Overlord Episode 9 Recap
> Overlord Recap
Prince Li Zhao went to visit Long Aoyi at her nanny's residence but found she was out. While waiting, Li Zhao observed Long Aoyi's room, noting the abundance of toys and food, confirming his impression of her as a true foodie. As Li Zhao prepared to leave, Li Qingliu arrived. Li Qingliu invited Li Zhao to stay for dinner, an offer the prince readily accepted.
Li Zhao then requested his guard, Wu Lin, to bring out the grape wine he had intended for Long Aoyi, declaring they would drink until they were completely drunk that night. Meanwhile, Long Aoyi was busy with the Longzhu Gang, meticulously calculating the total number of silk cocoons collected, prioritizing the timely supply of silkworm eggs to help people earn money. During dinner, Li Zhao expressed his surprise at Li Qingliu's invitation.
Li Qingliu explained it was a gesture of gratitude for Li Zhao's diligent tax inspection at Xinsilu, emphasizing that he preferred to avoid any perception of impropriety. Li Zhao probed if Li Qingliu, a successful merchant, intended to enter politics. Li Qingliu, however, stated his disinterest in officialdom, revealing his sole ambition was to master Sichuan embroidery and secure his family's legacy for another century. Li Zhao shared his own reluctance for imperial duties, acknowledging their different paths.
After Li Qingliu sternly dismissed a maid for slacking, Li Zhao remarked on his lack of gentleness towards women, concluding that he himself stood a better chance with Long Aoyi. Li Qingliu quickly dismissed Long Aoyi as a "rough girl" not to his taste. Li Qingliu then suggested they switch to larger goblets to truly get "hammered," and Li Zhao enthusiastically agreed.
Elsewhere, Yan Bin paid a young boy to deliver a message to Xiaoqin, asking her to meet him at the teahouse. As the drinking continued, both Li Zhao and Li Qingliu, despite their bravado, soon succumbed to drunkenness. Li Zhao slurred his confession of liking Long Aoyi, which Li Qingliu feigned happiness about, but Li Zhao quickly accused him of lying before both men collapsed.
At the teahouse, Xiaoqin arrived to find Yan Bin engaged in conversation with Su An, who was praising a novel by Yan Bin. Mistaking the situation as Yan Bin flirting, Xiaoqin became angry and tried to leave. Yan Bin rushed after her, explaining that the novel he was holding was meant for her, a story he had spent several nights writing because he knew she would appreciate it.
He then sincerely apologized for his previous insensitivity and offered to listen to her troubles. Moved by his sincerity, Xiaoqin recounted her heartbreaking past: how her father abandoned her and her ailing mother after years of abuse, leaving her mother to die alone. She explained her admiration for Emperor Xuan of Han, who, against all odds, chose his beloved original wife as Empress, symbolizing enduring love and loyalty.
Understanding her profound longing for such a connection, Yan Bin then shared a story that brought a much-needed laugh to Xiaoqin. Later that night, Long Aoyi encountered a disoriented Li Zhao and offered to escort him home. Along the way, Li Zhao, still feigning deep intoxication, abruptly asked if she had a romantic interest. Long Aoyi, oblivious to his ruse, firmly stated her view of all men as "good brothers," dismissing romantic sentiments as "meaningless."
Seeing him collapsed by the door, she quickly went inside and locked it. Wu Lin, who had been observing discreetly, then alerted Li Zhao that Long Aoyi was gone, prompting the prince to open his eyes and commend his own quick thinking, relieved to have avoided a direct and awkward rejection. Soon after, Long Aoyi encountered a truly drunken Li Qingliu, who clung to her leg, insisting she drag him back to his room.
Exasperated but unable to shake him off, Long Aoyi reluctantly hauled him away, grumbling about his pretenses and peculiar behavior. The next day, Li Zhao and Wu Lin visited a restaurant, continuing their covert investigation into corruption in Silver City. Wu Lin questioned why they were still there after arresting the corrupt official, and Li Zhao explained they needed to find the bigger mastermind behind him without alerting Officer Zhu.
A friend of Xiaoliu, a kitchen worker, recognized Li Zhao as a prince, revealing that Long Aoyi had confided in them. The friend then explained that Long Aoyi had saved Xiaoliu's life four years prior when they arrived in Silver City as refugees and fell gravely ill. He clarified that while they weren't members of the Longzhu Gang, many ordinary citizens had received Long Aoyi's generosity.
He painted a grim picture of Silver City, where lower-class citizens were exploited by corrupt officials and terrorized by the Snake Gang, with only Long Aoyi and the Longzhu Gang offering genuine help. Back at Xinsilu, facing a crisis of no funds or materials, Li Qingliu devised a bold plan: repurpose existing materials to create new, high-demand products quickly.
He decided on underclothes from the Numan State, recognizing that only a creative and spirited woman like Long Aoyi could lead such a project. To subtly draw her in, he publicly berated his workers for their lack of progress on the designs. As expected, Long Aoyi, witnessing the workers' distress and learning about their struggle with the "weird" Numan State underclothes, offered to help.
Later, Li Zhao treated Long Aoyi to beggar's chicken, and she playfully requested mangosteens from Southern City for the next day, mentioning her ongoing puzzle over "strange clothes." After their meal, Long Aoyi showed Li Zhao the Numan State underclothes. Li Zhao recognized them as rare tribute items worn by a Hu dancer in the palace.
Long Aoyi criticized the original design as unflattering and, ignoring the objections of the male workers, personally cut and tailored the garment to be form-fitting and alluringly revealing, yet comfortable. Despite the scandalous nature of the new design, Li Zhao, charmed by its inventiveness and Long Aoyi's talent, agreed to support its sale. When Li Zhao feigned disbelief at her ability to craft straw figures, Long Aoyi swiftly wove him a golden carp.
Delighted by the gift, Li Zhao promised to assist in selling the underclothes. He confided in Wu Lin that he was doing this not for Li Qingliu, but to help Long Aoyi, proving he could do what Li Qingliu could not. To discreetly market the controversial underclothes, Li Zhao disguised himself as a fortune-teller, enticing married women with prophecies of renewed marital passion, subtly linking their fate to purchasing the garment.
Back at Xinsilu, Long Aoyi, while appreciating the quality of Xinsilu's fabric, openly criticized Li Qingliu's "mouldy brains" for sticking to overly complicated designs. Unbeknownst to her, Li Qingliu was standing nearby and overheard her comments. Before he could react, Officer Zhu arrived, brandishing one of Long Aoyi's redesigned underclothes. He condemned it as "indecent" and demanded an explanation from Li Qingliu, stating that its sale "harmed decency."
Recognizing Xinsilu's unique brocade fabric but not the design, Li Qingliu argued that mere hearsay was insufficient evidence. However, Officer Zhu declared that the fabric's origin alone was enough to implicate Xinsilu and incriminate Li Qingliu, granting him only a short time to investigate. That night, Wu Lin secretly brought joyous news to Long Aoyi: Li Zhao had already secured orders for one hundred pieces, a significant boost to her plans.
The next day, Li Qingliu convened all his workers to address the scandal. Du Xiaoxian, stepping forward, vehemently interrogated the staff about who was responsible for the "indecent" garments that were tarnishing Xinsilu's reputation. Long Aoyi confidently stepped forward, admitting she was the designer and supervisor. Du Xiaoxian then launched into a furious tirade, accusing Long Aoyi of disloyalty and undermining Xinsilu despite Li Qingliu's generosity.
Long Aoyi, however, fiercely defended her design, questioning whether clothes were meant for women themselves or for men, and highlighting the impracticality of traditional designs for common folk. She contrasted Du Xiaoxian's elitist views with the need for comfortable and practical clothing, using Li Qingliu's own past modifications to the begonia dress as an example. Recognizing the escalating confrontation, Li Qingliu intervened, dismissing all other workers and instructing Du Xiaoxian to leave, then curtly telling Long Aoyi to follow him for a private discussion.
