then formally addressed the Grand Tutor, stating that his Stepmother was unwell and they needed to leave. The Grand Tutor, still seething, dismissed them, telling Feng Zuoren to rest. The Grand Tutor then berated Gu Qianfu, his face iron-grey with rage.
He declared that Gu Qianfu's plan was terrible, leading to the Princess's disfigurement, and questioned how he would explain it to the Emperor. He immediately decreed that all expenses for the Flower Banquet would be deducted from Gu Qianfu's salary. That night, Gu Qianfu stealthily arrived at the entrance of the Xue family mansion, observing their movements. Just as Xue Dongyang walked out, Gu Qianfu swiftly approached, caught him off guard, and ripped open his clothes.
Upon seeing a crescent moon mark on Xue Dongyang's body, Gu Qianfu's heart pounded, confirming his suspicion that this was the former Crown Prince. He promptly knocked Xue Dongyang unconscious and dragged him away. Meanwhile, Xue Hexu found Feng Zuoren. They decided to temporarily put aside their past animosity to address the current crisis. Xue Hexu, dedicated to protecting the Xue family, understood that if Feng Zuoren was harmed, the Xue family would be implicated.
He told Feng Zuoren that he knew she didn't trust him or the Xue family, but now their fates were intertwined, and he genuinely hoped she could consider them family. They then subtly questioned Liu Jiaoqian, deliberately guiding her with their expressions and actions. Eventually, Liu Jiaoqian confessed, revealing that Gu Qianfu had manipulated her into trying to drive Feng Zuoren out of the Xue Mansion, and confirming that the Grand Tutor and the Jing'an Bureau were plotting against them.
Xue Hexu warned Liu Jiaoqian that in this world, only they could truly protect themselves. He then urged her to apologize to Feng Zuoren, who had been wronged. Liu Jiaoqian initially resisted, asking if Feng Zuoren was always right, but was quickly swayed. Soon after, Xue Nuannuan and the Grandmother arrived, showering Feng Zuoren with compliments, praising her beauty, kindness, and intelligence, and acknowledging her success at the Flower Banquet.
As the family enjoyed a harmonious atmosphere, a servant rushed in, reporting that Xue Dongyang was missing. Feng Zuoren's heart tightened, immediately suspecting Gu Qianfu's involvement, and she moved to search for him. Xue Hexu, however, mistakenly believed Feng Zuoren was responsible and pursued her, uttering harsh words that struck at her deepest emotional wounds, causing her to break down. He accused her of being malicious and claimed her family must have been killed because of her.
Feng Zuoren, though deeply hurt, maintained a sliver of rationality and refrained from attacking Xue Hexu. She retorted that while she might be vicious, her family was innocent and threatened Xue Hexu if he spoke ill of them again. Gu Qianfu brought Xue Dongyang to the Jing'an Bureau, intending to interrogate him using his official authority. However, it was past closing hours, and the officials refused to work overtime, all departing and leaving Gu Qianfu alone.
Despite her emotional distress, Feng Zuoren calmly reminded Xue Hexu that to protect Xue Dongyang, he must first prove his true identity. Xue Hexu surmised that the key lay in Xue Dongyang's birthmark. He then led Feng Zuoren back to the Xue Mansion and gathered the family. He explained that all Xue family members shared a unique birthmark that, though seemingly useless, could be used for divination.
He demonstrated that they could sense each other through the marks, showing that Xue Dongyang was safe but trapped. Feng Zuoren, refusing to listen to any more of the family's "gibberish," left to find Gu Qianfu. She informed him that all members of the Xue family had the same birthmark, and therefore Xue Dongyang was not the former Crown Prince.
Gu Qianfu initially refused to believe her, still convinced Xue Dongyang was his target and Feng Zuoren was merely trying to trick him. Feng Zuoren devised a plan to convince him. She arranged a bath for the entire Xue family, including an "expert bath scrubber." During the session, the "scrubber" (who was Gu Qianfu in disguise) tried to scrub away Xue Hexu's birthmark, only to realize it was indeed a permanent mark, not dirt.
He then inspected other Xue family members, confirming that all had identical birthmarks. Gu Qianfu finally understood that Xue Dongyang was not the former Crown Prince. Realizing the severity of his mistake—arresting the wrong person and misleading his superiors, which could lead to exile—Gu Qianfu still harbored suspicions that the Xue family might be harboring the true Crown Prince. However, he acknowledged the Emperor's directive for discretion.
Feng Zuoren then suggested a jailbreak as the only viable solution, shocking Gu Qianfu with its audacity. After arguing about who was to blame, they decided to cooperate by exchanging antidotes and working together, with Gu Qianfu creating a diversion from within the Jing'an Bureau. They executed their plan. Gu Qianfu managed to create a diversion within the Jing'an Bureau by releasing sleeping smoke. Feng Zuoren infiltrated the prison, successfully rescued Xue Dongyang from his cell, and led him away.
Xue Dongyang, unaware of the danger, was busy playing cards and winning, claiming he was earning money for Hexu and Jiaoqian. Feng Zuoren had to gently persuade him to leave, telling him the entire family was worried. Meanwhile, Xue Hexu, Xue Nuannuan, and Liu Jiaoqian were discussing Feng Zuoren. Xue Hexu remained convinced she was a villain, part of a scheme to seize their assets.
However, Liu Jiaoqian and Xue Nuannuan argued against his suspicions, pointing out that Feng Zuoren was a good person. Liu Jiaoqian playfully suggested that Xue Hexu harbored feelings for Feng Zuoren, implying a "forbidden love that grows over time." Feng Zuoren brought Xue Dongyang back to the Xue family mansion.
To prevent any further worry or questions, she instructed Xue Dongyang to claim he had simply gotten lost while playing outside and that she had found him, emphasizing that it was their "little secret." Xue Dongyang, impressed by her bravery, initially wanted to tell everyone how she had rescued him, but agreed to keep it a secret for her sake. Despite her efforts, the bloodstains on Feng Zuoren's hands were noticed by the family.
Feng Zuoren merely stated she had fallen and retired to her room. Alone in her room, Feng Zuoren reflected on her actions. Her interactions with Xue Hexu had profoundly unsettled her. She realized she had become indecisive, breaking an assassin's most fundamental rule, and had developed genuine feelings for Xue Hexu. She wondered if the Xue family had "cursed" her or if Xue Hexu himself had "poisoned her mind."
