Qing Luo Episode 15 Recap
> Qing Luo Recap
Yu Zuolin desperately pleaded with Yu Qingluo to spare his life, reminding her of their past relationship as husband and wife. Yu Qingluo coldly recounted how, six years prior, he had heartlessly cast her, then pregnant, into the river, asking if he ever anticipated this day. She firmly stated that she desired nothing but his life. Just as she was about to strike, Eunuch Yu arrived with an imperial edict.
The edict proclaimed that Yu Zuolin had illicitly developed banned medicine for the contest, deceived the emperor, and tarnished the kingdom’s honor, ordering his immediate arrest. Yu Zuolin initially denied the charges, but confronted with evidence, including the poison found in the cave that afflicted Minister Ye, and the confessions of his accomplices, he was rendered speechless. He was taken away, charged with private manufacturing of banned medicine and conspiring to murder an imperial official.
Back at the Prince Ye’s Mansion, Yu Qingluo was tending to Ye Xiudu’s injuries. He playfully complained of pain all over his body and asked her to feed him. Eunuch Yu then returned with another imperial edict, announcing that Lord Yuyang, Ye Xiudu, was rewarded with a thousand taels of gold for winning the Four Kingdom Contest trials and apprehending Yu Zuolin.
Furthermore, Yu Qingluo, Director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was to be married to Lord Yuyang, with the wedding arrangements to be handled by the Minister of the Board of Rites on an auspicious day. Ye Xiudu accepted the edict with barely contained glee, almost losing his footing, leading Yu Qingluo to suspect he had planned the entire sequence of events. Despite his denials, Yu Qingluo could only smile to herself at his obvious machinations.
Jin Liuli entered, witnessing their playful banter, teased them for their "greenhand in love" antics, and then left them alone. As preparations for the wedding began, Ye Xiudu’s primary concern was Nan Nan’s feelings. One evening, Ye Xiudu found Nan Nan sitting alone on a swing, appearing dejected. Ye Xiudu assured the boy that his mother's love for him would not change after the marriage and that he would gain another loving father.
Nan Nan, however, stubbornly insisted that even if Ye Xiudu married his mother, he would still have to call Nan Nan "master." Ye Xiudu then presented Nan Nan with his personal badge, securing it to the boy’s waist, and began teaching him some simple martial stances, emphasizing how to clench his fist, to guide him in becoming a true man. Meanwhile, Li Ranran desperately sought out Shuang Ke, begging her to rescue Yu Zuolin from prison.
Shuang Ke, however, callously stated that Yu Zuolin was merely a pawn of the Xiuluo Sect, and his removal would not impede their plans. She refused to help, even suggesting that the meal intended for her should be given to Yu Zuolin as his final repast. Disheartened, Li Ranran secretly arranged for five-grass powder to be mixed into a bowl of soup for Yu Zuolin.
When the jailer delivered the meal, he urged Yu Zuolin to savor the "five-spice soup," claiming it was lovingly prepared by his wife for his last journey. The next day, Jin Liuli helped Yu Qingluo with her wedding attire and hair. Yu Qingluo, however, was still anxious, worried about Princess Ye's absence from the wedding, fearing it meant disapproval of her past. She also expressed concern over Nan Nan’s continued unhappiness.
Ye Xiudu then entered the room, and Jin Liuli discreetly left them. Yu Xiudu presented Yu Qingluo with a letter from his mother, explaining that Princess Ye adored her but could not attend due to health and the arduous journey from her current resting place. This revelation visibly eased Yu Qingluo’s worries.
He also reassured her that he had spoken at length with Nan Nan and understood that it might take time for the boy to fully accept him, but he was patient. Yu Qingluo confessed that the happiness felt like an unreal dream, fearing it might suddenly end.
Ye Xiudu gently stroked her shoulder, promising that even if she woke from a dream, she would always find him there, vowing to protect her and Nan Nan for a lifetime and never break his word. Soon after Ye Xiudu departed, the room door opened again, startling Yu Qingluo, whose smile vanished as she froze. It was Yu Zuolin, who had escaped from prison.
Li Zifan rushed in, frantically reporting Yu Zuolin's escape, explaining he had broken out after consuming the meal provided by Li Ranran, which contained five-grass powder. Ye Xiudu immediately realized Yu Qingluo was in grave danger. Jin Liuli then discovered a note on Yu Qingluo's desk: "To save Yu Qingluo, meet at Love-cutting Summit by Chaobai River." Ye Xiudu, without hesitation, rushed off alone.
At Love-cutting Summit, Yu Zuolin held a sharp knife to Yu Qingluo, declaring that his downfall was due to the "dog couple." Ye Xiudu offered his life for hers, discarding his Cold-night Single-star Sword. Yu Zuolin, emboldened by having consumed a double dose of five-grass powder, believed himself invincible. As they fought, Yu Qingluo secretly released her poisonous scorpions. Seizing the opportune moment, Ye Xiudu kicked Yu Zuolin, sending him flying over the edge of the cliff.
Immediately, Shuang Ke and a large group of her men, who had been lying in ambush, surrounded them. Facing overwhelming odds, Yu Qingluo decided their only chance was to take a desperate gamble. Embracing Ye Xiudu, she declared that she had no regrets dying in his arms, and together they leaped off Love-cutting Summit into the Chaobai River below. Shuang Ke observed their "miserable couple" fate, wishing them to become "loving couples in hell."
Three days later, Yu Qingluo regained consciousness while lying in the Chaobai River. As she surfaced, fragmented memories of being drowned by Yu Zuolin years ago in the same river, with him accusing her of carrying "another man's child" and revealing his secret machinations, flashed through her mind. Nan Nan was by her side, overjoyed that she had awakened. Her first thought was for Ye Xiudu.
Jin Liuli informed her that she had been unconscious for three days, and although Li Zifan's search party had found her, Ye Xiudu was still missing. Ye Haoran also reported that only Ye Xiudu's Cold-night Single-star Sword and a sachet, which had fallen near the cliff, had been recovered.
Yu Qingluo recognized the sachet as one she had personally made for Ye Xiudu, containing heart-refreshing grass to bring him good fortune in the trials, which he had promised to wear forever. Despite reassurances that the search for Ye Xiudu would continue, a heartbroken Yu Qingluo insisted on searching herself, venturing to the riverbank. There, she found only a bloodied piece of his waist belt.
Nan Nan, coming to his mother's side, comforted her, and the others promised to continue the search for Ye Xiudu, refusing to give up. Back at the Prince Ye's Mansion, the sight of the wedding decorations brought Yu Qingluo to tears. She picked up the marriage contract Ye Xiudu had prepared, and in her mind, she saw him in his wedding attire, recalling his solemn vows to protect her and Nan Nan forever.
Suddenly, all her memories returned—the Four Kingdom Feast, the mysterious smoke, her unexpected intimate night with Ye Xiudu, and the jade pendant given to her from the Prince Ye's Mansion. She finally realized that Ye Xiudu was Nan Nan's biological father. Jin Liuli, finding Yu Qingluo with a dagger, feared she would commit suicide and intervened. Yu Qingluo then revealed the truth about Nan Nan's parentage to a stunned Jin Liuli.
Yu Qingluo, no longer despondent, pressed her handprint onto the marriage contract, officially becoming Ye Xiudu's wife. She vowed to honor his wish by winning back the glory for the Ye family in the upcoming Four Kingdom Contest and to seek revenge against the Xiuluo Sect for their deeds. Meanwhile, Shuang Ke reported to the Xiuluo Sect Chief, confirming Ye Xiudu's apparent demise.
The Chief was pleased, convinced that the second volume of Shennong Pharmacopoeia was now within their grasp and confident in their alliance to win the Four Kingdom Contest and retrieve the medical text.
