My Queen Episode 5 Recap
> My Queen Recap
Jiang Mengmeng, disguised as a man, left the palace with Murong Chen to search for the dye used to make fake blood night-blooming cereus. They posed as merchants from the Western Regions and arrived at Qian Xiu Workshop, claiming to want to order 1000 catties of dye. The owner, Mr. Rong, initially doubted their sincerity due to their large order and his small shop.
After Murong Chen stressed their strict partner requirements, and with Mr. Rong being described as a prominent North Desert silk merchant, Mr. Rong led them to the back to tour the dyehouse, warehouse, and accountant house. While touring, Murong Chen feigned losing his jade pendant, an heirloom given to him by his father, and sent the shop assistant away to look for it. They then entered the warehouse, where Jiang Mengmeng was astonished by the vast quantity of dyes.
She noted the organized arrangement, similar to a library. As they began searching, they heard the accountant approaching. In a moment of panic, Murong Chen pulled Jiang Mengmeng into a tight embrace to hide. She noticed his heart racing, and he quickly attributed his nervousness to the fear of being discovered. Having found nothing tangible, they quickly left the workshop. As they exited, they were ambushed by masked assailants and, in their struggle to escape, tumbled down a ravine.
Finding themselves trapped, Jiang Mengmeng decided to draw the assailants away, instructing Murong Chen to seek help. She ran towards the river, narrating her predicament as if in a game, lamenting that she might be "game over" after finally meeting her "true male lead." Meanwhile, Murong Chen fired a signal flare for Chang Kong. Just as the masked men closed in on Jiang Mengmeng, a masked hero arrived to rescue her.
Stunned by his prowess, Jiang Mengmeng accidentally fell into the river. The masked hero quickly rescued her. As he did, he saw a distinctive butterfly mark on her arm, which immediately jolted his memory. He remembered being a lost boy, "A Mu," rescued by a kind little girl named Xiaomeng, who bore the same butterfly mark and convinced Yun Qi to let him stay. Murong Chen looked at the unconscious Jiang Mengmeng, overwhelmed with emotions.
Jiang Mengmeng soon woke up, unaware of Murong Chen's true identity. She thanked him profusely, dramatically offering to give herself in return as a wuxia heroine would. Murong Chen, now introducing himself as Yun Ya, probed her memory by asking if she had ever been to Liang City. Jiang Mengmeng denied any knowledge of the city, leading Murong Chen to realize she truly had amnesia.
Sensing a cliché "substitute lover" scenario, Jiang Mengmeng, still believing Yun Ya was a stranger, tried to bid him farewell. Murong Chen called her "Xiaomeng" as she tried to leave, but before she could go, a sudden, fierce thunderstorm erupted, frightening her back into the dilapidated hut. Inside, Murong Chen began to cough blood, his body trembling from cold. Jiang Mengmeng, concerned, tried to help him, asking if his wounds from rescuing her had triggered an old illness.
He downplayed his condition as a "small wound" and urged her to rest. Ignoring his pleas, she covered him with a blanket and warmed his hands with hers until she was so exhausted she fell asleep leaning against him. Murong Chen eventually recovered. He held the sleeping Jiang Mengmeng tightly, vowing in his heart that, whether as Murong Chen or Yun Ya, he would protect her from all harm.
He then gently carried her to the bed, placed a Tian Ji Pavilion jade pendant near her pillow, and quietly left. Murong Chen later met Chang Kong, who reported that the masked attackers were sent by Jiang Sisi. Her goal was not to harm Murong Chen, but to eliminate Jiang Mengmeng, thereby securing Murong Chen for herself. Murong Chen confirmed that Jiang Mengmeng was indeed Xiaomeng, the girl he had been searching for all these years.
He declared his intention to protect her and refused to break off their engagement, despite Chang Kong's warning that using his inner power had exacerbated his cold poison. Murong Chen dismissed the risk, affirming that saving Jiang Mengmeng, driven by love, was entirely worth it. Jiang Mengmeng awoke to find Yun Ya gone. She was annoyed by his unannounced departure.
Initially, she considered escaping the palace altogether to avoid her duties, but then worried about implicating Xiao Ai and Murong Chen. She decided to return, believing her "damn sense of justice" compelled her. She went to the streets to search for Xiao Ai and coincidentally bumped into Song Che. He expressed immense relief and concern for her safety, telling her that the palace had been in chaos during her absence, then escorted her back.
Back at the palace, Jiang Wan prepared to punish Murong Chen for failing to protect Jiang Mengmeng. However, Jiang Mengmeng stepped forward to defend him, taking responsibility for the incident by claiming she had ordered him to flee first. She asserted her role as the Ruo Shui Kingdom's Ninth Princess to protect her country and her man, arguing that if she couldn't protect him, she couldn't protect the nation. Jiang Wan relented, dismissing Murong Chen without punishment.
Later, Jiang Mengmeng approached Murong Chen, expecting praise for saving him from royal wrath. Murong Chen, instead, thanked her and publicly kissed her, declaring he would repay her "by marrying her." The sudden public display, witnessed by Jiang Sisi and Song Che, left Jiang Mengmeng furious. The next day, Murong Chen sent Chang Kong with exquisite pastries, but Jiang Mengmeng refused to see him. Xiao Ai rudely rejected the gifts, even calling Chang Kong a "simp," which confused him.
Despite her resistance, Jiang Mengmeng later enjoyed the pastries. Xiao Ai speculated that Murong Chen's sudden affection was due to Jiang Mengmeng's brave defense of him before Jiang Wan, while Jiang Mengmeng humorously wondered if he had suffered a head injury during the attack. Chang Kong later suggested to Murong Chen that he should reveal his past with Jiang Mengmeng, as she now treated him as a stranger.
Murong Chen declined, explaining that their shared past was not a happy memory, and he carried too many burdens to involve her. He expressed his desire for her to live happily, believing that their fate would allow her to fall in love with him again, even without her memories. He resolved to pursue her, stating, "If she doesn't walk towards me, I will walk towards her."
Chang Kong, recalling Xiao Ai's earlier insult, then teasingly asked Murong Chen if this made him a "simp." Upon hearing that Murong Chen had left the palace with Chang Kong, Jiang Mengmeng, who had been hiding for days to avoid him, ventured out. To her surprise, she found a gold coin on the ground, then another, and another, realizing she was following a trail of gold.
The path led her to a pavilion where Murong Chen was waiting, holding more gold. She realized she had fallen into his trap. She presented him with a transcribed copy of Qian Xiu Workshop's ledger, which she had memorized, despite her handwriting being quite ugly. Murong Chen proposed they continue their partnership to find the blood night-blooming cereus. Jiang Mengmeng clarified her true motive: to find the flower to impress Jiang Wan and secure the annulment of their engagement.
Murong Chen flatly refused, then listed her unique qualities, describing her as "frank, righteous, smart when in danger," despite not fitting the image of a typical princess. He confessed he felt happy and secure with her. Jiang Mengmeng, still hoping to deter him, suggested they watch the sunrise, aiming to make him uncomfortable in the cold. As the night grew colder, she shivered uncontrollably, but Murong Chen seemed unfazed.
Eventually, she succumbed to the cold and fell asleep in his arms. He gently placed a hand warmer in her hand and, looking at her, silently vowed to protect her for the rest of his life.
