My Uncanny Destiny Episode 22 Recap
> My Uncanny Destiny Recap
Ke Qianyue came to Liu Xuanming to apologize, admitting she had done many wrong things to both him and Sanmei due to her past greed, which hurt many people. She told him that after going through so much, she no longer dared to harbor desires for him, believing that he and Sanmei were a perfect match. Liu Xuanming stated that he had always treated her like a younger sister.
Ke Qianyue confessed that she had never truly liked him; growing up, he was the only man in the inner city, so she assumed he was the one she would marry. However, after leaving the palace, she realized the world was vast and full of many men.
She assured him she would not pursue him further, having met a man willing to sacrifice himself for her, and that she now knew what kind of man she wanted to spend her life with. Suddenly, the news that Ye Zhaonan was a woman spread throughout Muxi City. Ministers gathered in the courtroom, demanding she step down. Eunuch Sun and Minister Cao tried to calm them but were rebuked. Seeing the ministers' fury, Ye Zhaonan was at a loss.
Zhao Jing advised her to return to Xuanyue with Liu Xuanming, asking if she was clinging to the throne. Liu Xuanming countered that Ye Zhaonan was not interested in power for its own sake, but needed to stay to achieve her ambitions. Zhao Jing worried the ministers seemed ready to "eat her alive." Liu Xuanming encouraged Ye Zhaonan to stand tall and face them, stating that the more they wanted to see her humiliated, the less she should back down.
Ye Zhaonan entered the courtroom with her head held high. The ministers refused to kneel, accusing her of deceiving them for over twenty years and insisting the position of Muxi City Lord had always passed from male to male, citing ancestral rules. Ye Zhaonan challenged the notion that rules were always correct, giving examples of outdated and cruel practices like burying the elderly alive or live human sacrifice, calling them "bad habits" rather than rules.
She chastised the ministers for focusing on "gender matters" instead of strengthening the nation. Unable to win the argument, the ministers gave Ye Zhaonan three days to abdicate, threatening that if she refused, General Jin Fu would be released from prison, implying the consequences would be severe and "not as simple as stepping down." Ye Zhaonan was pained by this situation.
Later, Ke Qianyue asked Zhao Jing about his plans, wondering if he would return to Xuanyue City with Liu Xuanming if Ye Zhaonan went back after the three-day deadline. Zhao Jing evaded the question, saying they should solve the current crisis first. Hearing the news, Guan and Feng Lei rushed to the palace, worried about Ye Zhaonan and perplexed how her secret, known only to a few, had been exposed.
Guan declared he had to care because she was his daughter. They began speculating on who could have leaked the secret. Feng Lei suspected Ke Qianyue, but Guan dismissed it, noting Ye Zhaonan and Liu Xuanming trusted her and she seemed reformed. They concluded that Huirou seemed more likely given her past animosity. Meanwhile, Huirou learned of Ye Zhaonan's identity being revealed and seemed greatly pleased by the chaos, anticipating a conflict between Liu Xuanming and Ye Zhaonan.
Yi Yangjun suggested sending Huirou out of the city, but Huirou refused, claiming she couldn't abandon Ye Zhaonan, who had treated her well. She then encouraged Yi Yangjun to take Ye Zhaonan away himself, arguing that if Muxi City couldn't tolerate her, Xuanyue City would be even less safe due to the existing animosity between the two cities. She claimed Liu Xuanming couldn't truly protect Ye Zhaonan in Xuanyue and believed Ye Zhaonan would be doomed there.
She urged Yi Yangjun to take Ye Zhaonan if he was sincerely looking out for her well-being. Guan and Feng Lei continued investigating, helping Ye Zhaonan find the betrayer, insisting it must be someone with a grudge. Ye Zhaonan stated she trusted Ke Qianyue as she had reformed. They maintained Huirou was more suspicious and asked if Bailu had reported anything unusual about Huirou recently. Bailu relayed only daily琐事 (trivial matters), nothing suspicious.
Guan and Feng Lei wondered if Huirou had bribed Bailu. Ke Qianyue asked Bailu how she escaped previously; Bailu claimed she was captured, taken to a rich man's house as a maid, and ran away multiple times. Later, Ye Zhaonan questioned Bailu about being captured and escaping multiple times, asking if they would have let her off easily. Bailu admitted they broke her arm and indicated further harm.
(It is implied Huirou had previously injured Bailu to ensure her silence, and Bailu is concealing the true source of the injury with the fabricated story). Yi Yangjun sought to take Ye Zhaonan away, arguing anywhere was safer than Xuanyue, claiming Liu Xuanming could not protect her. Liu Xuanming countered that as long as he was present, no one could harm her.
Challenged by Yi Yangjun on how he would protect her if Xuanyue ministers demanded her death, Liu Xuanming declared he would kill whoever made such a suggestion. Yi Yangjun pointed out this would mean killing everyone, calling Liu Xuanming naive as he isn't a tyrant. Liu Xuanming stated he could give up his position as City Lord for her. Yi Yangjun suggested Liu Xuanming remain Lord and let him protect Ye Zhaonan, calling it the best method.
Both men eventually realized their argument was futile, acknowledging that Ye Zhaonan, being who she was, would not run away with either of them. Guan visited the ancestral shrine of the Ye family, praying to the spirit of the former City Lord, Ye Zhaonan's father. He expressed his helplessness in the current crisis and prayed for his "苦命的闺女" (bitter-fated daughter) to be blessed and overcome the tribulation, turning misfortune into luck.
Huirou also appeared there, stating the irony that her sister plotted to kill Ye Zhaonan, but she was now praying for her. She expressed guilt over her sister's past actions, calling her sister sinister and cruel, and lamented being a weak woman unable to help. Guan also felt useless. Huirou then suggested that if Ye Zhaonan could achieve a "不世之功" (unprecedented/magnificent contribution), the ministers might see her differently. Guan understood the hint.
Ye Zhaonan was drinking, feeling foolish and lacking the resolve of others, reflecting that someone else in her position might kill Liu Xuanming for a great merit, but she was too kind. Liu Xuanming came to her, suggesting she could use the signal arrow he gave her to summon the Xuanyue army to attack Muxi City, which would silence her opponents.
But Ye Zhaonan refused, unwilling to betray her belief in peace or cause soldiers from either side to die because of her, or see families displaced and destroyed. She resolved to stay and achieve her ideal of building a "world of great unity" (天下大同) without hunger, poverty, or social divisions, where wealth and prosperity were shared. Liu Xuanming vowed to stay with her, no matter the hardships. Meanwhile, Guan, Feng Lei, and Zhao Jing gathered secretly.
Guan proposed a drastic plan to save Ye Zhaonan: killing Liu Xuanming. He argued that killing the Xuanyue City Lord would be a "大功一件" (a great merit) for Muxi City, forcing the ministers to see Ye Zhaonan in a new light. Feng Lei and Zhao Jing hesitated, fearing Ye Zhaonan's anger and resentment, or even retaliation.
However, Guan insisted that her safety was paramount, and the act would be worth it even if she hated them for life or killed them. They ultimately agreed to the plan, deciding to carry out the assassination the next day, ensuring Ye Zhaonan did not witness it. Ke Qianyue and Bailu overheard this conversation. Ke Qianyue was horrified, calling them reckless, and wanted to go persuade Zhao Jing to prevent a terrible mistake.
Bailu warned it was dangerous and suggested she warn Liu Xuanming instead, believing that if she helped him, he might spare Zhao Jing, referencing her own experience being tied up by them previously. Ke Qianyue immediately went to Liu Xuanming, who was with a sleeping Ye Zhaonan. She frantically told him it was an urgent matter, revealing that Guan, Feng Lei, and Zhao Jing planned to kill him tomorrow to help Sanmei make a great contribution and impress the ministers.
She added that Zhao Jing was instigated by the others and pleaded with Liu Xuanming not to blame him. Liu Xuanming remained unusually calm, saying he understood and telling her to go back to rest, adding that they planned it for tomorrow anyway. Disturbed by his lack of reaction, Ke Qianyue then went to inform Yun Luo. Separately, Huirou expressed amusement at the unfolding events, eager to see Liu Xuanming and Ye Zhaonan "kill each other."
She pressed Bailu again about what Ye Zhaonan said after seeing her wounds, worried that Ye Zhaonan might have uncovered her deception. Bailu insisted she hadn't heard anything clearly as Ye Zhaonan's voice was too quiet, despite Huirou's repeated pressing. Yun Luo worried about Liu Xuanming's safety after Ke Qianyue's warning. Tan Rang tried to reassure her that Guan, Feng Lei, and Zhao Jing were no match for him, and that he would protect him.
However, Yun Luo feared the biggest threat was Liu Xuanming himself, believing that if he thought his death could significantly help "big sister" (Ye Zhaonan), he might do it without hesitation. That night, Liu Xuanming stayed with the sleeping Ye Zhaonan, wishing for all her troubles to disappear by morning.
