My Uncanny Destiny Episode 7 Recap
> My Uncanny Destiny Recap
Liu Xuanming summoned Ye Zhaonan, throwing a knife at her and daring her to attempt the assassination she intended, assuring her there was no ambush. Ye Zhaonan reacted with feigned anguish, crying and expressing disbelief that the person she had supposedly chosen to entrust her life to would confront her with a weapon. Liu Xuanming saw through her act, calling her hypocritical and stating her sole purpose in entering the palace was to kill him.
She intensified her performance, crying harder and acting wounded by his words. Liu Xuanming dismissed her pretense of grievance. Claiming she would reveal the truth, Ye Zhaonan presented Guan and two other companions. Guan, tearfully performing, explained they had lied only for his "infatuated daughter," pleading for forgiveness. Liu Xuanming revealed that portraits of him had been discovered in the Xiguan Department.
Ye Zhaonan explained these were part of her plan: she would seek out a senior figure (likely the Queen Mother or Empress Dowager, referred to as Tai Furen) to demonstrate her genuine affection and pressure for a marriage, while her companions were tasked with quickly drawing numerous portraits before being discovered.
She claimed she had seen Liu Xuanming once before entering the palace, vowed to marry him, and after their family's decline, they had entered the palace as eunuchs to assist her in achieving her goal. She admitted they had informed her of his trip outside the palace, leading to her plan to approach him, but when he was attacked, she rescued him.
They had stunned guards and hidden in the closet to find a way to dig a tunnel to his bedchamber. Liu Xuanming expressed incredulity at the absurdity of their actions undertaken for her sake. Guan insisted she was his only daughter and he would do anything for her. Yao Hu, witnessing the chaotic scene, interjected, stating Ye Zhaonan was plain and unattractive, unworthy of Liu Xuanming's attention, and questioning if Liu Xuanming was blind.
Liu Xuanming sternly ordered Yao Hu away. After Yao Hu's departure, Ye Zhaonan and her companions felt relieved, wondering if Liu Xuanming had believed their story. Ye Zhaonan shared a growing feeling that Liu Xuanming might not be evil and that there could be another explanation behind their family's extermination. A companion, Zhao Jin, quickly warned her not to be swayed by appearances, reminding her of their sworn feud and questioning if she was developing feelings for him.
They decided their next move, the assassination attempt, had to be delayed until Liu Xuanming's wedding to Qimeng, as Yi Yangjun was currently watching them closely. Turning to check on Guan, they discovered he had fainted, presumably from fright. Meanwhile, Yun Luo found that Tan Rang had escaped the armor she used to restrain him. He vowed never to trust her again and threatened her.
Yun Luo immediately collapsed, feigning an asthma attack, and desperately pleaded for his help and medicine. Tan Rang, initially suspicious of her act, was moved by her plea and agreed to fetch medicine, vowing to torment her slowly afterward. However, Yun Luo produced medicine for him herself. Realizing he had been tricked yet again, Tan Rang expressed profound frustration, lamenting that he, the world's foremost assassin, was repeatedly outmaneuvered by her.
He declared life seemed pointless and requested she kill him. Yun Luo countered that he always initiated threats with a knife, and she had only acted in self-defense. They decided to make peace, and she promised not to lie again. Upon opening his eyes, however, Tan Rang discovered he was blind. Liu Xuanming examined the portraits of himself, touching the wet marks he believed were tear stains left by Ye Zhaonan intensely missing him while she painted them.
He was unaware that these tears had actually been shed by Zhilan, one of her companions, while she was drawing. Ye Zhaonan stayed up all night tending to Guan. She shared how she often dreamed of her father's death and waking to find him still alive gave her a sense of having him back. She thanked Guan for allowing her the opportunity to care for him and fulfill her filial duty at his bedside.
Elsewhere, Qimeng generously gifted Mrs. Ke and Ke Qianyue with money and treasures, subtly probing for information about Liu Xuanming and Ye Zhaonan. Ke Qianyue became enraged at the mention of Ye Zhaonan, calling her a "fox spirit" who had both harmed her and seduced Liu Xuanming, expressing a strong desire to "handle" her.
Qimeng, while seemingly advocating for harmony and suggesting Ye Zhaonan was genuinely fond of Liu Xuanming, subtly hinted at the arrival of a thousand fierce war horses from Tianmu City as her dowry, recounting a past incident where a horse went berserk and killed a servant after being pricked with a needle. Ke Qianyue, initially hesitant to attend the viewing, indicated she now had a plan.
A thousand war horses arrived from Tianmu City as Qimeng's dowry, sent by the Lord of Yangcheng as a token of sincerity for the marriage alliance. Liu Xuanming, Ye Zhaonan, and Qimeng went to see them. Liu Xuanming demonstrated basic knowledge of spotting good horses, referencing Bo Le's "Art of Spotting Horses" and listing simple points of observation. Ye Zhaonan then displayed her own more detailed expertise, listing many specific parts of the horse to examine, surprising Liu Xuanming.
Ke Qianyue dismissed her knowledge as obvious. Ye Zhaonan was encouraged to ride one of the tribute horses. As she mounted, Ke Qianyue slyly pricked the horse's hindquarters with a needle. The horse immediately went wild, bolting with Ye Zhaonan on its back. Liu Xuanming shouted a warning and quickly jumped onto the horse with her to try and control it. The horse ran wildly before plunging into a river, taking both of them with it.
Later, they were shown drying themselves by a fire. Ye Zhaonan, soaked, distraught, and seemingly disoriented, complained incoherently about the cold and called Liu Xuanming a liar for suggesting the horse would stop when it was tired. Liu Xuanming appeared slightly amused by her state. Yun Luo brought medicine for Tan Rang's eyes, explaining it was an imperial hospital prescription and asking him to trust her one last time. He was reluctant but seemed to soften. Ye Zhaonan became hungry.
Liu Xuanming found some mushrooms and made a soup. Despite its poor taste, Ye Zhaonan ate it and began to hallucinate, seeing Liu Xuanming as a handsome figure she wanted to embrace. She lunged at him and pinned him down. Liu Xuanming, flustered, attempted to invoke traditional decorum and Confucian principles to calm her. He eventually managed to restrain and tie her up.
The following day, Liu Xuanming sported dark circles under his eyes, while Ye Zhaonan was sober and confused about what had happened. Yao Hu arrived with others and was visibly shocked by the sight of Ye Zhaonan tied up. Yao Hu reported that Ke Qianyue had been punished by being ordered to wash the thousands of tribute horses for damaging one, being deemed disrespectful of law and order.
Meanwhile, rumors about Liu Xuanming and Ye Zhaonan's encounter in the grove spread rapidly among the servants, becoming increasingly exaggerated. The rumors claimed they were seen in rags, were engaged in a passionate embrace, and eventually escalated to the claim that the imperial doctor had examined Ye Zhaonan and she was pregnant with Liu Xuanming's child. Guan (her father) and his companions confronted Ye Zhaonan, scolding her for the widespread and embarrassing rumors, particularly the pregnancy claim, expressing their shame.
Ye Zhaonan denied it vehemently. Her companions debated the impact of the rumors, noting that servants were now respectful, and she could potentially "walk sideways" in the inner city. Upset by the family's reaction, Ye Zhaonan sought solace in alcohol. Yi Yangjun joined her, and they shared a drink and engaged in a pleasant conversation. Later, Qimeng again spoke with Ke Qianyue, who remained angry and wished death upon Ye Zhaonan.
Qimeng mused that some people survive falling off cliffs while others choke on tea, indirectly suggesting poison. Ke Qianyue subsequently sent a servant with a bowl of sobering tea to Ye Zhaonan, stating it was from Ke Qianyue who apologized for her past slights and wished for forgiveness. The servant insisted Ye Zhaonan drink it. Ye Zhaonan, though suspecting poison, drank the tea.
