Shining Just For You Episode 15 Recap
> Shining Just For You Recap
Leng Tianxi summoned Ye Lingshuang to treat a critically ill Yu Xiuming, who, in his weakened state, called out for her. After Ye Lingshuang administered medicine, Yu Xiuming’s condition stabilized, though he still required care. Observing Yu Xiuming's clear attachment, Leng Tianxi decided to keep Ye Lingshuang confined within the palace, tasking her with caring for the Emperor, rather than returning her to her cell.
Ye Lingshuang protested her innocence, stating that if she truly conspired with the Winged Clan, she wouldn't have helped Leng Tianxi during her own illness. She then asked Leng Tianxi if she knew the person involved in the alleged secret meeting before attempting to return to her cell. Later, a recovering Yu Xiuming asked Leng Tianxi for a detailed account of Ye Lingshuang's incident.
Leng Tianxi explained that Fan Ruhui had informed her of a secret meeting between Ye Lingshuang and a Winged person in the Bureau of Astrology. Despite her initial skepticism, Fan Ruhui's persistence led her to investigate, where she indeed saw someone leaving Ye Lingshuang’s room. Yu Xiuming realized Fan Ruhui orchestrated the event. Leng Tianxi, however, insisted that Ye Lingshuang's secret meeting with a Winged person was undeniable, regardless of any external manipulations.
Yu Xiuming clarified that he only sought the truth and disliked being deceived. Leng Tianxi then boldly suggested that Yu Xiuming couldn't accept Ye Lingshuang loving someone else, implying his jealousy. Yu Xiuming questioned this, but Leng Tianxi, speaking as a woman, plainly stated that she could tell he harbored feelings for Ye Lingshuang. Yu Xiuming, uncomfortable with the revelation, dismissed her for overstepping.
An aide later informed Yu Xiuming that Fan Ruhui was indeed behind the plot against Ye Lingshuang. Yu Xiuming, despite his recent illness, made his way to see Ye Lingshuang, impatiently correcting his course when his aide pointed out he was heading the wrong way. Upon seeing Ye Lingshuang, he pointedly asked if she had "made up her mind." Ye Lingshuang, concerned for his health, urged him to return and rest, reminding him of his ongoing recovery.
Yu Xiuming, touched but annoyed, remarked that she still cared for him despite nearly driving him to his death with frustration. Ye Lingshuang retorted that she would continue to infuriate him if he kept pressing her to admit to an affair. Yu Xiuming then declared he would drop the investigation, asserting that he was aware of all her actions and non-actions, and simply disliked being deceived. Ye Lingshuang was relieved he knew who the real deceiver was.
Recognizing the animosity her position as supervisor attracted, Yu Xiuming then demoted her back to director, a change Ye Lingshuang readily accepted. Yu Xiuming received reports detailing Zuo Jintian's recent military actions, including the ambush of Yuezhou troops, his collusion with Luo Wuyi to abduct Yebei and Yuezhou forces to Xiayang, and the capture of Princess Qi Hailian and General Jie Zhuying.
Pleased that his trap had worked, Yu Xiuming dispatched an imperial edict ordering Zuo Jintian to surrender his military authority and return to Tianqi, anticipating his defiance. In Xiayang, Zuo Jintian, after receiving a letter from his daughter Shengnan, was presented with the imperial edict. He refused to kneel, and upon reading the command to relinquish his power and return to Tianqi, he angrily declared he wouldn't become a "toothless tiger."
He then killed the imperial envoy and ordered the execution of Jie Zhuying, along with the recruitment of 10,000 new troops, asserting his intent to fight for Yuezhou. Subsequently, Jie Zhuying and Qi Hailian were thrown into a well. Meanwhile, Ye Lingshuang experienced a premonition, witnessing her counting rod break, signaling a grave ill omen.
Yu Xiuming soon received a memorial from the General of Vehement Might, confirming Zuo Jintian’s rebellion, the sealing of Xiayang, and the deaths of Jie Zhuying and Qi Hailian. Enraged, Yu Xiuming summoned Fan Ruhui, condemning Zuo Jintian's audacity in killing his appointed Protectorate General, an act of open rebellion. He warned Fan Ruhui to handle the matter diligently, promising to spare him from implication if he did so.
Zuo Shengnan confronted Fan Ruhui, who harshly criticized Zuo Jintian's reckless actions, especially the killing of Jie Zhuying, a person close to Yu Xiuming. Fan Ruhui explained that, according to Yu Xiuming’s nature, only the Emperor himself had the right to execute those close to him, regardless of their crimes, and Yu Xiuming had no intention of killing Jie Zhuying.
Shengnan, distraught, attempted to write to her father and pleaded with Fan Ruhui to save him, but Fan Ruhui declared he was powerless and advised Zuo Jintian to seek his own salvation. To irrevocably sever the marriage alliance between the Fan and Zuo families, Fan Ruhui then ordered his steward to force Shengnan to commit suicide.
After learning of the broken alliance, Yu Xiuming issued an imperial decree to Yu Shining, ordering troops to Mount Pixian to cut off Xiayang's northern and western routes, effectively trapping Zuo Jintian and ensuring his demise within Xiayang. Unaware of the unfolding tragedy, Fan Ping returned home. His brother, Fan Zheng, insensitively congratulated him on Shengnan's death, suggesting he could now remarry. Fan Ping was horrified to learn that Shengnan was forced to commit suicide.
He rushed to her side, but it was too late. A servant handed him a farewell letter from Shengnan, in which she lovingly expressed her happiness at marrying him, despite his lack of romantic affection for her. Heartbroken and enraged, Fan Ping confronted Fan Ruhui. He admitted he never loved Shengnan but passionately defended her character, citing her filial piety, respect for his father, and competent management of the household.
He accused Fan Ruhui of not only causing her death but also defaming her, questioning his father's conscience given that he watched Shengnan grow up. Fan Ruhui coldly defended his actions, stating that Zuo Jintian's treason threatened the entire Fan family, and removing Shengnan was a necessary measure for their survival, dismissing it as a small sacrifice for the greater good. Disgusted, Fan Ping decried his father as hopeless and lamented being born into the Fan family.
Yi Wuyou sent a coded message to Ye Lingshuang through Elder Gu, using a unique wax seal recognized by Ye Lingshuang. The message, referring to "Zhuohua," revealed that May 4th to 6th was the most opportune time to break her seal, a process requiring three days during which she must remain undisturbed, as this period was brimming with celestial power.
Ye Lingshuang instructed Elder Gu to relay her resolve to Yi Wuyou: she would break the seal on May 4th, regardless of the risks, and warned him to be wary of covert guards. After burning the message, Ye Lingshuang began to devise a plan to disappear for three days undetected, despite Yun Wen's warning that Yu Xiuming would inevitably seek her out. To secure her absence, Ye Lingshuang visited Yu Xiuming.
He chided her for skipping court, suspecting her of mischief. Ye Lingshuang feigned illness and deflected to Director Duanmu Yan, only to learn he had been imprisoned and sentenced to death for failing to determine an auspicious date for Yu Xiuming's upcoming imperial tour.
Ye Lingshuang seized the opportunity to intercede for Duanmu Yan, arguing for his value and promising his diligent service if pardoned, framing it as a way to manage the extensive affairs of the Bureau of Astrology, which she couldn't handle alone. Yu Xiuming, seeing through her pretense but granting her request to free Duanmu Yan, then tasked her with finding an auspicious date for his tour.
Ye Lingshuang requested three days of secluded meditation to meticulously select the perfect date, a request Yu Xiuming approved. Duanmu Yan, now freed and deeply grateful, was reinstated as director and promised to manage the Bureau's affairs and ensure Ye Lingshuang's uninterrupted seclusion, with Cheng Wu standing guard at her door.
Despite Yun Wen's continued skepticism about Duanmu Yan's competence and the Emperor's motives, Ye Lingshuang was determined to use these three days to break her celestial power, believing it the only way to quickly locate Qi Hairui, regardless of the inherent dangers. Meanwhile, Yu Xiuming publicly announced his grand tour of inspection, explaining it as a necessary measure to assert imperial authority over vast lands where some officials believed they were beyond his reach.
He emphasized that the journey would be simple, but ministers, including Fan Ruhui, voiced concerns, urging caution against a hasty departure. Yu Xiuming dismissed their objections, pointing out their hypocrisy, and confirmed that an auspicious date had been chosen by the Bureau of Astrology, with his departure set for after ancestral rites. He admonished Fan Ruhui to adopt a broader perspective, citing Zuo Jintian's rebellion as proof of widespread audacity.
Fan Ruhui apologized and pledged full support, though he estimated that proper ceremonial preparations would require three months. Yu Xiuming cut this timeframe to two months, insisting on departing once Ye Lingshuang provided the auspicious date. Concurrently, Yi Wuyou arrived at Taoyuan Valley, known for its skilled smiths but scarce medicinal herbs. He offered to procure essential herbs for the Heluo people, who frequently suffered from minor illnesses, in exchange for their assistance in finding the elusive Starstone.
Back at Tianqi, Yu Xiuming’s aide reported that Ye Lingshuang had made no unusual moves other than inquiring about the alleged deaths of Zuo Jintian and Qi Hailian. The aide asked if Ye Lingshuang should be informed of their true status. Yu Xiuming declined, preferring she learn the truth after Zuo Jintian's fate was sealed. Unbeknownst to Ye Lingshuang, Yu Xiuming had already orchestrated the secret rescue of Jie Zhuying and Qi Hailian.
Safely brought to a hidden location, Qi Hailian reflected on the recent ordeal, expressing profound gratitude to Yu Xiuming for preventing the annihilation of the Yebei Clan, and resolved to head to Yuezhou after Zuo Jintian's matter was resolved. Yu Xiuming, growing impatient with Ye Lingshuang's delayed report, showed increasing concern. Finally, Ye Lingshuang retreated to her chamber and entered a complex magic formation.
Yun Wen warned her sternly not to succumb to the illusions within, or she would be forever trapped. As Ye Lingshuang delved deeper, she heard an ethereal voice echoing Yun Wen's caution, suggesting that many preferred the comfort of fantasy over the harshness of reality. Visions of Yi Wuyou and Qi Hairui appeared before her.
