My Queen Episode 3 Recap
> My Queen Recap
Jiang Mengmeng was determined to break off her engagement with Murong Chen. Seeking advice, she consulted Xiao Ai and A Liang. Xiao Ai explained there were two options: either Jiang Mengmeng could appeal directly to Her Majesty, or Murong Chen could ask his own king to annul the marriage. Dismissing the idea of Murong Chen ever voluntarily ending the engagement, Jiang Mengmeng decided to find her own solution.
She learned from Xiao Ai that her sister, Jiang Wan, had a great passion for beauty treatments, and Jiang Mengmeng wanted to win her over to help annul the engagement. Jiang Mengmeng then compiled a list of cosmetic ingredients and sent Xiao Ai and A Liang to procure them for her to experiment with. During the testing phase, one of the concoctions left a palace maid's face feeling dry, while another caused A Liang to develop an itchy, allergic reaction.
Jiang Mengmeng offered him a new mask formulated for sensitive skin, but A Liang promptly refused to try it. Later, while seeking inspiration for her ongoing mask research, Jiang Mengmeng encountered Song Che returning from duty. She learned from him that the palace's previous Deputy Commander had taken leave, and Jiang Wan had since appointed him to the position. An awkward silence ensued as Jiang Mengmeng attempted to engage him in conversation about watching stars.
To fill the silence, she asked about their shared childhood, prompting Song Che to recount their first meeting when she was four and a half, and he was seven, lost in the imperial garden. He then revealed that when she was eight, she had snuck out of the palace, fallen into a river, and lived among commoners for a year before being found, though he couldn't specify where.
Sensing the cold, Jiang Mengmeng hinted she was chilled, but instead of offering his coat, Song Che, in his straightforward manner, suggested they run to warm up, citing army practice. Jiang Mengmeng grudgingly complied, all the while Murong Chen watched their interaction from a distance. Murong Chen, observing Jiang Mengmeng's preoccupation with her masks and her interactions with Song Che, decided it was an opportune moment to secretly pursue his own investigation without her noticing.
Disguised under his formidable alter ego, Yun Ya, Murong Chen confronted Zhao Qian, forcefully demanding to know who ordered him to sell fake blood night-blooming cereus. A terrified Zhao Qian confessed that he was merely a peddler, and the genuine blood night-blooming cereus had been stolen from him by female bandits of Bai Hua Village. Upon hearing this, Murong Chen, as Yun Ya, allowed Zhao Qian to leave.
Still struggling to perfect her mask, Jiang Mengmeng realized she needed a specific, hard-to-find ingredient that Xiao Ai hadn't been able to locate, or perhaps just some inspiration. Deciding she had to get it herself, she disguised herself as a man and attempted to sneak out of the palace to visit a cosmetics shop owner. As she scaled the palace wall, she unexpectedly encountered Murong Chen climbing back in.
She requested his assistance to pull her up, and they mutually agreed to keep each other's secret. However, as she jumped down from the wall, guards immediately apprehended her, mistaking her for a thief. Murong Chen quickly denied any association with her, and Jiang Mengmeng was unceremoniously escorted back into the palace.
Frustrated by her failed escape and lamenting her lack of martial arts skills, Jiang Mengmeng approached Song Che, asking him to teach her Kung Fu so she could easily leave the palace. Song Che initially discouraged her, reminding her that as a princess, she had many protectors, and he would always be there for her. However, Jiang Mengmeng insisted she wanted to learn for her own sake. Song Che agreed but warned her of the arduous training ahead.
Her initial attempt to wield a sword proved futile as she couldn't even lift it. He then demonstrated how to break a brick with his hand, but when Jiang Mengmeng tried, she only injured her own hand, questioning her supposed "heroine aura." Despite her injury, Jiang Mengmeng found a new way to entertain herself and the palace, introducing a game called "Werewolf" to her brothers.
The game quickly gained popularity, attracting numerous palace maids and eunuchs to Ling Xi Palace, much to Jiang Sisi's disdain, who wondered at Mengmeng's ability to create such a stir even while injured. Murong Chen arrived at Ling Xi Palace, mocking Jiang Mengmeng for attracting the entire palace to play such a "stupid game" while she was injured. Jiang Mengmeng angrily accused him of being insensitive.
He retorted that her injury was her own fault, stemming from her attempts to learn martial arts before their wedding. She accused him of being jealous, a notion he scoffed at, listing Song Che's perceived flaws: simple-minded, impulsive, unromantic, and a poor teacher. Jiang Mengmeng retaliated, highlighting Murong Chen's own shortcomings: his royal privilege, idleness, extravagance, self-absorbed confidence, and lack of sympathy.
Their argument escalated, with Jiang Mengmeng emphatically reiterating her intent to break off their engagement, to which Murong Chen coolly replied he would await the good news. Later, Murong Chen was still seething with anger, prompting Chang Kong to observe that his master seemed to be feeling guilty.
Chang Kong suggested that despite Murong Chen's calculated nature and mercilessness towards enemies, he found it impossible to be cruel to Jiang Mengmeng because, deep down, he recognized her as a genuinely good person. Murong Chen conceded that she was good, but sadly, he believed he was not. Driven by her desire to find her "hero" and annul her engagement, Jiang Mengmeng redoubled her efforts in mask research, expanding her testing pool.
She finally perfected her "Perfect Mask," which boasted moisturizing, whitening, anti-wrinkle, and soothing properties, and presented it to Jiang Wan. Impressed with the results and Jiang Mengmeng's talent, Jiang Wan expressed her satisfaction. When asked about her greatest wish, Jiang Wan stated it was for both Jiang Mengmeng and Jiang Sisi to find their true loves.
Her second greatest wish, however, was to acquire the legendary blood night-blooming cereus, a magical flower said to make one instantly ten years younger, far surpassing the three-year rejuvenating effect of Mengmeng's mask. Jiang Wan lamented that the flower had disappeared a decade ago and she feared she would never see it. Motivated by this, Jiang Mengmeng, once again disguised as a man, sought information about the blood night-blooming cereus at a bustling tavern.
There, she heard various conflicting tales about its powers, from resurrection to mind control. Ultimately, an informant revealed that the flower was currently in the possession of Sang Luo in Bai Hua Village. Unbeknownst to her, Murong Chen was also actively seeking the same flower, using his identity as the 5th Prince to conduct his "evil deeds" and protect the reputation of his organization, Tian Ji Pavilion.
Learning that Bai Hua Village was recruiting cooks, Jiang Mengmeng decided to infiltrate the stronghold by posing as one. Upon arrival, she tried to feign an urgent need to relieve herself to avoid entering the kitchen and exposing her lack of cooking skills. Upon entering Bai Hua Village, Jiang Mengmeng discreetly slipped into the master's room to search for the elusive flower.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she hastily concealed herself inside a large cabinet, only to discover Murong Chen was already hiding within. Her stomach let out a loud growl, and to prevent their discovery, Murong Chen quickly silenced her with a kiss. Just then, Jin Hua, the master of Bai Hua Village, opened the cabinet door, catching them both inside. Jiang Mengmeng, flustered, struggled to concoct a believable excuse. Murong Chen, thinking quickly, claimed they were there to "rescue the cooks."
Captivated by Jiang Mengmeng's disguised appearance, Jin Hua was instantly smitten and declared her intention to marry Jiang Mengmeng immediately. As a result, Murong Chen found himself forced into a marriage with Yin Hua, the second master of the village.
